The message of Imam Ahmed Riza to the Pluralists (Sulla Kullis)

His Báyah and Khiláfa

Imam Ahmad was accompanied with his father Hazrat Naqi Ali Khan to Marhará Sharíf to become disciples  of Syed Shah Ále Rasúl Ahmadi into the Súfi Taríqah of the Qádiriyyah, Barakátiyyah in the year 1294/1877. Not only were both father and son blessed with bayah but were also granted khiláfa immediately. Hazrat Maulána Syed Abú al Hussain Núri who was also known as Mián Sahib asked Hazrat Shah Ále Rasúl, 'the general procedure for gaining khiláfa at your court is by doing lengthy series of meditation and self discipline, so why was it that your holiness granted them khiláfa immediately after only minutes before only accepting them as disciples?',  Hazrat Shah Ále Rasúl replied, 'Mián Sahib!! other people come with impure and rusty hearts for which they require long periods of meditation and practice of self discipline but these two persons came with pure hearts and they only required a connection of contiguity (i.e. from a shaikh to the Prophet) and that they received upon becoming disciples.' Hazrat Shah Ále Rasúl also added, 'I used to ponder about this very often that on the day of Resurrection, if Allah asks of me, "O Ále Rasúl! what have you bought for me", then what would I present before His Majesty, but today this does not bother me any more because if Allah, the Most High is to ask me, " what I have bought for Him? then I will respond by saying, 'I have bought for you Ahmad Raza.'

Imam Ahmad Raza went on his first pilgrimage for Hajj with his parents in the year 1295/ 1878. It was during sacred journey while praying at the Maqám Ibráhím that the Imam of the Shaf'i madhab, Hazrat Hussain bin Sáleh saw a bright light upon the forehead of Imam Raza and without any introducing himself, he grabbed Imam Raza by his hand an took him to his home where he for a long while observed the shining light upon his forehead and said, 'undoubtedly I see the light of Allah shining in his forehead' ('Inni-la-ajido-núr-Allahi-fi-há'zal-jabeen'), after this Sheikh Hussain bin Sáleh gave Imam Raza permission in the Qadiriyyah Tariqah in his own writing and presented it to Imam Ahmad Raza and said, 'your name is Zia-al-Din Ahmad' (Ismuka-Zia-al-Din-Ahmad). After the completion of the Hajj ceremony Imam Ahmad Raza visited the Prophets shrine in the City of Madina and was blessed with uncountable blessings from the Holy Prophet.

Imám Ahmad Raza, The Shi'ar of Ahl-us-Sunna-wal-Jamma

According to the Sunni scholars of South Asian, Imam Raza is the Shi'ar (sign)  and recognition of the Ahl-us-Sunna-wal Jamma. To show hatred towards him, is seen as a sign if hypocrisy. It is said that a famous scholar Hazrat Maulana Qádir Baksh Sesarrámí was once called by the people of Bihár for a lecture, after the session, while sitting in the dinning area, someone asked him how can a Sunni be identified from a Wahhabi in a simple manner?', upon which Maulana Sesarrámí replied, 'I will tell you s simple formula and to get one better than this will be difficult. When ever you want to enquire if someone is a Sunni or a Wahhabi, then yo should mention the name of Imam Ahmad Raza Bareilwi and then look at his facial expressions, if he is happy and overjoyed then he is a Sunni and if his facial expressions are one of hate and regret, then surely he will be a Wahhabi, and if he is not one then he will definitely have some problem with his faith.

Because the Imám Ahmad Raza was the embodiment the love of the Prophet and fought against all false sects and movements which would have otherwise shaken the foundations of the religion of Islam. Imam Raza dealt with the enemies of Islam, whether they were so-called Muslim sects or otherwise with harshness and never did he ever mingle with people belonging to these deviated sects and movements nor would he be pleased to see them.

