World’s 500 Most Influential Muslims: Mufti Akhtar Raza Khan

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Mufti Muhammad Akhtar Raza
Khan Qaadiri Al Azhari​

Barelwi Leader and Spiritual Guide​

Country: ​

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India​

Date of Birth: ​

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23 November 1943​

Source of Influence: ​

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Administrative,
Scholarly​

Influence: ​

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Approximately 2 million​

Barkatiya ​

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Barelwis worldwide​

School of Thought: ​

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Traditional Sunni,
Hanafi, Sufi​

Rank: ​

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2010:26​

Mufti Muhammad Akhtar Raza Khan is the
leader of the Indian Barelwis and considered
by his followers as the Grand Mufti of
India. He is the great-grandson of Ahmed
Raza Khan (d. ​

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1921), who founded the
Barelwi movement in South Asia.​

Scholarly Lineage​

Mufti Akhtar Raza was ordained at the age
of ​

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20 by his predecessor Mufti Mustafa Raza
Khan. He was subsequently granted permission
to lead the Qaadriya, Barakaatiyah,​

and ​

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Nooriyah Sufi orders in India. He was
also appointed to the position of Muslim
Chief Justice of India in 2006.​

Dynamic Mufti​

Mufti Akhtar Raza is esteemed for his extensive
collection of English-language rulings,
the ​

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Azharul Fatawa. He became involved in
issuing Islamic rulings from the age of 17​

and is noted for having issued over ​

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5,000​

rulings since attaining leadership as mufti.​

Spiritual Tradition​

The Barelwis are an apolitical Sufi community
based in a volatile region where
religion has been used as a platform for violence—
despite this, it thrives as a socially
engaged mystical movement. A missionary
movement, the Barelwis have spread their
message within South Asia and also among
diaspora communities. This group is distinct
from Deobandi Muslims—who practice​

a more conservative brand of Islam.

http://www.rissc.jo/docs/0A-FullVersion-LowRes.pdf

 

A list of the most influential Sunnis would be nice...what would be more revealing would be a list of the most active and productive Sunnis...people who do real work...

In such a listing Hazrat Ameer e Ahle Sunnat would surely be near the top...

 

Ameer-e-eAhleSunnath Moulana Ilyas Attar Qadri is also in the list

 

Bro Abu Hasan......you have taken the words right out of my mouth. I am totally in agreement with you on this. JZK.

 

sunnis should always protest when they are labeled as barelwis - as a group. alahazrat or mawlana akhtar raza are barelwis because they are from bareilly. but they are essentially sunni ulama.

unlike deobandis who used to call themselves ulama e deoband (until fairly recently when the modern followers erased that to include 'ahl e sunnah'), our ulama always insisted that we are ahl e sunnat.

----
wa billahi't tawfiq.

 

World’s 500 Most Influential Muslims: Mufti Akhtar Raza Khan

RISSC describes 63-year-old Mufti Muhammad Akhtar Raza Khan Qaadiri Al Azhari as Grand Mufti of India, Barelwi Leader and Spiritual Guide. His influence, RISSC says, is among approximately 2 million Barkatiya Barelwis worldwide. His school of thought is traditional Sunni, Hanafi, Sufi. Mufti Muhammad Akhtar Raza Khan is the leader of the Indian Barelwis and considered by his followers as the Grand Mufti of India. He is the great-grandson of Ahmed Raza Khan (d. 1921), who founded the Barelwi movement in South Asia

http://www.twocircles.net/2010aug23/world_s_500_most_influential_muslims_mufti_akhtar_raza_khan_mahmood_madani_badruddin_ajmal