HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Barelvi movement, also known as Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah (People of the Prophet's Way and the Community) is a
Sunni Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr () rightfully succeeded him as the caliph of the Mu ...
revivalist movement that generally adheres to the
Hanafi The Hanafi school or Hanafism is the oldest and largest Madhhab, school of Islamic jurisprudence out of the four schools within Sunni Islam. It developed from the teachings of the Faqīh, jurist and theologian Abu Hanifa (), who systemised the ...
and
Shafi'i The Shafi'i school or Shafi'i Madhhab () or Shafi'i is one of the four major schools of fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), belonging to the Ahl al-Hadith tradition within Sunni Islam. It was founded by the Muslim scholar, jurist, and traditionis ...
schools of jurisprudence, the Maturidi and Ash'ari creeds, a variety of Sufi orders, including the Qadiri, Chishti, Naqshbandi and Suhrawardi orders, as well as many other orders of Sufism, and has hundreds of millions of followers across the world. They consider themselves to be the continuation of Sunni Islamic orthodoxy before the rise of
Salafism The Salafi movement or Salafism () is a Islamic fundamentalism, fundamentalist Islamic revival, revival movement within Sunni Islam, originating in the late 19th century and influential in the Islamic world to this day. The name "''Salafiyya''" ...
and the
Deobandi The Deobandi movement or Deobandism is a revivalist movement within Sunni Islam that adheres to the Hanafi school of jurisprudence. It was formed in the late 19th century around the Darul Uloom Madrassa in Deoband, India, from which the nam ...
movement. The Barelvi movement is spread across the globe with millions of followers, thousands of mosques, institutions, and organizations in
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
,
Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
,
Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...
,
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
,
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
, the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
,
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
and other parts of Africa, Europe, the Caribbean, and the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. As of 2000, the movement had around 200 million followers globally but mainly located in Pakistan and India. The movement claims to revive the Sunnah as embodied in the Qur’an, literature of traditions (hadith) and the way of the scholars, as the people had lapsed from the Prophetic traditions. Consequently, scholars took the duty of reminding Muslims go back to the ‘ideal’ way of Islam. The movement drew inspiration from the Sunni
doctrine Doctrine (from , meaning 'teaching, instruction') is a codification (law), codification of beliefs or a body of teacher, teachings or instructions, taught principles or positions, as the essence of teachings in a given branch of knowledge or in a ...
s of Shah Abdur Rahim (1644-1719) founder of Madrasah-i Rahimiyah and one of the compiler of
Fatawa-e-Alamgiri Fatawa 'Alamgiri, also called Al-Fatawa al-Hindiyyah (; ), Fatawa-e-Alamgiri or Al-Fatawa al-'Alamkiriyyah (; ), is a 17th-century sharia based compilation on statecraft, general ethics, military strategy, economic policy, justice and punishment, ...
. Shah Abdur Rahim is father of
Shah Waliullah Dehlawi Qutb ud-Din Ahmad ibn ʿAbd-ur-Rahim al-ʿUmari ad-Dehlawi (‎; 1703–1762), commonly known as Shah Waliullah Dehlawi (also Shah Wali Allah), was an Islamic Sunni scholar and Sufi reformer, who contributed to Islamic revival in the Indian s ...
. The movement also drew inspiration from Shah Abdul Aziz Muhaddith Dehlavi (1746 –1824) and Fazl-e-Haq Khairabadi (1796–1861) founder of the Khairabad School. Fazle Haq Khairabadi Islamic scholar and leader of 1857 rebellion issued ''fatwas'' against Wahhabi Ismail Dehlvi for his doctrine of God's alleged ability to lie () from Delhi in 1825. Ismail is considered as an intellectual ancestor of Deobandis. The movement emphasizes personal devotion and adherence to
sharia Sharia, Sharī'ah, Shari'a, or Shariah () is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition based on Islamic holy books, scriptures of Islam, particularly the Quran, Qur'an and hadith. In Islamic terminology ''sharīʿah'' ...
and , following the four Islamic schools of thought, the usage of and Sufi practices such as veneration of and seeking help from
saints In Christian belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and denomination. In Anglican, Oriental Orth ...
among other things associated with Sufism. The movement defines itself as an authentic representative of Sunni Islam, (The people who adhere to the Prophetic Tradition and preserve the unity of the community). Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi (1856–1921) who was a Sunni Sufi scholar and reformer in north India wrote extensively, including the , in defense of the status of Muhammad in Islam and popular Sufi practices, and became the leader of the Barelvi movement.


Terminology

The Barelvi movement is also known as the . According to Oxford Reference, or Barelvi is movement developed on the basis of writings of Mawlana Ahmed Raza Khan Barelwi. The Database of Religious History refers the movement as the Ahl-e-Sunnat wa Jamaat (often, Ahl-e-Sunnat) which has a very strong presence in South Asia. Professor Usha Sanyal, an expert on 'Ahl-i Sunnat Movement', referred the movement as Ahl-i Sunnat. She wrote that the movement refer to themselves as 'Sunnis' in their literature and prefer to be known by the title of ''Ahle Sunnat wa Jama'at'' a reference to the perception of them, as forming an international majority amongst Sunnis, although Barelvi is the term used by section of media to refer to this specific movement arising from Sunni Islam.''Illustrated Dictionary of the Muslim World'', pg. 113. Marshall Cavendish, 2011. ''Globalisation, Religion & Development'', pg. 53. Eds. Farhang Morady and İsmail Şiriner. London: International Journal of Politics and Economics, 2011.Elizabeth Sirriyeh, ''Sufis and Anti-Sufis: The Defense, Rethinking and Rejection of Sufism in the Modern World'', pg. 49. London:
Routledge Routledge ( ) is a British multinational corporation, multinational publisher. It was founded in 1836 by George Routledge, and specialises in providing academic books, academic journals, journals and online resources in the fields of the humanit ...
, 1999. .
Rowena Robinson, ''Tremors of Violence: Muslim Survivors of Ethnic Strife in Western India'', pg. 191. Thousand Oaks:
SAGE Publications Sage Publishing, formerly SAGE Publications, is an American independent academic publishing company, founded in 1965 in New York City by Sara Miller McCune and now based in the Newbury Park neighborhood of Thousand Oaks, California. Sage ...
, 2005.
Usha Sanyal
Generational Changes in the Leadership of the Ahl-e Sunnat Movement in North India during the Twentieth Century
. Modern Asian Studies (1998), Cambridge University Press.
Main leaders of Ahle Sunnat movement Imam Ahmad Raza Khan and other scholars never used the term 'Barelvi' to identify themselves or their movement; they saw themselves as
Sunni Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr () rightfully succeeded him as the caliph of the Mu ...
Muslims defending traditional Sunni beliefs from deviations. Only later was the term 'Barelvi' used by the section of media and by opposition groups on the basis of the hometown Bareilly, of its main leader Imam Ahmed Raza Khan Qadri (1856–1921). The Barelvis are also called Sunni Sufis.


History

Islamic scholar and teacher of Ahmed Raza Khan Qadri, Maulana
Naqi Ali Khan Naqi Ali Khan (; 1830–1880) was an Indian Islamic scholar and father of Ahmed Raza Khan, Ahmad Raza Khan. Naqi Ali wrote 26 books on Prophetic biography, Seerah and Sunni Hanafi Aqidah and he issued many Fatwas. Family tree Publications * ...
(1830-1880) had refuted the ideas of Sayyid Ahmad Barelwi (d. 1831), who was a founder of
Wahhabism Wahhabism is an exonym for a Salafi revivalist movement within Sunni Islam named after the 18th-century Hanbali scholar Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab. It was initially established in the central Arabian region of Najd and later spread to oth ...
in India. Naqi Ali Khan declared Sayyid Ahmad Rae Barelwi, a ' Wahhabi' due to his support for Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab's ideology. Similarly, founder of Khairabad school, Allama Fazl-e-Haq Khairabadi in 1825 in his book 'Tahqîqul-Fatâwâ' and Allama Fazle-Rasûl Badayûnî in his book 'Saiful-Jabbâr' issued Fatwas against the founders of Ahl-i Hadith and
Deobandi The Deobandi movement or Deobandism is a revivalist movement within Sunni Islam that adheres to the Hanafi school of jurisprudence. It was formed in the late 19th century around the Darul Uloom Madrassa in Deoband, India, from which the nam ...
movements Fazle Haq Khairabadi Islamic scholar and leader of 1857 rebellion issued ''fatwas'' against Wahhabi Ismail Dehlvi for his doctrine of God's alleged ability to lie (Imkan-i-Kizb) from Delhi in 1825. Ismail is considered as an intellectual ancestor of Deobandis. This refutation of traditional scholars against newly emerging Wahabi sect influenced Sunni scholars such as Ahmed Raza Khan Qadri and paved the way for more organised movement which later came to be known as Ahle-Sunnat movement in South Asia. The movement formed as a defense of the traditional mystic practices of South Asia, which it sought to prove and support. The Ahl-i Sunnat or Sunni Barelwi movement began in the 1880s under the leadership of Ahmad Raza Khan (1856-1921), who spent his lifetime writing fatwas (judicial opinion) and later established Islamic schools in 1904 with the Manzar-e-Islam in the Bareilly and other madrasas in Pilibhit and
Lahore Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...
cities.: "...were advanced by Imam Ahmad Reza Khan of Bareilly in 1906 as the original form of Islam and as the alternative to the austere path of the Deobandis." The Barelvi movement formed as a defense of the traditional mystic practices of South Asia, which it sought to prove and support. The movement views themselves as ''Sunni or Ahle Sunnat wal Jamaat'' and according to it main leaders of the movement including Imam Ahmad Riza Khan, did not invent new sect but defended traditional Sunni Islam. According to Ahle Sunnat scholars, Deobandis have created a new sect. The Sunni madrasas of this movement have rarely, if ever, been involved in extremist politics and militancy.


