CHAPTER-4

Social Contributions of Shah Waliullah

Besides criticizing particular classes of Muslim Society, Shah Waliullah also

condemned the sinful innovation and polytheistic practices borrowed by the Muslims
from their non-Muslim neighbours; the indifference of the scholars and the Muslim
rulers to promote the knowledge of Hadith and Sunnah and their failure to oppose the
superstitious beliefs and practices of the masses. The religious scholars of his time
who were normally preoccupied with logic and philosophy ignored these un-Islamic
practices either because they regarded them as of no consequence or did not want to
antagonize the community. Shah Waliullah gave attention to the need of reforming
the Muslim society after Shaikh Ahmad Mujaddid Alf Thani, who had denounced, in
his several letters, the heterodox beliefs and practices that had crept into the Muslim
Society.1 Endeavours designed to reform the Muslim society for restoration of its
moral health, initiated by Shah Waliullah were brought to completion by his sons and
their disciples, particularly Syed Ahmad Shahid and Shah Isma‟il Shahid. The former
was a disciple of Shah Waliullah‟s son Shah „Abdul „Aziz, while the latter was
Shah‟s grandson.2

Here, we have given a few examples from the Tafhimat-i-Ilahiya and Wasiyat
Nama by Shah Waliullah .

“One of the vicious customs prevalent among the Hindus is that when the
husband of any woman dies, they do not allow her to re-marry. The Arabs were never
given to any such practice, either before or after the advent of the messenger of God,
(pbuh). May Allah bestow his grace on the man who may succeed in eradicating this
evil practice followed by the community. If one is not able to abolish its usage among
the people at large, one should at least try to restore the practice followed by the
Arabs, in his own family and clan, and if this is also not possible, one ought to regard
it as a wicked practice and hate from heart. This is the lowest stage of repudiating
anything not approved by the Shari‟ah.

“Another unseemly practice followed by us is to have an unusually large amount of

dowry. The Prophet of God, on whom be peace and blessings, (and by following
whose practice, we can succeed in this world and the next), used to fix a dowry
65
amounting to twelve and half awquiyah which was equivalent to five hundred
dirhams for the members of his household. Yet another improper practice adapted by
us is to be extravagant an joyous occasions and traditional celebrations. The Apostle
of God, on whom be peace and blessings, is reported to have approved of a repast on
the occasions of marriage „aqiqa’ . We ought to follow his example and desist from
all other festivities and should not be lavish in our celebrations.

“We also have the queer habit of squandering money on occasions of

bereavement by way of observing sayyum,3 Chahallum,4 shashmahi 5
and Salana6
fatiha7 although none of these were prevalent among the earliest Muslims in Arabia. It
would be better if we do not observe these ceremonies and offer condolence to the
bereaved family during the next three days and provide victuals to the family
members of the deceased for a day and the night that follows. After three days the
women of the clan should apply itr to the clothes of dead man‟s female relatives and
if the widow is alive, all mourning should be terminated after the expiry of the period
of „iddat.8

Syed Abul „Ala Maududi has rightly observed in one of his articles on the
significance of Shah Waliullah ‟s reformative endeavour that:

“These passages show how deeply Shah Waliullah had pondered over the
social conditions of the Muslims of his day, compared these with the past usages, and
pointed out the evils most extensively. Such a critique necessarily creates an anxiety
for reform in those who are well-meaning as well as able to draw a distinction
between the wholesome and harmful customs and usages. The more, the people are
enlightened by Islamic consciousness, the more they come to hate the un-Islamic
influences in the society and develop an intense impulse to reform the society of all its
abuses of ignorance. The next stage for this urge to reform and regenerate is to chart
out a well-defined programme for the reconstruction of the society for giving it a
correct direction. This is what we find Shah Waliullah doing with complete precision
according to a comprehensive plan presented in his critique of the Muslim society”.9

The social thought of Shah Waliullah , apart from being an excellent account
of the great thinker‟s intellectual contribution, reflects his holistic vision of life. Shah
Waliullah regards life as a manifestation of divine unity which pervades all its facets.
His thought synthesizes revelation, reasoning and empirical knowledge to construct a

66
universal paradigm that seeks to integrate man‟s existential concerns with the moral
and spiritual purposes of life, blending these seemingly disparate elements into a
meaningful whole suffused with divine grace and beneficence. To allow the great
sage to speak for himself, the book contains an English rendering of significant
passages, pertaining to social matters, from his magnum opus, Hujjatullah al-
Balighah.10

In order to understand Shah Waliullah ‟s conception of the society fully, one

has to go through his science of society, which is much wider in scope and application
than the sociology expounded by the so-called fathers of this science in the west;
persons like Herbert Spencer and Conite, who flourished more than a century after
him and have gained a position amongst the leaders of thought in modern
philosophy.11

Human nature bends towards mutual living and interdependence, which in

fact, is the biological association with others for development, preservation and
survival. It has been truly remarked that man is a gregarious animal. Just as ethical
and moral conduct is possible only in social life, so is the survival of the species
which is , possible only selectively and is, therefore, closely connected with the
problems of the individual, his psychological nature and his ethical conduct in the
society and its administration. It follows that no philosophical or scientific system is
possibly complete without the due consideration of society, its formation,
development and administration. Shah Waliullah ‟s system is basically a society-
oriented system.12

His concept of society is organic. Society in his view is not an aggregate unit,
but a living organism, with its various parts being interlinked, interdependent and
their movement, interactive. It is subject to health and soundness, progress and
advancement, weakness and regression and decay and death- Just as the coordination
and integration of the various faculties of the human being form a better personality
and an effective and a strong mind. Coordination and integration are also the qualities
that make up a healthy and a sound social unit.

