Podcast Beta
Questions and Answers
______ realized that reform could not come from the weak leadership in Delhi and that it had to come from within the Muslim community itself. He believed that many of the problems of the Muslims resulted from their incomplete knowledge of the Quran and about Islam in general – and it was necessary that Quranic teachings become more accessible to the people. All political, social and economic behavior should be based on Islamic principles. A major problem for the Muslim community was the way it was divided into sectarian groups, such as Sunnis and Shias. Shah Waliullah wanted them to concentrate on the fundamental principles of Islam and put aside their differences, believing that this would create a more united community.
Shah Wali Ullah
Syed Ahmed believed that the freedom of Muslims could only come as a result of armed struggle against the foreign and non-Muslim forces which were oppressing them. Syed Ahmad believed that there was a need to end the evils that had corrupted Islamic society. Consequently, even when he served as an army officer he surrounded himself with men of great piety who were prepared to reject worldly wealth and work for improving the moral and intellectual lives of Muslims.
Haji Shariatullah believed that the miserable condition of the Muslims in India led to the country being Dar-ul-Harb. This meant an area where non-Muslims ruled. Haji Shariatullah said that in such areas Friday and Eid prayers should not be offered. He also believed that the Muslim community had moved away from true Islamic practice. He wanted them to return to what he thought was the proper observation of Islamic duties called faraiz. This was why his movement was called the Faraizi Movement. The Faraizi Movement supported the idea of jihad against the non-Muslims who were undermining the true principles of Islam.