Propagation against the Shuddhi (Arya Samaj conversion) Movement

Hindu Arya Samaj, through its founder Swami Dayanand SaraswatiDayanand and the Shuddhi Movement
''Indian Political Tradition'', by D.K Mohanty. Published by Anmol Publications PVT. LTD. . ''Page 116''.
initiated converting Muslims back in to Hinduism specially in North India, and Punjab in early 1900s. They became active in Bharatpur State and they also preached to the neo-Muslim Malkanas, in Etawah, Kanpur, Shahajahnpur, Hardoi, Meerut and Mainpuri in the western United Provinces, exhorting them to return to what they believed was their 'ancestral religion'. As a result, the movement became controversial and it also antagonized the Muslims populace untouchable assertion
''The Politics of the Urban Poor in Early Twentieth-century India'', by Nandini Gooptu. Published by Cambridge University Press, 2001. . ''Page 157''.
To counter this movement Indian Muslims started Islamic Dawa work among the Muslim population and challenged the Arya Samaj leaders for debates. Mufti Naeemuddin Moradabadi, Mustafa Raza Khan Qadri and Hamid Raza Khan along with a team of Ahle Sunnat scholars through Jama'at Raza-e-Mustafa worked in north Indian towns and villages against the Shuddhi movement. The Jama'at Raza-e-Mustafa prevented around four hundred thousand conversions to Hinduism in eastern U.P and Rajasthan during its activities under anti- Shuddhi movement. In 1917, Islamic scholar Mufti Naeem-ud-Deen Muradabadi organized the historical Jama'at Raza-e-Mustafa conference at Jamia Naeemia Moradabad U.P, with a mission to curb, and if possible reverse, the tide of re-conversions threatening the Muslim community in the wake of the Shuddhi movement.


Shaheed Ganj Mosque Movement

Shaheed Ganj Mosque was commissioned in 1722 during the reign of Mughal Emperor Alamgir II and built by Abdullah Khan. The construction was completed in 1753. It was located in Naulakha Bazaar area of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. In 1762, the Bhangi misl Sikh army conquered Lahore and occupied the mosque. The
Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
s were not allowed to enter and pray, although Sikhs were given the right to pray. The
Sikh Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ''Si ...
s built a
gurdwara A gurdwara or gurudwara () is a place of assembly and place of worship, worship in Sikhism, but its normal meaning is "place of guru" or "home of guru". Sikhism, Sikhs also refer to gurdwaras as ''Gurdwara Sahib''. People from all faiths and rel ...
in the courtyard while the Mosque building was used as a residence for the Sikh priest. On 17 April 1850, a case was in Punjab High Court. Several suits were filed between 1853 and 1883 to recover the Shaheed Ganj Mosque, but courts maintained the status quo. On 29 June 1935, the Sikhs announced that they would demolish the Shaheed Ganj Mosque. Several thousand Muslims assembled in front of the mosque to protect it. But, on the night of 7 July 1935 the Sikhs demolished the mosque, leading to riots and disorder in Lahore. Ahle Sunnat scholar and Sufi Peer Jamaat Ali Shah of Sialkot, Pakistan, led the Shaheed Ganj Mosque movement. Muslims held a public meeting on 19–20 July 1935 at the Badshahi mosque, and marched directly on the Shaheedganj mosque. Police opened fire on the crowd to kill more than a dozen. Peer Jamaat Ali Shah presided over the first session of the Conference to organize protests against the demolition. He was appointed the Chief of the protests. "Shaheedganj Day" was observed on 20 September 1935 under his leadership. His appointment as leader of this movement garnered support from other Sunni scholars. Fazal Shah of Jalalpur and Ghulam Mohiuddin of Golra Sharif, Zainulabedin Shah of the Gilani family from Multan and Anjuman Hizb-ul-Ahnaf from Lahore offered support to Shah's leadership. This consensus created a religious and political base which reduced urban-rural differences. The struggle continued for several years.


All India Sunni Conference

Ahle Sunnat established in 1925 a body of Islamic scholars and Sufis named All India Sunni Conference, in the wake of Congress led secular Indian nationalism, changing geo-political situation of India. Islamic scholars and popular leaders Jamaat Ali Shah, Naeem-ud-Deen Muradabadi, Mustafa Raza Khan Qadri,
Amjad Ali Aazmi Amjad Ali Aazmi (Urdu: أمجد على أعظمى), reverentially known as ''Sadr al-Sharia'' (Urdu: صدر الشريعه, Chief of the Sharia, Islamic Law) and ''Badr al-Tariqa'' (Urdu: بدر الطريقه, Shining Moon of the Tariqa, Sufi o ...
, Abdul Hamid Qadri Badayuni,
Mohammad Abdul Ghafoor Hazarvi Akhundzada Mohammad Abdul Ghafoor Hazarvi () (1 January 1909 – 9 October 1970) was a Muslim theology, Muslim theologian, jurist, and scholar of ahadith in Pakistan (''South Asia'').Zebiri, Kate. Review of ''Maududi and the making of Isl ...
and Pir Syed Faiz-ul Hassan Shah were the main leaders. In 1925, its first Conference was attended by three hundred Ulema and Mashaikh. AISC focus was on Unity, brotherhood, preaching and protection of Islamic faith with a stress on need for acquiring modern education for Muslims. The Second Conference was held in Badaun U.P in October 1935 under the Presidency of Jamaat Ali Shah. It discussed Shaheed Ganj Mosque Movement. and openly opposed
Ibn Saud Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud (; 15 January 1875Ibn Saud's birth year has been a source of debate. It is generally accepted as 1876, although a few sources give it as 1880. According to British author Robert Lacey's book ''The Kingdom'', ...
's policies in Arabia, the Conference demanded to respect the Holy and sacred places of the Muslims. The third Conference held on 27–30 April 1946 at Benaras discussed the disturbed condition of the country and possible solution for the Muslims in the wake of demand for
Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
. *All India Muslim League Several Sufi Barelvi scholars supported the
All-India Muslim League The All-India Muslim League (AIML) was a political party founded in 1906 in Dhaka, British India with the goal of securing Muslims, Muslim interests in South Asia. Although initially espousing a united India with interfaith unity, the Muslim L ...
and Pakistan's demand claiming that Congress aimed at establishing Hindu state and arguing, that Muslims need to have their own country. Few Barelvi scholars opposed the partition of India and the League's demand to be seen as the only representative of Indian Muslims. Main roles played by Ahle Sunnat movement scholars and leaders:


Beliefs

Like other Sunni Muslims, they base their beliefs on the
Quran The Quran, also Romanization, romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a Waḥy, revelation directly from God in Islam, God (''Allah, Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which ...
and
Sunnah is the body of traditions and practices of the Islamic prophet Muhammad that constitute a model for Muslims to follow. The sunnah is what all the Muslims of Muhammad's time supposedly saw, followed, and passed on to the next generations. Diff ...
and believe in
monotheism Monotheism is the belief that one God is the only, or at least the dominant deity.F. L. Cross, Cross, F.L.; Livingstone, E.A., eds. (1974). "Monotheism". The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (2 ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. A ...
and the prophethood of Muhammad. Although Barelvis may follow any one of the Ashari and Maturidi schools of
Islamic theology Schools of Islamic theology are various Islamic schools and branches in different schools of thought regarding creed. The main schools of Islamic theology include the extant Mu'tazili, Ash'ari, Maturidi, and Athari schools; the extinct ones ...
and one of the
Hanafi The Hanafi school or Hanafism is the oldest and largest Madhhab, school of Islamic jurisprudence out of the four schools within Sunni Islam. It developed from the teachings of the Faqīh, jurist and theologian Abu Hanifa (), who systemised the ...
,
Maliki The Maliki school or Malikism is one of the four major madhhab, schools of Islamic jurisprudence within Sunni Islam. It was founded by Malik ibn Anas () in the 8th century. In contrast to the Ahl al-Hadith and Ahl al-Ra'y schools of thought, the ...
,
Shafi'i The Shafi'i school or Shafi'i Madhhab () or Shafi'i is one of the four major schools of fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), belonging to the Ahl al-Hadith tradition within Sunni Islam. It was founded by the Muslim scholar, jurist, and traditionis ...
and Hanbali
madhhab A ''madhhab'' (, , pl. , ) refers to any school of thought within fiqh, Islamic jurisprudence. The major Sunni Islam, Sunni ''madhhab'' are Hanafi school, Hanafi, Maliki school, Maliki, Shafi'i school, Shafi'i and Hanbali school, Hanbali. They ...
s of
fiqh ''Fiqh'' (; ) is the term for Islamic jurisprudence.Fiqh
Encyclopædia Britannica
''Fiqh'' is of ...
in addition to optionally choosing from one of the Sunni
Sufi Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism. Practitioners of Sufism are r ...
orders or
tariqa A ''tariqa'' () is a religious order of Sufism, or specifically a concept for the mystical teaching and spiritual practices of such an order with the aim of seeking , which translates as "ultimate truth". A tariqa has a (guide) who plays the ...
s, most Barelvis in South Asia follow the Maturidi school of Islamic theology, the Hanafi madhhab of fiqh and the Qadiri or Chishti Sufi orders. Barelvis in Southern parts of India such as
Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...
,
Karnataka Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, States Re ...
and
Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...
follow Shafi'i maddhab of fiqh and Ashari school of
Islamic Theology Schools of Islamic theology are various Islamic schools and branches in different schools of thought regarding creed. The main schools of Islamic theology include the extant Mu'tazili, Ash'ari, Maturidi, and Athari schools; the extinct ones ...
. Barelvis have mostly the same beliefs and structure of Sunni Sufis around the world as they celebrate Mawlid, belief in Taqleed, belief in Sufi saints and follow Sufi orders.


