Shah Abdul Aziz Muhaddith Dehlavi (11 October 1746 – 5 June 1824; ) was
Muhaddith (scholar of Hadith) and
Mujadid Sufi and reformer from India.
He was of the
Naqshbandi
The Naqshbandi ( fa, نقشبندی)), Neqshebendi ( ku, نهقشهبهندی), and Nakşibendi (in Turkish) is a major Sunni order of Sufism. Its name is derived from Baha-ud-Din Naqshband Bukhari. Naqshbandi masters trace their ...
Sufi order
A tariqa (or ''tariqah''; ar, طريقة ') is a school or order of Sufism, or specifically a concept for the mystical teaching and spiritual practices of such an order with the aim of seeking ''haqiqa'', which translates as "ultimate truth".
...
which emerged from a tradition of violent backlash against the modernization of
Sunni
Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagr ...
culture. This tradition inspired later Sunni scholarship, including Aziz's father
Shah Waliullah. Aziz was the to declare Hindustan to be Darul Harb.
Most of the Indian schools of Hadith learning which exist to the present day have the name of Shah ʿAbd-al-ʿAzīz at the head of their educational pedigree.
Biography
Shah Abdul Aziz was born on 25 Ramadan, 1159 AH (11 October 1746 AD) in
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...
in the reign of
Mughal Emperor
The Mughal emperors ( fa, , Pādishāhān) were the supreme heads of state of the Mughal Empire on the Indian subcontinent, mainly corresponding to the modern countries of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. The Mughal rulers styled t ...
Muhammad Shah (1719-1748).
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...
was capital of the
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...
. Shah Abdul Aziz was the eldest son of
Shah Waliullah was only 17 years old when Shah Waliullah died. He took over as the teacher of
Hadith
Ḥadīth ( or ; ar, حديث, , , , , , , literally "talk" or "discourse") or Athar ( ar, أثر, , literally "remnant"/"effect") refers to what the majority of Muslims believe to be a record of the words, actions, and the silent approval ...
in place of his father. He belonged to
hanafi
The Hanafi school ( ar, حَنَفِية, translit=Ḥanafiyah; also called Hanafite in English), Hanafism, or the Hanafi fiqh, is the oldest and one of the four traditional major Sunni schools ( maddhab) of Islamic Law (Fiqh). It is named aft ...
school of thought. He was a
Muhaddith,
mufassir and
Mujtahid
''Ijtihad'' ( ; ar, اجتهاد ', ; lit. physical or mental ''effort'') is an Islamic legal term referring to independent reasoning by an expert in Islamic law, or the thorough exertion of a jurist's mental faculty in finding a solution to a le ...
.
Fatwas against British government
He declared India to be
Darul Harb (land of war) under British dominion and pronounced that it was obligatory upon Hindus and Muslims to wage war for freedom (Jang-e-Hurriyat), liberty, justice and Inquilab (revolution) against the British government. In his Fatwa he wrote that ousting the British should be the main objective; after that, it was legitimate for either Muslims or Hindus or both in conjunction to hold the reins of power. on the basis of it, Shah ʿAbd-al-ʿAzīz has been rightly viewed as a precursor of the Indian freedom movement.
Works on Shiism
Shah Abd al-Aziz sharply criticized the
Shi'as. Although he did not declare them apostates or non-Muslims, but he considered them heretics and their practices similar to Hindus or other non-Muslims. In a letter he advises Sunnis to not greet Shias first, and if a Shia greets them first. In his view, Sunnis should not marry Shias, avoid eating their food and the animals slaughtered by a Shia.
[S. A. A. Rizvi, "Shah Abd al-Aziz", pp. 207 – 208, Ma’rifat Publishing House, Canberra, (1982).]
In 1770 AD, Rohilla ruler Najib-ud Daula died and Afghan control over power in Delhi weakened. Mughal Emperor Shah Alam returned to Delhi and adopted secular policy and appointed a Shia general, Najaf Khan. Najaf Khan died in 1782, but his influence had helped Shias resettle in Delhi.
