Akhtar Raza (Urdu اختر رضا ; Devanagari: Hindi: अख़्तर रज़ा) is an Islamic jurist, . Akhtar Raza was born
on 23 November 1943 (24 of Dhu al-Qi'dah 1362 Hijri), in the district of
Saudagran in the city of Bareilly,
India. The name given
during his Aqeeqah was
Muhammad. He was also given the name Muhammad Ismail Raza. However, the name by
which he is currently known is Akhtar Raza.
He has been ranked 26th in
the list of Most Influential Muslims of the World by Royal Islamic Society of
Jordan. Known for his
Scholarship and Taqwa he has been adjudged as Leader of Ahle
Sunnat Wal Jama'at in India.
He belongs to the Hanafi Madhab of the Sunni denomination of Islam, which generally gives special respect
to the Aulias (Muslim saints
and holy men after Muhammad) and
appreciates Sufism. The Barelwis are
opposed to many elements of the Deobandi sub-sect. Since India is a secular state, the
government does not appoint the Grand Mufti (called Mufti-e-Azam in Persian, or Mufti
`am in Arabic),
nor other religious office-bearers, so it is up to the Muslim community of India
to appoint this post. He runs a website called http://www.taajushshariah.com, which also lists his
Fatwas.
Education
When Akhtar Raza reached
the age of 4 years, 4 months, and 4 days, his father, Islamic scholar Maulana
Ibrahim Raza Khan, arranged for his Bismillah Khwaani (commencement of
Islamic studies) His maternal
grandfather Mustafa
Raza Khan, performed the ritual.
Akhtar Raza received his
basic Islamic education at home and completed the basic recitation and the study
of the Quran under the guidance of his mother. He then
studied further under the guidance of his father. Having
completed his basic studies at home, he was enrolled in the Darul Uloom Manzar-e-Islam in
Bareilly. There, under
the guidance of teachers and scholars, he studied many books, commencing with
the basics such as Mizaan, Munshaib, Nahv Meer and proceeding to much more
advanced books such as Hidaya Akhirain. On Friday, 15
January 1962, (24 of Dhu
al-Qi'dah 1382 Hijri), Akhtar Raza reached the age of 20, and
received Khilafah
(ordination into spiritual succession) by Maulana Mustafa Raza Khan.
Akhtar Raza then studied
tafsir and ahadith for three years from 1963-1966 at the Al Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt. He achieved the
distinction of being one of the best foreign students to have studied at the
Al-Azhar University, securing the first position during every examination. He was awarded
the Jamia Azhar Award by Colonel Jamal Abdul Nasir upon graduating from the Al
Azhar University, He was also presented with a Certificate of Merit in the field
of Ahadith (plural
of Hadith, the records of the sayings of
Prophet Muhammad). When he
went back many years later for a visit, he received the Fakhr e Azhar (Pride of
Al Azhar) award.
Akhtar Raza returned to
India at the age of 24, where a large crowd awaited him at the Bareilly railway
station. An article describing his return to Bareilly Shareef was written by
Umeed Razvi. It was printed in the December issue of the Monthly Ala Hadrat
magazine under the title, Great Welcome. The article stated: A beautifully coloured and
scented rose from the garden of Ala Hazrat, his Eminence, Maulana Akhtar Raza Khan
Qaadiri Al Azhari, the son of Hazrat Mufassir-e-Azam Hind Maulana Ibrahim Raza Khan arrived in
Bareilly Shareef after a lengthy stay at the Al Azhar
University in Cairo. He was
welcomed at the Bareilly Junction Railway Station by many well-wishers, friends,
families, great Ulama and students of Madressa Manzar-e-Islam under the spiritual supervision
of Huzoor Sarkaar Mufti-e-Azam-e-Hind Maulana Mustafa Raza Khan.
His paternal ancestry
Akhtar Raza Khan, son of
Mufassir e Azam Hind Maulana Ibrahim Raza Khan, son of Hujjat-ul Islam Maulana
Hamid Raza Khan, son
of Ala
Hazrat Imam Ahmad Raza Khan, son of Naqi Ali Khan, son of
Maulana Taqi Ali Khan, son of Hafiz Kazim Ali Khan, son of Maulana Azam
Khan, son of Maulana Sa'adat Yaar Khan, son of Maulana Suja'at Jangbahadur
Saeedullah Khan.
Tasawwuf
Akhtar Raza has received
many Ijaazahs and Sanads from all over the world, including from from Mustafa Raza Khan
in many Silsilas including the Qadri, Chishti and Naqshbandi.
Scholarly activities
Akhtar Raza is well versed
in several branches of Islamic learning, including Tafsir, Hadith,
Fiqh, Sarf, Nahv, Tajweed, Tassawuf, Mantiq, Seerah, Tareekh, Hayat, Balaghah, Aqaid, Reyazi, Touqeet, Jafar, and Kalam. He also speaks and
writes Urdu, Hindi, Arabic, Persian and English fluently.
