Humanity in a New Age

Shah Waliullah of Delhi the future. That is why for the former, it is sufficient to follow the past precedents or traditional thinking. However, for the latter, one must possess a more profound understanding or awareness of the times and the capacity of a high order to engage in ijtihad, that is, creative interpretation of Islamic sources and their application in changed circumstances. Shah Waliullah writes about himself in his book Fuyuz al-Haramayn, “I saw myself in a dream as Qaimuzzaman or Master of the Age” (p. 89), which means that when God Almighty wanted to establish a system of goodness and benevolence, He made him a tool and a medium for the fulfilment of that noble cause. I think Shah Waliullah’s dream was true. However, it does not mean that he was Qaimuzzaman, but that he should become Qaimuzzaman or the pillar of the time. The importance of Shah Waliullah is that he was born at the dawn of the modern age. He was indeed born at a historical juncture and understood the revolutionary changes that were taking place in the world. As such, he could have established a tradition of Islamic activism that could have continued for centuries after him. In that way, the “modern age” could have truly become an age of revival for Islam. He was indeed at the juncture