Jul 5

Conclusive Arguments from God: The Psychological and Spiritual Wisdom Behind Islamic Law According to Shah Waliullah Dehlawi

In the grand architecture of Islamic thought, few minds stand as luminously as Shah Waliullah Dehlawi (1703–1762). A traditional Islamic scholar par excellence, Dehlawi’s Hujjat Allah al-Baligha  (The Conclusive Argument from God) offers a profound insight into the divine wisdom underpinning Islamic laws, rituals, and societal structures. Far from being a rigid legalist, Dehlawi delves into the spiritual psychology and socio-moral rationale behind every divine command.

In doing so, he affirms a central Islamic axiom: Allah, the Creator of the human psyche, body, soul, heart, and society, legislates laws rooted in perfect wisdom and justice. These are not arbitrary injunctions, but carefully designed prescriptions for human flourishing-physically, emotionally, mentally, socially, and spiritually.

This foundational truth recognises the integrated nature of the human being as envisioned in Islamic anthropology: the nafs (self), aql (intellect), qalb (spiritual heart), ruh (soul), and jism (body) form a divinely harmonised and cohesive system. Disruption in any one domain-spiritual, psychological, or physical-unbalances the whole. Thus, Islamic law is not merely a legal system but a comprehensive method of soul-nurture and societal healing.

Modern secular psychology, in its fragmented evolution, continues to stumble upon insights (partial; truths) that traditional Islamic teachings already encompass. Yet, Islam doesn’t require validation from secular disciplines; rather, psychology must recognise the innate truths embedded in divine revelation.

Let us explore how Shah Waliullah presents the rational and psychological dimensions of key Islamic institutions and practices- conclusive arguments from God, not merely symbolic rites or social norms.

Rituals: The Divine Training of the Human Soul

Salah (Prayer)

Wisdom: Creates a disciplined and God-conscious mind; fortifies moral self-regulation.

Rationale: Salah embodies a structured, rhythmic spiritual practice that recent psychological studies recognise as fostering mindfulness and emotional regulation (Kabat-Zinn, 2003). The physical prostration promotes humility, while the collective nature of prayer nurtures social belonging-a basic psychological need (Baumeister & Leary, 1995).

Dehlawi highlights how prayer engrains divine awareness (taqwa) into daily life, aligning with what psychologists today call "internal locus of control," associated with greater well-being and reduced anxiety (Rotter, 1966).


Sawm (Fasting)

Wisdom: Develops resilience, empathy, and heightened spiritual consciousness.

Rationale:

By withholding desires, fasting trains the nafs (self) against impulsivity- a form of delayed gratification that psychologist Walter Mischel demonstrated is key to success and self-control.

Empirical research shows fasting improves dopamine regulation, enhances gratitude, and boosts neuroplasticity (Longo & Panda, 2016). Shah Waliullah explains that Sawm strips away indulgence, sharpening the soul’s receptivity to divine light.

Zakat (Almsgiving)

Wisdom: Distributes wealth justly and purifies the heart from greed.

Rationale: Zakat addresses the emotional and psychological burdens of both wealth and poverty. Studies show that generosity activates reward centers in the brain (Moll et al., 2006), and giving correlates with increased happiness (Dunn et al., 2008).

Dehlawi notes that Zakat sustains communal harmony and reinforces the social fabric, reducing class envy and spiritual alienation.

Hajj (Pilgrimage)

Wisdom: Reinstates humility, unity, and spiritual clarity.


Rationale: Stripping one of worldly identifiers, the Ihram dress of Hajj psychologically reorients the pilgrim toward universal human identity and divine accountability. This has some corresponds with self-transcendence theory (Frankl, 1963), which links purpose to psychological health.

Shah Waliullah sees Hajj as a journey inward as much as outward—toward purification and global Islamic unity.


Social Transactions: The Architecture of a Just Society

Marriage

Wisdom: Protects emotional well-being, lineage, and communal values.

Rationale: Dehlawi affirms that the Shariah’s rules around marriage aren’t restrictive-they are psychologically protective. Marriage is associated with better mental health, increased life satisfaction, and reduced depression (Waite & Gallagher, 2000).

The contract formalises responsibilities, ensuring stability and reducing abandonment, especially for women and children.

Business Transactions

Wisdom: Promotes transparency, fairness, and ethical reciprocity.

Rationale: Islam’s prohibition of Riba (usury) protects against exploitative economic behaviours that modern economic psychology links to financial stress and inequity. Clear contracts promote trust-a psychological cornerstone of sustainable relationships (Erikson, 1963).

Inheritance

Wisdom: Prevents familial disputes and ensures equitable wealth distribution.

Rationale: Studies in family psychology show that unclear or unjust inheritance often fractures relationships (Pillemer, 2004). By codifying fair shares for each family member, including women and orphans, Islamic inheritance law prevents conflict and sustains generational support.

Criminal Punishments: Justice with Moral Psychology

Hudud (Fixed Punishments)

Wisdom: Upholds public morality and deters high-impact crimes.

