Two Types of Ijtihad: General and Special

Consider a later period. The first clear example in this context is that of Shah Waliullah Dehlawi. During his time, the Mughal Empire in India had weakened and appeared to be on the verge of collapse. Shah Waliullah dedicated his efforts to stabilizing the Muslim empire. He urged the Muslim rulers of his era to take up arms and fight their enemies to defeat them. (Al-Tafhimat al-Ilahiyyah by Shah Waliullah, 1936, Vol. 1, pp. 215-216). He also encouraged Ahmad Shah Abdali, the ruler of Kabul, to invade India to diminish the power of the Sikhs and Marathas, thereby securing the Mughal Empire. However, Shah Waliullah’s approach reflects a focus on immediate and apparent circumstances. He was entirely unaware of the new global wave that was emerging—what I refer to as the era of democracy. Shah Waliullah believed himself to be Qayem-uz-Zaman (the reviver of the era). (Fuyooz ul Haramain by Shah Waliullah, p. 111), However, his entire thought process operated within the framework of a bygone monarchy. He did not grasp the significance of the coming democratic age, where the principle of popular sovereignty would dominate, bringing with it the critical issue of majority versus minority. Had Shah Waliullah understood the direction of these changing times, he might have concentrated his efforts on the front of dawah. The essence of dawah was that even if the Mughal Empire were to fall, Muslims could still maintain a strong, influential position. Unfortunately,