Shah Waliullah Dehlawi

Qutb ud-Din Ahmad ibn ʿAbd-ur-Rahim al-ʿUmari ad-Dehlawi (Arabic: قطب الدين أحمد بن عبد الرحيم العمري الدهلوي, romanized: Quṭb ad-Dīn Aḥmad ibn ʿAbd-ur-Raḥīm al-ʿUmarī ad-Dehlawī‎; 1703–1762), commonly known as Shah Waliullah Dehlawi (also Shah Wali Allah), was an Islamic Sunni scholar and Sufi reformer,[13] who contributed to Islamic revival in the Indian subcontinent and is therefore seen by his followers as a renewer.

By fifteen he had completed the standard curriculum of Hanafi law, theology, geometry, arithmetic and logic; two years later after the demise of his father he succeeded him as the dean of his Madrasah-i Rahimiyah.

According to Shah, Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jam'ah are those who followed the Qur'an and Sunnah on the way of the Sahaba (companions) and Tabi'īn, by holding "fast to the beliefs of the pious ancestors (al-salaf)."

"[25] In his work Tahfimat al-Ilahiyya, Shah declared his conviction that the unity of Hanafi and Shafi'i schools of law was essential for Indian Islamic revival.

"[25] Shah Waliullah placed emphasis on a direct understanding of the Qur'an, maintaining that those students with sufficient knowledge must work with the text, rather than previous commentaries.

He argued that Qurʾān is clear to any student with sufficient knowledge of Arabic, just like it was understandable to its first recipients and scholars, including those parts that are mutashābih (unclear).

Shah believed that one should prefer the interpretation that is closest to the literal meaning (ẓāhir al-maʿnā) of the Qurʾān and the Sunnah which fits the Qur'anic context, without clinging to a particular school in exegesis, grammar, or theology.

"[32] Despite being an Ash'ari, Shah Waliullah opposed excessiveness in Kalam (speculative theology) and defended the position of the early Athari creed.

[33][34] Shah wrote in Hujjatullah al-Balighah: "Those speculative theologians (Mutakallimun) who behaved contemptuously towards the Atharis calling them corporealists and anthropomorphists, saying that they sought refuge in the formula of "without asking how" (Bila Kayf)... this contempt of theirs is unfounded and they err in their sayings both from the viewpoint of tradition and of reason and they err in slandering the leaders of the true religion.

On the tenth of Muharram, Shi'a should not be allowed to go beyond the bounds of moderation, neither should they say or do things that are considered offensive by other Muslims (that is, recite tabarra, or curse the first three successors of the Prophet Muhammad) in the streets or bazars.

Shah Waliullah believed that: “Muslims, no matter where they live, wherever they spend their youthful days, they should in any case be completely separated from the natives of that country in their culture, traditions and mannerisms.

The only logical hikmat-i-amali, or practical wisdom for Muslim rulers, was to strengthen community boundaries by conducting Jihad against opponents and promoting the cultural practises (adab) that differentiated that faithful from non-Muslims.