“What is habit to an individual becomes the custom of a society. The

individual‟s memory of customs (and sites) gives rise to the traditions of the society.
As the individual evolves, so does the society or community.”13

67
 Taking a holistic view of life, Shah Waliullah tries to identify the essential
unity pervading human life. His philosophy represents an attempt to establish a close
link between the social, cultural, economic, and political aspects of human existence.
With a basically theocentric view of the individual, who is the primary actor in a
social organization, it is natural that a transcendental moral law should provide the
organization‟s mainstay. This law ought to be comprehensive and immutable and
should serve as the final touchstone for determining good and evil, virtue and vice,
love and hate.14

The most outstanding and distinctive virtue of human society, in Shah

Waliullah ‟s view, is justice, which is both an individual and a collective trait. He
contends that being guided by the principle of justice is an essential moral distinction
of human beings. This individual moral consciousness is further augmented at a
collective level, where its preservation is even more necessary. For him, justice
includes all human endeavors: in dress, manners, and modes, it is the etiquette; in
income and expenditure, it is the economy; and in state affairs, it is politics. 15

Like many other social philosophers and theorists from Plato to Comte, Shah
Waliullah ‟s ultimate aim was the establishment of an ideal moral, altruistic, and
perfectly civilized society. This however, cannot be achieved, without attaining a high
level of God-consciousness and spiritual purification. In contrast, Comte thought that
a “perfect society would come about by the proper application of a new moral
science, the study of society.” He envisioned a “scientifically designed common
wealth, wherein social control would be entrusted to the „Religion of Humanity‟ with
sociologists as its priests”. Comte insisted that a strictly rational, as opposed to
religious course should be followed to alleviate the ills of postindustrial European
society. He posted that one application of this “rational strategy” could be the
incorporation of physical and natural sciences methodology in the service of social
relationships.16

In a sense, Shah Waliullah can be considered as a great macrosociologist who

made a lasting contribution to the progress of human thought, for he was “a grand
theorist concerned with historical trends and human destiny, who worked out a social
philosophy that explained a broad range of phenomena and constructed a model of a
future good society. Exponents of modern sociology do not generally acknowledge
anyone other than Comte and Marx as “Social Philosophers.” As Shah Waliullah ‟s
68
original and innovative social thought fulfills Biesman‟s criteria, he should be
recognized as a social philosopher.

The difference between the approaches of western social philosophers and that
of Shah Waliullah can be better appreciated by noticing that the former take specific
western experience for granted. The west‟s historical experience as regards to the
social, economic, religious, and political variables, has provided western sociologists
with a rich and varied material with which they could construct a constellation of
social ideas. Shah Waliullah , however, proceeds with a totally different view; the
construction of an entire system, thought, including the social aspects, on the
foundations of the historical concretization of Islam under the Prophet and his four
immediate political successors.17 This organic nature is not peculiar to any particular
society; it is common to all human societies, in fact to humanity as a whole.

Just as there are four stages of individual life; childhood, adolescence,

manhood and maturity, Shah Waliullah divides the society into four stages for
studying the process of development. He names these stages Irtifaqat. This division
is neither final nor factual, since an organic whole cannot be divided into parts as
such. In fact, it is a division for the purpose of study. All the stages are interlinked and
overlap in their functions. The meaning of Irtifaq as understood by its application and
use by Shah Waliullah is collective or cooperative effort. It is derived from “Irfaq”,
which means gentleness or the use of gentleness. It means that though the beneficial
things abound in the world, they do not come to man for his use by their own accord,
rather he has to approach them with gentleness.18

Human society evolves and develops during its life on this planet. Its
evolution and development is more or less analogous to that of the individual. As an
individual passes through various stages of his life, he has to pass through the stage of
childhood and then through the stage of adolescence and then through the stage of
youth, then through the stage of maturity and so on. So does humanity pass through
similar stages of evolution in the course of its life on earth; according to Shah
Waliullah . These stages are discussed by him in detail under the caption of al-
Irtifaqat Modes patterns of satisfying needs.19

At the same time Shah Waliullah was studying the structure, and formulating
a theory for the preservation of Muslim society in general and the Muslim community

69
in particular. He divided the history of the growth of human society into four stages.
The first of these stages is that of a primitive society that has a minimal code of social
behaviour; the second stage is marked by the growth of urban society that is first led
as a good state by its philosophers, but later degenerates into factions and needs
centralized control; this necessitates the third stage, that of monarchy to establish
order in the place of chaos; and the final stage is that of the universal state which
requires a Khalifa with effective authority to hold down various rulers in the decadent
civil society.20 These traits, as briefly mentioned earlier, are:

The first stage- Primitive Society

In the beginning man‟s needs are few and confined to only food, clothing and
shelter, etc. Nature requires the fulfillment of these three essential needs for the
survival and preservation of life. In order to fulfil them man discovers and evolves
means of producing and acquiring the needful, such as the cultivation of land, digging
of wells, etc. Eventually, he tames certain animals and prepares some sort of clothes
for covering his body, either from animal skins or tree trunks etc. For protection from
danger, he builds a shelter from straw or any other available material. Man keeps
women with him legally or illegally and protects them carefully. An example of this
first stage is the life of Adam. The evolution and development of society and his own
nature is natural to man, because he has been created with a specific purpose by Allah
“God‟s intention in creating Adam was that he should become his vicegerent on earth
and attain the height of his genus perfection. As regards to him being prohibited from
eating from the tree of Paradise, the prompting by Satan of evil, though, his being
reprimanded and finally his expulsion from paradise all this was a form of the cause,
according to the coming out gradually from the world of similitude‟s to that of
mortals.”21

The Irtifaqat are natural and in accordance with man‟s destiny. As he is

created for the purpose of achieving a perfect state of his genius. He gradually evolves
from an the animalistic level as his intellect develops, his needs become more
complex and multiply. With additional needs, additional effort is required for their
fulfillment and satisfaction, so nature pushes man towards the next stage of
development. In case of external or internal impediments, God sends Messengers
from within the human society, which is confronted with the obstacles debarring its

70
progress. These obstacles can be internal, as in the case of the majority lacking sound
disposition or external in the form of bad customs, etc. These Messengers are men
who are by nature capable of a higher kind of perfection, and act as the agents of God
in bringing order and perfection in the society and curing of its evils and removing
obstacles. Their approach and the divine law imparted to them for the establishment
of order in society is different due to the difference in the circumstances. As
mentioned earlier, the advent of the Prophet Adam was the time when humanity was
at its earliest stage, with few and simple needs. So the Sharia of Adam was also
simple and basic.