[S. A. A. Rizvi, "A Socio-Intellectual History of Isna Ashari Shi'is in India", Vol. 2, p. 304, Mar'ifat Publishing House, Canberra (1986).] This was not acceptable for Shah Abd al-Aziz and he termed it as a Shia conspiracy. To create fear among the majority and incite them, he wrote in ''Tuhfa Asna Ashariya'':
"''In the region where we live, the Isna Ashariyya faith has become so popular that one or two members of every family is a Shia''".
In "''Malfuzat-i Shah Abd al-Aziz (ملفوظات شاہ عبد العزیز)"'', he says that no Shia was left in Delhi after Ahmad Shah Abdali's expulsion, as predicted by his father Shah Waliullah.
How could a community that was completely cleansed thirty years ago reach such high numbers in such a short period? The reality lies somewhat in between: expelled Shias had started to return and resettle in their homes, and continue Muharram processions which had upset him.
He compiled most of the books against shias available to him, albeit in his own language and after adding his own ideas, in a single book "''Tuhfa Asna Ashariya (تحفہ اثنا عشریہ )''". Shah Abd al-Aziz published his book in 1789 AD, using a pen name "''Hafiz Ghulam Haleem''".
This book appeared at a very important juncture in history of the Subcontinent. In the nineteenth century, publishing technology was introduced to India and publications became cheaper. This book was published at a large scale, financed by Sunni elite. An Arabic translation of it was sent to the middle east. The first Shia response came from
Mirza Muhammad Kamil Dihlavi, titled "''Nuzha-tu Asna Ashariya'' (نزھۃ اثنا عشریۃ)". Mirza was then invited by the Sunni governor of
Jhajjar under the pretext of medical treatment and poisoned to death. The leading Shia theologian of the time, Ayatullah Syed Dildar Ali Naqvi wrote separate books for its main chapters. His disciples Mufti Muhammad Quli Musavi and Molana Syed Muhammad Naqvi also wrote rejoinders. However the book which gained widespread popularity in the scholarly circles was "''Abqaat-ul Anwar fi Imamat-i Aaima til Athaar'' (عبقات الانوار فی امامۃ الائمۃ الاطہار)" by Ayatullah Mir Hamid Husain Musavi containing 18 volumes.
Observance of Muharram
By the end of the 18th century, the influence of the
Wahhabi movement led by
Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab had started to touch Indian shores through Indian Hajj pilgrims and clerics visiting Hijaz. Shah Abd al-Aziz used to heavily criticize performance of
taziya and other arts associated with commemoration of Muharram,
but he also authored a short treatise entitled "''Sirr al-Shahadatayn (سر الشہادتین)"'', in which he described the commemoration of Muharram as God's will to keep the memory of Imam Hussain's martyrdom alive. He also said that the martyrdom of Imam Hasan and Imam Hussain was, in spirit, the martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammad. He used to arrange public gatherings in Muharram himself. Rizvi describes:
“''In a letter dated 1822 CE he wrote about two assemblies which he used to hold in his own house and considered perfectly legal from the Shari’a point of view. One was held on the anniversary of Prophet Muhammad’s demise and the other to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hasan and Imam Hussain on the tenth of Muharram or a day or two earlier. From four to five hundred and up to a thousand people gathered there. They recited durud. After the Shah’s own arrival, the greatness of Imam Hasan and Imam Hussain, as related in the works of hadith, was described. The prophecies concerning their martyrdom, the circumstances that led to it and the wickedness of those who killed them were also recounted. The elegies on their martyrdom which Umm Salma and the companions of the Prophet had heard, were also described. Those dreadful visions, which Ibn Abbas and the Prophet’s other companions saw relating to Prophet’s anguish at his grandson’s tragic death, were also recited. The session concluded with the intoning of the Quran and fatiha over whatever food was available. Those who could recite a salam or an elegy melodiously did so. Those present, including Shah Abd al-Aziz, wept''”. But it was also in the 19th century that exclusionary puritanical and revivalist movements started to emerge among Muslims. Muharram was limited to Shias only.