Positions

The movement is defined by a set of theological positions that revolve around the persona of Muhammad and his special, if not exceptional, relationship and status with
God In monotheistic belief systems, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. In polytheistic belief systems, a god is "a spirit or being believed to have created, or for controlling some part of the un ...
. Several beliefs and practices differentiate the movement from others (particularly Deobandis and Wahhabis including beliefs in the intercession of Muhammad, the knowledge of Muhammad, the "Nur Muhammadiyya" (Light of Muhammad), and whether Muhammad witnesses the actions of people.


Intercession of Muhammad

All jurists comprising
Shafi'i The Shafi'i school or Shafi'i Madhhab () or Shafi'i is one of the four major schools of fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), belonging to the Ahl al-Hadith tradition within Sunni Islam. It was founded by the Muslim scholar, jurist, and traditionis ...
,
Maliki The Maliki school or Malikism is one of the four major madhhab, schools of Islamic jurisprudence within Sunni Islam. It was founded by Malik ibn Anas () in the 8th century. In contrast to the Ahl al-Hadith and Ahl al-Ra'y schools of thought, the ...
,
Hanafi The Hanafi school or Hanafism is the oldest and largest Madhhab, school of Islamic jurisprudence out of the four schools within Sunni Islam. It developed from the teachings of the Faqīh, jurist and theologian Abu Hanifa (), who systemised the ...
and Hanbali unanimously agree the on the permissibly of '' tawassul'' whether during the lifetime of Muhammad or after it. '' Tawassul'' is a fundamental belief of all traditional Sunni movements. The belief is that Muhammad helps in this life and in the afterlife. According to this doctrine, God helps the living through Muhammad. Sunni Muslims of the Barelvi movement believe that any ability that Muhammad has to help others is from God. The help received from Muhammad is therefore considered God's help. Proponents of this belief look to the Quran for proof that God prefers to help through Muhammad. One of the titles of the Prophet is "shaafi," or "one who performs intercession." Other spiritual leaders who will act as intermediaries will be prophets, martyrs, ''huffaz'' of the Quran, angels, or other pious people whom God deems fit. Jesus's intercession for believers on the Day of Judgment is mentioned in the Quran (5:16-18), as well. They also believe that, on the Day of Judgement, Muhammad will intercede on behalf of his followers, and God will forgive them their sins and allow them to enter ''
Jannah In Islam, Jannah (, ''jannāt'', ) is the final and permanent abode of the righteous. According to one count, the word appears 147 times in the Qur'an. Belief in the afterlife is one of the Iman (Islam)#The Six Articles of Faith, six article ...
'' ("paradise"). The belief that Muhammad provides support to believers is a common theme within classical Sunni literature. The Quran says, ''O you who believe! Fear Allah and seek a wasila to him (5:35).'' Further, the Quran says, ''We sent not the Messenger, but to be obeyed, in accordance with the will of Allah. If they had only, when they were unjust to themselves, come to the Messenger and asked Allah's forgiveness, and the Messenger had (also) asked forgiveness for them, they would have found Allah indeed Oft-returning, Most Merciful. (Al-Qur'an, Surah an-Nisa, 4:64)'' The belief that Muhammad intercedes is found in various Hadith, as well. ''A Bedouin of the desert visited the Prophet's tomb and greeted the Prophet, addressing him directly as if he were alive. "Peace upon you, Messenger of God!" Then he said, "I heard the word of God 'If, when they had wronged themselves . . .,' I came to you seeking pardon for my mistakes, longing for your intercession with our Lord!" The Bedouin then recited a poem in praise of the Prophet and departed. The person who witnessed the story says that he fell asleep, and in a dream he saw the Prophet saying to him, "O 'Utbi, rejoin our brother the Bedouin and announce ohim the good news that God has pardoned him!"'' Syrian Islamic scholars Salih al-Nu'man, Abu Sulayman Suhayl al-Zabibi, and Mustafa ibn Ahmad al-Hasan al-Shatti al-Hanbali al-Athari al-Dimashqi have similarly released '' fatwas'' in support of the belief.
Al-Suyuti Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti (; 1445–1505), or al-Suyuti, was an Egyptians, Egyptian Sunni Muslims, Muslim polymath of Persians, Persian descent. Considered the mujtahid and mujaddid of the Islamic 10th century, he was a leading Hadith studies, muh ...
, in his book ''History of the Caliphs'', also reports Caliph Umar’s prayer for rain after the death of Muhammad, and specifies that on that occasion, Umar was wearing his mantle (''al-burda'')a detail confirming his ''tawassul'' through Muhammad. Sahih al-Bukhari narrates a similar situation as: A Hadith states that on that day people will be running to and fro looking for an intercessor, until they come to Muhammad, who will answer, "I am for intercession". The Lord will then ask him to "...intercede, for your intercession will be heard" (Bukhari). Sunni Muslims of this movement also commonly say ''Ya Rasul Allah'' ('O Messenger of Allah'), addressing Muhammad in the present tense with the belief that he is able to listen. They believe that Muhammad is a Rahmah (mercy) to all creation as mentioned in the Quran . Muhammad therefore is a means by which God expresses his attribute, Ar-Rahman, to creation.


Light of Muhammad (Nur Muhammadiyya)

A central doctrine of this movement is that Muhammad is both human and (Noor) light. Muhammad's physical birth was preceded by his existence as a light which predates creation. The primordial reality of Muhammad existed before creation, and God created for the sake of Muhammad. Adherents of this doctrine believe that the word ''Nur'' (light) in the Quran refers to Muhammad. Sahl al-Tustari, the ninth-century Sunni Quran commentator, describes the creation of Muhammad's primordial light in his
tafsir Tafsir ( ; ) refers to an exegesis, or commentary, of the Quran. An author of a ''tafsir'' is a ' (; plural: ). A Quranic ''tafsir'' attempts to provide elucidation, explanation, interpretation, context or commentary for clear understanding ...
. Mansur Al-Hallaj (al-Tustari's student) affirms this doctrine in his book, ''Ta Sin Al-Siraj'': According to ''Stūdīyā Islāmīkā'', all Sufi orders are united in the belief in the light of Muhammad.


Muhammad as witness

Another central doctrine of this movement is that Muhammad is a viewer and witness (حاضر و ناظر, Ḥāḍir-o nāẓir) actions of people. The doctrine appears in works predating the movement, such as Sayyid Uthman Bukhari's (d. ca. 1687) ''Jawahir al-Quliya'' (''Jewels of the Friends of God''), describing how Sufis may experience the presence of Muhammad. Proponents of this doctrine assert that the term ''Shahid'' (witness) in the Quran (, ) refers to this ability of Muhammad, and cite
hadith Hadith is the Arabic word for a 'report' or an 'account f an event and refers to the Islamic oral tradition of anecdotes containing the purported words, actions, and the silent approvals of the Islamic prophet Muhammad or his immediate circle ...
s to support it. This concept was interpreted by Shah Abdul Aziz in Tafsir Azizi in these words: "The Prophet is observing everybody, knows their good and bad deeds, and knows the strength of faith (Imaan) of every individual Muslim and what has hindered his spiritual progress." Hafiz
Ibn Kathir Abu al-Fida Isma'il ibn Umar ibn Kathir al-Dimashqi (; ), known simply as Ibn Kathir, was an Arab Islamic Exegesis, exegete, historian and scholar. An expert on (Quranic exegesis), (history) and (Islamic jurisprudence), he is considered a lea ...
says: "You are witness of the oneness of Allah Almighty and that there is no God except Allah. You will bear evidence about the actions and deed of whole mankind on the day of judgment. (Tafseer Ibne Katheer, Vol. 3, Page 497).


Muhammad's Knowledge of the Unseen (Ilm-e-Ghaib)

A fundamental Sunni Barelvi belief is that Muhammad has knowledge of the unseen, which is granted him by Allah (''ata'e'') and is not equal to God's knowledge. This relates to the concept of ''Ummi'' as mentioned in the Quran (). This movement does not interpret this word as "unlettered" or "illiterate", but "untaught". Muhammad learns not from humankind, but from Allah; his knowledge is universal, encompassing the seen and unseen realms. This belief predates this movement, and is found in Sunni books such as Rumi's '' Fihi Ma Fihi'': Allah has sent down to you the Book and Wisdom and has taught to you what you did not know, and great is the grace of Allah upon you" ura an-Nisa, verse 113 Imam Jalal udin
Al-Suyuti Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti (; 1445–1505), or al-Suyuti, was an Egyptians, Egyptian Sunni Muslims, Muslim polymath of Persians, Persian descent. Considered the mujtahid and mujaddid of the Islamic 10th century, he was a leading Hadith studies, muh ...
writes: (Taught to you what you did not know) means that Allah Most High has told the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) of Ahkam and Unseen.Knowledge of Unseen (In the light of Quran and Sunnah)https://www.ahlus-sunna.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=54&Itemid=119 Qur'an states: This is of the tidings of the Unseen which We inspire in thee (Muhammad). Thou thyself knewest it not, nor did thy folk (know it) before this. Then have patience. Lo! the sequel is for those who ward off (evil). urah Hud (11), verse 49 Qur'an states: Nor will He disclose to you the secrets of the Unseen. "But He chooses of His Apostles or the purpose ura Aali-Imran, verse 179