I. The consideration of the General Interests

Mans need‟s are not confined to what is merely natural, for he feels within himself the
necessity for far noble and superior things. Mere satisfaction of the natural wants like
hunger, thirst and sexual urge, etc., does not prepare him for action, but there are
some intellectual wants with in him as well, which encourage him to search for
certain gains and avoid certain loss as his reasoning suggest. Accordingly, he has
always intended to perform actions which not only benefit him, but the welfare of the
people in general. At times, he desires to establish a beneficial social order in a town,
and wishes that his character and his self be refined. While looking at the future and
distant gain, he, at times, willingly tolerates the present and immediate loss, and
sometimes, taking into consideration the future and distant loss, sacrifices his near and
immediate gain. All his endeavours are directed towards the achievement of honor
and glory.22

II. His love for Beauty and Elegance

The nature of man, unlike that of an animal is not merely composed of his needs and
their satisfaction , but he, in all his actions, seeks elegance and beauty. As an example,
an animal needs food only for the satisfing its hunger and for the maintenance of its
life, but man, even in his food seeks taste and delicacy. He wishes to have fancy
dresses, a elegent house and a beautiful wife.23

III. The Capability of Invention and Imitation

Just as the nature of man‟s needs is different from that of an animal, similarly,
the nature of inspiration which he receives from God is also different. Unlike the

71
animal, man according to his capabilities receives different kinds of inspirations for
different kinds of needs at different times. Taking advantage of those inspirations, he
invents useful ways and means for his benefit and welfare. The thought of certain
needs does not even occur to certain minds, and to some it does occur, but they do not
know the right way of their fulfillment. Someone else receives an inspiration and he
discovers a certain useful method which all the others learn from him.

In this first stage, in addition to other things, it is also necessary for men to
follow someone whom they find more wise and powerful, make him their leader, so
that he may help them develop their primary social order, and on certain occasions
repulse their enemy from them. It is but natural for them to select someone from
among themselves as their guide and then go with his guidance. In the development
and growth of a society, imitation plays a very important role. Had it not been an
inborn quality of man, the society would have taken a very long time to develop fully.
Man is prepared for imitation, because in respect of reason, there is enough difference
among people. Besides, in the quest for beauty and elegance, invention of useful
schemes, obedience to rules and regulations, and the freedom to think and meditate,
every one is different. This, however, becomes the job of a few select persons,
possessing vision and understanding, and who are generous, brave, just and virtuous.
They live a life of prosperity and decency and are prepared to work for the
development of the civilization. The rest of the people are to follow them. This kind
of human stage is considered to be the foundation stone of man‟s social life, because
no group of persons, however small it be, and removed far away from the villages and
the towns, or living in deserts or on the mountain-tops can be found free from this
initial stage of social organization. In other words, this stage is of such a nature that it
is absolutely necessary for people to go through it without and so doing, it is not only
difficult but impossible for them to lead a social life.24

The second Stage –Urban Society

When man progresses from the first stage of his life and his basic needs are secure,
that is, he has acquired means for their fulfillment, his intellect evolves, his love of
beauty and elegance, which is inherent in his aesthetic characteristic, develops and he
looks at his surroundings not only from the point of view of his physical needs, but
also from an aesthetic point of view. He develops taste in food and drink, he desires

72
beautiful and elegant dress and beautiful women not only for satisfying his sexual
needs, but a woman of his choice, and a house with some sort of comfort and
proportion etc. The second stage of life is more complex as compared to the first one
in which there is an ethical code, and some basic social institutions. This division
corresponds to his division of ethical units, namely, personal life, domestic life,
vocational life, business contracts and relations, and exchange of goods with others,
the department of cooperation.25

This is attained by people living in urban areas and civilized cities within the virtuous
realms. These realms are “virtuous” because their social environment acts as a
constant incentive for the development of human beings with excellent morals and
wisdom. As human social organization expands and engenders increasing needs and
requirements, people have diverse experiences that, in turn, give rise to varying social
practices. Over time, these practices become permanent social customs and form part
of their collective social behavior. Its culmination is reflected in the practices of kings
and rulers, who acquire and possess higher standards in the amenities of life. In
addition, they are visited by gifted individuals from all over the world. This allows
them to acquire moral practices, which are then seen in the living patterns of their
subjects. These societies may then be classified as virtuous realms.26

To examine and test the problems of the first stage on the touchstone of right
experiences is the primary principle of the second stage. In the light of experience
gathered, every form of such a stage is chosen and adopted in a manner so as to bring
maximum possible gain and minimum possible loss. If any custom or system is found
clashing with that principle, it is to be discarded. Here the ethical values are to be
examined afresh. In case they are fair and fine, well and good, otherwise suitable
changes are to be brought in them in accordance with the general principle. Every
aspect of these ethical values should conform to the consideration of the general
interest, under which general welfare is given preference over individual welfare.
Man by nature is inclined to know his future, and this tendency, to a certain extent, is
found among all the people of the world. For that, one should avail the interpretation
of dreams, geomancy and astronomy. It is also necessary that he should try to make
his speech eloquent and render his talk in a clear and understandable fashon. Further
the household administration should be well- maintained by considering the
following things.27
73
I. The Rights and Rules for Husband and Wife
When a man has to perpetuate his progeny, he has to marry and give birth to children,
and for that it is necessary that both the husband and the wife should remain in peace
and amity. In the breeding of children, the wife‟s share is by nature more obedient and
submissive.The qualities of man are quite different. He excels women, in reason,
understanding and in the knowledge of vocations. He is well versed in doing the hard
jobs, has the courage to face difficulties, and is by nature inclined to rule. However,
both of them despite their individual traits are dependent own one another for the
smooth running of the house hole. As man, by nature is jealous and possesses all the
passions of manhood, it is necessary that he should have a lawful wife, otherwise
there would be fights and feuds among men. Their marriage ceremony should be
performed in public so that anyone else who had an intention of marrying her should
give it up for ever. After marriage, it is the duty of both husband and wife to
cooperate with each other in making their life prosperous and happy and should
equally share the weal and woes. At times, some unpleasant incidents take place
which makes their living together impossible. In that case it is better to separate from
each other through divorce, so as to spend their remaning lives without worry and
fear.28

