Polemonium Reptans

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Akhtar Raza Khan[a] (23 November 1943 – 20 July 2018),[1] also known as Tajush Shari'ah,[b] and Azhari Miyan,[3][4] was an Indian Barelvi Muslim scholar, cleric and mufti.[5] He was the great-grandson of Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi who was considered to be a Mujaddid by his followers and was the eponymous founder of the Barelvi movement.[6][7]

He had served as the Grand Mufti of India succeeding Mustafa Raza Khan Qadri from 1982 to 2018 and Islamic Chief Justice of India from 2006 to 2018.[8][9] He was ranked 25th[10] on the list of The 500 Most Influential Muslims in the world in 2016 edition, 22nd in 2012, 2013, 2014-15 editions,[11] compiled by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre.[12] He had tens of millions of followers in India.[13]

Early life and education

He was born on 23 November 1943 at Muhallah Saudagaran in Bareilly, British India,[1] to Ibrahim Raza Khan as the grandson of Hamid Raza Khan and as a great-grandson of Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi, who was considered to be a Mujaddid by his followers and founder of the Barelvi movement.[6][14]

He went to school till graduation at the Madrasa Manzar-e-Islam of the Dargah Aala Hazrat,[13] and then at Islamia Inter College, Bareilly.[13] He post-graduated from the Al-Azhar University in Egypt in the Arabic literature and Islamic Studies with specialisation in Hadith and Tafseer from 1963 to 1966,[1] where he was conferred with the Fakhr-e-Azhar (Pride of Azhar) award by Gamal Abdel Nasser.[13][9]

Career

In 1967, at the age of 25, he became a teacher at the Madrasa Manzar-e-Islam at Bareilly Sharif Dargah.[1]

Spiritual life

Khan was a spiritual follower and successor of his maternal grandfather Mustafa Raza Khan Qadri, the former Grand Mufti of India in the Qadriyya-Barkatiyya-Razviyya-Nooriya order of Sufism.[9]

After retirement

He formally retired from teaching in 1980,[1] but continued to issue fatwa,[1] and holding seminars for students at Dar al-Ifta.[1]

In 2000, he founded the Centre of Islamic Studies Jamiatur Raza based in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India.[12][15][16]

He was considered by his followers as the Grand Mufti of India.[8] He had been ranked 22nd on the list of The 500 Most Influential Muslims in the world (2014–15 edition), compiled by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre.[12][17] He had tens of millions of followers in India.[13]

He died following a long illness on 20 July 2018, aged 74.[18][19][20][21][22]

After his death Mohammad Salim Noori, spokesperson of the Dargah Aala Hazrat, said Khan was "the lone cleric in India to get a title of 'Tajushariya'" and "one of the few prominent persons across the world to be allowed to visit the inside [of the] Kaaba in Mecca."[13]

Fatwa against ISIS

In 2015, Khan along with 70000 Muftis issued Fatwa against terrorism including ISIS, Taliban, Al-Qaida, , which was supported by more than 15 Lacs Muslims in India on the eve of the Urs-e-Razvi at Bareilly Sharif Dargah.[23]

Funeral

The estimated attendance at his funeral was just under one million.[13][24][25] His funeral occurred on 22 July 2018 at Islamia Inter College, Bareilly. The prayer was led by his son and successor Asjad Raza Khan.[26] His funeral was watched by at least 12,500,000 people across the world.[27][28][29][30] A day of mourning was organised in Bareilly Sharif.[31][32]

The funeral was organised by the Members of Bareilly Sharif Dargah and other organisations related to Dargah. The Namaz-e-Janaza was led by the son of Akhtar Raza Khan and head Mufti of Bareilly, Asjad Raza Khan at 10:00 AM on 22 July 2018.[20]

Memorial events

The Urs of Akhtar Raza Khan Qadri or Urs-e-Tajush Shariah is organised annually at the Bareilly Sharif Dargah to commemorate the death. It is being organised since 2019.[33]

Publications

Rulings

His Urdu-language fatwa collection was known as Majmu'ah Fatawa. His English collection is named Azharul Fatawa.[34][full citation needed] One of his fatwas was his edict on the interest given to a Muslim by a non-Muslim:

When there is a dealing between a Muslim and a Muslim or a Muslim and a Zimmi Kaffir (a non-Muslim living in the safety of an Islamic state), the taking more money than loaned is considered as interest and such a dealing will be unlawful. However, if this condition does not exist, this excess money will not be considered as interest and will be legitimate for a Muslim as it is unanimous that there is no interest applicable when there is dealing between a Muslim and a Harbi Kaafir (a non-Muslim who is not living in the safety of an Islamic State).[citation needed]

