Shah Waliullah was an 18th century Islamic scholar, philosopher and reformer born in India. He received a traditional Islamic education studying hadith, fiqh, tafsir and kalam. He went to Arabia for further study and while there had a vision that motivated him to reform Muslim society. When he returned to India, he established a madrasa and taught for 12 years, focusing on Quran, hadith, metaphysics and translating the Quran to Persian to spread Islamic teachings more widely. He is seen as a pioneer who advocated Islamic revival and strengthening Muslims politically and socially through education.