Ahmed Raza Khan

Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi (14 June 1856 – 28 October 1921) was an Indian Islamic scholar and a significant figure in the Barelvi movement, which he is considered a founder of. Born in Bareilly, British India, into a Qadiri Sufi family, Khan was a prolific writer, poet, and jurist. He authored hundreds of books in Arabic, Persian, and Urdu on various Islamic sciences, jurisprudence, and theology. His major works include the Urdu translation and explanation of the Quran, Kanz ul-Iman, and the extensive compilation of Islamic legal verdicts, Fatawa Razawiyya. Khan was a staunch critic of reformist movements like Ahmadiyya, Deobandi, and Wahhabi movements, denouncing their beliefs in works like Husam ul-Haramayn. He advocated for popular Sufi practices and defended the veneration of Prophet Muhammad. He founded the Manzar-i Islam in Bareilly in 1904 and the Jamat Raza-e-Mustafa in 1920 to propagate Islam. His teachings and influence have led to the global spread of the Barelvi movement, which claims over 200 million followers worldwide.