Books
Akhtar Raza has written
many books on a vast range of topics covering cience, religion and philosophy. A
collection of fatwas
by the title of Azharul Fatawa is his magnum opus. He
also did many translations.
- Al-Haqqul Mobeen (الحق المبين)
- Difa Kanzul Iman (دفاع كنزالايمان)
- T.V.Video Ka Sharai Operation (ثيوي ويديوكا شرعي ابريشن)
- Miratun Najdiyah (مرات النجديه)
- Tasweeron ka Sharai Hukm (تصويروكاشرعي حكم)
- Sharah Hadees e Niyat (شرح حديث نيت)
- Aasar e Qiyamat (اثارقيامث)
Azharul Fatawa
Azharul Fatawa is a
collection of English-language fatwa given by Akhtar Raza. The collection has been
widely acclaimed and accepted by Sunni Muslims all over the world and specially by Sunni
Muslim Communities living in the United States, Europe, South Africa and Western countries,
as the rulings mainly refer to these countries.
Safeena-e-Bakhshish
Akhtar Raza's Diwan
(Collection of Naats) was published for the
first time entitled Naghmat-e-Akhtar. Later, it was published entitled
Safina-e-Bakhshish in 1986. It contains many Naats in the Arabic and Urdu
language.
Islamic Chief Justice of India
Akhtar Raza was declared
the Qaazi-ul-Quzzaat or Qadi-ul-Qudat (Muslim Chief Justice) for the entire country of India,
during the Urs e Razavi in October 2006 in the
presence of many Ulama, prominent Islamic
Scholars and thousands of people, including:
- Mazhar-e-mufti-e-azam sadrul ulama Allama Tehseen raza khan.
- Muhaddith e Kabeer Mufti Zia ul Mustafa Azmi
- Mufti Abdul Mannan Azmi
Centre of Islamic Studies
Akhtar Raza established
the Islamic university Jamiatur Raza in May 2000, so that it could be
conductive to profound learning and the thorough correct understanding of the
Holy Qur'an and Sunnah, so that the hidden part of Islamic Ideology can be
discovered in order to suit the present situations in the scientific and
technological era.
Services for Islam
There are many institutes
working under the guidance of Akhtar Raza, including
- Markazi Darul Ifta, Bareilly
- Akhtar Raza Library, Lahore
- Markazi Darul Ifta, Holland
- Imam Ahmad Raza Academy, Durban, South Africa
- Madrassa Raza Darul Uloom, Bombay
- Madrassa Ghausia Jashn e Raza, Gujrat
- All India Jamiatul Ulema
- Shariah Board
- U.P. Muslim Personal Law Council
- Shar'ee Council of India
Disciples
Mufti Muhammad Akhtar Raza
Khan is the torch-bearer of the Razvi Silsila. He has many mureeds all over the
world, including; Iraq, Pakistan, Madina, Makkah, India, UK, Holland, South
Africa, America, Turkey and Malawi. Many of his mureeds (disciples) are great
Ulema, poets, authors, doctors and research scholars.
Amongst his famous Khulafa (successors);- Maulana Asjad Raza Khan (his son)
- Maulana Qamarul Hasan Bastawi (America)
- Syed Shahid Ali Razvi (Rampur)
- Shaykh Abu Bakr (Kerala)
- Maulana Saeed Noori (Mumbai)
- Haji Haneef Tayyab (Pakistan)
- Allamah Syed Irfan Shah Mashhadi (UK)
- Maulana Mannan Raza Khan (his brother)
- Maulana Muzaffar Hussain (Bareilly)
- Maulana Wasi Ahmed Razvi (Birmingham)
Pronouncements
He has issued many
fataawa (plural of fatwa, Islamic rulings) on many different Islamic
matters.
Organ transplant and blood transfusion
"One cannot donate blood
and organs because these are the Amanah
(property) of Allah, therefore it is not permissible to donate any part of one's
body or (donate) the blood."
One Imam conducting Jummah prayer in two places
"There is no legitimacy to
lead Jummah prayer
anywhere after you have performed it in one place. It is not allowed to perform
Jummah prayer in the
Jail at any cost. Prisoners (Muslim Prisoners) should recite Zuhr individually."
Birth of a girl
Akhtar Raza stated that it
is un-Islamic to be dissatisfied at the birth of a girl, as all children are to
be considered a blessing.
Islamic Attire
"It is required that a
person dresses in a certain manner or has to wear a uniform to identify his
profession. If these rules are not followed, then one is dismissed. Similarly,
in Islam, different codes of dressing have been set aside for Muslims so that they
can be recognized among the non-Muslims. If this dress code is not followed,
then we deserve to be punished as well."
Akhtar Raza disallowed
wearing of the Tie and said Muslims must strictly abstain from it. He has
written a full book regarding this called Tie Ka Masa'la.
