Shah Abdur Rahim

Shah Abdur Rahim (Persian: شاه عبد الرحیم; 1644-1719) was an Islamic scholar^[1] and a writer who assisted in the compilation of Fatawa-e-Alamgiri, the voluminous code of Islamic law. He was the father of the Muslim philosopher Shah Waliullah Dehlawi. He became a disciple of Khwaja Khurd son of Khawaja Baqi Billah a revered Sufi of Delhi. He established Madrasa Rahimiyya in Delhi, a theological college which later played a part in the religious emancipation of Muslim India and became the breeding ground of religious reformers and mujahideen like Shah Waliullah and Shah Abdul Aziz.^[2][3]

Shah Abdur Rahim
شاه عبد الرحیم
Personal life
Born	1644 Mughal Empire
Died	1719 (aged 74–75) Mughal Empire
Resting place	Mehdiyan, Delhi Gate
Children	Shah Waliullah
Parent	Wajīhuddīn bin Muʿaẓẓam bin Manṣūr bin Aḥmad (father)
Known for	Madrasa Rahimiyya Fatawa 'Alamgiri
Relatives	Shah Abdul Aziz (grandson)
Religious life
Religion	Islam
Denomination	Sunni
School	Hanafi
Muslim leader
Teacher	Mir Zahid Harawi
Period in office	17th-century
Influenced Shah Waliullah Shah Abdul Aziz

Early life

He was the son of Wajīhuddīn bin Muʿaẓẓam bin Manṣūr bin Aḥmad bin Maḥmūd. His paternal lineage traces back to that of Umar ibn Al-Khattab. He was the younger brother of Shah Abdur Ridha (1636-1688), as well as the older brother of Shah Abdul Hakim.

Islamic services

Shah Abdur Rahim was a Sufi and an Hanafi scholar who wrote works of Islamic law. He taught at the Madrasa Rahimiyya, a theological college, or seminary, that he helped establish. The institution would become an important part of the religious emancipation of Muslim's of India, as it provided a starting point for later religious reformers.^[4]

Madrassa Rahimya

Madrassa Rahimya was an Islamic institute in Delhi with a developed curriculum and better teaching methodologies; in other words, it was well-established and organized. The translation of the Quran also took place in Madrassa Rahimya. After Shah Abdul Rahim, his son Shah Walliullah taught there and upgraded the curriculum. Future Islamic scholars and leaders like Syed Ahmed Shaheed Barelvi got their education from Madrassa Rahimya.

Works

He was a leading scholar of traditional sciences.^[5] Some of his works include:^[6]

• 1) Fatawa-e-Alamgiri
• 2) Irshad-e-Rahimiya, a book on the Naqshbandi Sufi path
• 3) Anfas-e-Rahimiya