Barelwi

Barelwi or Barelvi (Hindi: बरेलवी, Urdu: بریلوی) is a movement of Sunni Sufism in South Asia that was founded by Ahmed Raza Khan of Bareilly, Rohilkhand India (hence the term Barelvi). Barelvis are a sizable portion of the Hanafi Muslim communities in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, South Africa and the United Kingdom, besides having a presence in other places around the world.

Ahmad Raza Khan was the central figure around which the movement was promoted in the Indian subcontinent between the 19th and 20th centuries, earning numerous followers and opponents. The name "Barelvi" came into use to label the followers of Ahmad Raza Khan. The terms Nuri and Barkati refer to the Sufi Tariqa associated with Ahmed Raza Khan. The term "razavi" refers to those people who have been initiated into the Qadri Sufi Tariqa via the lineage of Ahmed Raza Khan. Followers of Ahmad Raza Khan in India are mainly Hanafi by Madhab (School of jurisprudence), but accept the other three Sunni schools to be valid.

Beliefs

Aqidah

Barelwi follow one of the Ashari or Maturidi schools of Aqidah, the Hanafi school of Fiqh, and one of the Qadiri, Chisti, Naqshbandi or Suhrawardi Sufi orders.

According to Barelvi belief Muhammad had "knowledge of the unseen" and of the deeds of all Muslims, and also had been given knowledge of all creations by Allah. He is also believed to be created from Noor or "light".

Practices

During Mawlid (the birthday of Muhammad) special recitations (Naats) that have been written by scholars such as Ahmed Raza Khan are recited. The "salat o salam" with Durood and Hamd o Naat is recited after Fajr and Jumuah prayers, and are seen as a differentiating feature from others within Islam. The Miraj, Shaberat or Shab-e-Barat, Laylat al-Qadr and Gyarvi Sharif of Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani is celebrated.

Missionary Activities

Barelvis have expanded their missionary activities in various countries of Asia, Europe, North America and South Africa through the organization Dawat-e-Islami, which was founded by Maulana Ilyas Attar Qadri in 1981. Dawat-e-Islami obtained certification from the Pakistani Defence Ministry as a non terrorist organisation. Their non-political and purely religious activities have contributed to a positive picture of the Barelvi Movement. In England, the movement is considered a moderating force in Islam. [ [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article2402973.ece Hardline takeover of British mosques -Times Online ] ]

Notable scholars

Early Scholars
*Maulana Fazl-e-Haq Khairabadi
*Syed Mohammed Asrarullah Hussaini Imam Ali Shah
*Mustafa Raza Khan
*Maulana Abdul Aleem Siddiqi
*Hazrat Allama Maulana Arshadul Qadri Rehmatullahi A'laih INDIA
*Pir Syed Faiz-ul Hassan Shah Pakistan.
*Shah Ahmad Noorani Siddiqi of Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan
*Allama Arshadul Qaudri
*Abdul Wahab Siddiqi United Kingdom
*Juctice Mufti Syed Shujaat Ali Qadri of Federal Shariat Court of PakistanPresent
*Muhammad Karam Shah al-Azhari of Federal Shariat Court of Pakistan
*Muhammad Imdad Hussain Pirzada of Jamia Al-Karam U.K
*Syed Ameen Mian Qaudri of Barkatiya Silsila India
*Muhammad Madani Miya Ashrafee al-Jilani India
*Syed Ahmad Hussain Shah Tirmezi Markazi Jamat-e-AhleSunnat U.K
*Pir Syed Murtaza Amin Shah Pakistan.
*Muhaddis-e-Kabeer Hazrat Allama Zia-ul-Mustafa Saheb QadriINDIA
*Sheikh Aboobacker Ahmad of Markazu Saqafathi SunniyaIndia
*Mufti Mukarram Ahmad Sahi Imam of Fatehpuri Masjid Delhi
*Ilyas Attar Qadri of Dawat-e-Islami
*Sayyed Ahmad Saeed Kazmi Pakistan
*Shaykh Faiz-ul-Aqtab Siddiqi,Muslim Action Committee U.K
*Allama Qamaruzzaman Kan Azmi of World Islamic Mission
*Allama Maulana Abu Zohra Rizvi Manchester, U.K
*Allama Maulana Arshad Misbahi Manchester Central Mosque
*Allama Syed Saadat Ali Qadri
*Maulana Kaukub Okarvi, Pakistan
*Maulana Mumtaz Ahmad Ashrafulqadri Mubarakpuri U.K
*Mufakkir-al-Islam Pir Sayyid Abdul Qadir Shah Sahib al-Gilani (Walthamstow, London)

Controversy and Criticism

;Accusations
Deobandi and Salafi critics, among others, contend that the teachings of Ahmad Raza Khan Barelvi constitute "bid`ah". The Salafi Permanent Committee for Islaamic Research and Fataawa also issued a fatwa [ [http://www.fatwa-online.com/fataawa/creed/deviants/0010517_5.htm "The ruling concerning the Braylwiyyah"] ] declaring that their followers should not pray with Barelvis due to practices which are viewed as "kufr" and "bid`ah"; however, their "bid`ah" should be "detested with good manners".

