Majlis-e Ahrar-e Islam (), also known simply as the Ahrar, is a religious Muslim political party in the

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia below the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is now divided between Bangladesh, India, and Pakista ...

that was formed during the

British Raj The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani language, Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule ...

(prior to the

Partition of India The partition of India in 1947 was the division of British India into two independent dominion states, the Dominion of India, Union of India and Dominion of Pakistan. The Union of India is today the Republic of India, and the Dominion of Paki ...

) on 29 December 1929 at

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 ...

. The group became composed of Indian Muslims inspired by and supporting the

Khilafat Movement The Khilafat movement (1919–22) was a political campaign launched by Indian Muslims in British India over British policy against Turkey and the planned dismemberment of the Ottoman Empire after World War I by Allied forces. Leaders particip ...

, which cleaved closer to the Congress Party. The party was based in

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 ...

and gathered support from the urban lower-middle class.

Chaudhry Afzal Haq Chaudhry Afzal Haq (1891–8 January 1942) was an Islamic scholar and writer who served as the second president of Majlis-i Ahrar-i Islam from 1931 to 1934. Biography A senior political figure in the history of the Indian subcontinent, he work ...

, Maulana Habib-ur-Rehman Ludhianvi, and

Syed Ata Ullah Shah Bukhari Syed Ata Ullah Shah Bukhari (Urdu سید عطاء اللہ شاہ بخاری) (23 September 1892 – 21 August 1961), was a Muslim Hanafi scholar, religious and political leader from the Indian subcontinent. He was one of the Majlis-e-Ahrar-e- ...

were the leaders of the party.Ahmad, Syed N.
Origins of Muslim consciousness in India: a world-system perspective
'. New York u.a: Greenwood Press, 1991. p. 175 Religious leaders from all sects

Barelvi The Barelvi movement, also known as Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah (People of the Prophet's Way and the Community) is a Sunni revivalist movement that generally adheres to the Hanafi school, Hanafi and Shafi'i school, Shafi'i schools of jurisprudenc ...

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 ...

Ahle Hadith Ahl-i-Hadith or Ahl-e-Hadith (, ''people of hadith'') is a Salafi reform movement that emerged in North India in the mid-nineteenth century from the teachings of Sayyid Ahmad Shahid, Syed Nazeer Husain and Nawab Siddiq Hasan Khan. It is an o ...

Shia Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political successor (caliph) and as the spiritual leader of the Muslim community (imam). However, his right is understood ...

Progressive and politically

Communists Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, d ...

were the members of Majlis-e-Ahrar.

Habib-ur-Rehman Ludhianvi Habibur Rehman Ludhianvi (3 July 1892 – 2 September 1956) was an Islamic scholar who served as the third president of the Majlis-i Ahrar-i Islam from 1935 to 1939. He belonged to an Arain tribe and was a direct lineal descendant of Shah ...

Mazhar Ali Azhar Mazhar Ali Azhar (13 March 1895 – 4 November 1974) was a politician in British Raj, British India and later Pakistan, and one of the founders of Majlis-e-Ahrar-ul-Islam. He was elected three times to the Punjab Legislative Assembly (British I ...

Zafar Ali Khan Zafar Ali Khan (1873 – 27 November 1956) was a Pakistani writer, poet, translator and a journalist who played an important role in the Pakistan Movement against the British rule. He was one of the Majlis-e-Ahrar-e-Islam's founding memb ...

and

Dawood Ghaznavi Muhammad Daud Ghaznavi (better known as Dawood Ghaznavi or Daud Ghaznavi; 1895 – 16 December 1963), was an Islamic scholar, journalist, teacher, writer and politician in British India and a leader of the Indian independence movement. He serve ...

were the founders of the party. The Ahrar was composed of Indian Muslims disillusioned by the

, which cleaved closer to the Congress Party.Christophe Jaffrelot.
A history of Pakistan and its origins
'. Anthem Press, 2004. , The party, being a member of the

All India Azad Muslim Conference The All India Azad Muslim Conference (), commonly called the Azad Muslim Conference (literally, "Independent Muslim Conference"), was an organisation of nationalist Muslims in India. Its purpose was advocacy for composite nationalism and a unite ...

, is associated with opposition to

Muhammad Ali Jinnah Muhammad Ali Jinnah (born Mahomedali Jinnahbhai; 25 December 187611 September 1948) was a barrister, politician, and the founder of Pakistan. Jinnah served as the leader of the All-India Muslim League from 1913 until the inception of Pa ...

and establishment of an independent Pakistan. Syed Faiz-ul Hassan Shah was the only ahrari leader who actively participated in the Pakistan independence movement. After 1947, it separated into the Majlis-E-Ahrar Islam Hind (مجلس احرارلأسلام ہند), based in

Ludhiana Ludhiana () is the most populous Cities in India, city in the Indian state of Punjab, India, Punjab.164.100.161.224 http://164.100.161.224 › filesPDF Ludhiana State: Punjab Business & Industrial Centre, Tier 2 1 ... The city has an estima ...

