Against the Backdrop
It is claimed by Aala Hazrat Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi’s followers that in the Indian city of Bareilly, a young boy, about 5 or 6 years old, was walking through the market wearing a large kurta. Suddenly, a group of women (courtesans) passed by in front of him. The boy quickly lifted the front flap of his kurta and covered his eyes with it.
Seeing this, one of the women laughed and said to the boy,
“O Child, you covered your eyes, but you exposed yourself below!”
The boy immediately replied,
“When the eyes wander, the heart goes astray. And when the heart goes astray, modesty is lost.”
Hearing this wise response, the women were left speechless.
This boy later grew up to become Ala Hazrat Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi, a great Islamic scholar. This incident was later recorded by one of his students, Maulana Zafaruddin Bihari, in his book Hayat-e-Ala Hazrat (The Life of Ala Hazrat).
Due to his remarkable work, Ahmed Raza Khan’s followers speak of him with great respect and affection, addressing him with various titles. As Usha Sanyal mentions in her book Devotional Islam, his student Zafaruddin Bihari gave him these honorary titles.
Ala Hazrat, Imam of the Ahl-e-Sunnat, Reviver of the Faith and the Pure Nation, Maulana, Molvi, Haji, Qari, Hafiz, Shah, Muhammad Ahmed Raza Khan, Qadri, Barkati, Barelvi, Quddus Sirruhul Qawi.
Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi played a significant role in giving Hanafi Islam in India a distinct identity through the Barelvi movement. According to his companions, he purified Hanafi Islam of incorrect beliefs and practices. As a result, a prominent and well-defined group of Muslims emerged, known as the “Barelvi” sect, or the Ahl-e-Sunnat wal Jamaat also referred to as the “Sawaad-e-Azam” (the largest group).
Note: If you want to watch documentary on the life of Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi in Urdu and Hindi languages, Please Click Here. . .
Origin
Who was Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi? and why is he so renowned in today’s Muslim world? Let’s discuss this today.
The family of Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi belonged to the Pathan Barhech tribe, originally from Kandahar, Afghanistan. In the 17th century, they migrated to Delhi, India, and held high-ranking positions in the Mughal court. Later, this family moved to Bareilly.
Usha Sanyal, in her second book, Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi: In the Path of the Prophet, shares details about Ahmed Raza Khan’s ancestors.
She writes that Ahmed Raza’s great-grandfather, Hafiz Kazim Ali Khan, held a high position under the Nawab of Awadh. Later, the Nawab gave him two properties in the city of Bareilly, and Hafiz Kazim Ali returned there. His son, Raza Ali Khan, who was Ahmed Raza Khan’s grandfather, grew up in Bareilly.
Unlike the family tradition of joining the military, Raza Ali chose to become a Sufi scholar. He received his Islamic education at a prominent madrasa in Tonk, one of the major Muslim states in India at the time. At the age of 23, he completed the Dars-e-Nizami course and returned to Bareilly, where he became a religious and Sufi scholar associated with the Qadri Sufi order.
Raza Ali Khan is remembered as a saintly figure, and many people testified to witnessing his miracles.
During the 1857 War of Independence and its aftermath, when people fled Bareilly out of fear of the British, Raza Ali Khan stayed in the city and continued going to the mosque regularly.
Usha Sanyal narrates an incident where, on one occasion, British soldiers entered the mosque intending to arrest anyone they found there. However, when they entered, they couldn’t see Raza Ali Khan, even though he was present. It is said that God made them blind to his presence—one of the miracles attributed to him.
Raza Ali Khan’s son, Naqi Ali Khan, received his religious education from his father. Alongside this, he also managed the family’s vast properties, which were spread across Bareilly and the nearby city of Badaun. He was considered a wealthy and prominent nobleman of the region, often referred to as a “Rais Nawab” (landlord).
Usha Sanyal and Barbara Metcalf mention that there is no evidence suggesting that Raza Ali Khan or his son Naqi Ali Khan participated in the 1857 War of Independence against the British. However, they also found no proof that their family ever took government jobs under British rule.
