Chapter 1 — How Successful were the Religious Thinkers in spreading Islam in the

Subcontinent during the 18th and 19th centuries?

• Shah Waliullah (1703 — 1762)

1. Early Biographical Details.

- birth = 21st February 1703, during the reign of Aurangzeb Alamgir

- real name = Qutub-ud-Din; became Shah Waliullah for his piety
- father = Shah Abdul Rahim, founder of Madrassa Rahimiya in Delhi
- 1718 = father died, SWU began teaching at the Madrassa

2. Beliefs.

- while in Arabia = SWU thought about the Muslims’ issues under the Mughals
- Empire was declining, Muslims were as divided as they could get
- SWU realized that the Muslims had to stand up for themselves
- believed that most of the problems were rooted in their insufficient knowledge of Islam/the
Quran, and that Islamic education should become more widely available
- all political, economic and social behavior should be based upon Islamic/Quranic values
- following Islamic principles would make coexisting easier and create a more peaceful society, and
un-Islamic principles should completely disappear from the daily life of Muslims

3. Work.

- worked hard to become a role model for Muslims; his thorough understanding of the Quran/
Hadith/Fiqah/Tasawuf proved it and made him a very knowledgeable man from early on
- put an emphasis on Quranic teachings by translating the Quran into Persian = more accessibility
- his two sons, Shah Abdul Qader and Shah Rafi, translated the Quran into Urdu
- SWU wrote 51 books, in Persian and Arabic, e.g. Hujjat Allah al-Baligha & Izalat Akhfa
- writings made him popular, known and influential in other things (i.e. economics: emphasized
need for social justice, and for peasants and craftsmen to be appreciated for their work)
- most important = organization of opposition to the Marathas = Marathas were about to
overrun the south of the Empire, but SWU united all the Muslim nobles together to save the
Empire; his influence convinced Ahmed Shah Abdali of Persia to join the Muslims; Persian
forces and Muslims defeated the Marathas at the Battle of Panipat in 1761
- unfortunately, the Muslims didn’t use the defeat of the Marathas to their advantage.

4. Importance.

- was one of the first Muslim thinkers to point out that the status of the Muslims was because of
their progressive detachment from Islam; there had to be spiritual and moral regeneration.
- Madrassa Rahimiya stayed in place for this Islamic regeneration
- his writing in Persian inspired Muslims and provided wider accessibility of Islamic Education to
Muslims around the world, who could get closer to their religion and step away from un-Islamic
wrongdoings
- showed that sectarian division had to be stopped; claimed that Muslims shouldn’t let differences
get in the way of the Muslim Revival, and should stay united all throughout by focusing on
Islamic fundamentals; did this by organizing opposition to the Marathas & emphasizing on the
importance of Jihad
- influence continued after his death = writings & Madrassa Rahimiya; leaders inspired by him…

 • Syed Ahmed Barelvi (1786 — 1831).

1. Early Biographical Details.

- birth = near Lucknow, in Rai Bareli, in 1786

- father = died when SAB was still young
- 1806 = moved to Delhi & enrolled at Madrassa Rahimiya
- studied with the sons of Shah Waliullah learning the Quran and the Hadith
- SAB was more a man of action than a scholar
- 1810 = joined the forces of Amir Khan & learned the use of European weaponry
- was given command of a group of soldiers, but would also lead the troops in prayer
- 1817 = returned to Delhi, where his work became important in restoring Islam to its purity

2. Beliefs.

- SAB was the ideal person to act as a leader against British power in India & ensure that Muslims
were ruled by fellow Muslims
- believed that the freedom of Muslims could only come as a result of armed struggle against the
non-Muslim oppressing forces
- believed that evils needed to come to an end as they had corrupted the Islamic society
- surrounded himself with man of great piety, who would reject worldly wealth and work for the
best interests of Muslims, even in the army
- British made sure that the Mughals wouldn’t have any power; Sikhs were dominant in Punjab
- SAB founded the Jihad Movement, which meant that Muslims had to struggle together to
overthrow Non-Muslim oppression and restore Muslim power. He believed that Islam could be
rejuvenated that way and be rescued from customs contrary to Islamic beliefs which had crept
into daily life.