He had issued fatwa against the sterilization in 1975 on the order of Mustafa Raza Khan Qadri when Indira Gandhi had made the sterilization compulsory.[35]

In 2016, Khan wrote a book Tie Ka Mas'ala and he had issued Fatwa against wearing Ties, Khan had called Tie as the symbol of Christians, the non-Muslims.[36]

In October 2016, Khan under the letterhead of Shariat Council of India issued the Fatwa against the Uniform Civil Code in India and said it is made a law, it will be boycotted.[37]

Poetry

His composition of Na`at was entitled Safina-e-Bakhshish, written in three languages.[38]

Books

He was the author of "more than 50 books on Islamic theology and thought in Urdu and Arabic", including:[13]

Family tree

Raza Ali Khan
first marriagesecond marriage
I. Khanum (daughter)Naqi Ali KhanMustajab BegumBibi Jaan
Ahmed Raza KhanHassan Raza Khan
Hamid Raza KhanMustafa Raza KhanHussain Raza KhanHasnain Raza Khan
Ibrahim Raza KhanMurtaza Raza Khan
Akhtar Raza KhanUvais Raza Khan
Asjad Raza KhanShoeib Raza Khan
Faiz Raza KhanKaif Raza Khan

Notes

  1. ^ Urdu: اختر رضا خان, romanized: Akhtar Raẓā Khān
  2. ^ Urdu: تاج الشریعہ, romanized: Tājush Sharīʿa