"He who shaves his beard
or gets his beard less than fistful is declared sinful. To such a person who
commits this sin is not able to lead the prayers. It is Makruh-e-Tahrimi
(Strongly Disliked) to perform Salaah behind him."
Weddings
Akhtar Raza stated that
the qualities that one should look for in a marriage partner are piety and
God-fearing. Neither the boy nor the girl should be forced into a marriage. The
bride's mother's consent is just as important. Further he declared that the name
of the bridegroom, his father's name and the amount of Mahr (dower money paid by
groom to bride) be discussed and accepted by the bride. Further the man should
be allowed to see the girl without her knowledge.
Wahhabism
The Grand Mufti, and in
general all Barelwis, oppose the Wahhabi movement of Islam, which is funded and
encouraged by Saudi
Arabia. Akhtar Raza has criticized the Wahhabis, and issued fatwas that
permit Muslims making supplication, near the mausoleums of the Aulias (Muslim
saints after Muhammad) and allowing
intercession to be sought from them (i.e., praying to Allah though the medium of
the Sufi saints). He says: In fact, Wahhabis have refused the commands of the
Holy Quran and authentic Traditions of the Holy Messenger (Sallal-Laahu Ta'ala
Alaihi Wasallam) and have adopted very irrespective manners towards the Saints
and pious persons. They are misled and every baseless act of Wahhabis is against
Islamic faith.
Further, he says, It is
my advice to all Sunnis and especially to the Mureeds (disciples) of Silsila
Razvia to keep away from all these wrong doings. Please also avoid sending your
children to Wahhabi Madrassas and Darul Ulooms and bring them up in a Sunni
environment and make them refrain from being Wahhabi.
The Deobandi school of
Islam, which has stricter rules in regards to reverence of Sufi Saints, has been
declared un-Islamic by Akhtar Raza: It is not permissible to read Namaaz
behind a Deobandi Aalim (singular of Ulema) on any account. Namaaz performed
behind a Deobandi Aalim, as well as behind unbelievers, is totally
incorrect.
Karamat
During Akhtar Raza's
August 2008 trip to Syria, he was asked to
pray for rain by the Damascus Ulema. He did so and caused rain at a time of
year, when it had not rained in five years. During
the same trip, Sheikh al-Sabah stated that he when he walked by the place where
Akhtar Raza was staying, he saw Anwaar (plural of nur, lit.,
light) emanating from within.
Other attributed karamat include several
cases of Indian Hindus accepting Islam after seeing Akhtar Raza in dreams.
Tributes
Many Scholars have paid
tributes to the contributions of Akhtar Raza, which include;
- Munazir-e-Islam Syed Irfan Shah Mashadi Bradford
- Allamah Zia ul Mustafa Qadri Azmi
- Qazi Abdul Raheem Bastawi
- Mufti Abdul Wajid Qadri
- Allamah Dr Ashraf Asif Jalali
- Mawlana Ghulam Zarqani, son of late Maulana Arshadul Qaudri
- Mawlana Yaseen Akhtar Misbahi
- Ameen Mian Qaudrii
- Qamaruzzaman Azmi
Abdullah Fad’aq Hashimi (Da’iyah of Makkah and student of the late Sayyid Muhammad Alawi Maliki), who referred to the Shaykh as “Fadilat al-Imam al-Shaykh Muhammad Akhtar Ridha Khan al-Azhari al-Mufti al-Azam fi al-Hind”
Isa Mani al-Himyari
(Muhadith of Dubai) who referred to the Shaykh as “al-Shaykh al-Aarif billah
al-Muhadith Muhammad Akhtar Ridha al-Hanafi al-Qadiri al-Azhari”
Shaykh Waathiq Fu’ad
Ubaydi (Baghdad) who called him “Shaykhuna al-Jalil, Sahib al-Radd al-Qati,
Murshid al-Saalikeen, al-Mahfouz bi-Rabb al-alameen, al-Aalim al-Fadhil” and
“Taaj al-Shari’ah”
Jamal Abdul Kareem
al-Dabban (Baghdad) who referred to him as “al-Imam al-Allamah al-Qudwah Sahib
al-Fadhilat al-Shaykh”
Answer to criticisms
As for the claim that the
Shaykh makes takfir of everyone other than himself and those affiliated with him
is another exaggeration, rather, a lie that stems from animosity. The Shaykh has
replied to this accusation in Arabic in his “Mira’at al-Najdiyyah” published by
the name “Haqiqat al-Barelwiyyah”, which is the reply to Qadhi Atiyyah’s
endorsement to Ihasan Ali Zahir’s “al-Barelwiyyah” (Published in Egypt by Dar
al-Muqattam, 2009) asking him to produce a single nas of our ulama in which they
have made takfir of Ibn Taymiyya, Ibn Abdul Wahhab and their followers. Rather,
it is these people who make takfir and tadlil of the entire ummah. This
accusation is the popular one found in “Nuzhat al-Khawatir” and “al-Barelwiyyah”
about Barelwis and is false.
Source : Wikipedia
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