3. Work.

- 1821 = went for Hajj, but travelled across India to spread his beliefs about Jihad.
- 1823 = returned from Hajj, ready to take action.
- Punjab under the oppressive rule of the Sikh leader Ranjit Singh; Muslims couldn’t carry out their
religious practices; SAB therefore knew that Punjab was the best place to start his movement
- SAB toured Punjab, Sindh, Baluchistan, Afghanistan & NWFP to enlist men to fight the Sikhs;
raised the Mujahideen force.
- 1826 = SAB established his headquarters near Peshawar, and sent an ultimatum to Ranjit Singh.
- 21/12/1826 = Ranjit Singh dismissed the ultimatum, so SAB had to attack first at Akora &
Hazrothe; the Sikhs lost.
- his victories made him a successful military leader and other tribes joined (80,000)
- issue = army with men of different beliefs, Sikhs exploited this to their advantage
- 1827 = SAB became an Imam and told them to follow the works of SWU; this bound the army
together, and the Mujahideen finally got along with itself
- SAB was preparing to attack the fort of Attock, but encountered an army of 35,000 Sikhs at Akora
- didn’t know that Yar Muhammad Khan, a Pathan chief in his army, was bribed by the Sikhs
- one of the servants tried to poison SAB, but failed; Yar Muhammad Khan deserted the battlefield
- caused confusion and chaos, made the Mujahideen lose; moved HQ to Panjtrar near Kashmir.
- Yar Muhammad Khan died, but his brother was also against SAB.
- SAB moved his HQ to Balakot, since it was known to be safe thanks to the mountains.
- SAB was betrayed again as Sikhs stroke a surprise attack from the mountains.
- 1831 = Battle of Balakot; Mujahideen taken by surprise, fought bravely but outnumbered,
600 died, including SAB & his commander Shah Ismail.

 4. Influence.

- defeat in the Battle of Balakot = setback for the Jihad movement, which struggled to survive
- Jihad movement continued in NWFP until 1863 when the British sent an army
- SAB’s work was influential as it was the first example in Indian history of a movement formed to
free the Muslims from the tyranny of non-Muslims.
- the Jihad movement wasn’t to put one leader in power, but to achieve religious and spiritual
freedom; it was a uniting force
- SAB’s army was made of spiritual leaders & teachers, & they were ready to fight for their cause.
- the Jihad movement is considered to be the fore-runner of the Pakistan Movement in India.
- SAB’s efforts were an inspiration for many Muslims in defending their religion, culture and
freedom, and SAB was an example for years after his death.

 • Haji Shariatullah (1781-1840).

1. Early Biographical Details.

- born in 1781 in Faridpur district in East Bengal (Bangladesh)

- father was a farmer and family was not very well off
- 1799 = travelled to Arabia for Hajj and stayed there for the next 19 years
- greatly influenced by the beliefs of Sheikh Muhammad Abdul Wahab
- return to East Bengal = started his own reform movement to purify Islam of the Hindu influences
- died in 1840, but work was carried on by his son Mohsin-ud-Din.

2. Beliefs.

- believed that the miserable condition of the Muslims in India made the country Dar-ul-Harb
- Dar-ul-Harb = area where non-Muslims ruled
- HSU said that Friday and Eid prayers should not be offered in these areas
- believed that the Muslim community had moved away from true Islamic practice, and wanted
them to come back to Faraiz
- faraiz = proper observation of Islamic duties
- Faraizi movement = supported the idea of Jihad against non-Muslims who were
undermining the true principles of Islam.

3. Work.

- found that the Muslims of East Bengal were oppressed by the Hindu and the British
- Muslims used to be a ruling class in Bengal, but had to work with Hindu landowners when the
British took over
- Zamindars = landowners
- Muslims had few opportunities in education and employment, and many important Muslim
families became poor
- HSU started the Faraizi movement to restore the pride of the Muslims and remove the Hindu
practices that had crept into daily life
- emphasized on praying for past sins and promising to lead a righteous life in the future, which
would mean following the religious obligations of a true Muslim
- HSU’s success frustrated the Hindus of East Bengal; Hindu and British landlords oppressed the
Muslims in that region
- Hindu & British landowners drove HSU out of the region to Nawbganj in Dhaka, where he died
- however, his work was carried on by his son Mohsin-ud-Din, & introduced important measures.
- 1) divided East Bengal into circles under Khalifas; responsible for the social & spiritual welfare of
their people
- 2) helped peasants to oppose to excessive taxes imposed by the Hindu and British landlords
- 3) Mohsin-ud-Din’s opposition to the payment of taxes led to unrest in East Bengal, but he went
further and threatened to start a Jihad against the British government.
- The British arrested him and jailed him; after he died, the Faraizi movement declined.

4. Influence.

- Faraizi Movement gave encouragement to the Muslims as they were being demoralized
- the FM brought a spiritual revival, which led to the revival of Islam in East Bengal
- the FM had an important political and economic impact; the Bengal peasants united against the
treatment they received and became more aware of their rights
- the FM was believed to be a factor of the Pakistan Movement.