II. Upbringing of Children

They should give good up bringing and proper education to their children and take
special care of their progress and development. Unusual attention should be paid to
their health, and suitable atmosphere be created for the improvement of their
character. In return, it is the duty of the children, when they become mature, to take
into account those troubles and hardships which their parents had endured for their
sake. They must respect and honour them, obey their orders, speak to them gently.29

III. Mutual Dealings and the Relations with the Near and Dear
Ones
It is a fact that there are persons in the society who are unable to fulfil their needs due
to poverty and lack of means. Besides, certain diseases do disable some persons
preventing from working them. In such adverse conditions, it is the duty of the rich
and the well-to-do to help them as far as possible. That is the reason why the wise and
74
prudent persons of the world have considered the extension of sympathy and help to
the distressed and the afflicted as a necessary requirement of the society. In short, the
action towards the needy and dependent should be so fast and quick that each one of
them should take the loss or gain of the other as his own. Such relationship is
naturally found among close relatives, and it is due to this reason that at the time of
death of one, the other becomes the heir of his property. This mutual help of the
relatives at the time of need is known in the shari’ah as Sila-i-rahim, and is the most
important duty.30

The first Irtifaq is an initial stage in the ladder of man‟s progress, when the
human species had not developed properly. People were living in the jungles and
small villages and following their headmen. As time passed, the human race, which
was small in number increased by leaps and bounds. This gave rise to a variety in the
activities of their lives and substantial increase in their mutual transactions. Their
small villages took the shape of big towns and cities and a good social order came into
being, under which they began to spend their lives. This civil life is another name for
the second Irtifaq and example of it is found in the life of the Prophet Idris. 31

All the four stages of human society to follow one another in a chronological
order. It never happens that the second stage may come before the first. Society sets
its foot on every other rung of the ladder after it has placed it on the first one.
However, it is not necessary that every second rung of the ladder may not be set foot
on until the first one had become complete and perfect from every point of view.
What Shah Waliullah says is that there are certain factors in every stage of society.
Some of them happen to be the pillars of that stage without which the next stage of
society cannot come into existence; and some factors are such, which, if they are
wanting, do not affect the existence of that stage of the society, except that it would be
empty of elegance and fineness. It is, however, possible for the society to reach the
next stage only if the pillars of the preceding one are present there, namely, freedom
from natural wants, like food and water, clothing and shelter. The factors which are to
be rendered elegant and fine in the first stage can be produced even after setting foot
on the second rung of the ladder. Sometimes, man after having reached the highest
stage becomes more capable of bringing perfection, refinement and elegance to the
lower stage.32

75
This indicates that division of labor and an interdependent economic system, that is a
rudimentary and basic organization, comes into being. The society evolves into an
organism. The city states of the ancient civilizations and the Middle Ages are an
example of this stage in human development. While the tribal societies prior to the
city states are the first stage of development.33

1. The Third Stage (Nationalism)

This stage is a natural development of the preceding two stages. As the institutions
evolved in the second stage develop further, they become complex, needs multiply,
rights and duties change and increase. Organization of the institutions evolved,
becomes an issue to be tackled as the intellect advances further. Now that the basic
physical needs are taken care of, a certain degree of taste is developed in the process
as also the acquisition of ways and means of fulfillment and intellect fit in for further
progress towards the goal of perfection. The third stage is the stage of nationalism,
which is concerned with the administration of the social units the i.e. The cities and
the towns. The tribe is replaced by the city in the second stage, an in the third stage
large the communities, composed of a number of cities and towns, form a nation. This
social unit, namely the nation has a large number of individuals in its composition, but
as a result of development and progress of the intellect, it works as a living organism.
“Accordingly, if an individual feels some pain, some where the wider nation feels it,
as the whole body feels when a part of it is injured. At this stage the needs of man go
beyond computation, and he wants to excel in all spheres of life. As it is not possible
for him to fulfil all the needs in a better and reformed manner single-handedely, he
has to live and cooperate with others in social life. At this stage, though each one has
separate occupation, mutual cooperation and help is, however, necessary which
eventually results in the formation of political order among men. This is badly needed
at this stage. For the maintenance of mutual transactions and dealings, human beings
first need the same kind of an exchange system, which leads to the introduction of
coinage (i.e. gold and silver coins). Eventually, on account of the multiplicity and
diversity of occupations, everyone gets busy in trying to improve his art and
profession and it is here that the society becomes fully developed in the proper sense
of the word.34

76
In the Hujjatullah al-Baligha, Shah Waliullah has given an account of the formation
of this stage: “Indeed when men carry on these transactions with each other and
different men specialize in different vocations, produce and supply for each other‟s
needs etc., co-operation etc. comes into being it necessarily signifies that there exists a
kind of a link, a unity between various groups of people like farmers, merchants,
weavers etc.35

It is these groups of people that by reason of that unifying link form the body
of the state in actuality. The real state is not the same as the city walls, fortresses and
trading centres. If there are many towns in the vicinity of each other, they are called a
state. From the point of view of a unifying link a state is just like a person or an
organism, while every group of people and every member is like a link or a part of the
body of that person. Unity is essential in a state, and it must be first of all be
preserved, improved and developed to yield its full benefits. The system of the
government through which this objective is attained is the real leader (imam) or
governor of the state, who according to Shah Waliullah , is not at all in the form of an
individual, except, of course, in case of a capable person of a strong and powerful
personality, who is absolutely suitable for this task and undertakes it theirby leveling
him as the head of the state, though only in outward and appearance.36

