Shah Walī-Allāh (1703-1762) has been one of the most outstanding Muslim thinkers of the subcontinent who interpreted Islam in a holistic way. He took deliberate efforts and initiatives to reconstruct the Islamic teachings in an effective manner. He persistently stressed upon ijtehād within boarders of Qur’ān and Sunnah to sought out the issues confronting by the Muslims. Almost all the Islamic religious revivalist movements and reformist thinkers were more or less influenced by his ideas. He had an encyclopedic range of Islamic knowledge. He contributed much to tafsīr, hadith, fiqh, kalām and Taṣawwuf. He attempted to reform the thought and behaviour of the Muslims. In the vast field of Islamic studies, Shah Walī-Allāh’s contribution gained unprecedented prominence for multiple reasons. He is among those figures who delved deep in the classic tradition of tafsir, hadith, fiqh, and kalām. Besides through his mastery on the spiritual sciences and practical initiation in almost all the significant orders of the Taṣawwuf, Shah Walī- Allāh assimilated its rich intellectual capital and fully benefited from various schools of the Sufi tradition of his time. In fact, he was able to encompass such a vast field of the Islamic knowledge. He translated Qur’ān into Persian to make Islamic teachings accessible to a lay man.

1. Introduction
Shah Walī-Allāh (1703-1762) has been one of the most outstanding Muslim thinkers of the
subcontinent who interpreted Islam in a holistic way. He took deliberate efforts and initiatives to
reconstruct the Islamic teachings in an effective manner. He persistently stressed upon ijtehād
within boarders of Qur’ān and Sunnah to sought out the issues confronting by the Muslims.
Almost all the Islamic religious revivalist movements and reformist thinkers were more or less
influenced by his ideas. He had an encyclopedic range of Islamic knowledge. He contributed
much to tafsīr, hadith, fiqh, kalām and Taṣawwuf. He attempted to reform the thought and
behaviour of the Muslims. In the vast field of Islamic studies, Shah Walī-Allāh’s contribution
gained unprecedented prominence for multiple reasons. He is among those figures who delved
deep in the classic tradition of tafsir, hadith, fiqh, and kalām. Besides through his mastery on the
spiritual sciences and practical initiation in almost all the significant orders of the Taṣawwuf,
Shah Walī- Allāh assimilated its rich intellectual capital and fully benefited from various schools
of the Sufi tradition of his time. In fact, he was able to encompass such a vast field of the Islamic
knowledge. He translated Qur’ān into Persian to make Islamic teachings accessible to a lay man.
His idea of reconstructing Islam within the principles of Qur’ān and Sunnah constitutes one of
the revolutionary features of his religious thought. Similarly, his reconciliatory approach to
different opinions of schools of thought is another most remarkable feature of his contribution.
He presented Qur’ān and sunnah as a common way for all the schools of thought. According to
him, if one remains steadfastly attached to higher aims and objectives of the religious mission of
the Prophet (SAW) and constantly keeps them in focus, then all the differences of opinion among
the scholars could be explained in terms of their unmistakable common roots that are well
preserved in the Prophet’s legacy. He has generally been regarded as a Mujadid who took the
responsibility of reforming the religious thought of the Muslims especially in subcontinent in the
light of authentic sources of Islam. He devoted himself to restore the purity of Islamic heritage.
He asked the Muslims to go back to the original and primary sources of Islam to regain their lost
religious glory. He attempted to liberate the original Islamic teaching from the influence of un-
Islamic elements. In all his writings, Shah Walī-Allāh stresses his strong belief in the Qur’ān and
Sunnah as the two fundamental, authentic, perfect, unquestionable and comprehensive source of
knowledge. However, according to him, these two basic sources provide sufficient space for