and led by descendants of Maulana Habib-ur-Rehman Ludhianvi, as well as the Majlis-e-Ahrar-e-Islam (مجلس احرارلأسلام اسلام), based in

and led by descendants of

History and activities

Ideology and philosophy

Majlis-e-Ahrar-ul-Islam or simply called 'Ahrars' had an anti-imperialist, anti-feudal and Indian nationalist ideology. It worked to free India from the British rule. This party, before fading away, was highly active in

Punjab Province (British India) The Punjab Province, officially the Province of the Punjab, was a Presidencies and provinces of British India, province of British India, with its capital in Lahore and summer capitals in Murree and Simla. At its greatest extent, it stretched ...

and left an impact on major cities of Punjab like

Amritsar Amritsar, also known as Ambarsar, is the second-List of cities in Punjab, India by population, largest city in the India, Indian state of Punjab, India, Punjab, after Ludhiana. Located in the Majha region, it is a major cultural, transportatio ...

Sialkot Sialkot (Punjabi language, Punjabi, ) is a city located in Punjab, Pakistan. It is the capital of the Sialkot District and the List of most populous cities in Pakistan, 12th most populous city in Pakistan. The boundaries of Sialkot are joined ...

Multan Multan is the List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population, fifth-most populous city in the Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab province of Pakistan. Located along the eastern bank of the Chenab River, it is the List of cities in Pakistan by populatio ...

and

Gurdaspur Gurdaspur is a city in the Majha region of the Indian state of Punjab, between the rivers Beas and Ravi. It houses the administrative headquarters of Gurdaspur District and is in the geographical centre of the district, which shares a bord ...

. The Majlis-e-Ahrar-e-Islam, was originally part of the failed

Khilafat movement The Khilafat movement (1919–22) was a political campaign launched by Indian Muslims in British India over British policy against Turkey and the planned dismemberment of the Ottoman Empire after World War I by Allied forces. Leaders particip ...

and emerged as a religio-political party after the

Jallianwala Bagh massacre The Jallianwala Bagh massacre (), also known as the Amritsar massacre, took place on 13 April 1919. A large crowd had gathered at the Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar, Punjab, British India, during the annual Vaisakhi, Baisakhi fair to protest aga ...

of 1919 and the disintegration of the Khilafat movement in 1922.

presided over the meeting and Maulana Mazhar Ali Azhar delivered the manifesto of an All India Majlis-e-Ahrar-e-Islam. It became first line offending party against Ahmadi Muslims by declaring that their objectives were to guide the Muslims of India on matters of nationalism as well as religion. Ahrar spearheaded the movement to have

Ahmadi Muslims Ahmadiyya, officially the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at (AMJ), is an Islamic messianic movement originating in British India in the late 19th century. It was founded by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835–1908), who said he had been divinely appointed a ...

officially declared as non-Muslims. By the early 1930s, the Majlis-e-Ahrar-e-Islam (hereafter called Ahrars) had become an important

political party A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular area's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific political ideology, ...

Muslims 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 ...

in the

. The activists' agitation centered on the princely states, and was predicated on mobilisation around socio-religious issues. Besides these campaigns, the Ahrar also participated in the mainstream political developments of British India between 1931 and 1947. Its political career can be divided into two parts; the AHRAR's response to political and constitutional issues, and its performance in electoral politics. The Majlis-e-Ahrar-ul-Islam stood strongly against the partition of India, with its leader Afzal Haq stating that the "Partition of India is, in fact, the cry of upper classes …. It is not a communal demand as some people think but a stunt in order that the poor classes may not concentrate their thought and energies on all important questions of social and economic justice." It was a member of the

, which gathered to show support for a united India.

Activism in Pakistan

Syed Muhammad Kafeel Bukhari is present President Of Majlis Ahrar Islam Pakistan. In November 2012, the Government of Pakistan banned Abdul Latif Khalid Cheema, leader of Tehreek-e-Khatme Nabuwwat and Secretary General of Majlis-e-Ahrar-e-Islam, from delivering a speech in the

Chichawatni Chichawatni (, ) is a city in the Sahiwal District of the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is the administrative center of Chichawatni Tehsil. Situated near the old main road called Grand Trunk Road, it lies approximately from the district c ...

and district

Sahiwal Sahiwal ( Punjabi / ; ; ), formerly known as Montgomery, is a city in central Punjab, Pakistan. It is the administrative capital of both Sahiwal District and Sahiwal Division. It is the 19th largest city of Pakistan by population accordin ...

area due to the security situation in

Muharram Al-Muharram () is the first month of the Islamic calendar. It is one of the four sacred months of the year when warfare is banned. It precedes the month of Safar. The tenth of Muharram is known as Ashura, an important day of commemoration in ...

. In Pakistan, the party opposed the

Ahmadiyya Movement Ahmadiyya, officially the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at (AMJ), is an Islamic messianic movement originating in British India in the late 19th century. It was founded by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835–1908), who said he had been divinely appointed a ...