A standard government and at advanced level of struggle for perfection is that

which has efficient and effective means for fulfilling the requirements of a good
judiciary, executive, defense and public welfare. There are several divergent and
conflicting views about the structure and functioning the government; the best form of
government in Shah Waliullah ‟s opinion is that which fully accords with the
situation, the time and the requirements of the people concerned. An efective from
suggested by him is that in which the responsibilities are divided as considered
necessary, since the capabilities of individuals are limited. Nevertheless, these should
be sufficiently centralized to prevent internal chaos and strife. Each department
should have an executive head with sufficient powers and rights to run that particular
department. The head of the government of course should be the final authority and
centre of all the departments, so that the coordination and co-operation of the
departments as well as an efficient and disciplined administration is secured. The
example of the second and third Irtifaq is provided during the life of the Prophet
Soloman.37
77
I. Qualifications of a Ruler
In case of an increased population, it is not, however, possible that all the people
should always obey the just and fair order and not go against it. It is, therefore,
necessary that there should be a ruler for them, elected by their wise heads, who,
however, should be so able and powerful, as to compel them to follow the prescribed
law and, thus, check the spread of insecurity and dis-order. Such a ruler is expected to
possess the following qualifications: He should be a man of good character, brave and
strong hearted, otherwise people will dislike him, and the enemies and the mischief
makers not fear him. Besides, he should be tolerant and forbearing and have the
ability to run the country‟s administration properly. He should be respectable and
noble, always anxious for the good and welfare of his subjects. He should know how
to win the hearts of the people, and make himself acceptable among them by his
sincerity and the performance of his duty. In other words, as the hunter, in order to
hunt his prey, avails of all his guiles and arts, similarly, he should spare no pains in
winning the love of his subjects. It is proper for the ruler to give generous treatment
to his subjects, but he should show no remissness punishing the offenders. However,
no hasty steps should be taken until the offence of the offender is clearly proved.
Those who work in the government selflessly and honestly ought to be given every
kind of encouragement. In short, the ruler should be of an enlightened nature, and so
experienced and possessed of insightful, as to understand the inner self of a man at his
very first sight, and so far sighted as to know the result of the state affairs before their
actual happening.38

When the ruler is unable to manage the administration singl-handedly, he

surely needs a team of efficient and selfless persons in the various departments of the
government who should be very much conscious of their responsibilities and the
discharge of their duty. At the time of appointment, care should be taken to avoid
assigning any post to a person who, later on may be difficult to remove or who may
be found unfit. The best plan for him at that time is to distribute the work, and powers
if he is sharing with other people according to work exigencies. There are also people,
who some how enter the government for their selfish motives. They should be
brought around some how to behave properly and be loyal to the government, other
wise they should be compelled to retire. The ruler should not forget that he cannot

78
expect from the servants of his government anything beyond their individual in born
capacity, as that is impossible.39

The heavy work of the government requires large sums of money, for which a
treasury is established, the income of which comes from various kinds of taxes. It is
the duty of the rich and the wealthy not to avoid the payment of proper taxes, because
whatever is collected in the treasury is spent for the good of the common people, and
the purpose of the government is to establish the welfare of the public and nothing
else. But while levying taxes, justice should be don, and no extraordinary burden be
imposed on the income of the subjects. Taxes should be recovered only from the
wealthy, or from those who own such property which‟s found increas every day and
who are traders and owners of industries. But even that taxs may be levied on them
only when their income were to exceed beyond the level at which they can drive
satisfaction from the necessities of life.40 In the third stage, the government has to
consider all the points mentioned above and, in order to keep the society sound and
healthy, it has to do take the following five steps:

(1) Greed, niggardliness and malevolence often give rise to differences among
individuals in a society. If they are not suppressed, they will result in fights,
murders, loot and plunder. It is therefore, the duty of the government to
arrange for the just settlement of their disputes, and to be so strong and
powerful in itself as to be able to remove their differences and enforce its own
decisions.

(2) Some people develop bad habits, carry bitter rivalries and give into their basic
desires. They should be threatened to desist from their evil designs, otherwise
the existence of the society would be at stake.

(3) There are also individuals who are always busy in disrupting the social order.
They intened to lay hands on the properties of others or to seize political
power to fulfil their selfish ends. Such mischief- makers and disruptionists
also associate with them many persons trained in fighting and war fare. It is,
therefore, the duty of the government or the party in power, to be always ready
to wage war against such miscreants for the preservation and safeguard of the
human society and nation.

79
(4) Thinkers and wise men always have a noble aim and objective before their
eyes for the maintenance of the human society in the best possible form, and
their intention is that the society should work for the achievement of that goal.
It is, therefore, necessary for the government to endeavour and work hard
towards the attainment of the same.

(5) Men, on account of their attachment with the worldly affairs generally forget
their moral and religious commitments and become negligent. It is therefore,
the duty of the government to make them give up their negligence and make
them feel responsible towards morality and religion, through advice and
admonition. The example of this Irtifaq and of the second one is provided in
the life of the Prophets Sulaiman (Solomon) and Moses.41

4. The fourth stage (Internationalism)

The fourth stage of social evolution comes at a later stage when these national
governments evolve into a full fledged entity. Thereafter, out of necessity, they
organize themselves into an International organization for the sake of their survival
and safety from external dangers.42

As Shah Waliullah believed in the essential and the organic unity of

humanity, the al-Insan al- Kabir, his system of socio-political evolution, has its
logical end in internationalism or a league of nations, which is the fourth stage of
society, though desirable, but not yet realized. With due increase in human
population, just as at the national level, there are smaller units of administration with
their own administrations, substations subservient to the central executive authority,
in the same way a higher level of human progress and development of relations
between several nations is inevitable. Just as on the personal level the individual is in
need of domestication and the families are in need of city or town establishments,
which ultimately evolve into states and nations; the final goal of human perfection is
an international organization. A stage comes when needs become very complex and
numerous in that the inter- dependence of nations become necessary. Shah Waliullah
‟s transcendental aim and the evolutionary dynamic nature of his system of society
necessitates the concept of internationalism. For real peace and tranquility an
international communal organization is a must. Shah Waliullah was conscious of the

80
non-existence of such a state in the past and at the present, but nevertheless belived
striving for it is natural, desirable and inevitable.43

His social Philosophy is neither dogmatic nor stringent. The mixture of the
sufistic with the orthodox. He favoured revolution. In fact, he thought that when a
society gets corrupted to extent that progress and development are debarred and
reformation by evolution is not possible, it becomes necessary to bring about a
revolution.