2. human reasoning to address the conditions of the dynamic nature of human society. He was able
to link the apparent variation in individual views to a definitive unity of origin and also to show a
certain uniformity in their evolution. Another prominent feature of Shah Walī-Allāh’s teachings
is to find a link between various opinions and the temporal circumstances, in the context of
which these opinions had initially emerged. He, thus, tries to show that the diversity of opinion
found among the scholars of various schools, represents a natural onward process of
understanding and enforcing the teachings of Islam to different space-time situations. He had
been a keen observer of socio-religious conditions of his time.
Another great contribution of Shah Wali-Allāh to Islamic thought is that he made a bold and
successful attempt to present spirit of Qur’ān and Sunnah as the core of Muslim education. This
contribution helped to animate the educational life of the Indian Muslims. In this manner, he
tried to integrate the educational process with three streams of revelation, reason and spiritual
wisdom. He also sought to emancipate Muslim ethos from unhealthy influences of local
mysticism. He adopted a highly effective mode of communication. This mode of communication
was typically represented by the concern for spiritual reform and inner transformation of human
beings. In this way, Shah Walī- Allāh directly addressed the hearts and souls of the individuals,
and did not confine his efforts to mere intellectual articulation.
As a reformer his task was to reinterpret the Islamic teachings without breaking the past. The
impact of Shah Walī-Allāh’s teachings remained far and wide. Shah Walī-Allāh formed the
bridge between medieval and modern Islam in India and was intellectual source for later
generations, i.e., Shah Ismaiel Shahīd, Sayyid Ahmad Shaheed, Deoband and Ahl-i- Hadith
movement etc. Moreover, other prominent Islamic scholars like ‘Alama Shubali Numani, ‘Alama
Iqbal and Mawlanā Maududi, etc. were also influenced by his thoughts. His endeavors
spearheaded a process of Islamic revival and reformation movements in South Asia.
Shah Wali-Allah and Tasawwuf
Shah Wali-Allāh presents his sufic thought in a systematic way and explorers keenly the
philosophy of Sufism. He defines Islam as an entity of two major components i.e., exoteric
and esoteric. The esoteric component, according to Shah Walī-Allāh is related to internal states

3. and activities of man which is called Sufism this component treats the mystical states of man in
relation to his lord (Allah). It is said that he bases his system of Sufism on Ihsān. According to
the tradition of Prophet (SAW) ''Ihsān is to worship Allah as if you see Him if you are unable to
do so then think that He sees you. ''Therefore, Ihsan is a state which brings creation close to its
creator. Shah Walī-Allāh divides the history of Sufism in four stages:
 First stage starts from the Life of prophet Muhammad saw and his companions. During
this time tasawwuf was functioned in the subordination to Islamic Shari'ah. They did not
involve in meditations and absorption but they remained subordinate to Qur'an and
Sunnah
 The second period, according to him starts with Junaid Baghdadi (d 910 AD). Although,
during this period, most of the Sufis repeated the previous Sufi cult yet many of them
developed some special qualities in them. Renunciation and restoring to mediations;
dhikr, maragaba, mujahada and kashf were two main qualities of tasawwuf during this
period. Shah Walī-Allāh says, such men, were conscious of aggressive nafs and the
satanic temptations.
 Third period of Sufism began with Shaikh Abu al- Khair (d 1043 AD). This phase,
according to him witnessed a new development of tasawwuf. The Sufis here, through the
practice of jadhb(absorption) in God attained the state of tawajuh and realization of the
essence of God up to whom all the things depend. He says that such men absorbed in His
Being and their personalities were coloured by His favours. Shah Walī-Allāh says, during
this period, there was no difference between tawhīd-i wujudi and tawhīd-i shuhudi. The
main aim of Sufis was to absorb into Being of God.
 The fourth period started with Sheikh Al Akbar ibn ‘Arabi (1165-1240). During this
period, says Shah Walī-Allāh, the vision of the Sufis went beyond the existing knowledge
of mystic states and stations and they got engaged themselves in discussions of the
different Sufi theories and the realities of life. They find out the stages of Wujūd (being)
and tanazulat (decent) and its way of manifestation from Necessary Being (Wajib al-
Wujud)
His philosophy of the Tasawwuf was reformative in nature. In the field of the tasawwuf he was
like a Mujadid and tried to reform and resuscitate tasawwuf primarily in accordance with

