Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi Biography

Imam Ahmed Raza Khan, also known as Ahmed Rida Khan and "Ala-Hazrat," was an Islamic scholar, theologian, ascetic, and jurist. He was also a renowned Sufi, an Urdu poet, and a social reformer in British India. He founded the Barelvi movement, which focused on complete devotion to the Prophet Muhammad. The movement also laid stress on the fusion of the Shari'ah with Sufi practices. Ahmed also wrote on diverse topics, such as law, philosophy, religion, and the sciences. In his lifetime, he wrote countless “fatwas” (religious rulings). He was against the Deobandi, the Wahabi, and the Ahmadiyya movements and considered their founders non-believers. Among his most notable works are the ‘Fatawa Razaviyya’ and the ‘Kanzul Iman.’ He considered himself a Sunni Muslim and was against the independence movement in India during the British rule. He is still remembered by people from India, Pakistan, and many other South Asian countries, where his followers continue to exist to this day.