;ViolenceBetween 1992 and 2002, Barelvi organizations, such as the Sunni Tehreek (ST), forcibly took over dozens of Deobandi and Salafi mosques in Pakistan, claiming that the mosques had been usurped earlier by their opponents. The incidents often sparked violence. [ [http://www.hindu.com/2006/04/18/stories/2006041805780800.htm " Serious threat to Pakistan's civil society"] The Hindu, April 18 2006] In May 2001, riots broke out in Pakistan after the assassination of the ST leader Saleem Qadri by Sipah Sahaba Pakistan, a Deoband-affiliated group. [http://www.hindu.com/2006/04/18/stories/2006041805780800.htm The Hindu : Opinion / Leader Page Articles : Serious threat to Pakistan's civil society ] ] In April 2007, Sunni Tehreek activists attempted a forcible take-over of a mosque in Karachi owned by the Ahle Hadith movement, first congregating outside and then opening fire on the mosque and those inside, resulting in one death and three injuries. Survivors reported the police to have fled the scene. [ [http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C04%5C11%5Cstory_11-4-2007_pg7_4 "One dead as ST tries to take control of Ahle Hadith mosque"] Daily Times (Pakistan), April 11 2007]

References

ee also

*Sufism
*Ahmed Raza Khan
*Mohaddis -e-Azam Mission
*Kanzul Iman
*Raza Academy Mumbai
*Imam Ahmad Raza Academy South Africa
*Allo Mahar Shrif Pakistan.
*Mufti Yaar Muhammad Qadri Al - Chisty Hazrat Sultan Bahu Trust UK
*Ja Al Haq Mufti Ahmed Yar Khan
*Pir Saifur Rahman
*Ansar-ul-Islam (Pakistan)

External links

* [http://www.livingislam.org/n/riiz_e.html G.F Haddad Defending Barelwi Aqaid]
* [http://www.livingislam.org/fiqhi/fiqha_e30.html G.F Haddad Defending Barelwi Aqaid that the Prophet is Noor or Light]
* [http://www.yanabi.com Most Active Site]
* [http://www.islamicacademy.org Islamic Academy]
* [http://www.islamieducation.com A Complete Sunni Islamic Portal]
* [http://www.alahazratnetwork.org Ala Hazrat's books in English and Arabic]
* [http://www.islamimehfil.info Madani Community]
* [http://www.almazhar.com Sunni books from Pakistan ]
* [http://www.hizmetbooks.org Sunni Books]
* [http://www.dawateislami.net Dawat-e-Islami]
* [http://www.madiena.com Al-quraan Islamic foundation Netherlands]
* [http://www.sunnidawateislami.net Sunni Dawate Islami Of India]
* [http://www.nooremadinah.net Noore Madinah Network]
* [http://www.faizaneattar.net/ Faizan-e Attar]
* [http://www.siratemustaqeem.net Idara Sirat e Mustaqeem]
* [http://www.raza.co.za Ala Hazrat books]

Organizations

* [http://www.ala-hazrat.org/ Dargah Ala hazrat Bareilly Sharif] India
* [http://www.bmf.eu.com/members.php British Muslim Forum]
* [http://www.ahlesunnat.net Ahlesunnat Network Pakistan]
* [http://www.almazhar.com Idara E Masoodiya Pakistan]
* [http://www.dargahajmer.com/Anjuman Moinia Fakria Ajmer Sharif]
* [http://www.imamahmedraza.net/ Idara Tahqeeqat-E-Imam Ahmad Raza Karachi]
* [http://www.sunnirazvi.org Sunni Razvi Society Port Louis]
* [http://www.ssfmalappuram.com Sunni Students Federation South India ]

Famous Madrasas

* [http://www.idaratulmustafa.com/ Idara Tul Mustafa, Pakistan]
* [http://www.jamiatulmadina.com/introduction.asp Jamiatul Madina, Pakistan]
* [http://www.naeemia.com Darul Uloom Naeemia Karachi]
* [http://www.aljamiatulashrafia.org Aljamiatul Ashrafia, Mubarak pur Azamgarh, India]
* [http://www.markazonline.com Sunni Markaz Kerala]
* [http://www.darululoom.co.za/index.htm Darul Uloom Qadariya Gharib Nawaz, South Africa]
* [http://www.aljamiaalzahra.com Jamia Al Zahra Yorkshire]
* [http://www.btinternet.com/~alkaram/page5.html Jamia Al Karam]