4. Shari'ah. According to him a Sufi must possess an adequate knowledge of Qur'ān and sunnah.
The aim of tasawwuf, according to Shah Wali-Allāh, is to realize Allah (SWT)with a firm
belief. He synthesized the two contradictory concepts i.e., Wahdat-al-wujud and Wahdat-al-
shuhud in such a way that there remained no contradiction between these two concepts.
Moreover, he tried to bridge the gap between the different sects of Tasawwuf. Shah Wali-Allāh
wrote various of books on the philosophy of Sufism among them Altaf al-qudus, Anfās al-
arfeen, Hama'at, Tafhemāt-e illahia, etc, are some famous works. According to Shah Wali-
Allah, Tasawwuf is a way to through which the adherents of Islam purify their inner state from
any sort of un-Islamic elements.
According to Shah Wali-Allah obedience (Tā’t) to Shari'ah is the prerequisite for the path of
Sufism. By obedience to Shari'ah, he means adherence to the beliefs and the regulations of
Islam. Here the Salik (the traveler in the mystical path) is obliged to follow them on the model
of companions (Sahabah). He cautions the controversial interpretations of the mutakalimun
regarding Islamic teachings. He says a salik should possess an adequate knowledge of
traditions of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and the sayings (athār) of the sahabah, however, in
case of poor knowledge of traditions of and sayings of companions, a salik is bound to follow
any of four suni schools of law. It explicitly shows that he doesn't bifurcate tasawwuf from
Shari'ah, he was following the tradition of some renowned Sufi scholars like Junaid Baghdadi,
Ghazali, Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani and Sheikh Ahmad Sirhindi.
In short, Shah Walī-Allāh has immensely contributed to the development of Islamic thought in
the subcontinent, and the impact of his thought on successive generations is enormous. The
current study will explore his impact on later Muslim reformist and revivalist developments in
subcontinent.

5. Literature Review
1.Halepota, Dr. A. J., PHILOSOPHY OF SHAH WALLIULAH, SIND SAGR ACADMY
LAHORE
Here in this book the author has focused on the general principles of the ethical, personal and
domestic life according to Shah Wali- Allāh. Furthermore, theological thought of Shah also has
been discussed in this book
2. Ghazi, Mahmood Ahmad, ISLAMIC RENAISSANCE IN SOUTH ASIA 1707-1867: The role of
Shah Walī-Allāh and His Successors, Islamic Research Institute, Islamabad, 2002
Here the author has discussed the general role of Shah Wali-Allah towards Islamic revivalism in
South Asia
3.Hussain, Tasaduq, Philosophy of Shah Wali-Allah (PhD Thesis, AMU), 1976
Here author has focused on sufic thought of Shah Wali-Allah and says that according to Shah
Wali- Allāh Sufism is must for internal preservation of the Muslims it is reformative in nature,
furthermore the author has discussed the stages of Tasawwuf, according to Shah Wali-Allah.
4. Rizvī, Saiyid Athar Abbas, SHAH WALῙ-ALLᾹH AND HIS TIMES, Australia, 1980
Here the author has shed light on the Mughal imperial traditions, general picture of the Muslim
society during 18th
century, religious mission of Shah Wali-Allah socio-political thought of Shah
Wali-Allah, etc. Moreover, his religious mission and his ancestors has been also discussed in this
book. Teaching methods and syllabus are some more points which have been pointed out in this
book.
5. Gīlāni, Mawlānā Sayyed Manazer Ahsen, Tazkera-i- Shah Walī-Allāh, Naveed Publishers
Urdu Bazar Lahore, August 2003
Here the author has discussed about the social and political conditions during Shah Walī-Allāh’s
time in the subcontinent and his contribution towards Islamic traditions. Besides, clash of the
Muslims with Sikhs and the deteriorating conditions of the Muslims has also been discussed in
this book.

6. 6. Nadwi, Mawlānā Abul Hasan ‘Ali, Tārīkh-i- Da ‘wat-o- ‘Azīmat, Part 5, Majlis-i-Tehqiqāt-o-
Nashhriyāt-i-Islam Lakhnow, July 2006
Conditions of the Muslim countries during 12th
century, political conditions of the Islam cultural
influence of Iran on India and about Ottoman caliphate has been discussed in this book. Political
conditions of India, Mughal dynasty and the weak successors of the king Aurangzeb are some
other topics of the book. Furthermore, here in this book the author has discussed about the life of
Shah Wali-Allah, his works beliefs. Moreover, the author has discussed about the efforts of Shah
Walī-Allāh towards Islamic revivalism in subcontinent and his leadership during political crises
and the propagation of Qur’an and Sunnah among the people.
7. Sindhi, ‘Ubayd Allah, Shah Walī-Allāh aur unkā Falsafa.
Following points have been mentioned in this book: Tasawwuf and philosophy, importance of
the self, hadith, fiqh, wahdat-al-Wujūd and wahdat-al-Shuhūd.
8. Hermansen, Marica K “Shah Walī-Allāh's Theory of the Subtle Spiritual Centers (Lata'if): A
Sufi Model of personhood and Self-transformation” is an article here the author has discussed
some general features of the Shah Walī-Allāh's thought.
9. Kollandy, Hilaludeen, “Islamic Mysticism and Philosophy: Contribution of Shah Walī-Allāh
of Delhi”, here in this article, discussed about the sources of thought of Shah Wali-Allāh.
These are some books and articles which i have read, besides these, although there is
considerable amount of literature on Shah Walī-Allāh, yet there are some aspects which are
missing in this literature, like his impact upon subsequent reformist and revivalist developments
in the subcontinent, which is primary aspect of my research. As far his Sufi thought is concerned,
how Shah Walī-Allāh was different from other Sufis and his contribution as a Sufi revivalist in
the Sufism, and what was his role reforming Islamic Taṣawwuf in the light of Qur’ān and sunnah
will remain another aspect of my study.