“A social institution in which a people are deprived of their primary needs of

life, is like an abscess in the body which, the sooner it is removed the better it would
be. The people who know wherein lies the general welfare feel it as their bounden
duty to bring about a revolution. But it should be kept in mind that the bringing of a
revolution is a very distressing and a hard job, like the sacrifise of life and property,
where one at times is required to part with his beloved country. Such sacrifices can
be made by those who are very sensitive, self-confident and have the ability and
courage to face the situations, no matter how serious, with patience and endurance.
For the success of such a revolution, sometimes one has to struggle through protests,
at times through raising slogans, etc., and on certain occasions one has to put up an
actual fight. Whatever sacrifice is made in this direction is reckoned as the best of
actions.”44

Divine purpose is the ultimate end of all happenings, whether ordinary or

extraordinary. The Prophets are divine messengers for purposes of guiding those
whose reformation is intended. Every Prophet is given a system of law to establish
order among the people concerned, in accordance with the universal purpose. Islam is
the best and the most perfect of all religions, whose ultimate purpose is to establish
the fourth stage of human development.

“To become the greatest international power in the world, which could stand the
challenges of time. It is, the sacred duty of all the Muslims throughout the world to
work hard and spare no pains for the establishment of the Islamic international
organization which could successfully face the combined opposition of evil forces.
The completion of favour takes practical shape only when such a great force is
created.”45

81
This is a stage in which mutual relations between various nations take place. When
the frontiers of a country are extended far and wide and human population exceeds
beyond bounds, the country is divided in to various provinces, administered by
governors. Every province has its own means of income and its own army to defend
it. As all the people are not of the same temperament, and they also differ in their
abilities, there always take place fights and feuds among them leading them to follow
the wrong course. They begin to harbour malice and jealousy which incite them to
usurp the property of others. When conditions turn ugly, people feel the necessity of a
very powerful ruler fine it who can safeguard their interests. If he is available and is
himself law abiding, others, less powerful, will, willingly or unwillingly, surrender
and obey his order, thus enabling people to live their social life in peace, safety and
prosperity.46

I. Duties of a Powerful Ruler:

Such a powerful ruler at times finds it unavoidable to take up arms and fight. In every
community there are people bent upon creating mischief and disorder. They blindly
follow their low desires and become the source of disruption in the society. They must
be compelled to obey the law by the use of force; and those who later on would prove
to be a cancer in the body of the community should be ruthlessly persecuted and
wiped out. Even after the government is firmly established, events do take place
which make it necessary for the ruler to take up the sword in his hand, because the
people of beastial nature take to luting and plundering as their profession, and thus,
spread insecurity and disorder every where in the country.47

As it is known, wars cannot be carried on without necessary provisions. It is,

therefore, necessary that the ruler‟s (government) treasure should always remain full,
and he should have adequate force at his disposal to put down mischief, and avail of it
at times of emergency. For such a ruler, it is necessary to be well informed of the
occasions of war and peace. He should so weaken and reduce the force of his enemies
as to eliminate the possibility of their future opposition, and should establish an
espionage system in the country to keep himself acquainted with the activities of the
enemy and then take due precautionary measures in time. The enemy must be so
suppressed and subdued as to give the proof of its submissiveness both in words and

82
actoins. Its verbal statements will not be sufficient until and unless they are supported
by clear evidences of its sincerity in practice.48

Agreement of people on Irtifaqat

All nations, despite their territorial and religious differences, agree upon these
Irtifaqat in, principle. They acknowledge their soundness and consider it necessary to
follow them. All this is the result of the natural requirement of man‟s specific form.49
Let us take it for granted that a man is born in some barren land and, as such, is
deprived of formal education, but, in spite of that, he needs to satisfy his hunger,
thirst and sexual urge; besides, he will need some shelter to save himself from heat,
cold and rain. Sexual urge, however will compel him to keep some legal or illegal
matrimonial connection with any woman, which will bring in its wake the birth of
children, whose number will multiply by the passage of time. From family and tribe,
it will take the shape of a large community and the nation. This increase in population
will surely give rise to various kinds of connections and then their maintenance and
this is how a society comes into being and is gradually develope.50 In short, the four
stages in the life of man are as follows:

(1) The jungle life, when the society was too small characterised by living in huts
and hamlets.

(2) The life of towns and cities when the society appreciably developed.

(3) When the society assumed the form of a nation with a very large population.

(4) And when the society, having made all round developments, took the shape of
an international organization.51

Causes of Corruption
The above institutions, which came to be established for the fulfillment of the needs
of man, tend to become corrupt and obsolete with the passage of time. Many kinds of
evils creep in, rendering them useless and harmful. The main reason for their
corruption is that the leadership of people goes into the hands of those who ignore the
absolute good and the consideration of general interests which are required for the
welfare of the masses, and take to the satisfaction of their low desires. Majority of
them happen to follow them with the result that the foundation of civilization and
culture becomes badly shaken. To save the society from extinction, nature on such

83
occasions brings into existence certain persons who root out that corruption and
reform the society afresh. Shah Waliullah has, however, made this matter very clear
at many places, that the moral and ethical side of man‟s life is largely dependent upon
his economic conditions, as he says: “The social virtues of men are completely
destroyed at a time when they are forced to live under hard and difficult financial
stringencies; and it is only for the sake of bread that they are made to work like beasts
of burden. When mankind is faced with such a calamity, God paves the way to save it.
Accordingly, he inspires one of his chosen ones to rise and do the needful. The
destruction of the Pharaoh, Caesar and Chosroes was the result of that inspiration.52