Practices

*Public celebration of Muhammad's birthday, a practice of Sunni majority world wide * Tawassul-(Veneration of pious). This consists of the intervention of an ascending, linked and unbroken chain of holy persons claimed to reach ultimately to Muhammad who Barelvis believe intercede on their behalf with God. The Qur'an states: This verse raised the question as to whether or not Muhammad's mediation was still possible after his death. A number of Islamic scholars including Al-Nawawi,
Ibn Kathir Abu al-Fida Isma'il ibn Umar ibn Kathir al-Dimashqi (; ), known simply as Ibn Kathir, was an Arab Islamic Exegesis, exegete, historian and scholar. An expert on (Quranic exegesis), (history) and (Islamic jurisprudence), he is considered a lea ...
and Ibn al-Athir in his exegesis said: "A Bedouin of the desert visited the Prophet’s tomb and greeted the Prophet, addressing him directly as if he were alive. "Peace upon you, Messenger of God!" Then he said, "I heard the word of God ‘If, when they had wronged themselves . . .,’ I came to you seeking pardon for my mistakes, longing for your intercession with our Lord!" The Bedouin then recited a poem in praise of Muhammad and departed. The person who witnessed the story says that he fell asleep, and in a dream he saw Muhammad saying to him, “O ‘Utbi, rejoin our brother the Bedouin and announce ohim the good news that God has pardoned him!”'' All jurists comprising Ja'fari,
Shafi'i The Shafi'i school or Shafi'i Madhhab () or Shafi'i is one of the four major schools of fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), belonging to the Ahl al-Hadith tradition within Sunni Islam. It was founded by the Muslim scholar, jurist, and traditionis ...
,
Maliki The Maliki school or Malikism is one of the four major madhhab, schools of Islamic jurisprudence within Sunni Islam. It was founded by Malik ibn Anas () in the 8th century. In contrast to the Ahl al-Hadith and Ahl al-Ra'y schools of thought, the ...
,
Hanafi The Hanafi school or Hanafism is the oldest and largest Madhhab, school of Islamic jurisprudence out of the four schools within Sunni Islam. It developed from the teachings of the Faqīh, jurist and theologian Abu Hanifa (), who systemised the ...
and Hanbali are unanimous on the permissibility of tawassul whether during the lifetime of Muhammad or after his death. Syrian Islamic scholars Salih al-Nu`man, Abu Sulayman Suhayl al-Zabibi, and Mustafa ibn Ahmad al-Hasan al-Shatti al-Hanbali al-Athari al-Dimashqi have similarly released Fatwas in support of the practice. Caliph Umar's prayer for rain after the death of Muhammad and specifies that on that occasion ‘Umar was wearing his mantle (al-burda), a detail confirming his ''tawassul'' through Muhammad at that occasion, as reported by
Al-Suyuti Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti (; 1445–1505), or al-Suyuti, was an Egyptians, Egyptian Sunni Muslims, Muslim polymath of Persians, Persian descent. Considered the mujtahid and mujaddid of the Islamic 10th century, he was a leading Hadith studies, muh ...
in his book ''History of the Caliphs''. Sahih al-Bukhari narrates similar situation as: * Visiting the tombs of Muhammad, his companions and pious Muslims, an act they believe is supported by the Quran,
Sunnah is the body of traditions and practices of the Islamic prophet Muhammad that constitute a model for Muslims to follow. The sunnah is what all the Muslims of Muhammad's time supposedly saw, followed, and passed on to the next generations. Diff ...
and the acts of the companions. More than any other tomb in the Islamic world, the shrine of Muhammad is considered a source of blessings for the visitor. A
hadith Hadith is the Arabic word for a 'report' or an 'account f an event and refers to the Islamic oral tradition of anecdotes containing the purported words, actions, and the silent approvals of the Islamic prophet Muhammad or his immediate circle ...
of the Islamic prophet
Muhammad Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...
states that, ''"He who visits my grave will be entitled to my intercession"'' and in a different version ''"I will intercede for those who have visited me or my tomb."'' Visiting Muhammad's tomb after the pilgrimage is considered by the majority of
Sunni Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr () rightfully succeeded him as the caliph of the Mu ...
legal scholars to be recommended. The early scholars of the
salaf Salaf (, "ancestors" or "predecessors"), also often referred to with the honorific expression of al-salaf al-ṣāliḥ (, "the pious predecessors"), are often taken to be the first three generations of Muslims. This comprises companions of the ...
, Ahmad Ibn Hanbal (d. 241 AH), Ishaq Ibn Rahwayh (d. 238 SH), Abd Allah ibn al-Mubarak (d. 189 AH) and Imam Shafi'i (d. 204 AH) all permitted the practice of ''Ziyarah'' to Muhammad's tomb. According to the Hanbali scholar
Al-Hasan ibn 'Ali al-Barbahari Hassan or Hasan ( ) is an Arabic masculine given name in the Muslim world. As a surname, Hassan may be Arabic, Irish, Scottish, or Jewish (Sephardic Jews, Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews, Mizrahic) (see Hassan (surname), Hassan as a surname). Ety ...
(d. 275 AH), it is also obligatory to send salutations (salam) upon Abu Bakr al-Siddiq and ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab after having sent salutations upon Muhammad. The ''hadith'' scholar Qadi Ayyad (d. 544 AH) stated that visiting Muhammad was ''"a sunna of the Muslims on which there was consensus, and a good and desirable deed."'' Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (d. 852 AH) explicitly stated that travelling to visit the tomb of Muhammad was ''"one of the best of actions and the noblest of pious deeds with which one draws near to God, and its legitimacy is a matter of consensus."'' Similarly, Ibn Qudamah (d. 620 AH) considered ''Ziyarat'' of Muhammad to be recommended and also seeking intercession directly from Muhammad at his grave. Other historic scholars who recommended ''Ziyarah'' include Imam al-Ghazali (d. 505 AH), Imam Nawawi (d. 676 AH) and Muhammad al-Munawi (d. 1031 AH). The tombs of other Muslim religious figures are also respected. The son of Ahmad ibn Hanbal named Abdullah, one of the primary jurists of Sunnism, reportedly stated that he would prefer to be buried near the shrine of a saintly person than his own father. *Group
dhikr (; ; ) is a form of Islamic worship in which phrases or prayers are repeatedly recited for the purpose of remembering God. It plays a central role in Sufism, and each Sufi order typically adopts a specific ''dhikr'', accompanied by specific ...
: synchronized movements of the body while chanting the
names of God There are various names of God, many of which enumerate the various Quality (philosophy), qualities of a Supreme Being. The English word ''God (word), god'' (and its equivalent in other languages) is used by multiple religions as a noun to ref ...
. Some groups, notably those in the Sufi Chishti Order, sing Qawwali; others do not use musical instruments. *Letting the beard grow. The four schools of fiqh generally (with the exception of the Shafi and Hanbali school of fiqh) consider it unlawful to trim a beard less than a fistful length.


Sufi tradition

Sufism is a fundamental aspect of this movement. Imam Ahmad Raza Khan Barelvi was part of the Qadri
tariqa A ''tariqa'' () is a religious order of Sufism, or specifically a concept for the mystical teaching and spiritual practices of such an order with the aim of seeking , which translates as "ultimate truth". A tariqa has a (guide) who plays the ...
and pledged '' bay'ah'' (allegiance) to Sayyid Shah Al ur-Rasul Marehrawi. Ahmad Raza Khan Barelvi instructed his followers in Sufi beliefs and practices. Traditional Sufi practices, such as devotion to Muhammad and the veneration of ''
wali The term ''wali'' is most commonly used by Muslims to refer to a saint, or literally a "friend of God".John Renard, ''Friends of God: Islamic Images of Piety, Commitment, and Servanthood'' (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2008); John ...
s'', remain an integral part of the movement (which defended the Sufi status quo in South Asia. They were at the forefront of defending Sufi doctrines, such as the celebration of the birth of Muhammad and tawassul. The wider Ahle Sunnat Wal jamaat Barelvi movement was sustained and connected through thousands of Sufi Urs festivals at Dargahs/shrines in south Asia, as well as in the Britain and elsewhere. Ahmad Raza Khan Qadri and many Sunni scholars countered Deobandi, Ahl-i Hadith and Wahabi hardliners which resulted in the institutionalization of diverse Sufi movements in many countries of the world.


Presence

Barelvi demographics are more than 200 million around the world. The Barelvi movement is spread across the globe with millions of followers, thousands of mosques, institutions and organizations in South Asia, parts of Africa and Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States.


India

'' India Today'' estimated that over two-thirds of Muslims in India adhere to the Sufi-oriented Ahle Sunnat (Barelvi) movement.


Bareilly Sharif Dargah

Markaz-e-Ahle Sunnah at Dargah Ala Hazrat is one of the main centers of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat movement in south Asia. Millions of people turned to seek guidance in Islamic matters towards this center of Islamic learning. Bareilly city has been the heart-throb of Sunni Muslims since 1870 when revered Islamic Scholar Ala Hazrat Imam Ahmed Raza Khan established Fatwa committee under the guidance of his father
Naqi Ali Khan Naqi Ali Khan (; 1830–1880) was an Indian Islamic scholar and father of Ahmed Raza Khan, Ahmad Raza Khan. Naqi Ali wrote 26 books on Prophetic biography, Seerah and Sunni Hanafi Aqidah and he issued many Fatwas. Family tree Publications * ...
. Later, his son Maulana Hamid Raza Khan and Mufti Azam-e-Hind Mustafa Raza Khan continued Fatwa work.