7. Objectives of my Research
1. To make a general review of Shah Walī-Allāh’s religious thought highlighting its theological,
Sufi and reformist aspects.
2. To study the impact of Shah Walī-Allah’s religious thought upon his progeny: Shah Abdul
Aziz, Shah Ismaiel Shahīd and Mawlanā Ishāq.
3. To study the impact of Shah Walī-Allāh on Sayyid Ahmad Barelive in terms of his thought
and movement.
4. To study the impact of Shah Walī-Allāh upon Deoband movement.
5. To examine the influence of Shah Walī-Allāh upon modern reformist thinkers like ‘Alama
Iqbal, Mawlanā Mawdudi and Abul Hasan Nadwi.
Rationale of the Study
Although a considerable amount of literature has been written on Shah Walī-Allāh, his life,
works, contribution and thought, however, a little attention has been paid towards his impact on
the later reformist and revivalist developments in subcontinent. He interpreted Islam in a holistic
way, he did not merely confine himself to any particular aspect of the religion, rather he
presented a comprehensive and authentic solution to all the issues facing by the contemporary
Muslims in the light of Qur’ān and Sunnah. The impact of his thought was so enormous that
almost all the thinkers and movement that followed were directly or indirectly inspired by his
thought. Even the Muslim modernist like Sir Sayyed Ahmad Khan, pioneer of modern education
in India, was also inspired by Shah Walī-Allāh at some stages of his life. The role of Shah Walī-
Allāh to shape the future of the Muslim revivalist and reformist thought in subcontinent cannot
be ignored. In order to bridge the gap, the present study will attempt to highlight and evaluate the
impact of Shah Wali-Allah’s thought and movement upon the later reformist movements and
thinkers.

8. Research Methodology
My research is based on descriptive, analytical, and historical methods. All the available material
on Shah Walī-Allāh will be critically evaluated.
Chapterization
1. Shah Walī-Allah and his thought (Theological, Sufi and Reformist Aspects)
2. Shah Wali- Allāh on Jurisprudence and Maqaṣid Shari ‘ah
3. Impact of Shah Walī-Allah’s Religious Thought upon Later Muslim Thinkers (Shah Abdul
Aziz, Shah Ismaiel Shahīd and Mawlana Ishāq, and Sayyed Ahmad Barelvie’s Movement)
4. Impact of Shah Walī-Allah’s Thought upon Deoband Movement
5. Impact and outcome of Shah Walī-Allāh’s Thought
Conclusion
Bibliography
Bibliography
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1. Halepota, Dr. A. J., PHILOSOPHY OF SHAH WALLIULAH, SIND SAGR ACADMY
LAHORE
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Shah Walī-Allāh and His Successors, Islamic Research Institute, Islamabad, 2002
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4. Baqā, Mazhar “Shah Wali-Allah aur Mazahīb-e-Arba’a” Fikr o-Nazr vol. 8, November 1971

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Articles
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of Personhood and Self-Transformation”, Journal of Near Eastern Studies 47(1), 1988
2. Baljon, J.M.S. “Shah Wali-Allah and Dargah,” in Muslim shrines in India. ed. Christian W.
Troll, Delhi, 1989
3. Hussain, Tassaduq. “The Sufi Epistemology of Shah Wali-Allah” (journal of objective studies)
4. Bhat, Abdur Rashid, “Shah Wali-ul Allah Dehlvi: An Analysis of his Sufism” in ed. Book
Sufism and Indian Mysticism by Akhtarul Wasey and Farhat Ehsas, Readworthy Publications,
New Delhi, 2011