According to Usha Sanyal, after the 1857 uprising, Naqi Ali Khan’s properties were largely untouched by the British, although he lost some estates in Rampur. She adds that while the family’s relationship with the British crown was indirect, it remained cordial.
On June 14, 1856, in a pious household in the Jasoli neighborhood of Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, Naqi Ali Khan’s son, Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi, was born. His birth name was Muhammad Khan, and his historical name was Al-Mukhtar. Later, he chose to go by the name Ahmed Raza.
Usha Sanyal writes that it is said Ahmed Raza Khan completed the recitation of the Quran at the age of 4. By the age of 6, during a gathering on the occasion of Eid Milad-un-Nabi, he delivered a public speech in the mosque to a large audience.
It is widely believed that Ahmed Raza Khan had immense love for the Prophet Muhammad. This love was evident in even the smallest aspects of his life. For instance, when signing documents, writing fatwas, or engaging in correspondence, he would always sign as “Abdul Mustafa” (Servant of the Prophet). On one occasion, he remarked that if someone were to open his heart, they would find “La ilaha illallah” written on one side and “Muhammadur Rasulullah” on the other.
When a pilgrim returned from Hajj, Ahmed Raza Khan would kiss their feet, saying they had walked through the streets of Medina. If he met a Sayyid (a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad), he would kiss their hands, honor them, and fulfill their needs in respect of their noble lineage.
Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi was an Ahmedi Qadiani?
Ahmed Raza Khan did not attend a madrasa for his education; instead, he studied at home. His first teacher was Mirza Ghulam Qadir Beg, with whom he maintained a lifelong teacher-student relationship. Ahmed Raza often sought guidance from his teacher on matters related to issuing religious verdicts (fatwas).
It is important to clear a misconception about Mirza Ghulam Qadir Beg. Some opponents, including the prominent Ahl-e-Hadith scholar Ihsan Ilahi Zaheer, claimed in his book Barelvis: History and Beliefs that Mirza Ghulam Qadir was the brother of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani, the founder of the Ahmadiyya movement. However, Usha Sanyal refutes this claim in her book, explaining that Mirza Ghulam Qadir Beg was from Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh, while Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was from Qadian, a town in Punjab. Mirza Ghulam Qadir Beg had no connection with the Ahmadiyya movement.
Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi was a Shia?
Usha Sanyal also addresses another accusation against Ahmed Raza Khan—that he was secretly a Shia disguised as a Sunni to harm Sunni Islam. She rejects this claim based on her research, stating that Ahmed Raza Khan belonged to a Sunni Pathan family. His spiritual guide, Shah Ale Rasool, was also a Sunni scholar who actively opposed Shia beliefs. Sanyal acknowledges that in 19th-century India, it was not uncommon for some individuals within a family to adopt Shia beliefs while the rest remained Sunni. For example, some relatives of Ahmed Raza’s spiritual guide Shah Ale Rasool were Shia, and a few relatives of Ahmed Raza’s younger son’s in-laws were also Shia. However, Ahmed Raza Khan himself was a devout Sunni. He even referred to Shias as Rafidis and misguided based on their beliefs in his fatwas.
Sufism
Ahmed Raza Khan received his primary Islamic education, including the Dars-e-Nizami curriculum, from his father. By the age of 14, he had completed advanced courses in Usool al-Fiqh (principles of Islamic jurisprudence) and other subjects. Recognizing his achievements, his father entrusted him with the responsibilities of issuing fatwas and teaching at the young age of 16. Ahmed Raza began writing fatwas at this age and, by the end of his life, had written thousands of them. He became a disciple of Shah Ale Rasool Marehrawi in the Qadri Sufi order. Later, Ahmed Raza Khan significantly contributed to the spread and development of Sufism, especially the Qadri and Razavi orders. The Razavi order is named after him, derived from his name, “Raza.”
A Great Muslim Scientist?
Ahmed Raza Khan spent most of his time at home deeply engrossed in study, surrounded by books and occasionally a few students.
While he was a master of religious education, Usha Sanyal notes that he also had a strong grasp of scientific knowledge. He critically analyzed and refuted the theories of renowned scientists of his time, such as Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, Einstein, Newton, and others, particularly their ideas about the Earth and planets orbiting the Sun. According to Allama Zafaruddin Bihari, Ahmed Raza Khan’s arguments left these scientists astonished.