Stand against the forced sterilization actions of the government

In the mid-70s, during
The Emergency (India) The Emergency in India was a 21-month period from 1975 to 1977 when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared a state of emergency across the country by citing internal and external threats to the country. Officially issued by President Fakhru ...
, on the advice of Sanjay Gandhi, son of Prime Minister
Indira Gandhi Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi (Given name, ''née'' Nehru; 19 November 1917 – 31 October 1984) was an Indian politician and stateswoman who served as the Prime Minister of India, prime minister of India from 1966 to 1977 and again from 1980 un ...
, the Indian government tried to force men to undergo vasectomies (Nasbandi). Huge but unconfirmed numbers of young men were forcibly sterilized. Government officials, and even school teachers, were ordered to induce a predetermined number of males to endure vasectomies or Nasbandi, as they were called. Indian Muslims were finding it difficult to oppose this harsh government action because at the time, it was the emergency and the powers were totally in the hands of Prime Minister Mufti-e-Azam Mustafa Raza Khan. At that time, he acted without pressure and passed a verdict in which he banned vasectomies, declaring them un-Islamic. He published his judicial verdict and circulated it all over India, giving Muslims a sigh of relief but triggering tension between Muslims and the Indian government. The government unsuccessfully tried to get the Fatwa withdrawn and within two years, Indira Gandhi lost the Parliamentary elections.


Shah Bano Case Movement

Indian Supreme Court in case of Mohd. Ahmed Khan v. Shah Bano Begum delivered a judgment favouring maintenance given to an aggrieved divorced Muslim woman. Maulana Obaidullah Khan Azmi, Allama Yaseen Akhtar Misbahi and some other Sunni leaders started movement against the judgment. In 1985, Misbahi was elected as the vice president of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, where he advocated for the protection of Shariat. They led various mass protests in various parts of the country specially in Mumbai. Speeches of Obaidullah Khan Azmi were widely circulated and he had become a most sought after speaker for anti-Shah Bano case meetings in
Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...
.
Mumbai police The Greater Mumbai Police (Marathi language, Marathi: बृहन्मुंबई पोलीस, IAST: ''Brihanmumbaī Pulīs'', formerly ''Bombay City Police'') is the Police, police department of the city of Mumbai, Maharashtra. It is a cit ...
filed case against the Maulana and expelled him from Mumbai declaring his speeches inflammatory. Then, the government under pressure enacted a law with given the right to maintenance for the period of '' iddat'' after the divorce, and shifting the onus of maintaining her to her relatives or the
Waqf A (; , plural ), also called a (, plural or ), or ''mortmain'' property, is an Alienation (property law), inalienable charitable financial endowment, endowment under Sharia, Islamic law. It typically involves donating a building, plot ...
Board.


Scholars, Organizations and Institutions

At present chief of dargah Ala Hazrat Subhan Raza Khan, chief Qazi Asjad Raza Khan, Ziaul Mustafa Razvi Qadri, Muhammad Madni Ashraf Ashrafi Al-Jilani, Syed Ameen Mian Qaudri of Barkatiya Sufi chain, Shaikh Aboobacker Ahmad of All India Sunni Jamiatul Ulma, Sayyid Ibraheem Khaleel Al Bukhari, Abdul Rashid Dawoodi and Mufti Mukarram Ahmad of Royal Mosque Fatehpuri Masjid Delhi are some of the influential Sunni leaders of India. Bareilly based All India Jama'at Raza-e-Mustafa, Raza Academy, Mumbai and Kerala based All India Sunni Jamiyyathul Ulama are influential bodies. Idara-e-Shariah(Shara'ai Council) is highest body in Bihar, Jharkhand and Orrissa. All India Ulema and Mashaikh Board and All India Tanzeem Ulama-e-Islam also works among Sunnis. The Grand Mufti of India is the senior and influential religious authority of the Islamic Community of India. The incumbent is Shafi Sunni scholar Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad, general secretary of All India Sunni Jamiyyathul Ulama, who was conferred the title in February 2019 at the Ghareeb Nawaz Peace Conference held at Ramlila Maidan, New Delhi, organised by the All India Tanzeem Ulama-e-Islam. For Islamic missionary activities, Sunni Dawate Islami (SDI) is an important Islamic preaching movement in India. It is working in at least 20 countries around the world. Muhammad Shakir Ali Noori founded the movement in
Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...
. It has a large network of (Dawah workers) preachers in India and in other countries. Sunni Dawat-e-Islami has established many modern and religious educational institutions around India and some in other parts of the world. It holds an annual conference International Sunni Ijtema in Mumbai, which is said to be attended by between 150,000 and 300,000 people; the first day (Friday) is reserved for women. Followers of Sunni Dawate Islami wear white turbans. In 2008, SDI had a European headquarters at Noor Hall in Preston, England, and centres in some other English towns, including: Blackburn,
Bolton Bolton ( , locally ) is a town in Greater Manchester in England. In the foothills of the West Pennine Moors, Bolton is between Manchester, Blackburn, Wigan, Bury, Greater Manchester, Bury and Salford. It is surrounded by several towns and vill ...
,
Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...
and
Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
. SDI also had a North American headquarters in
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
. By 2008, SDI had founded 12
madrasa Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , ), sometimes Romanization of Arabic, romanized as madrasah or madrassa, is the Arabic word for any Educational institution, type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whet ...
s in India. In 2020, SDI says that in India it manages 50 madrasas and 15 schools that teach in English. SDI says it has an educational centre in Bolton (England), and an educational centre in
Mauritius Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, about off the southeastern coast of East Africa, east of Madagascar. It includes the main island (also called Mauritius), as well as Rodrigues, Ag ...
.


Network of madrasas

Al Jamiatul Ashrafia, Azamgarh, Jamia Naeemia Moradabad, Jamia Amjadia Rizvia, Ghosi Al-Jame-atul-Islamia, Mau, Markazu Saquafathi Sunniyya, Ma'din, Jamia Saadiya Kerala and Jamia Nizamia, Hyderabad are some of the movement's most notable institutions. Markazu Saquafathi Sunniyya or Jamia Markaz operates more than 50 institutions and it also operates many sub-centers across the world. Al Jamiatul Ashrafia is considered the main institution of learning in northern India and it is attended by thousands of students who come from different parts of the country.


Pakistan

Sufism has strong links to South Asia dating back to the eighth and ninth centuries and preaches religious tolerance, encourages spiritual over ritualistic practicing of Islam, and encourages diversity. The Ahle Sunnat Barelvi movement has originated from South Asian Sufism itself. The religious and political leaders of this movement were followers of Sufism and lead the masses in to revivalist Sunni movement. ''
Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
'' and ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'' gave assessments that vast majority of Muslims in Pakistan follow Ahle Sunnat Barelvi movement.Karin Brulliard
In Pakistan, even anti-violence Islamic sect lauds assassination of liberal governor
. The Washington Post, Saturday, 29 January 2011; 9:55 PM.
Political scientist Rohan Bedi estimated that 60% of Pakistani Muslims follow this movement. The movement form a majority in the most populous state
Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...
,
Sindh Sindh ( ; ; , ; abbr. SD, historically romanized as Sind (caliphal province), Sind or Scinde) is a Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, southeastern region of the country, Sindh is t ...
and
Azad Kashmir Azad Jammu and Kashmir (), abbreviated as AJK and colloquially referred to as simply Azad Kashmir ( ), is a region administered by Pakistan as a nominally self-governing entitySee: * * * and constituting the western portion of the larger ...
regions of Pakistan. In the aftermath of the 1948 Partition, they formed an association to represent the movement in Pakistan, called
Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan (JUP) () is an Islamist political party in Pakistan. It was founded in 1948 by leaders of All India Sunni Conference. The JUP exercised considerable political influence in Pakistani politics during the 1970s to 2003. Its st ...
(JUP). The ulema have advocated application of
sharia law Sharia, Sharī'ah, Shari'a, or Shariah () is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition based on scriptures of Islam, particularly the Qur'an and hadith. In Islamic terminology ''sharīʿah'' refers to immutable, inta ...
across the country. They are largest Muslim sect in Pakistan and have several organizations and parties which are Dawat e Islami International, Tanzeem ul Madaris Ahle Sunnat,
Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan (JUP) () is an Islamist political party in Pakistan. It was founded in 1948 by leaders of All India Sunni Conference. The JUP exercised considerable political influence in Pakistani politics during the 1970s to 2003. Its st ...
, Sunni Tehreek (ST), Jamaat Ahle Sunnat, Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT), Sunni Ittehad Council, Tehreek Labaik Ya Rasool Allah (TLYR) and Majlis-e-Tahaffuz-e-Khatme Nabuwwat are some of the leading organisations of Pakistani Sunni Muslims. Jamia Nizamia Ghousia, Jamia Naeemia Lahore and Dar-ul-Madinah Schools are some of the leading seminaries of this movement.