Legacy
Works
Shah Abdul Aziz translated the
Qur'an
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , sing. ...
into Urdu, 50 years after the
Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
translation by
Shah Wali 'Allah, when the Urdu language had started to replace the Persian. He completed the exegesis of his father from Surat Al-Maida to the thirteenth verse of al-Hujurat.
He wrote and dictated several books,
even if some differ on the number (from fifty to nearly two hundred). He composed several legal opinions, mainly condemning folk religions, especially the veneration of saints in the
Shi'ah
Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, mos ...
. In an attempt of integration into the system of the British colonial power he suggested English language learning to the sunni Muslim community, with the long-term objective of entering the public service of the
British Empire
The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...
in
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
.
Books
Fatawa Aziz
''
Fatawa Aziz
Shah Abdul Aziz Muhaddith Dehlavi (11 October 1746 – 5 June 1824; ) was Muhaddith (scholar of Hadith) and Mujadid Sufi and reformer from India. He was of the Naqshbandi Sufi order which emerged from a tradition of violent backlash against the ...
'', another famous book, is the collection of Fatawa (questions and answers on religious issue).
Taufa Ithna Ashari
''
Taufa Ithna Ashari
Shah Abdul Aziz Muhaddith Dehlavi (11 October 1746 – 5 June 1824; ) was Muhaddith (scholar of Hadith) and Mujadid Sufi and reformer from India. He was of the Naqshbandi Sufi order which emerged from a tradition of violent backlash against the ...
'' ( ur, تحفہ اثناء عشریۃ, "Gift to the
Twelvers"), a refutation of Imami
Shi‘ism
Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, most n ...
A Sunni site, NazariaPak, states:
:''In this book, he has described the history, belief and teachings of the Shia’s. There was hardly any Suni house, he says, in which some of its members had not become Shia. They did not know anything about their new faith, or even concerning Sunnism. Therefore, the author, as he says, compiled the book, to provide information to people who were really interested in such debates.
After the book published, many Shia' scholars wrote answers to the book. One of the Shia scholars (Mohaghegh Tabatabaee محقق طباطبایی) has counted these answers up to 25 in his article "موقف الشیعه من هجمات الخصوم".
Sirush Shahadhatayn
''Sirush Shahadhatayn''
Tafseer Fat'hu-l-'Azeez
''Tafseer Fat'hu-l-'Azeez'' or ''Tafsir-i-Aziz'' (in Persian)
BustaanU-l-Muhadditheen
''BustaanU-l-Muhadditheen''
Fatwa against Tafazzul Husain Khan
Shah Abd al-Aziz declared that the Shia scientist
Tafazzul Husain Khan
Tafazzul Husain Khan Kashmiri (1727–1801) (Urdu: علامہ تفضل حسین کشمیری), also known as Khan-e-Allama, was a Twelver Shia scholar, physicist, and philosopher. He produced an Arabic translation of Sir Isaac Newton's '' Princi ...
was an apostate (''mulhid-i-kamil'') because of some of his views.
Death
Shah Abdul Aziz died on the morning of 7th Shawwal, 1239 Hijri/ 5 June 1824 in
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...
in the reign of
Mughal Emperor
The Mughal emperors ( fa, , Pādishāhān) were the supreme heads of state of the Mughal Empire on the Indian subcontinent, mainly corresponding to the modern countries of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. The Mughal rulers styled t ...
Akbar Shah II
Akbar II (; 22 April 1760 – 28 September 1837), also known as Akbar Shah II, was the Nineteenth Mughal emperor of India. He reigned from 1806 to 1837. He was the second son of Shah Alam II and the father of Bahadur Shah II
Akbar had littl ...
.
See also
*
List of Islamic scholars
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby union ...
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Abdul Aziz
Hanafis
Maturidis
Mujaddid
Indian Sufis
Sunni Sufis
Critics of Shia Islam
1745 births
1823 deaths
Anti-Shi'ism