| Sidat, Haroon 2026. Shāh Walī Allāh and the divine balance: Transcendence and immanence in cosmic order. Lovat, T., ed. Handbook of Islamic Philosophy, Springer Nature Singapore, pp. 413-433. (10.1007/978-981-95-4666-4_19) |
Abstract
This chapter explores the philosophical oeuvre of possibly one of the greatest Muslim scholars of India, Shāh Walī Allāh al-Dihlawī. He brought together the entire breadth of the intellectual currents of his time to produce a civilizational worldview that married reason with revelation, a method known as ṭaṭbīq. This union produced unique insights in ḥadīth, mysticism, law, ethics, theology, and philosophy. Shāh Walī Allāh embodied the life of a bricoleur: he took from diverse strands and weaved them together with imaginative and aesthetic sensibility to carve out original and courageous insights. Beyond discussing what is meant by “Being” (Wujūd), he deliberates over subjects like “The Great Body” (al-Shakhs al-Akbar), “The Holy Enclave” (Hazīrat al-Quds), “The Holy Fold” (Huwiyyat), and various types of emanations (Tajalliyāt). In addition, he provides a form of Theo-social ordering of the universe through his engagement with Invention (Ibdaʾ), Creation (khalq), Administration (Tadbīr), and Emanation (Tajallī). Here, he maps the relationship between God, the universe, and humanity, while interweaving mystical elements with metaphysical and theological insights, alongside integrating philosophical thought. This multidisciplinary mélange allows him to reflect on the way culture is informed by a form of social anthropology, which is most clearly explained in his theory of social evolution (irtifāq). For Shāh Walī Allāh, whose thought was formed by Prophetic practice, philosophy was fundamentally practical.
| Item Type: | Book Section |
|---|---|
| Date Type: | Publication |
| Status: | Published |
| Schools: | Schools > History, Archaeology and Religion |
| Publisher: | Springer Nature Singapore |
| ISBN: | 9789819546657 |
| Last Modified: | 02 Jun 2026 13:45 |
| URI: | https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/187376 |
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