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Khan, Taajush Shari'ah Mufti Akhtar Raza (2018). "Brief synopsis of the life of Taj al-Shariah, by Muhammad Kalim". Safeena-e-Bakshish. TheSunniWay. pp. 17–22 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ a b "Bareilly cleric among world's most influential Muslims | Bareilly News - Times of India". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 6 June 2020. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  3. ^ "Azahri miyan urs: अजहरी मियां के पहले उर्स का हुआ आगाज". 9 July 2019. Archived from the original on 26 July 2019. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
  4. ^ "अजहरी मियां 10 मार्च को मकराना में-" [Azhari Miyan at Makranah on 10 March] (in Hindi). 8 March 2014. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  5. ^ Mufti Muhammad Akhtar Raza Khan by Muhammad Tariq Lahori Sunni Hanafi jannati Barelwi| archive.org
  6. ^ a b "World's 500 'Most Influential Muslims': 24 Indians in the list; Mufti Akhtar Raza Khan, Mahmood Madani in first 50 117". TwoCircles.net. 16 October 2014. Archived from the original on 8 October 2015. Retrieved 26 July 2015. He is the great-grandson of Ahmed Raza Khan (d. 1921), who founded the Barelwi movement in South Asia
  7. ^ "First urs-e-tajusharia to be observed on July 9–10 | Bareilly News". Times of India. 3 May 2019. Archived from the original on 9 January 2023. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  8. ^ a b Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre (2018).
  9. ^ a b c "Mufti Muhammad Akhtar Raza Khan Qaadiri Al-Azhari | The Muslim 500". web.archive.org. 12 June 2018. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  10. ^ "Bareilly cleric among world's most influential Muslims". The Times of India. 8 August 2016. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  11. ^ "दुनिया के टॉप 50 मुस्लिमों में भारत के दो चेहरे". Amar Ujala (in Hindi). Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  12. ^ a b c Tiwari, Mrigank (20 October 2014). "Barelvi cleric in 'most powerful Muslims' list". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 10 February 2024. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h Agarwal, Priyangi (21 July 2018). "Noted Barelvi cleric Azhari Miyan dies". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 11 April 2019. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  14. ^ Kamal, Md Yousuf (16 August 2023). "Tajush Shari'ah: A Beacon of Spiritual Influence in the Sunni Tradition". Islamonweb. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  15. ^ Sanyal, Usha (2008). "Ahl-i Sunnat Madrasas: the Madrasa Manzar-i Islam, Bareilly, and Jamia Ashrafiyya, Mubarakpur". In Malik, Jamal (ed.). Madrasas in South Asia: Teaching terror?. Routledge. ISBN 9780415442473. Archived from the original on 10 February 2024. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  16. ^ Plan to develop Bareilly's Jamiatur Raza into an Arabic Persian University Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine By NA Ansari, The Milli Gazette "Maulana Akhtar Raza Khan Azhari set up Madrasa Jamiatur Raza in 2000 in the city's CB Ganj area with the ultimate objective of imparting all types of education."
  17. ^ Usha Sanyal. Generational Changes in the Leadership of the Ahl-e Sunnat Movement in North India during the Twentieth Century Archived 17 March 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Modern Asian Studies (1998), Cambridge University Press.
  18. ^ rasia (23 July 2018). "10 lakh people attend funeral of Taajush Shariah Mufti Mohammad Akhtar Raza Khan Quadri". The Siasat Daily – Archive. Archived from the original on 9 January 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  19. ^ "बरेली शरीफ के अजहरी मिया के जनाजे में शामिल होने को लोग रवाना -". Jagran (in Hindi). Archived from the original on 22 August 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  20. ^ a b "अजहरी मियां के जनाजे में उमड़ा जन सैलाब, गमगीन माहौल में हुए सुपुर्दे खाक | Tajush Sharia Azahari Miyan ke Janaze mein umada jan sailaab hindi new". Patrika News (in Hindi). 22 July 2018. Archived from the original on 22 August 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  21. ^ "ताजुशरिया के आखिरी सफर में उमड़ा जनसैलाब". Dainik Jagran (in Hindi). Archived from the original on 9 January 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  22. ^ "भूख की परवाह और न बारिश की फिक्र ऐसा रहा पीर से बेइंतहा मुहब्बत का तारीखी मंजर". Dainik Jagran (in Hindi). Archived from the original on 22 August 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  23. ^ Agarwal, Priyangi (9 December 2015). "70,000 clerics issue fatwa against terrorism, 15 lakh Muslims support it". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  24. ^ "अजहरी मियां के जनाजे में दिखा जो जनसैलाब, आपने कभी नहीं देखा होगा, देखें तस्वीरें". www.patrika.com. 22 July 2018. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  25. ^ "ताजुशरिया के आखिरी सफर में उमड़ा जनसैलाब". Dainik Jagran. Archived from the original on 22 March 2019. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  26. ^ "10 lakh people attend funeral of Taajush Shariah Mufti Mohammad Akhtar Raza Khan Quadri". The Siasat Daily - Archive. 23 July 2018. Archived from the original on 23 June 2020. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  27. ^ MuslimMirror (22 July 2018). "Renowned Barelvi cleric Mufti Akhtar Raza Khan passed away, lakhs attend final journey". Muslim Mirror. Archived from the original on 22 August 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  28. ^ "अजहरी मियां के जनाजे में दिखा जो जनसैलाब, आपने कभी नहीं देखा होगा, देखें तस्वीरें". Patrika News (in Hindi). 22 July 2018. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  29. ^ "Thousands throng funeral of noted Barelvi cleric; traffic blocked for eight hours". The Times of India. 23 July 2018. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 22 August 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  30. ^ "लाखों की भीड़ के बीच आज उठेगा अजहरी मियां का जनाजा, 10 बजे नमाजे जनाजा". Amar Ujala (in Hindi). Archived from the original on 22 August 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  31. ^ "अलविदा ताजुशरिया". Hindustan (in Hindi). Archived from the original on 22 August 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  32. ^ "ताजुशरिया हुए दुनिया से रुखसत, मुरीदों के सैलाब में भगदड़, पुलिस से झड़प". Dainik Jagran (in Hindi). Archived from the original on 22 August 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  33. ^ "परचम कुशाई की रस्म के साथ शुरू हुआ ताजुश्शरिया का उर्स". inextlive (in Hindi). Archived from the original on 22 August 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  34. ^ a b Fatawa Tajushhariyah (in four volumes) by Dar al-Ishaat al-Islamiyya, Jamia al-Raza, Bareilly Sharif.
  35. ^ "नसबंदी पर फतवे से हिल गई थी हुकूमत -". Jagran (in Hindi). Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  36. ^ "In India, Barelvi Cleric Issues Fatwa Prohibiting Muslims From Wearing Ties: Muslims Must Not 'Adopt The Symbols Of Non-Muslims'". MEMRI. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  37. ^ "Barelvi sect opposes government's stand on triple talaq, Uniform Civil Code | India.com". www.india.com. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  38. ^ "Ahlesunnat.net – Safina E Bakhshish (Jild 8)". books.ahlesunnat.net. Archived from the original on 26 October 2021. Retrieved 30 January 2019.

Bibliography

External links

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