Barelvi

Barelvi
MLD9 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Name	Barelvi
Founder	Ahmed Raza Khan
Founded	19th century
Region	South Asia
Schools	Hanafi
Notable people	Ahmed Raza Khan, Mufti Muhammad Akhtar Raza Khan, Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri, Syed Nasiruddin Darzi, Akhtar Raza Khan Azhari

Barelvi is a Sunni Islamic movement originating in late 19th-century British Raj India associated with Sufi-oriented Hanafi jurisprudence and veneration of saints. It emphasizes devotional practices rooted in the teachings of founder Ahmed Raza Khan and has produced networks of madrasas, ulema, and political organizations across Pakistan, India, and the United Kingdom. The movement interacts with figures and institutions from Deobandi, Ahl-i Hadith, Salafi, and Shia Islam contexts and has been involved in religious and political debates in postcolonial South Asia.

History

The movement traces back to the reformist and devotional responses of Ahmed Raza Khan in late-19th-century Bareilly within the North-Western Provinces of the British Raj. Its emergence coincided with contemporaneous figures such as Muhammad Qasim Nanautavi, Rashid Ahmad Gangohi, and reform currents represented by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan and Jamia Millia Islamia (later influences). The Barelvi tradition developed through networks of ulama like Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri and juristic writings responding to debates involving Deobandi, Ahl-i Hadith, and Salafi scholars as well as theological controversies related to Sufism and devotion to saints like Moinuddin Chishti and Nizamuddin Auliya. During the Partition of India activists and ulema engaged with movements such as All-India Muslim League and later aligned with organizations in Pakistan including Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan (as interlocutors, often opponents) and movements represented by figures like Zia-ul-Haq in debates over Islamic law. Postcolonial history saw institutional consolidation through madrasa networks, mausoleum-centered ziyarat at shrines like Ajmer Sharif Dargah, and publications contested by periodicals linked to Aligarh Movement and Darul Uloom Deoband.

Beliefs and Practices

Doctrinally the movement follows Hanafi jurisprudence and theological orientations influenced by Maturidi thought and Sufi orders such as the Chishti Order and Naqshbandi. Core beliefs include sanctification of the Prophet Muhammad and practices like Mawlid celebrations, Dhikr sessions at khanqahs and urs observances at shrines like Ajmer Sharif Dargah and Data Darbar. The movement insists on intercession (tawassul) through saints and reverence for figures such as Ali, Hassan ibn Ali, Hussain ibn Ali, and scholars including Abul A'la Maududi (as interlocutors in political theology) and Imam Abu Hanifa in jurisprudence. Rituals often feature Qawwali music associated with performers linked to Qawwali traditions and networks around shrines like Nizamuddin Auliya; these practices have been critiqued by Ahl-i Hadith and Salafi movements and debated in polemics involving scholars such as Ahmed Raza Khan and contemporaries from Deoband. The movement places emphasis on devotional poetry by authors like Allama Iqbal in popular religious culture, while also engaging with legal opinions (fatwas) produced by grand muftis in institutions connected to Darul Ifta centers.

Organization and Leadership

Leadership structures combine traditional ulama hierarchies, Sufi spiritual chain (silsila) networks, and modern organizational forms including political parties and religious NGOs. Prominent leaders have included Ahmed Raza Khan, his descendants such as Akhtar Raza Khan Azhari and Mufti Muhammad Akhtar Raza Khan, and jurists trained in seminaries like Jamia Razvia Ziaul Uloom and seminaries mirroring Darul Uloom Deoband pedagogical models. Organizations associated with the movement include madrasa federations, urs committees at shrines like Ajmer Dargah Committee, civil society groups engaging with entities such as Pakistan Ulema Council, and diaspora institutions in cities like London, Leicester, Bradford, and Birmingham. The movement interacts with international bodies including networks in Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan through student exchanges, publications, and conferences that involve actors like Islamic Society of North America and regional ulema councils.

Demographics and Distribution

The movement is primarily concentrated in India and Pakistan with significant communities across Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and diaspora populations in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia, United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. Urban centers with notable followings include Mumbai, Karachi, Delhi, Lahore, and Hyderabad. Social bases encompass Sunni families, shrine caretakers, and madrasa alumni; prominent social nodes include congregations at shrines such as Ajmer Sharif Dargah, Data Darbar, and local khanqahs linked to the Chishti Order, Suhrawardi Order, and Qadiri Order. Census and survey data debated by scholars from institutions like Jawaharlal Nehru University, Punjab University, and International Crisis Group suggest fluid boundaries between Barelvi, Deobandi, and Ahl-i Hadith identities in regional contexts.

Political and Social Influence

The movement has played roles in electoral politics, sectarian disputes, and legal contests over blasphemy laws and provincial religious policy. Barelvi-aligned parties and movements have contested elections against groups such as Jamaat-e-Islami, Muttahida Qaumi Movement, and Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), and have mobilized on issues involving laws like the Blasphemy law in Pakistan and public morality debates in India involving institutions like Hindu nationalist organizations and state governments. Social influence extends to media outlets, fatwa councils, and alliances with civil society actors including Muslim League factions and diaspora advocacy groups in Europe. The movement's ulema have engaged with human rights debates, counterextremism initiatives linked to United Nations programs and national security dialogues in Pakistan and India, and cultural diplomacy through shrine tourism that involves agencies like regional tourism boards and heritage trusts.

Category:Islamic movements