Rationale: Though often misunderstood, Hudud laws are preventive more than punitive. Their strict evidentiary standards make their actual implementation rare. Shah Waliullah emphasises their psychological role as behavioural deterrents, akin to how consistent rules shape social conformity (Bandura, 1977).

Qisas (Retribution)

Wisdom: Offers closure and restores emotional balance.

Rationale: The option for forgiveness through Diyya (compensation) reflects a deep understanding of ‘trauma’ healing. Forgiveness, according to Enright & Fitzgibbons (2000), facilitates emotional release and cognitive reframing. Qisas thus balances justice with mercy-a divine duality echoed in psychological healing.

Tazir (Discretionary Punishments)

Wisdom: Applies moral discernment in individualised cases.

Rationale: Unlike rigid penal systems, Ta’zir reflects situational judgment-a psychological necessity. It empowers judges to consider intent, context, and repentance-elements central to moral development.


Additional Ethical and Social Insights

Dietary Laws

Wisdom: Protects physical and spiritual health.

Rationale: Modern nutrition confirms the harms of pork, alcohol, and other prohibited substances. Beyond biology, Dehlawi identifies the spiritual desensitisation caused by impure consumption. Halal is not just a die-it’s a philosophy of mindful eating and spiritual resonance.


Modesty and Dress Code

Wisdom: Cultivates dignity and protects societal values.


Rationale: Psychology shows that sexual objectification leads to reduced self-esteem and mental health issues, especially among women (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997). Islamic modesty counters this trend by emphasising ‘inner worth’ according to Islamic values and mutual respect, shielding individuals from commodification.

Jihad (Struggle)

Wisdom: Uplifts moral courage and societal justice.


Rationale: Scholars underscores that Jihad also is fundamentally a psychological and ethical battle against ego, oppression, and injustice. The greater Jihad (al-jihad al-akbar) is inner reform, Tazkiya and the taming of the darker instincts through conscious effort.

Revelation Before Validation

Shah Waliullah’s Hujjat Allah al-Baligha remains a masterwork of theological psychology, merging divine wisdom with an incisive grasp of human nature. His conclusive arguments from God are not merely theological defences; they are blueprints for psychological equilibrium and spiritual ascension.

In our modern climate, where faith is often subjected to secular lenses, Shah Waliullah's perspective reorients us: God’s commands are not in need of psychological validation-rather, psychology is incomplete without acknowledging divine truth.

“He who created us, does He not know? And He is the Subtle, the All-Aware.” (67:14)

Instead of reshaping Islam to fit contemporary psychology, we are called to elevate sound, authentic and real scientific psychology (not pseudoscience) through the lens of revelation. For only through divine wisdom can the soul find its true calibration.

Modern secular psychology, despite its empirical advancements, remains fundamentally incomplete and reductionist in its understanding of the human being. Rooted in materialist and humanist paradigms, it often denies or marginalises the soul and spirit (nafs/ruh)-a core component of human reality in Islam. Its frameworks fluctuate with trends, ideologies, and cultural biases, producing contradictory therapies and moral ambiguities. As Carl Jung admitted, “We have stripped things of their mystery... and what is left is an emptiness” (Modern Man in Search of a Soul, 1933).

Once Muslims begin to give weight to secular therapies over divine prescriptions, they are effectively stating-whether consciously or not-that secular models are superior to the Qur’an and Sunnah, and that Islamic teachings are not sufficient for psychological healing. This undermines the finality and comprehensiveness of Islam, replacing timeless guidance with fragile and fluctuating philosophies.

The Qur'an addresses the full spectrum of human needs-biological, psychological, emotional, social, and spiritual-because it comes from the One who created the human psyche itself:

"And do not be like those who forgot Allah, so He made them forget their own souls." (59:19)

Therefore, instead of treating the soul through secular guesswork, Islamic law offers divinely calibrated therapies-Salah for anxiety, Zakat for societal greed, Sawm for impulse regulation, and Dhikr for existential meaning. Shah Waliullah's conclusive arguments remind us that psychology should be humbled before revelation, not the other way around. Where secular psychology gropes in darkness, revelation provides light.

 

 

Baumeister, R. F., & Leary, M. R. (1995). The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation. Psychological Bulletin.


Dunn, E. W., Aknin, L. B., & Norton, M. I. (2008). Spending money on others promotes happiness. Science.


Frankl, V. E. (1963). Man's Search for Meaning. Beacon Press.


Fredrickson, B. L., & Roberts, T. A. (1997). Objectification theory. Psychology of Women Quarterly.


Kabat-Zinn, J. (2003). Mindfulness-based interventions in context: Past, present, and future. Clinical Psychology.


Longo, V. D., & Panda, S. (2016). Fasting, circadian rhythms, and time-restricted feeding in healthy lifespan. Cell Metabolism.


Moll, J., et al. (2006). Human fronto–mesolimbic networks guide decisions about charitable donation. PNAS.


Rotter, J. B. (1966). Generalized expectancies for internal versus external control of reinforcement. Psychological Monographs.


Waite, L. J., & Gallagher, M. (2000). The Case for Marriage. Doubleday.

 

 

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