Pakistan’s famous nuclear scientist, Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan, praised Ahmed Raza Khan’s scientific contributions in a column published in the Jang newspaper on December 5, 2016. In the article, Dr. Khan seems supported Ahmed Raza Khan’s theory of the Sun orbiting the Earth and highlighted his extensive writings on various scientific topics.
Dr. Khan wrote:
“Allama Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi authored numerous articles and essays on scientific subjects. He explained human creation, biotechnology and genetics, the principles of ultrasound machines, piezoelectricity, telecommunication, fluid dynamics, topology (a branch of mathematics), the motion of the Earth, Moon, and Sun, meteorology (the study of rock formations), the properties of metals, coral structures, causes of earthquakes, tides, and much more in great detail.”
The link to Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan’s article is provided below:
https://jang.com.pk/news/226513
It is worth noting that while modern science asserts that the Earth orbits the Sun, Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan also endorsed Ahmed Raza Khan’s view that the Sun orbits the Earth.
A Mathematician?
A famous story about Ahmed Raza Khan involves Dr. Ziauddin, the Vice-Chancellor of Aligarh University and a mathematician. Dr. Ziauddin was struggling to solve a complex mathematical problem and planned to seek help from German professors. When someone suggested approaching Ahmed Raza Khan, Dr. Ziauddin was skeptical, saying, “How could an ordinary cleric who has never attended a school or madrasa solve a problem that mathematicians in India cannot solve?” However, after much insistence from his friends, Dr. Ziauddin visited Ahmed Raza Khan with the problem. Alama Zafar-ud-Din Bihari claims in his book, using his extraordinary God-given abilities, Ahmed Raza Khan solved the problem effortlessly, leaving everyone amazed. Zafaruddin Bihari writes that this mathematical problem was related to Decimal Fractions.
During the time Ahmed Raza Khan was studying religious sciences under his father, his father was actively opposing certain beliefs and practices of various religious groups in India, including Hindus, Shia Muslims, and the Hanafi scholars from Delhi and Deoband. The Bareilly family had gained recognition for its expertise in Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) and rational sciences (maqulat), much like the scholars from the cities of Khairabad and Badaun.
Taking Charge of the Legacy
Usha Sanyal writes that by the mid-19th century, the scholars of Khairabad, Badaun, and Bareilly had distanced themselves from the ideas and followers of Delhi’s scholars.
When Ahmed Raza Khan assumed leadership in Bareilly, the British had fully taken control of India from the Muslim rulers. Various Muslim reform movements were working to revive Islam and purify it of local customs, aiming to restore the lost dignity of Muslims in India. Ahmed Raza Khan also undertook the mission of reforming Muslims. However, he strongly objected to the beliefs of certain reformist movements, claiming that these so-called reform efforts were, in fact, against Islam and Muslims.
Among the beliefs he opposed were those of Maulana Ismail Shaheed, the grandson of Shah Waliullah Dehlavi and the leader of the Tariqa Muhammadiya movement. Maulana Ismail Shaheed had propagated his ideas in the book Taqwiyat al-Iman (Strengthening of Faith), written in 1820 with the aim of reforming Muslims. However, some of the ideas in this book were controversial and faced criticism from the Hanafi Sunni scholars of northern India, particularly Allama Fazl-e-Haq Khairabadi and Maulana Naqi Ali Khan.
According to Usha Sanyal, the main objections raised by these scholars included:
- The concept of Imkan-e-Kizb (the possibility of falsehood being attributed to Allah).
- The issue of Imkan-e-Nazir (the possibility of someone being equal to the Prophet Muhammad).
- Disagreements over celebrating Milad-un-Nabi (the Prophet’s birthday) and the practice of standing in respect (Qiyam).
- Various beliefs about the attributes and special characteristics of the Prophet Muhammad.
For more details on these scholarly debates, you can read detailed article, Baerlvi-Deobandi Divide.