Finality of Prophethood movement

In 1950, scholars of Ahle Sunnat Barelvi movement initiated a sub-movement named, ' Majlis-e-Tahaffuz-e-Khatme Nabuwwat' the history of which can be traced back to the 1880s when
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (13 February 1835 – 26 May 1908) was an Indian religious leader and the founder of the Ahmadiyya movement in Islam. He claimed to have been divinely appointed as the promised Messiah and '' Mahdī'', in fulfillment of th ...
of Qadian proclaimed himself to be a prophet in Islam. This proclamation of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was against the tenets of Islam and created a schism in the Muslim community. Therefore, with the aim to protect the belief in the finality of prophethood of
Muhammad Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...
based on their concept of Khatam an-Nabiyyin. The movement launched countrywide campaigns and protests to declare Ahmadis as non-Muslims.
Mohammad Abdul Ghafoor Hazarvi Akhundzada Mohammad Abdul Ghafoor Hazarvi () (1 January 1909 – 9 October 1970) was a Muslim theology, Muslim theologian, jurist, and scholar of ahadith in Pakistan (''South Asia'').Zebiri, Kate. Review of ''Maududi and the making of Isl ...
Zafar Ali Khan, Abdul Hamid Qadri Badayuni, Khwaja Qamar ul Din Sialvi, Syed Faiz-ul Hassan Shah, Ahmad Saeed Kazmi, Abdul Sattar Khan Niazi, Pir of Manki Sharif Amin ul-Hasanat, Muhammad Karam Shah al-Azhari, Sardar Ahmad Qadri and Muhammad Hussain Naeemi were the leaders of the movement. Scholars of various schools of thought under the leadership of Shah Ahmad Noorani Siddiqui, who was president of
Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan (JUP) () is an Islamist political party in Pakistan. It was founded in 1948 by leaders of All India Sunni Conference. The JUP exercised considerable political influence in Pakistani politics during the 1970s to 2003. Its st ...
initiated a successful campaign against the Ahmadis and compelled the National Assembly to declare Ahmadis as non-Muslims. And such a clause was inserted in the 1973
Constitution of Pakistan The Constitution of Pakistan ( ; ISO 15919, ISO: '' Āīn-ē-Pākistān''), also known as the 1973 Constitution, is the supreme law of Pakistan. The document guides Pakistan's law, political culture, and system. It sets out the state's outlin ...
by Second Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan. After meeting the first agenda, Khatme-Nabuwat started the next phase of their campaign – to bar Ahmadis from using the title of Muslim. The then president General
Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq (12 August 192417 August 1988) was a Pakistani military officer and statesman who served as the sixth president of Pakistan from 1978 until Death of Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, his death in an airplane crash in 1988. He also se ...
passed an ordinance in 1984 amending the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) commonly known as Ordinance XX. Sunni leaders Ghulam Ali Okarvi, Shaikh ul Quran Allama Ghulam Ali Okarvi, Muhammad Shafee Okarvi, Syed Shujaat Ali Qadri, Iftikharul Hasan Shah and Khalid Hasan Shah were the main leaders of this sub-movement.


Madarsa Network in Pakistan

Tanzeem-ul-Madaris Ahl-e-Sunnat ASJ education board is the central organisation to register Ahle Sunnat Barelvi Madarsas. The board follows Sunni Barelvi ideology and is opponent of the Wahabi doctrine. As per Islam online, around 10,000 madrassas are managed by Tanzeem-ul-Madaris Pakistan. Tahzibul Akhbar in its report on the educational services of Religious institutions has estimated that Tanzeem has 3000 institutions in Khyber Pakhtunwa and 1000 in the area of Hazara. Muhammad Ramzan, in his report on Madarsas has stated that Tanzeem has most has maximum 5584 Madarsas in Punjab state in comparison to others. 'In Lahore 336, Sheikhupura 336, Gujranwala 633, Rawalpindi 387, Faisalabad 675, Sargodha 461, Multan 944, Sahiwal 458, D.G.Khan 605, Bahawalpur 749 madarsa are affiliated with the Tanzeem'. According to Rizwan, 'the Madarsas of Tanzeem are rarely involved in militancy which is maximum in Deobandis. In population, Barelvis or traditional Sunnis outnumber all other sects combined. They are about 53.4% of total population of the province'.


Stand on blasphemy laws

The movement has opposed any change in the Pakistani blasphemy laws. They have always uphold the blasphemy as highest crime and endorsed the strict punishment for blasphemers. Governor of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab governor Salman Taseer was assassinated on 4 January 2011 by Mumtaz Qadri, a member of the Barelvi group Dawat-e-Islami, due to Taseer's opposition to Pakistan's Blasphemy in Pakistan, blasphemy laws.Omar Waraich
Why Pakistan's Taliban Target the Muslim Majority
''
Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
'', Thursday, 7 April 2011.
Over five hundred scholars supported Qadri and a boycott of Taseer's funeral.R. Upadhyay
Barelvis and Deobandhis: "Birds of the Same Feather"
.
The Jamestown Foundation
Sufi Militants Struggle with Deobandi Jihadists in Pakistan
, 24 February 2011. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees: Terrorism Monitor Volume: 9 Issue: 8. Retrieved 11 March 2013.
Pervez Hoodbhoy
A long, sad year after Salman Taseer's killing
. The Hindu, 4 January 2012.


Persecution

They have been targeted and killed by radical Deobandi groups in Pakistan such as the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, TTP, Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan, SSP, Lashkar-e-Taiba, LeJ, etc. Suicide attacks, vandalism and destruction of sites considered holy to those in the Sunni Barelvi movement have been perpetrated by Deobandi extremist groups. This includes attacks, destruction and vandalism of Sufi Data Darbar in Lahore, Abdullah Shah Ghazi, Abdullah Shah Ghazi's tomb in Karachi, Khal Magasi in Balochistan, and Rahman Baba, Rahman Baba's tomb in Peshawar. The murder of various Barelvi leaders have also been committed by Deobandi terrorists. The clerics claim that there is a bias against them by various Pakistani establishments such as the Defence Housing Authority, DHA, who tend to appoint
Deobandi The Deobandi movement or Deobandism is a revivalist movement within Sunni Islam that adheres to the Hanafi school of jurisprudence. It was formed in the late 19th century around the Darul Uloom Madrassa in Deoband, India, from which the nam ...
Imams for mosques in their housing complexes rather than Barelvi ones. Historical landmarks such as Badshahi Masjid also have Deobandi Imams, which is a fact that has been used as evidence by Barelvi clerics for bias against Barelvis in Pakistan. The ''Milade Mustafa Welfare Society'' has asserted that the Religious Affairs Department of DHA interferes with Human Resources systemic bias, to ensure that Deobandi Imams are selected for mosques in their housing complex. During the 1990s and 2000s, sporadic violence resulted from disputes between Barelvis and Deobandis over control of Pakistani mosques. The conflict came to a head in May 2001, when sectarian riots broke out after the assassination of Sunni Tehreek leader Saleem Qadri. In April 2006 in Karachi, a Nishtar Park bombing, bomb attack on a Barelvi gathering celebrating Muhammad's birthday killed 57 people, including several Sunni Tehreek leaders. Militants believed to be affiliated with the Taliban and Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan, Sipah-e-Sahaba attacked Barelvis celebrating '' Mawlid'' in Faisalabad and Dera Ismail Khan on 27 February 2010, sparking tensions between the groups. In 2021, the Pakistani government officially banned the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan and is severely cracking down on Sunni Muslim political voices of the Barelvi movement. Deobandi political parties like Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F), however, are still freely operating and even supported by elements within the Pakistani government.


Bangladesh

Barelvis form a sizeable portion of the
Hanafi The Hanafi school or Hanafism is the oldest and largest Madhhab, school of Islamic jurisprudence out of the four schools within Sunni Islam. It developed from the teachings of the Faqīh, jurist and theologian Abu Hanifa (), who systemised the ...
communities in Bangladesh. It identifies under the banner of Ahl-e-Sunnat Wal Jama'at (ASWJ) along with other
Sufi Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism. Practitioners of Sufism are r ...
groups which have strong bases in Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet such as the Maizbhandaria, and this serves as a central organization for the Barelvi ulema in Bangladesh. A majority of Bangladeshi Muslims perceive Sufis as a source of spiritual wisdom and guidance and their Khanqahs and Dargahs as nerve centers of Muslim society and large number of Bangladeshi Muslims identify themselves with a Sufi order, almost half of whom adhere to the Chishti order that became popular during the Mughal Empire, Mughal times, although the earliest Sufis in Bengal, such as Shah Jalal, belonged to the Suhrawardiyya order, whose global center is still Maner Sharif in Bihar. During the Sultanate of Bengal, Sultanate period, Sufis emerged and formed khanqahs and dargahs that served as the nerve center of local communities. World Sunni Movement led by Syed Mohammad Saifur Rahman is one of the main organisation of the movement which opposes Wahabi ideologies. Beside Bangladesh, WSM is active in various European and Gulf countries. Bangladesh Islami Front and its students wing Bangladesh Islami Chattra Sena have worked to protect the faith and belief of Sunni Sufis in the country and took stands against Deobandi Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh and Khelafat Majlish. Jamia Ahmadiyya Sunnia Kamil Madrasa is a notable institution following ideology of Ahle Sunnat wal Jamaat or Maslak-e-Aala Hazrat.