Shah Waliullah , as has already been mentioned, did not fear or hesitate in
telling the truth, and exposed the misdeeds of the government of his times. Referring
to their luxurious living and the absence of moral values, he says: “When the Persian
and Roman Empires continued for long, the rulers and the high ups lost themselves in
the ease and comfort of life, and completely forgot the hereafter. There luxurious
living went to such an extent that if any chief did not have a crown worth lakhs of
dinars to wear on his head, people used to find fault with him. You see the prevailing
conditions of your country which are in no way better than theirs.”53

It is clear that these provisions of comfort and luxury cannot be available

without spending large sums of money. In consequence, heavy and intolerable taxes
were being levied upon the labour class, the peasantry, the business community and
the craftsmen, for the payment of which they worked like animals day and night, and
as such, the helpless and the poor had no time to remember God and the hereafter.54

Apart from the luxurious living of the highest, and the imposition of heavy and
burdensome taxes, the other cause of the break-up of society is that some persons like
repays and the „Ulama’ who consider themselves entitled to government stipends do
not work at all, and thus, become an unpleasant burden upon the state exchequer.
Giving of gifts and grants to the ascetics and the poets has also become a habit of the
rulers now-a-days. Society‟s well being lies in the lightening of the taxes and the
employment of civil and military staff according to requirement.55

84
Proper distribution of labour
Besides, some people follow the professions they are not fit for, and this in turn cuts
at the very root of social development. There is a man who is very hungry but
unfortunately he takes a profession which does not satisfy his hunger. Naturally, he
perforce will be inclined to beggary and other low and hateful practices. Again, there
are people who, in spite of being robust and strong, do not work hard and rush in to
indecent occupations.56

The other strong reason for the decomposition of society is that, if there is a
population of ten thousand, the majority does not busy itself in the increase of
production, with the result that the population starves. As such, there is a need for the
proper distribution of labour. Similarly, if the majority indulges in luxurious living, it
will become a burden on the nation and a contagion which will go on infecting slowly
and gradually the whole population, eventually reducing it to a state of being bitten by
a rabid dog.57

Economic Conditions Influence Man’s Character

However, Shah Waliullah cites one more fact in particular, that the society
corrupts and disintegrates when some people take to exploitation and monopolization.
They attempt to seiz the properties of others, and thus,closing all the avenues of their
income and livelihood. Social economy has a greater impact upon the character of
man. It is, therefore, necessary that for the maintenance of character and moral values,
a just economic order be established in the human society. Until and unless this kind
of order is established, the beauty of social character will never appear. One aspect of
life invariably affects the other, as all of them are closely connected. And it is indeed
these economic conditions which determine a man‟s character.58

According to Shah Waliullah , human society can never become completely

perfect, but it can come near to perfection. Individuals are like the limbs of a body
and as zaid, for example, can never be perfect in his health from every point of view,
for there will certainly be some imbalance and need for equilibrium somewhere in his
body, similarly is the case of a human society which can never be in a state of
balanced health.59

85
 He was, however, of the opinion that the knowledge of man natural
requirements of men can give a correct lead in the fixation of aims and objects of a
society. It should then be its sole purpose to fulfil them and make provision to meet
man‟s primary needs, such as the need for food, clothing and shelters. Bearing all
these facts in mind, Shah Waliullah has laid much emphasis upon the improvement
of the economic conditions of man and for that he advised that everybody should do
something with his own hands to earn, so that he may not be a burden on the
government and the people.60 His appeal to people in general:“O children of Adam!
whosever from you has bread to eat, water to drink, shelter to dwell in, clothes to
cover the body and in addition to these all has a wife also then he is given everything
in the world. It now behaves him to remain content, and follow the course of
moderation in his living.”61These are the basic needs of man; if these are fulfilled, he
gets almost all the things of the world. In support of this he gives a quotation from the
Tradition of the Holy Prophet: “Man has no right save of three things: a house to
dwell in, clothes to cover his body, and bread and water for his belly.”62

Shah Waliullah takes the meaning of the word „Afw in the Holy Quran to be
that which exceeds the necessary needs of life. By restricting needs to “necessary” he
has indeed suggested a very useful solution to the economic problems.63 Divine
wisdom requires, he says, that human society should not lag behind the second and
third stages of social development. This is the reason why no Prophet has never asked
his people to abandon society and go to stay in jungles and on mountain-tops, as it is
against the very interests of man himself.64

Apart from that, the character of man does not come to light and is not known
but only when there is a clash with the people. Without contact and without any
association with different kinds of people and varying social orders, the beauty of
man‟s character does not become clear.65 At times, some persons leaving the primary
things of the first stage half-done begin to give more attention to those of the second
one with the result that society does not become stable. Man‟s good lies in this that
when the fourth stages were to go out of his hands, he should hold steded fast to the
third one. Similarly, if he were to lose the third one, he should stick to the second one
and so on. But because people have no adequate knowledge of the different stages of
social development, so they stick to the stage they are acquainted with, with the result
that society degenerates, and the whole social structure starts cracking.66 It is the
86
responsibility of the people living in populated cities to remain in animity and
friendship with each other. Every phase as a whole must see that the property of
everything in them is raised on friendship and affection.67

Islam must Prevail

It, however, cannot be denied that under the conditions prevailing today the
formation of an international organization seems to be difficult, but the Muslims must
always have that aim in view and avail of every opportunity and situation to transform
that idea of pan-Islamism as conceived by Shah Waliullah into dead reality. This
objective can certainly be achieved if the Muslim countries come closer to each other,
dissolve their differeneces and as for as possible work together as a single unit on an
international basis. Until the international government of the Muslims comes into
being, it is necessary for them to work zealously and enthusiastically for the stability
and fortification of their national governments. Every nation, should make itself
strong enough a form of religious, moral and political point of view. It should always
remain vigilant, and well prepared for fight, keep itselfs adequately informed of the
latest developments in the modern methods of warfare, and infuse the spirit of Jihad
into the hearts of its people.68