Doctrines
When Ahmed Raza Khan was asked whether it was permissible to build structures over graves, he replied that doing so is disrespectful to the deceased and is not permissible according to Hanafi jurisprudence. He further explained that the bodies of blessed individuals remain intact in their graves and that their souls become even more spiritually beneficial after death. If someone recites Fatiha (prayers) at their graves, the soul of the deceased recognizes the person and benefits them. He stated that the deceased can hear better than the living and maintain contact with them. Through this act of Fatiha, the living can receive spiritual benefits from the saint, while the deceased receives prayers for forgiveness. This practice is also known as Esaal-e-Sawab (sending rewards to the deceased).
Ahmed Raza Khan supported the practice of Urs (commemoration of saints’ anniversaries) but strictly opposed un-Islamic customs often associated with these events. He emphasized that only Quran recitation, Zikr (remembrance of Allah), Naat recitations, and sermons should take place during Urs.
Regarding women visiting graves or Urs, he strongly disapproved and stated that such women invite the curse of Allah and the saint even before they leave for the shrine. He believed that a woman could visit only the Prophet Muhammad’s tomb in Madinah while performing Hajj.
He also issued fatwas against loud noise, music, and other disrespectful activities at graves and shrines, stating that such behavior dishonors the sanctity of the place and the deceased.
During the time of Shah Ismail, a scholar from Khairabad, Maulana Fazl-e-Haq Khairabadi, rejected Ismail Shaheed’s idea of Imkan-e-Nazir (the possibility of someone being like the Prophet Muhammad). He argued that while Allah can do anything, He has chosen not to create anyone like the Prophet.
Maulana Naqi Ali Khan also strongly opposed Shah Ismail Shaheed’s views and connected him to the famous Salafi movement of Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab from Najd, labeling him a Wahhabi and Najdi.
Bareilly vs Deoband
Shah Ismail’s ideas were supported by the scholars of Deoband, a town located 90 miles north of Delhi. On the other hand, scholars like Maulana Naqi Ali Khan from Bareilly, located 300 kilometers east of Delhi, and Maulana Fazl-e-Haq Khairabadi opposed his beliefs. Usha Sanyal mentions that every debate between these two groups of scholars—Sunni Hanafi (later Barelvi) and Deobandi—began with the issue of Imkan-e-Nazir as a key point of discussion.
This ideological conflict eventually led to the formation of two groups within Sunni Hanafi Muslims—Deobandi and Barelvi.
When Ahmed Raza Khan was allowed by his father to issue fatwas (religious rulings) at the age of 16, he followed in his father’s footsteps by refuting beliefs he considered incorrect, especially among Sunni Hanafi scholars. He also opposed the beliefs of the Ahl-e-Hadith, Shia Muslims, and Hindus. Through his fatwas, he declared the claims of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani (founder of the Ahmadiyya movement) to be false, including his claim to be the Mahdi and a prophet. Ahmed Raza Khan declared him outside the fold of Islam.
However, Ahmed Raza Khan did not issue fatwas or engage in debates against the Christian missionaries active in India during British rule, despite the fact that many Muslim and Hindu scholars were debating and opposing the missionaries at that time.
Ahmed Raza Khan lived in an era when the printing press had gained popularity in India due to British influence. To spread his ideas and works, he established two printing presses in Bareilly under his supervision. These presses published his fatwas, books, and pamphlets, which were then distributed widely.
However, these presses were also used to print books and pamphlets that strongly criticized the beliefs of other Muslim groups, such as the Nadwat-ul-Ulama of Lucknow, Darul Uloom Deoband, and the followers of Shah Ismail Shaheed from Delhi.
It is important to note that Darul Uloom Nadwat-ul-Ulama was an organization formed with the goal of uniting all sects of Islam, regardless of differences in certain beliefs.
In 1878, at the age of 22, Ahmed Raza Khan went on his first pilgrimage to Hajj. During this time, he studied under two scholars in Mecca and received certification (ijazah) in Hadith, Fiqh, Usul al-Fiqh, and Tafsir. Zafaruddin Bihari writes that a scholar sitting near the Maqam-e-Ibrahim took Ahmed Raza Khan’s hand and said he saw the light of Allah on his forehead. This scholar gave him a new name, Ziauddin Ahmed. Ahmed Raza Khan performed his second Hajj 25 years later, in 1905.