United Kingdom

According to Irfan Al Alawi, 'The Sufism influenced Ahle Sunnat Barelvi in United Kingdom immigrated to Britain earlier than the Deobandis, established the main mosques in Britain. They integrated into UK society and are considered law abiding.' moderate majority, peaceful and pious. In 2011, the Ahle Sunnat Barelvi movement had most of the British mosques. The majority of people in the United Kingdom of Pakistani and Kashmir origin are descended from immigrants from Sunni Barelvi-majority areas. In Manchester, by 2014, Ahle Sunnat Barelvi was the largest denomination in terms of the number of mosques and population. The majority of Birmingham Muslims are adherent to the Ahle Sunnat barelvi movement. The movement in Pakistan has received funding from their counterparts in the UK, in part as a reaction to rival movements in Pakistan also receiving funding from abroad. According to an editorial in the English-language Pakistani newspaper ''Daily Times (Pakistan), The Daily Times'', many of these mosques have been however usurped by Saudi-funded radical organizations. The Ahle Sunnat Barelvi movement formed British Muslim Forum (BMF) and the Sufi Muslim Council (SMC) in 2005 and 2006, respectively to represent themselves at the national level. In 2017, the movement had around 538 mosques in the United Kingdom along with their fellow Sufi organisations which are second largest in terms of number. Pir Maroof Shah Qadri has built a number of mosques in Bradford. Allama Arshadul Qaudri along with Peer Maroof Qadri established World Islamic Mission (WIM) in 1973 at Makkah and became the leader of WIM in England. He worked in the United Kingdom to strengthen the movement of Ahle Sunna wal Jam'aat. Qadri through this movement shaped spirituality based Islam in Europe. Sufi Abdullah a Sunni Sufi scholar, also established a strong Ahle Sunnat foundation in the Bradford. Allama Qamaruzzaman Azmi who is present General Secretary of World Islamic Mission worked for five decades in several parts of Europe and U.K to establish several mosques and institutions with his support and supervision. In Bradford, Azmi help established Islamic Missionary College (IMC) Bradford. In Manchester he established, North Manchester Jamia Mosque and in Birmingham, Ghamkol Shariff Masjid. His continuous Dawah work helped Southerland Mosque become of Sunni Barelvi. International Sunni organization Dawat-e-Islami has at least 38 Centers in the United Kingdom. Muhammad Imdad Hussain Pirzada, a leading scholar of Islam and commentator of Quran, has established Darul Uloom Jamia Al-Karam in 1985, an Islamic institute which has produced over 400 British Islamic scholars. He is also president of Muslim Charity and British Muslim Forum.


South Africa

The Ahle Sunnat movement has presence in various cities and town of South Africa where they have build network of Madarsas and Mosques. In South Africa debate with Tablighi Jama'at was called as Sunni-Tablighi controversy. The movement is represented by Sunni Jamiatul Ulema (SJU) which was founded in 1979. It was established to address the various social, welfare, educational and spiritual needs of the community and to preserve and to promote the teachings of the Ahle Sunnah wal Jamaah. The Imam Ahmed Raza Academy is a seminary and non-governmental organisation and a publishing house based in Durban, South Africa. It was established on 5 July 1986 by Sheikh Abdul Hadi Al-Qaadiri Barakaati, a graduate of Darul Uloom Manzar-e-Islam, Bareilly Shareef, India.The "Chatsie Muslim": A Socio-historical Analysis of Muslims of Indentured Origin Sultan Khan, First Published 5 September 2019 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0976343020120215?journalCode=oana https://doi.org/10.1177/0976343020120215 The objective is to propagate Islam in South Africa. Darul Uloom Aleemiyah Razvia was established in 1983 and on 12 January '1990, Mufti Muhammad Akbar Hazarvi established Darul Uloom Pretoria. Darul Uloom Qadaria Ghareeb Nawaz (New Castle) is one of the leading Madarsa of the mission which was founded in 1997 at uMnambithi (formerly Ladysmith) by Maulana Syed Muhammad Aleemuddin. Jamia Imam Ahmed Raza Ahsanul Barkaat was established in 2007. All these institutions have focused more on defending Sufi beliefs from Deobandis. Debates and Munazaras are common features of these institutions In Durban, the movement run Durban's largest mosque, the Juma Mosque (Durban), Juma Mosque which is also known as Grey Street mosque. The Sunni community celebrates Mawlid un Nabi and observes anniversaries of Sufis in association with various Sufi orders. In Mauritius, the movement forms majority population. Muhammad Abdul Aleem Siddiqi established the movement in Mauritius. World Islamic Mission (WIM), Halqa-e-Qadria Ishaat-e-Islam and Sunni Razvi Society founded by Muhammad Ibrahim Siddiqui in 1967 and Jummah Mosque (Mauritius) (1852) at Port Louis are some of the notable centers of the movement.


Europe, United States and Canada

In United States and Canada, the movement has found a strong following among Muslims of South Asian and in some cities it has significant presence. Two notable madrasas are Al-Noor Masjid in Houston, Texas and Dar al-Ulum Azizia, in Dallas. Allama Shah Ahmad Noorani Siddiqi, Arshadul Qaudri, Maulana Shahid Raza OBE and Allama Qamaruzzaman Azmi did the missionary work under the banner of World Islamic Mission (WIM) in various parts of Europe including Netherland and in Norway. In Netherland, the Surinamese community has 25 mosques which are affiliated to the World Islamic Mission and have a Hanafi Barelvi orientation. Prominent centers of the mission in Netherland are Jamia Taibah Mosque Amsterdam, Netherlands, Jamia Anwaar-e-Qoeba Masjid, Utrecht, Madinatul Islam College, The Haugue, Masjid Anwar-e-Madina, Eindhoven, Masjid Gulzar-e-Madina, Zwolle, Masjid Al firdaus, Lelystad, Al Madina Masjid, Den Haag, Netherlands. World Islamic Mission (WIM) established Central Jamaat-e Ahl-e Sunnat mosque, a congregation and mosque of the Norwegians with Pakistani background, Pakistani community in Oslo, Norway with 6,000 members, making it the largest mosque in the Norway. Within Sunni Islam, the mosque is affiliated with Sufism and the Barelvi movement. In Norway, the WIM established another large mosque named, Jam-e-Mosque in Oslo, Norway in 1980. The mosque in Åkebergveien is the headquarters of World Islamic Mission, one of the biggest Muslim congregations in Norway. It is second largest mosque in Norway. Central Jam-e-Mosque was the first purpose-built mosque in Norway. The Sunni missionary organization Dawat-e-Islami (D.I) established twelve centers in Greece and seven in Spain which are being used as mosque and madrasas. In Athens, D.I has established four centers.


Sri Lanka

Muslims generally follow Sufi traditions in Sri Lanka. The Al-Fassi family, Fassiya ash Shadhili, Shazuliya tariqa, which has its headquarters in Ummu Zavaya in M.J.M. Laffir mawatha, Colombo, supported by the Al-Fassi family in the 1870s, is the most prevalent Sufi order among the Sri Lankan Muslims followed by Aroosiyathul qadiriya. In the pre-independence period the two largest Sri Lankan Sufi orders were associated with rival Muslim gem-trading families and ethnic associations in the west coast region, the Qadiriya order allied with N.D.H. Abdul Gaffoor and the All Ceylon Muslim League, and the Shazu-liya order supporting M. Macan Markar and the All Ceylon Moors Association (Wagner 1990, 8385).Multi-religiosity in Contemporary Sri Lanka Innovation, Shared Spaces, Contestation, Edited byMark P. Whitaker, Darini Rajasingham-Senanayake and Pathmanesan Sanmugeswaran https://www.academia.edu/83875553/Sufis_in_Sri_Lanka_A_Fieldwork_Story Sri Lankan Moors also share with their co-religionists across South Asia a devotion to Sufi saints (avuliyā) and an engagement with local chapters of Sufi orders (tāriqā). Two most widely popular Sufi saints are Abd’al Qādir Jīlanī (d.1166 C.E., buried in Baghdad) and Hazrat Shahul Hamid (d. 1579 C.E., buried in Nagoor [Nagore], on the Tamil nadu coast near Nagapattinam). Sunni scholar Muhammad Abdul Aleem Siddiqi built Hanafi Masjid in Colombo for Sri Lankan Muslims. Sri Lankan Sufi Sunnis identify with organizations such as Hubbul Awliya (Love of the Saint) and Muslims across the island who loosely identify themselves as Ahlus Sunnah wa Jamaat (traditional Muslims) which that connotes the more saint-friendly Barelvi movement (versus the Deobandi)identity in North India. The annual festival cycle at the Badriya Mosque still commemorates familiar saints such as Abdul Qadir Jilani, Ahmed Rifai, and Shahul Hamid of Nagoor, as well as the popular Tangal from Androth, Abdul Rashid. Dawatagaha Juma Masjid, Masjid Al Maqbool, Kupiyawatte Jumuah Masjid and Mardana Jumuah Masjid are notable mosques in Colombo. While Masjid Al Badriyeen, Nawala, Talayan Bawa Masjid Ratmalana are some other notable mosques outside Colombo. Missionary organisation Dawat-e-Islami is also actively working in various parts of the Sri Lanka.


Relations with other Muslim movements

The Ahle Sunnat Barelvi movement's relations with Sunni Sufi scholars from various countries have been cordial. The only movements which the Ahle Sunnat Barelvi movement has no relations with are Wahabis/Deobandis. Wahabis/Deobandis were declared to be the enemies of Ahle Sunnah Wal Jama'ah during the 2016 international conference on Sunni Islam in Grozny.


