al-Jāddah al-Qawīmah fi al-Fiqh

Analyzing the Juristic (Re) Interpretation of Shāh Walī Allāh for Reconciliation among Fiqhī Polemics

Abstract

After getting enlightened by extensive study and intuition in Dehli and Haramain al-Sharīfain, Shāh Walī Allāh (1114-1176 A.H./1703-1762 C.E.) came to the conclusion that the Dīn (religion) as a whole should be reinterpreted as per the prevailing circumstances. Shāh Walī Allāh came up with comprehensive principles of Dīn in his great book "Hujjat Allāh al-Bālighah" (The Conclusive Argument from God). These principles were designed to clarify the in-depth reality of differences among Muslim fuqahā to settle the issue of Ijtihād and Taqlīd and most importantly, to develop a system of interpretation which should be acceptable to the traditionalists (Ahl al-Hadīth) as well as to the rationalists (Ahl al-Rā’i) in the light of the true of spirit of Islam. Shāh Walī Allāh described this system as "al-Jāddah al-Qawīmah", which he thoroughly elaborated in his book 'al-Tafhīmāt al-Ilāhiyah" in Tafhīm no. 66. To achieve his target, Shāh Walī Allāh purposed a new classification of the books of Hadīth where Muwattā of Mālik is considered to be basic text for all authentic Hadīth books. Moreover, this system of interpretation has been applied briefly by Shāh Walī Allāh in his two books, namely, al-Musaffā Sharh al-Muwattā of Mālik in Persian and al-Musawwā Sharh al-Muwattā of Mālik in Arabic. The main focus of this research is to elaborate and analyze the system of juristic (Re) interpretation (which is called al-Jāddah al-Qawīmah) purposed by Shāh Walī Allāh for the jurists of what and how to reconcile juristic differences among Sunnī fiqhī schools.