Name: Nomi

Roll no: 20F-0472

Roll of Mujaddid Alf Thani Sheikh Aḥmad Sirhindi in Sub-Continent

Abstract
Mujaddid Alf Thani is a celebrated personality among all the mujaddids of Islam. He is regarded
as the second mujaddid of the 2nd Hijrah. The word (Mujaddid Alf Thani) has become a part of
his name as if when these words are uttered, his towering personality comes in the mind. After
studying the history of his period especially courtier scholar ‘Abd-ul-Qadir of Badayun’s book
“Muntakhab al-Tawarikh”, it seems that in the period of the Emperor Jalaluddin Akbar the
Islamic system was not existing commonly among the Muslims even Akbar tried to ruin the
personal laws of the Muslims by deviating Islamic principles. In the light of the famous Ḥadith
of Gabriel wherein Islam has been truly defined, we briefly survey the changes and bid’ats of
Akbar’s time in Islamic principles and how Mujaddid Alf Thani did a great work to revive the
Islamic principles.

Introduction and Biography:

Being one of the great earlier reformers of Muslim India, Shaikh Aḥmad Sirhindi Faruqi
Naqshbandi was born in Sirhind on June 26, 1564. He belonged to a dedicated Muslim family
that claimed to be the descendant of second caliph ‘Umar Faruq (MAPWH). His father Sheikh
‘Abd-ul-Aḥad was a well-known Sufi of his time. Sheikh Aḥmad received his basic education at
home. He learnt the basics of the Quran, Ḥadith and theology in Sirhind and Sialkot. Later, he
devoted most of his time to the study of the Ḥadith, the commentary of the Quran and
philosophy.

When he was 36 years old, he went to Delhi and joined the Naqshbandiyyah order under the
discipleship of Khajah Baqi Billah.

Roll or Work:
Akbar, the Mughal Emperor, had started a series of experiments with Islam, propagating his own
religion Din-i-Ilahi, an amalgamation of the Hindu and Muslim beliefs. In these circumstances,
Sheikh Aḥmad set upon himself the task of purifying the Indian Muslim society. His aim was to
rid Islam of the accretions of Hindu pantheism. He was highly critical of the philosophy of
waḥdat-ul-wujud, against which he gave his philosophy of waḥdat-ush-shuhud.

Through preaching, discussions and his letters, Aḥmad Sirhindi addressed nobles and leaders of
religious thought and he spread his message amongst the elite in particular. As he and his
followers worked in the imperial camp and army, he was soon noticed by Jahangir. Jahangir,
unlike his father, was a more orthodox Muslim. Sheikh Aḥmad refused to prostrate before him,
as a result of which he was imprisoned at Gwalior Fort for two years until the Emperor realized
his mistake. Jahangir then not only released Sheikh Aḥmad, but also recalled him to Agra.
Objectives:
Mujaddid Alf Thani Sheikh Aḥmad Sirhindi has following objectives:

 Durability of the religious government

 Reconciliation with the Hindus
 Moving forward with the united India

These three objectives were destroyed by the three points of Mujaddid Alf Thani:

 Establishment of Islamic government

 Extincted reapproachment with the Hindus
 Construction of Islamic India

Effect of Society:
He prepared a team of religious scholars. The result of this expediency was the wavering of the
heretic acts of Akbar and Jahangir and the earlier religious and Islamic atmosphere was harped.
The illiterate Sufis and unfaithful scholars were ousted before they could destroy the society.
Mujaddid Alf Thani was born to eradicate all the evils that prevailed in India during Akbar’s
time. He defended the Islamic society form this evils.

He spread the brightness of faith and trust wherever he stayed. Because of his continuous trials,
at last on 15 October 1405 after the death of Akbar, Din-i-Ilahi also ended.

Sheikh Muhammad Ikram has written in reference to the government of the Mughal dynasty. He
writes: “It is not wrong to say that the changes occurred in Muslim society from the period of
Akbar to the period of Aurangzeb were due to the Mujaddid and his teachings”.

Conclusion:
Mujaddid Alf Thani was the most powerful religious personality in the history of Muslim India.
He was a widely read scholar and a magnetic orator. He got an opportunity in a liberal
atmosphere in Jahangir’s reign to use his powerful pen to denounce Akbar’s religious
innovations. Mujaddid Alf Thani was the only individual in the history of India who opposed
Akbar and thereby invited his wrath.
In short Mujaddid Alaf Thani removed impact of non-Islamic customs, converted a great number
of the Hindus to Islam, presented pure Islamic teachings and eradicated the wrong ideas of so-
called mystics.

Reference:
The Indian Journal of Arabic and Islamic Studies

(A Quarterly Peer-reviewed Research Journal)

Vol.: 02, Issues: 1-2 (Jan-June 2017)