2016 international conference on Sunni Islam in Grozny

The scholars who followed Ahle Sunnat wal Jamaat from India and Pakistan namely Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad, Grand Mufti of India, Shaikh Anwar Ahmad al- Baghdadi and Mufti Muḥammad Muneeb-ur-Rehman, Grand Mufti of Pakistan, participated in 2016 international conference on Sunni Islam in Grozny, International Conference on Sunni Islam in Chechen Republic at Grozny in 2016. The conference was convened to define the term "Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah", i.e. who are "the people of Sunnah and majority Muslim community", and to oppose Salafi/Wahabi groups and their ideology. It was attended by 200 notable Muslim scholars from 30 countries which includes Ahmed el-Tayeb (Grand Imam of Al-Azhar), Shawki Allam (Grand Mufti of Egypt), Ali Gomaa (former Grand Mufti of Egypt), Habib Ali al-Jifri among others. It identified Salafism/Wahhabism as a dangerous and misguided sect, along with the extremist groups, such as ISIS, Hizb ut-Tahrir, the Muslim Brotherhood and others. The conference definition stated:
"Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah are the Ashʿari, Ash'arites and Maturidis (adherents of the theological systems of Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi and Imam Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari). In matters of belief, they are followers of any of the four schools of thought (
Hanafi The Hanafi school or Hanafism is the oldest and largest Madhhab, school of Islamic jurisprudence out of the four schools within Sunni Islam. It developed from the teachings of the Faqīh, jurist and theologian Abu Hanifa (), who systemised the ...
,
Maliki The Maliki school or Malikism is one of the four major madhhab, schools of Islamic jurisprudence within Sunni Islam. It was founded by Malik ibn Anas () in the 8th century. In contrast to the Ahl al-Hadith and Ahl al-Ra'y schools of thought, the ...
,
Shafi'i The Shafi'i school or Shafi'i Madhhab () or Shafi'i is one of the four major schools of fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), belonging to the Ahl al-Hadith tradition within Sunni Islam. It was founded by the Muslim scholar, jurist, and traditionis ...
or Hanbali) and are also the followers of the Sufism of Imam Junayd of Baghdad, Junaid al-Baghdadi in doctrines, manners and [spiritual] purification."
This definition was in accordance with the ideology of Ahle Sunnat Barelvi movement. The relations with
Deobandi The Deobandi movement or Deobandism is a revivalist movement within Sunni Islam that adheres to the Hanafi school of jurisprudence. It was formed in the late 19th century around the Darul Uloom Madrassa in Deoband, India, from which the nam ...
and Wahabism have been strained; Scholars of Ahle Sunnat declared Deoband's founders and Ahl-e-Hadith scholars as "Gustakh-e-Rasool" (the one who blasphemes against the prophet) and Kafir, infidels and Apostasy in Islam, apostates due to their certain writings found to be against Muhammad.


Opposition to terrorism

They opposes South Asian Deobandi Taliban movements, organizing rallies and protests in India and Pakistan and condemning what they view as unjustified sectarian violence. The Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), an alliance of eight Sunni organizations, launched the Save Pakistan Movement to slow Talibanization, Talibanisation. Calling the Taliban a product of global anti-Islamic conspiracies, SIC leaders accused the Taliban of playing into the hands of the United States to divide Muslims and degrade Islam. Supporting this movement, Pakistani Minister of Foreign Affairs (Pakistan), Minister of Foreign Affairs Shah Mehmood Qureshi said: "The Sunni Tehreek has decided to activate itself against Talibanisation in the country. A national consensus against terrorism is emerging across the country." In 2009, Islamic scholar Sarfraz Ahmed Naeemi issued a fatwa denouncing suicide bombings and criticized Taliban leader Sufi Muhammad by saying that he "should wear bangles if he is hiding like a woman". Naeemi added, "Those who commit suicide attacks for attaining paradise will go to hell, as they kill many innocent people", and was later killed by a suicide bomber. In India, the Sunni Barelvi community has issued of a fatwa against terrorism, with concerns expressed over activities of Wahhabism, Wahabis in New Delhi at All India Sunni Conference in Feb 2016.


Notable scholars

*Abdul Hamid Qadri Badayuni (1898–1970) * Ahmad Saeed Kazmi (1913–1986) * Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi (1856–1921) – an Mujaddid, Islamic revivalist who was founder of the Barelvi movement *Sibtain Raza Khan (died 2015) *Kaif Raza Khan - Islamic scholar *Akhtar Raza Khan (1941–2018) – former grand mufti and chief islamic justice of India * Ameen Mian Qaudri (born 1955) *
Amjad Ali Aazmi Amjad Ali Aazmi (Urdu: أمجد على أعظمى), reverentially known as ''Sadr al-Sharia'' (Urdu: صدر الشريعه, Chief of the Sharia, Islamic Law) and ''Badr al-Tariqa'' (Urdu: بدر الطريقه, Shining Moon of the Tariqa, Sufi o ...
(1882–1948) *Arshadul Qaudri (1925–2002) * Asjad Raza Khan (born 1970) – said to be Qadi Al-Qudaat (chief Islamic justice) of India. *Ghulam Ali Okarvi (1919–2000) *Hamid Raza Khan (1875–1943) *Hamid Saeed Kazmi (born 1957) *Ilyas Qadri (born 1950) – main leader of Dawat-e-Islami. * Jamaat Ali Shah (1834–1951) – President of All India Sunni Conference *Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliyar (born 1931) – said to be Grand Mufti of India *Kaukab Noorani Okarvi (born 1957) *Khadim Hussain Rizvi (1966–2020) *Maulana Sardar Ahmad (1903–1962) *
Mohammad Abdul Ghafoor Hazarvi Akhundzada Mohammad Abdul Ghafoor Hazarvi () (1 January 1909 – 9 October 1970) was a Muslim theology, Muslim theologian, jurist, and scholar of ahadith in Pakistan (''South Asia'').Zebiri, Kate. Review of ''Maududi and the making of Isl ...
(1909–1970) —
Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan (JUP) () is an Islamist political party in Pakistan. It was founded in 1948 by leaders of All India Sunni Conference. The JUP exercised considerable political influence in Pakistani politics during the 1970s to 2003. Its st ...
*Muhammad Arshad Misbahi (born 1968) *Muhammad Fazal Karim (1954–2013) *Muhammad Fazlur Rahman Ansari (1914–1974) * Muhammad Karam Shah al-Azhari (1918–98) – author of ''Tafsir Zia ul Quran'' (1995) and ''Zia un Nabi'' *Muhammad Muneeb ur Rehman (born 1945) *Muhammad Muslehuddin Siddiqui (1918–1983) *Muhammad Raza Saqib Mustafai (born 1972) *Muhammad Shafee Okarvi (1930–1984) — founder of Jamaat Ahle Sunnat *Muhammad Waqaruddin Qadri (1915–1993) – former Mufti-e-Azam Pakistan * Mustafa Raza Khan Qadri (1892–1981) * Naeem-ud-Deen Muradabadi (1887–1948) *Naseeruddin Naseer Gilani (1949–2009) *Qamaruzzaman Azmi (born 1946) *Sarfraz Ahmed Naeemi (1948–2009) *Shah Ahmad Noorani (1926–2003) — founder of World Islamic Mission in 1972 * Shakir Ali Noori (born 1960) *Shamsul-hasan Shams Barelvi (1917–1997) *Shihabuddeen Ahmed Koya Shaliyathi (1885–1954) * Syed Faiz-ul Hassan Shah (1911–1984) – President of Jamiat-e-Ulema, Pakistan *Syed Mohammed Madni Ashraf (born 1938) *Syed Mohammed Mukhtar Ashraf (died 1996) *Syed Shujaat Ali Qadri (1941–1993) – judge Federal Shariat Court, Pakistan * Yaseen Akhtar Misbahi – director, Darul Qalam, New Delhi * Ziaul Mustafa Razvi Qadri (born 1935) – Muhaddis al-Kabeer, present Deputy Chief Islamic Justice of India (Deputy Grand Mufti of India)


Notable organizations


Pakistan

In Pakistan, prominent Sunni Barelvi religious and political organizations include: *Dawat-e-Islami * Jamaat Ahle Sunnat *
Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan (JUP) () is an Islamist political party in Pakistan. It was founded in 1948 by leaders of All India Sunni Conference. The JUP exercised considerable political influence in Pakistani politics during the 1970s to 2003. Its st ...
* Majlis-e-Tahaffuz-e-Khatme Nabuwwat – The Assembly to Protect the End of Prophethood * Sunni Ittehad Council * Sunni Tehreek *Tehreek-e-Labaik


In India

* All India Ulema and Mashaikh Board * Jama'at Raza-e-Mustafa *Karwan-I-Islami *Muslim Jamaat * Raza Academy


In the United Kingdom

*World Islamic Mission *British Muslim Forum *TheSunniWay


In Bangladesh

*World Sunni Movement *Bangladesh Islami Front *Bangladesh Islami Chattra Sena


In South Africa

* Sunni Razvi Society * Imam Mustafa Raza Research Centre, Durban, South Africa


Main institutions


India

* Al Jamiatul Ashrafia, Uttar Pradesh, India * Al-Jame-atul-Islamia, Raunahi *Jamia Al Barkaat Aligarh, Aligarh * Jamia Amjadia Rizvia, Ghosi *Jamiatur Raza, Bareilly * Manzar-e-Islam, Bareilly *Markazu Saqafathi Sunniyya * Jamia Nizamia, Hyderabad


Pakistan

*Aleemiyah Institute of Islamic Studies *Hizbul Ahnaf * Jamia Amjadia Rizvia Karachi *Ashraf ul Madaris, G.T Road, Okara, Pakistan, Okara, Punjab, Pakistan * Jamia Naeemia Lahore * Jamia Nizamia Ghousia Wazirabad *Jamia-tul-Madina


Bangladesh

* Jamia Ahmadiyya Sunnia Kamil Madrasa


Mauritius

* Sunni Razvi Society


United Kingdom

*Jamia Al-Karam


Republic of Ireland

*Al-Mustafa Islamic Cultural Centre Ireland


Singapore

* Jamiyah Singapore


South Africa

*Darul Uloom Pretoria *Imam Ahmed Raza Academy


Sri Lanka

* Madrasa Faiz-e-Raza, Anjuman Faiz-e-Raza


See also

* Pakistan Movement * Islamic Republic of Pakistan * Islam in India * Islam in Pakistan * Islamic schools and branches * Schools of Islamic theology * List of Muslim philosophers * List of Pakistani poets * List of Urdu-language poets


Notes


References

* * * * * * * * * {{Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi Barelvi, Sunni Islamic movements Bareilly 1904 establishments in India Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi Sunni Islamic branches Hanafis Maturidis