Shah Abdul Aziz

Shah Abdul Aziz was born on 25 Ramadan, 1159 AH (11 October 1746 AD) in Delhi in the reign of Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah (1719-1748). Delhi was capital of the Mughal Empire. 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 in place of his father. He belonged to hanafi school of thought. He was a Muhaddith, mufassir and Mujtahid.

Shah Abd al-Aziz, had a deep hatred for the Shias. Although he did not declare them apostates or non-Muslims, but he considered them lesser human beings just like what he would think about Hindus or other non-Muslims. In a letter he advises Sunnis to not greet Shias first, and if a Shia greets them first, their response should be cold. In his view, Sunnis should not marry Shias, avoid eating their food and the animals slaughtered by a Shia.[4]

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.[5] 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".[6]

This was a clear exaggeration. This tactic of presenting Shias as dangerous and spreading fear among Sunnis has been a common trait of all militant organizations targeting Shias.[7] In complete contrast to this claim, 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.[8] 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 anti-Shia books 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".[6] 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 as sent to the middle east.[9] 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.[10]

presents a conspiracy theory to explain the origins of Shi'ism, in which the conquered Jews, led by a Sherlock Holms type character, Abdullah ibn Saba, planned to take revenge from Islam and joined the ranks of Ali as his partisans.[11] He intentionally ignores the emergence of Shia-Sunni split right after the death of the Prophet, over the question of Caliphate.[12] He also doesn't point towards the activism of Abu Dhar al-Ghifari, whose was the first major protest movement against the Umayyad domination. The sayings of Prophet Muhammad mentioning the term "Shias of Ali",[13] and the presence of a group of the companions of Prophet known for their reverence to Ali[14] were also excluded from his painting of Shia history. This deviation from the real origins of Shia Islam[15] and the anti-semetic, ahistorical narrative has been an ideological basis for the crimes of genocidal nature against Shias. His book targeting Shia history and beliefs, Tauhfa Ithna Ashari, is widely taught in Sunni seminaries of today's Pakistan and India.

By the end of the 18th century, 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 making of taziya and other arts associated with commemoration of Muharram,[16] 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 I*mam 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”.[17]

But it was also in the 19th century that exclusionary puritanical and fascist revivalist movements started to emerge among Muslims. Muharram was limited to Shias only.

Shah Abdul Aziz died on the morning of 7th Shawwal, 1239 Hijri/ 5 June 1824 in Delhi in the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar Shah II.

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