Who was Shah Walli Ullah (SWU)?

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SWU was born on 21st February 1703, during the reign of Aurangzeb Alamgir. His real
name was Qutub-ud-Din, but later became known as Shah Walli Ullah (SWU) because
of his piety. In 1724, SWU went to Arabia to perform Haj and further studies. He got
religious education from famous scholar Sheikh Abu Tahir bin Ibrahim, before returning
to Delhi in 1732.

What were the beliefs of Shah Walli Ullah? [4]

SWU thought deeply about the problems faced by Muslims in the Mughal Empire. The
empire was in decline and Muslims were disunited because of weak leadership. He
believed that many of the problems of the Muslims resulted from incomplete knowledge
of the Quran and about Islam in general. He believed that the Muslim community was
divided into sectarian groups, such as Sunnis and Shias. SWU wanted them to
concentrate on fundamental principles of Islam and put aside their differences.

Why did SWU wish to revive Islam in sub-the continent? [7]

Firstly, he believed that many of the problems of the Muslims resulted from incomplete
knowledge of the Quran and about Islam in general. To teach and preach true Islam,
he translated the Holy Quran into Persian which was the language of educated
Muslims in India. He wrote over 51 books in Arabic and Persian to explain the
principles of Islam. His writings in Persian made Islamic teachings available to
large numbers of Muslims who had not been able to understand Arabic.

Secondly, the rise of non-Muslim powers such as Marathas in Deccan and Sikhs in
Punjab made SWU to think that a revival was necessary and was possible. He wrote
letters to rulers of Muslim states asking to unite and rise against non-Muslim
forces. In this regard, he invited the Afghan ruler Ahmed Shah Abdali /Ahmed
Shah Durrani to deal with Marathas. Ahmed Shah Abdali defeated the Marathas in
the battle of Panipat in 1761. However, despite encouragement from SWU, the
Muslim leaders didn’t unite to take advantage of the defeat of the Marathas.

Thirdly, SWU believed that the Muslim community was divided into sectarian groups,
such as Sunnis and Shias. SWU wanted them to concentrate on fundamental
principles of Islam and put aside their differences. He wrote an account of the
first four caliphs of Islam in a way that was acceptable to both Shias and Sunnis.
He hoped that this would help to heal the division between them.
Did Haji Shariatullah contribute more to the spread of Islam than anyone else in
the subcontinent before 1850? Explain your answer.

Was the work of Syed Ahmed Barelvi the most important for the
revival of Islam in sub-continent? Give reasons for your answer.
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