.The early champions of anti-Ahmadi cause
Herald (Dawn Group of Newspapers), Published 3 November 2018, Retrieved 19 December 2018 This culminated in the

1953 Lahore riots The 1953 Lahore riots were a series of violent riots against the Ahmadiyya movement, a faith marginalized in Pakistan, mainly in the city of Lahore, as well as the rest of Punjab, which were eventually quelled by the Pakistan Army who declared ...

; in 1954, Majlis-e-Ahrar was banned. The associated Islamist religious movement Tehreek-e-Khatme Nabuwwat remains.

List of party leaders

, founder, 1st presidentMajlis-e-Ahrar-e-Islam, History, Introduction, Achievements, published from Multan edited by Syed Kafeel Bukhari editor of Naqeeb-e-Khatme Nabuwwat *

, co-founder, 2nd president,

Member of the Legislative Assembly A Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) is a representative elected to sit in a legislative assembly. The term most commonly refers to members of the legislature of a federated state or an autonomous region, but is also used for several nation ...

, 1934–1942 *

, co-founder, secretary General,

, 1934–1942 *

, third President, 1942–1944 * Syed Muhammad Kafeel Bukhari, President * Professor Khalid Shabbir Ahmad, Vice president * Abdul Latif Khalid Cheema, vice President. * Muhammad Mughira General Secretary * Dr Omar Farooq Ahrar, Secretary Information, *

Master Taj-ud-Din Ansari Master Taj-ud-Din Ansari was a figure in the history of Indian subcontinent and a leader of All India Majlis-e-Ahrar-ul-Islam. After the partition of India he left politics and struggle for Khatm-e-Nubuwwat movement with Syed Ata Ullah Shah Bukh ...

* Sheikh Hissam-ud-Din *

Agha Shorish Kashmiri Agha Shorish Kashmiri (1917–1975; ) was a Pakistani journalist, scholar, writer, debater, and a leader of the Majlis-e-Ahrar-e-Islam party. He was a figure of the Indian independence movement in the British Raj during the 1930s and 1940s, ...

* Janbaz Mirza, official Ahrar historian

Notable members and leaders

Presidents

, founder and first President, 1929–1930, 1946–1948 *

, second President, 1931–1934

, third President, 1935–1939 * Sheikh Hissam-ud-Din, 1939–1940, 1942–1946, 1962–1966 *

, 1948–1952 *

Ghulam Ghaus Hazarvi Maulana Ghulam Ghaus Hazarvi (1896 – 4 February 1981) was a Pakistani Islamic scholar and politician and a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from 1972 to 1977.Syed Abuzar Bukhari, 1975–1978, 1993–1994 * Malik Abdul Ghafur Anwari, 1979–1980 * Mirza Muhammad Hassan Chughtai, 1981–1992 * Abdul Haq Chauhan, 1995–1997 * Syed Ata-ul-Mohsin Bukhari, 1998–1999 * Syed Ata-ul-Muhaimin Bukhari, President 1999–2021 president of Majlis-e-Ahrar-e-Islam, PakistanKhatm-e-Nabuwwat oath: Religious parties flay govt for challenging verdict
The News International (newspaper), Published 14 July 2018, Retrieved 19 December 2018 * Syed Muhammad Kafeel Bukhari, President 2021–present

Secretaries general

Maulana Dawood Ghaznavi Muhammad Daud Ghaznavi (better known as Dawood Ghaznavi or Daud Ghaznavi; 1895 – 16 December 1963), was an Islamic scholar, journalist, teacher, writer and politician in British India and a leader of the Indian independence movement. He serve ...

, founder, 1st Secretary General, 1929–1932 * Maulana Mazhar Ali Azhar, founder, 2nd Secretary General, 1932–1933, 1933–1938, 1941–1945

, 1939–1940, 1945 secretary Ahrar Punjab *

Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan () (13 November 1916 – 27 September 2003) was a statesman in British India and later Pakistan. He was also a prominent Urdu poet. He was the only West Pakistani to have served as the leader of the Awami League. Early ...

, 1946–1947 * Sheikh Hissam-ud-Din, 1948–1953 * Syed Abuzar Bukhari, 1962–1963, 1965–1973 * Janbaz Mirza, 1964–1965 * Chaudhry Sana Ullah Bhutta, 1973–1974 * Syed Ata-ul-Mohsin Bukhari, 1975–1983, 1990–1995 * Abdul Aleem Raipuri Shaheed, 1984–1986 * Syed Ata-ul-Momin Bukhari, 1987–1989 * Ishaq Saleemi, 1990–1995 * Professor Khalid Shabbir Ahmad, 1998–2008 * Abdul Latif Khalid Cheema, 2008–2011, 2012–present

Other

* Janbaz Mirza, journalist * Muhammad Ismail Zabeeh, Secretary, Punjab, 1937 * Syed Faiz-ul Hassan Shah, scholar * Haji Abdul Jabar Khan Abbottabad NWFP