Imam Ahmad Raza Khan of Bareilly (1856–1921)
In brief: Biography and works of Imam Ahmad Raza Khan Barelvi (1856-1921): Fatawa Razawiyya, the Kanz al-Iman Qur'an translation, Hada'iq-e-Bakhshish and his place in Sunni scholarship.
Imam Ahmad Raza Khan was born in Bareilly, in northern India, in 1856 and passed away there in 1921. He is regarded by his followers as the reviver (mujaddid) of the fourteenth Islamic century and is known widely as ‘Ala Hazrat.
Major works
| Work | About |
|---|---|
| Fatawa Razawiyya | Voluminous collection of legal rulings on worship, transactions and beliefs, in the Hanafi tradition |
| Kanz al-Iman | Urdu translation of the Qur’an, widely used in South Asia and translated into other languages |
| Hada’iq-e-Bakhshish | Divan of na’t and devotional poetry in praise of the Prophet ﷺ |
| Al-Dawla al-Makkiyya | Arabic treatise on belief written in 1906 during his stay in Makkah |
He was a scholar in a wide array of sciences and a member of the Qadiri Sufi order. The Institute draws on his rulings and writings within its Sunni Barelvi doctrine and Hanafi studies. Related: Sunni theology specialisation.