In 1900, during a gathering at the Khanqah in Bihar Sharif (Bihar Shrine), attended by hundreds of scholars and spiritual leaders from across India, Ahmed Raza Khan was unanimously declared the Mujaddid (reviver) of the current century. On this occasion, he was also made the President (Sadr) of the Ahl-e-Sunnat wal Jamaat, a group representing the scholars of Bareilly, Khairabad, and Budaun.
In 1904, he established Madrasa Mazhar-ul-Islam in Bareilly to promote Islamic education.
In 1911, he translated the Quran into Urdu under the name Kanz-ul-Iman. He also authored his monumental work, Fatawa Razawiyyah, which spans 12 volumes.
Ahmed Raza Khan’s basis for declaring certain groups as non-Muslims is outlined in his book Hussam-ul-Haramain. As quoted by Usha Sanyal, he stated:
“Whoever denies any of the essential elements of faith (Zarurat-e-Deen), or doubts the disbelief of such denial and its consequences, is himself a disbeliever.”
This principle led him to declare some scholars of Deoband outside the fold of Islam.
Kafir, Kafir, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan Kafir (apostate) too
In 1896, Ahmed Raza Khan raised questions and engaged in discussions about the beliefs of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Nadwat-ul-Ulama, Shia scholars, Deoband scholars, and Ahl-e-Hadith. He later published his book Fatawa al-Haramain Bar Jaf Nadwat-ul-Main, in which he declared these groups to be misguided, heretics, disbelievers, and apostates based on their beliefs.
In this book, Ahmed Raza Khan responded to a letter about Sir Syed Ahmed Khan’s ideas, declaring him a disbeliever and apostate. The letter claimed that Sir Syed’s group denied fundamental beliefs such as the angel Jibreel (Gabriel), other angels, jinn, devils, Paradise, Hell, resurrection, and miracles. Furthermore, it accused them of rejecting all Hadith and Tafsir books as false and unreliable.
Ahmed Raza Khan rejected the Ahl-e-Hadith movement’s rejection of Taqleed (following the established schools of Islamic jurisprudence) and reliance solely on the Quran and Sunnah. He labeled them as innovators (Bid’ati) and misguided. Citing Allama Tahawi, he stated:
“Sayyid Allama Tahawi wrote that those who separate themselves from the scholars of knowledge and jurisprudence and the majority (Sawaad-e-Azam) tread the path to Hell. It is incumbent upon you to follow the path of Ahl-e-Sunnat wal Jamaat, which includes the Hanafi, Shafi’i, Hanbali, and Maliki schools of thought.”
While Ahmed Raza Khan did not declare the Ahl-e-Hadith as disbelievers (Kafir), he considered them misguided and deviant for opposing Ahl-e-Sunnat principles.
Between 1902 and 1906, he formally declared several leaders of other groups as disbelievers. Among the first was Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the leader of the Ahmadi or Qadiani movement, who claimed prophethood. Ahmed Raza Khan denounced him as a disbeliever and referred to him as “Dajjal Shaytan” (the deceiving devil).
He also declared four Deobandi scholars as Wahhabis and disbelievers. Scholars of Ahl-e-Sunnat explain that Ahmed Raza Khan initially wrote letters to these individuals, urging them to clarify and rectify their beliefs. When they failed to do so, he issued his verdict. He then sought endorsements for these declarations from the scholars of the Haramain (Makkah and Madinah), which led to a Fatwa war between the scholars of Deoband and Bareilly in India.
Last Days
In his later years, despite becoming physically weak, Ahmed Raza Khan continued issuing religious verdicts from his bed. Before his passing, he gave a distinct identity to a large group of Ahl-e-Sunnat wal Jamaat in India, often referred to as Sawaad-e-Azam. This group became known as Barelvi, representing those who adhered to Ahmed Raza Khan’s interpretations of Islamic beliefs. He passed away on October 28, 1921, at the age of 65.
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