Barelvi movement

Barelvi movement
MLD9 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Name	Barelvi movement
Founder	Ahmed Raza Khan
Founded	1870s
Region	South Asia
Theology	Sunni Islam (Maturidi Hanafi tradition)
Practices	Sufism, veneration of saints, Mawlid

Barelvi movement is an Islamic revivalist movement originating in late 19th‑century British Raj Indian subcontinent that emphasizes traditional Sunni Islam devotional practices and the centrality of Sufism. It emerged in response to reformist currents such as Deobandi movement, Ahl-i Hadith, and Wahhabism and is associated with a network of scholars, institutions, and devotional orders across Pakistan, India, and the United Kingdom. The movement's intellectual foundations are often traced to the jurisprudential and theological writings of Ahmed Raza Khan, with subsequent organizational consolidation in the 20th and 21st centuries involving figures linked to Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan, Jamaat Ahle Sunnat, and numerous madrasa chains.

Origins and historical development

The movement traces its intellectual origins to late 19th‑century responses by scholars like Ahmed Raza Khan in Bareilly to the influence of Muhammad Qasim Nanautawi and the Darul Uloom Deoband establishment, reformers such as Sayyid Ahmad Khan, and transregional currents from Wahhabi movement in the Arabian Peninsula. Early texts engaged with issues raised by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Shah Waliullah Dehlawi's legacy, and the impact of colonial legal reforms in the British Raj. Institutional consolidation occurred through organizations like Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan, networks of madrasas influenced by Mazahir Uloom, and the activism of later leaders connected to Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi’s disciples. The 20th century saw expansion into urban centers such as Karachi, Lucknow, Lahore, and diasporic hubs like London and Birmingham as migrants from the Indian subcontinent established mosques and Sufi centers linked to the movement.

Beliefs and practices

Adherents adhere to Hanafi jurisprudence combined with Maturidi theology and emphasize practices associated with Sufism, including veneration of awliya (saints), visiting dargah shrines, and celebrating Mawlid and Urs ceremonies. The movement defends concepts like tawassul, intercession, and the special status of the Prophet Muhammad against critiques from Ahl-i Hadith and Deobandi scholars. Ritual life often includes recitation of Qawwali, naat, manqabat, and public devotional gatherings presided over by leaders affiliated with Chishti, Qadiri, and Naqshbandi tariqas. Legal opinions by scholars connected to the movement address issues in relation to practices overseen by institutions such as Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan and community bodies in Pakistan and India.

Organization and leadership

Leadership is diffuse, comprising ulema, muftis, shrine custodians, and institutional heads rather than a single hierarchy; notable centers include madrasas and khanqahs linked to figures influenced by Ahmed Raza Khan and successors active in Bareilly, Bareilly District, Lucknow, and Multan. Political parties and religious organizations such as Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan, Jamaat Ahle Sunnat, and various Sunni Sufi jamaats provide organizational platforms, while seminaries like Manzar-e-Islam and networks modeled on Mazahir Uloom contribute to clerical training. In the diaspora, mosques in Bradford, Leicester, Birmingham (England), and London serve as focal points under imams who trace scholarly lineage to South Asian ulema. Prominent contemporary personalities associated with the movement have engaged in fatwa issuance, media outreach, and institution building linked to family lineages from Bareilly.

Political and social influence

The movement has influenced electoral politics through alliances and rivalries involving Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan, participation in coalition politics in Pakistan, and social mobilization among South Asian Sunni communities in India and the United Kingdom. Social influence extends to positions on sectarian disputes involving Shia–Sunni relations, responses to blasphemy controversies in Pakistan and legal cases in India, and engagement with civil society organizations addressing minority rights in Britain. Religious education and shrine networks affect local social welfare, while scholars have issued opinions on contemporary issues engaging with institutions such as All India Muslim Personal Law Board and media platforms in Karachi and Mumbai.

Criticisms and controversies

Critics from Deobandi movement, Ahl-i Hadith, and reformist groups accuse the movement of innovations deemed bid'ah, excessive saint veneration, and practices allegedly incompatible with their readings of hadith and Tawhid. Sectarian tensions have produced legal and political conflicts involving parties like Lashkar-e-Jhangvi in Pakistan and public disputes in cities such as Lucknow and Rawalpindi. Internal controversies have included debates over khilafat claims, shrine custodianship, and contested fatwas, while international scrutiny has arisen in diaspora settings over processions, noise regulations, and community relations in places like Leicester and Bradford.

Demographics and geographic spread

Adherents are concentrated in Pakistan—notably Punjab (Pakistan), Sindh, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa urban centers—as well as in India regions such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal. The movement has significant diasporic presence in the United Kingdom, Europe, North America, and Middle East cities where South Asian migrants settled, including London, Birmingham (England), Toronto, and New York City. Institutional links connect local madrasas and dargahs in Bareilly District and Lucknow with transnational networks of ulema, Sufi orders, and organizations like Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan and Jamaat Ahle Sunnat, contributing to varied regional expressions across the Indian subcontinent and beyond.

Category:Islamic movements