Shaikh Ahmad Sarhindi
(1564 – 1626)
Shaikh Ahmad Sarhindi
• Introduction
• Prevailing environment
• Sheikh Ahmed revival efforts
– Movement against Deen-e-Illahi
– Imprisonment of Mujadid
– Wahdat-ul-Wajud verses Wahdat-ul-shahud
• His role for strengthening Muslim Nationalism
• Impact on the History of Muslim India
• Conclusion
Introduction
• His name was Seikh Ahmad Sirhindi and his title
was Mujadid Alif Sani.
• Prevailing environment was Deen-e-Illahi.
• He started movement against Deen-e-Illahi and
wiped out in his life times.
• He started his movement in the days of Akbar and
was successful in the days of Jahangir.
• He transformed Mughal Administration from
liberalism to orthodoxy.
Introduction
• He rejected Wahdat-ul-Wajud and replaced it
with Wahdat-ul-Shahud.
• He strengthened Muslim Nationalism and
indirectly contributed to Two Nation Theory
and Ideology of Pakistan.
• He can be considered as one of the founders of
Pakistan.
Prevailing environment
• Akbar launched “Deen-e-Illahi’ which was
aimed at religious synchronization in the Sub-
continent
• The objective of Akbar behind Deen-e-Illahi
was to consolidate his political rule in the Sub-
continent
• Political concepts of Akbar which were in
contradiction of Islamic Political concepts.
Prevailing environment
• “Deen-e-Illahi’ was restricted to the court of
Akbar and common people had little
awareness about it.
• “Deen-e-Illahi’ was optional and no one was
forced to embrace it.
• Its followers were small in number and their
strength was between 80 to 120 people only.
• Some of its practices were un-islamic.
Prevailing environment
• The un- Islamic practices were as under;
1. Prostration before the rulers
2. Ruler was known as Zela-Elahi
3. Saying Allah-Hu-Akabar and Jalla-ja-laluhoo.
4. Discontinuation of Jizia
5. Slaughter of cow was prohibited
6. Marriage with a Non-Muslim
Movement against Deen-e-Illahi
• Three fold strategy:
1. He trained some of disciples and were sent in all
directions to preach true Islam.
2. He also began correspondence with the
prominent scholars of all Muslim countries.
3. He took leading nobles near emperor into his
discipleship and through them exerted influence
upon them to bring about a change in the life of
the court.
Movement – 1 strategy
st
1. He trained some of disciples and were sent in
all directions to preach true Islam.
• He emphasized on the concept of Tauheed
• He asked them to emphasize on Ittiba-i-
Sunnah and the commandments of Sharia.
• The work was vigorously pursued in India
and neighbouring countries.
Movement – 2 strategy nd
2. He also began correspondence with the prominent
scholars of all Muslim countries.
• In his letters he emphasized upon and explained the
religious doctrines and put great stress on the Ittiba-
e-Sunnah.
• Sheikh Ahmed was greatly against to the concept of
atheism and openly denounced un-Islamic practices.
• He exposed the fallacy of Din-e-Illahi and came out
to curb the influence of its satanic creed.
Movement – 3 strategyrd
3. He took leading nobles near emperor into his
discipleship and through them exerted influence
upon them to bring about a change in the life of
the court.
• He was able to enlist Abdur Rahim Khan-e-
Khanan, Khan-i-Azam, Mirza Aziz and Mufti
Sardar Jahan.
• He was a man of commitment and those agreed
with him, he took an undertaking to follow.
Successful Movement
• In time of Jehangir, Sheikh Ahmed was
successful to a greater extent to extract a
solemn undertaking from the Muslims that
they would not obey any orders repugnant to
Islam.
• He persuaded Muslims to adopt simple habits
in the light of Islam and Sunnah.
Imprisonment of Mujadid
• In 1615 Jahangir ordered that Mujadid may be
produced in the court.
• His advisors told him that Mujadid may not
invited to the court as it would create
embarrassment but Jahangir insisted.
• The advisors created a window for minimizing
embarrassment ant it would be presumed that
he bowed before the ruler.
Imprisonment of Mujadid
• When Mujadid reached there, instead of
putting his head, he put his feet, multiplying
embarrassment.
• Sheikh Ahmed raised voice against the
practice of prostration in the court Jehangir.
• He was imprisoned in the fort of Gwalior but
remained confident.
Imprisonment of Mujadid
• After one year Jehangir was regretful of his act
and released him. He honored him to be his
religious adviser.
• This auspicious rank helped him to mould
Emperor’s life according to Sharia.
• This provided him an opportunity to preach his
views.
Wahdat-ul-Wajud verses Wahdat-ul-Shahud
• The philosophy of Wahdat-ul-Wajud was
presented by some Sufis of Akbar’s era.
• They believed that there was no living
difference between the man and his creator
God and both individual and God are not
separate by each other.
• They also advocated that every particle of the
universe represented the presence of God
Wahdat-ul-Wajud verses Wahdat-ul-Shahud
• The worship of God’s creatures was tantamount
to worship of God.
• Sheikh Ahmed openly negated this philosophy
and declared it is contrary to the principles of
Islam.
• He presented his philosophy of Wahat-ul-
Shahud which meant that the creator and
creatures were two different and separate
entities.
Strengthening Muslim Nationalism
• In order to popularize Islam, number of Muslim
reformers adopted a liberal point of view in their
preaching.
• They, however, were successful to attract a large
number of people towards Islam but at the same
time this liberal strategy gave rise to the concept
of joint nationalism.
• This proved injurious to the separate and
distinct national image of the Muslims.
Strengthening Muslim Nationalism
• Sheikh Ahmad put an end to this concept.
• He labored to keep alive the national and
religious identity of the Muslims.
• He was a staunch advocate of the Muslim
separatism and adopted very stern attitude
towards Hindus.
• He wanted Jizia to be re-imposed on the Hindus
and demanded the destruction of Hindu temples.
Impact on the History of Muslim India
• Sheikh Ahmad, the most forceful and original
thinker produced by Muslim India before the
days of Shah Walliullah and Iqbal, occupies a
high place not only in Muslim India but in the
entire Muslim world.
• He was the first who could be called as a founder
of Muslim Nationalism in the sub-continent.
• He was a staunch advocate of separateness of
Muslim Ummah
Impact on the History of Muslim India
• The swing of balance from heterodoxy of Akbar
to the orthodoxy of Aurangzeb was, in
considerable measure, due to the influence and
teachings of Mujaddid Alif Sani.
• The re-imposition of Jizia on Hindu subjects
during the reign of Aurangzeb was a far-
reaching result of his work.
• He can be declared as one of the founders of
Pakistan.
Conclusion
• It is concluded that Mujadid was successful in
his life times to eliminate Deen-i-Elahi which
was a threat to evolution of Muslims society in
the sub-continent.
• He strengthen Muslim nationalism and paved
the way for TNT and IOP subsequently.
• He deserved the title of Mujadid Alif Sani who
had revived the religion of Islam. His services
would be remembered for all tims to come.