Unfortunately, no proper attention now a days, is being paid to the teachings

of the Holy Quran with regard to the making of this worldly life strong and successful
by taking advantage of all the possible means. Self-defence and necessary
preparations against a possible attack of an enemy and making life prosperous and
strong is one of the duties Islam has enjoined on the Muslims. For example, there
come these words in the Holy Quran: “Against them make ready your strength to the
utmost of your power, including steeds of war, to strike terror into the enemies of God
and your enemies.”69 At another place God says: “If they had intended to come out,
they would certainly have made some preparation therefore.70 Again, there is a verse:
“The unbelievers wish you were negligent of your arms and your baggage, to assault
you in a single rush.”71

According to a tradition, the defence of Muslims is better and more rewarding

than the obligatory prayer and fasts; and one day‟s patrolling of the frontiers is better
than one month‟s prayers and fasting. At present, the world is not devoid of the third
87
stage of social development, and if it is ever deprived of it, that would be a
catastrophe.72

The fact to which Shah Waliullah draws our attention is that since the religion
of Islam has come for the establishment of the greatest international power and when
its domination is to continue forever, it can be rightly ensured only when the Muslim
nations make themselves strong both morally and materially, draw closer and work
together as far as possible. It is high time the Muslims realise the importance and
necessity of unity, forget their past jealousies and work for the solidarity of Islam and
lose no time and effort to make themselves the greatest power in the world.73

88
Endnotes and References
1. G.N.Jalbani, Teachings of Shah Waliullah of Delhi, Kitab Bhavan, New Delhi
, 1988, p. 165.

2. In this connection the Sirat-i-Mustaqim, the discourses of Syed Ahmad Shahid

compiled by Shah Ismail Shahid and other works like Saiyid Ahmad Shahid.
His life and Mission by Mohi-Uddin Ahmad can be seen.

3. Ceremony performed on the third day of a dead relative.

4. Ceremony performed on the fortieth day after death.

5. Ceremony performed after six months of death.

6. Annual ceremony to remember the dead person and supplicate for normally all
these ceremonies are accompanied by a feast of the relatives and distribution
of food to the poor.

7. A gathering for the recital of the Quran to supplicate for the dead person.

8. A probationary period of four months and ten days during which a widow is
not allowed to re-marry.

9. Al-Furqan monthly, Shah Waliullah Number. Vol. VII, 1359 A.H., P. 84.

10. Nazeer Ahmad Abdul Majeed, Conferences, Seminars, Workshops,

International Seminar on “ Shah Waliullah’s thought”, 2001, Islamic
Studies, Vol.40, p.

11. Abdul Wahid Halepota, Shah Waliullah Dihlawi’s conception of society-1,

Al- Islam, 1961, p.107.

12. Saeeda khatoon, “Shah Waliullah’s Philosophy of Socity an outline”, Hamdard

Islamicus, Vol.VII, Quarterly Journal of the Hamdard Foundation, Pakistan,
1984, p.57.

13. Shah Waliullah, Hujjat Allah al-Balighah, Bareilly,1869, pp.25-7.

14. Muhammad al-Ghazali, “Universal Social Culture:An Empirico Revelational

Paradigm of Shah Waliullah”, The American Journal of Islamic Social
Sciences, Vol.11,1994, p.14.

15. Ibid.,

89
16. Ibid.,pp.15-16.

17. Ibid.,p.16.

18. Hujjat Allah al-Balighah, p.37.

19. Abdul Wahid Halepota, Shah Waliullah Dihlawi’s conception of Society I,

Prof. Alessandro Bausani, University of Nepal, Islamic Studies in Italy-I, Al-
Islam, Vol. VIII, An Independent exponent of orthodox Islam, organ of the
Holy Quran Society of Pakistan, Karachi, 1961, p.107.

20. Shah Waliullah, op.cit., pp.81-82.

21. Saeeda Khatoon, op.cit., pp. 58-59.

22. G.N.Jalbani, Teachings of Shah Waliullah of Delhi, Kitab Bhawan, New

Delhi,1988, pp.166-167.

23. Ibid.,

24. Ibid.,

25. Saeeda Khatoon, op.cit., pp.59-60.

26. Muhammad al Ghazali, “Universal Social Culture: An Empirico-Revelation

Paradigm of Shah Waliullah”, p.20.

27. G.N. Jalbani, op.cit., pp.169-170.

28. Ibid. pp.171-172.

29. Ibid.,

30. Ibid.,

31 Ibid.,

32. Ibid.,

33. Saeeda Khatoon, op. cit., p.60.

34. Ibid.,

35. Ibid.,

36. Ibid.,

37. Ibid.,

38. G.N. Jalbani, op.cit., pp.175-176.

90
39. Ibid.,

40. Ibid.,

41. Ibid.,

42. Abdul Wahid Halepota, op.cit., p. 109.

43. Saeeda Khatoon, op. cit., pp. 62-63.

44. Ibid.,

45. Ibid.,

46. G.N. Jalbani, op. cit., pp. 179-180.

47. Ibid.,

48. Ibid.

49. Ibid

50. Ibid

51. Ibid

52. Ibid

53. Ibid

54. Ibid.,

55. Ibid.,

56. Ibid., p. 51.

57. Ibid., p. 53.

58. Hujjat Allah al-Baligha, p.125.

59. Al-Budur-ul-Bazighah, pp.48-49.

60. Tafhimat, p.218.

61. Ibid., p.218.

62. Hujjat Allah al-Baligha, p. 85.

63. Fath-ur-Rahman,Surah al-Baqarah,verse 219.

64. Al-Budur-ul-Bazighah, p. 109.

65. Hujjatullah, p.51.

91
66. Al-Budur-ul-Bazighah, pp.89-90.

67. Ibid., p. 52.

68. Al- Budur-ul-Bazigha, pp. 192,189-99.

69. Surah Anfal, Verse 60.

70. Surah Taubah, verse 46.

71. Surah Nisa, verse 102.

72. Al- Budur-ul-Bazighah, P. 95.

73. Ibid., p. 199; HujjatAllah al-Baligha, p. 197.

92