It is related that Hazrat Nané Mian Maulana Muhammad Raza once came to Imam Raza after the asr prayer and said, 'a Shi'í had come to see him from Hydrabad Dakkan, and that he would be arriving shortly to whom the Imam should give guidance towards the truth. During the gathering, the shi'í had also arrived. It is reported from the people who had been present at that time that Á'la Hazrat did not pay any attention towards him to the point that Nané Mian gestured to him to take a seat. As the Imám did not speak to him, he did not say anything and after sitting a while he went away. After he had gone Nané Mian said th Á'la Hazrat, 'He (the shi'í) had come all this way to meet you, there was nothing wrong if you would have spoken to him and seen to him as a visitor', upon hearing this, Imám Raza became furious and said, 'These are the manners given to me by my leaders', and then he said, 'upon leaving the Masjid Nabawí, the leader of the believers, Umr Farúq was met by a traveller who says that he is hungry upon which Hazrat Umr gestured to him that he should follow him. When they reach the house of Hazrat Umr, he orders that the food should be served, when the servant serves the food for the guest, while eating he says some un-orthodox words upon which Hazrat Umr orders the servant to remove the food from him immediately and to remove him from his house. The Holy Prophet (Upon whom be the peace and blessings of Allah) personally removed the hypocrites individually by calling out their names saying, 'Ukhruj ya fulánu fa-innaka munáfiq' (Oh so and so leave the mosque for you are an hypocrite).'

The above incident is evident of the fact that Imam Ahmad Raza Khan was following the Sunna to the straight and narrow and he was totally against pluralism (sullá kullís) and to giving ground to deviant sects to breed their ideologies amongst the lay people and cause confusion and division amongst the Muslims of South-Asia. It is possible to see the insight of Imam Raza in the above incident where he totally ignore the person who he sees as misguided and away from the truth. Firstly is was possible that the Shi'í was not there to meet Imam with sincerity as he only sat for a little while and went away without saying anything, which is evident that he was not there for guidance or religious counselling, secondly Imam Raza so no benefit in conversing with him for there was nothing common with Sunni and Shi'í concepts and thirdly it coud've been that Imam Raza thought of it as wasteful to speak to him in the first instance and instead saw fit to attend those who were sunni's and could benefit from his presence mentally, physically and spiritually. This practise of Imam Raza is typical of the Ahl-us-Sunna scholars and that of th companions of the Prophet (the Sahaba) towards those who they saw are misguided and astray and this is evident from the following example:

It is related in Sunan Dármi that two astray persons were sitting in the gathering of the Tábí (a tábí is singular of Tabiún meaning the second generation away from the prophet, successors of the Sahába) Imam Muhammad bin Sírín and they said if they could present a hadith before him upon which Imam Ibn Sírín said, I am not willing to listen anything from you'. If you permit may we present a verse from the Holy Qur'an?', they asked. Imam Ibn Sírín replied, 'no! can you both leave from here or shall I leave this place?' Only then did they leave, but those present were dazzled at the Imam's reaction and said, 'what was wrong of them even presenting a verse of the Holy Qur'an?', Imam Ibn Sírín replied saying, 'I was afraid that if they recited a verse and they would mis-interpret  it and that it may misguide me.' This is why Imam Raza saw it vital to expose the deviant sects and movements of his time, which included: Deobandis, Ahlé-Hadíth, Qádiání's, Shi'ísm, the pluralists (sulla kullis) amongst the many others.

It is reported that once Hazrat Sadr-al-Fázil, Maulana Syed Naeem ul-Dín Murád Abádí said to Imam Ahmad Raza, 'your holiness! the language which you have used to expose the beliefs of the deviant Deobandi's, Wahhabi's and Ghair-Muqalids is very strong and harsh according to the civilised folk of today who after reading a few lines of your work then throw it away saying that these books a filled with abuse and they do not bother Reading the whole arguments and evidence presented by yourself and thus become deprived from the truth. If your holiness does not use such language and instead engages with them in a more friendly approach, then possibly more newly civilised persons would read your books and gain guidance from them'. Upon hearing these words of Hazrat Sadr-al-Fázil, Imam Ahmad Raza began to weep and  said, 'Maulána! I had wished that there was a sword in the hands of Ahmad Raza and I would use this sword to cut the throats of those who insult the Prophet and in this manner I would have ended the insults against the Holy Prophet. But we do not have the right to use the sword but indeed Allah has granted me a pen. And the reason why I use hard and harsh words towards those who insult the beloved Prophet is so when they see this extreme exposure of themselves, they become angry and then they would begin to insult me and forget of insulting the Holy Prophet, and in this approach of mine, may my honour and that of my forefathers become a shield in defence of the Prophets honour and dignity.'

It is impossible to find such love in which one is willing to sacrifice his own honour and respect which he has earned in society. Imam Raza was not a materialistic person so he did not have anything to lose, nor did have have any personal reasons to attack deviated sects which were spawned by the British, he was but a sincere servant of the Prophet who worked tirelessly to unify the ummah under the banner of the Qur'an and Sunnah,unified in the four sunni madhab's under the name of Ahl-al-Sunna-wal-Jamma.

Ustad-al-Muhadithún, Hazrat, Maulána Wasí Ahmad also known as Muhadith Súrti was once asked by his student Hazrat, Maulána Syed Muhammad, who was known as Muhadith Kachúchavi, who asked, 'while you are báyah from Maulána, Sháh Fadl-al-Rahmán of Ghanj Abád but the love and respect towards Imam Ahmed Raza Khan is next to no other, why is this?', Hazrat Muhadith Súrti said, 'the greatest gift for me is not the knowledge that I had gained from Maulana Isháq Mahshí, Bukhári, not is the Báyah which I received from Sháh Fadl-al-Rahmán but it is for me the essence of faith (creedal matters) which I only found from Imam Ahmad Raza who taught me how to love the Prophet of Islam. This is why remembering him brings new life into my soul and his every word is guidance for me.'

The life of Imam Ahmad Raza

In the year 1286/ 1869, Imám Raza was a qualified Muslim scholar at the age of only thirteen years and was also at the same time given the responsibility of Mufti by his father Hazrat Naqi Ali Khan and he served the religion for fifty-four years of his life until 1340/1921.

It is said that upon the return of pilgrimages from Hajj, they would come to visit Imám Raza upon which Imam Raza would ask, 'Did you visit the court of the Holy Prophet (sallaláho alaihi wassalam)?', if they replied in the positive, the great Imám would leap to kiss their feet and if they replied in the negative he would not pay any attention to them.

Imám Raza also looked after the poor and needy. Monthly allowances were sent to widows and the disadvantaged and these charitable services were not restricted to the locals but were sent in the form of money orders via the post. He would not advertise his charitable works nor did he give openly to shame those in need. He did not do all this for personal benefit or fame but to gain favour of Allah and His Prophet.

Imam Raza would wear new clothes twice a week, once on Friday and the other on a Tuesday. He would also wear new clothes for special occasions like the two Eids (i.e. Eid-ul-Fitr or Eid-ul-Adha) and the Birthday of the Prophet Muhammad (sallaláho alaihi wassalam) regardless of the day they fell upon according to the Lunar calendar.

His love for the Holy Prophet was so such that when he would go to sleep he would sleep positioning his blessed self in the shape of the name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad as it is spelt in the Arabic language. He would sleep moulding his both hands together under his head and he would join his feet together, making his head into the shape of  the Arabic letter 'Meem', and his elbows would be shaped as the 'Ha', and his waist as the second 'Meen', and the the feet would serve as the letter 'Dhaal.'

He would never place another book on top of a book of Ahadíth and during the translation of a hadith if anyone would intevene Imam Raza would be upset with such a person due to his utmost respect for the words of the Holy Prophet. During the recitation of the events of the birth of the Holy Prophet at a Milad-ul-Nabi gathering, he would stand in respect and during the rest of the gatherings he would set respectfully on his knees showing respect to all forms of the Prophets remembrance.

He would never laugh loudly and upon yawning he would place a finger between his teeth, this would stop the sound made upon yawning. He would never spit facing towards the Qiblá nor would he lengthen his legs in the same direction. He also disliked the use of súf (a piece of cloth dropped in the ink pot to help proper inking of the pen) and also disliked the use of a pen made from iron.

Most of his time would be taken up in writing and reading, research, writing Islamic edicts (Fatáwas) and teaching. He would promptly worship in the mosque for all five daily prayers in congregation. He was temperamentally ardent. He would always wear a turban and a long coat while praying saláh, especially for the obligatory prayers (fará'idh) for which he would never just pray with a hat and a kurta (South Asian men's long shirt). He would usually perform his wudhu at home but in case he needed to perform it in the mosque for whatever reason, he would use a container (lautá) made from clay go to the far north side of the mosque. Imam Raza was very careful upon performing his wudhu (ritual cleansing) and ghusl (ritual bathing) for which two water pots would be placed for his wudhu. He would normally go home after the congregational prayers except for the Asr prayer, after which chairs would be placed all around for visitors and those in need of spiritual counselling or otherwise. If the Imam was giving something to a person and if he put his left hand to receive it, Imam Raza would immediately stop his hand and would say, 'take with your right hand for Satan takes with the left hand.' The numerical value of the Basmallah totals up to 786 and people generally write 786 beginning from the left with the number seven but Imam Raza would always begin writing from the number six, thus starting to write with the right side even when writing numbers.

His Childhood

At the tender age of four years, Imám Raza completed the recitation of the whole Qur'án, and at the age of six during the blessed gathering in Rabbí-ul-Awwal, he gave a speech while standing upon the pulpit addressing a large audience.

After completing the study of many Urdu and Persian books, he studied under Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Qadir Baig for a little while and then completed his studies with the instruction of his father Hazrat Naqi Ali Khan (may Allah be pleased with them both).

It is said that Imám Raza was very pious as a child, he would be mindful of the Sunna of the Prophet, cleanliness and was well mannered. A story is narrated about the childhood of Imam Raza, when he was studying under a Maulana. One day the children said Salám (Islamic greeting) to the Maulana upon which he replied, 'well done boys', upon hearing this Imam Raza pointed out the Maulana that he had not replied to the Salám by saying those words and he should've instead replied with, 'wa alaikum salám.' Upon hearing this from a young child Maulana was happy to have been corrected and expressed much gratitude towards Imam Raza.

At the age of six Imam Raza had learnt of the direction of Baghdad (a city in Iraq, herein is the sanctified shrine of Hazrat Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani) from his city Barelly, he would henceforth never place his feet towards that direction ever again.

His Blessed Birth

Imám Ahmed Raza was born on the 10th of Shawwál 1272 Hijrí and on the 14th of June 1856 according to the Christian calendar. He was born at the time of the Zuhr prayer in the town of Barelly in the quater of Jasúlí. He was named Muhammad and His grandfather named him Ahmed Raza. Imam Raza deduced the year of his birth from the following Qur'anic verse:

أُوْلَئِكَ كَتَبَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمُ الْإِيمَانَ وَأَيَّدَهُم بِرُوحٍ مِّنْهُ

For such He has written Faith in their hearts, and strengthened them with a spirit from Himself (58:22)

In accordance to numberology, Imam Raza deduced the year of his birth 1272 from the above verse.

The Family Tree & Ancestory of Imam Ahmed Raza

Ála Hazrat Ímám Ahmed Riza son of Hazrat Naqí Alí Khan son of Hazrat Raza Ali Khan son of Hazrat Kázim Ali Khan son of Hazrat Muhammad A'zam Ali Khan son of Hazrat Sa'ádat Yár Khan son of Hazrat Muhammad Saídulláh Khan (may Allah be pleased with them all).

Hazrat Muhammad Saídulláh Khan was originally from Qandahár in Afghanistan and he was a Pathan (singular for Pashtún) belonged to the noble tribe of Buraich. He migrated to Lahore during the reign of the honourable Mughal kings and was given a place of high ranking within the Mughal court of Lahore. The Famous Sheesh Mahal was also owned by him. Later he settled in Delhi during that era he was awarded knighthood from the Mughal Empire and was deemed a warrior.

Hazrat Sa'ádat Yár Khan was sent to battle in Rawhilkand, after returning victoriously, he was made deputy for that vicinity. Now he had grown old and was ready to leave this mortal world for the hereafter.

Hazrat, Maulána Muhammad A'zam Ali Khan migrated to the town of Barelly. For some time he continued as his father had done working  as a minister for the Mughals and then totally distanced himself from all political activity and then engaged himself in worship and seclusion in Mi'umár in Barelly. Hazrat A'zam Khan's shrine is also found in this area.

Hazrat Maulána, Háfiz Kázim Khan was in charge of the tax office for the city of Badayún who had many workers who worked under his supervision. He was given eight villages as a gift from the Mughal Empire.

His Eminence, Most revered Saint of his time, Hazrat, Maulána, Shah Raza Ali Khan was a scholarly person, it was from this great personality that all political ties and employment under the Mughals would finish and the beginning of a new era of saintliness and holiness would begin with Sufism and the tradition of piety and worship. Before Hazrat Raza Ali Khan, their elders would essentially begin with service to the Mughal Empire and then later retire and turn towards a life of seclusion and worship but Hazrat Raza Ali Khan was the first to break away from the family tradition and adopt a lifestyle of the Sufis and there are many miracles attributed to him.

Haztat, Maulána Naqi Ali Khan became known amongst the high ranking scholars of his time. He gained his religious and spiritual training from his father. He was known for his art as a debater and a writer and he is remembered for his revivalistic approach in defence of the religion from the reformist movements.