THE REALITY OF BARELVISM

AN EXPOSITION OF THEIR BELIEFS, RITUALS, FITNA AND LIES AGAINST PURE ISLAM

The Barelvis are a deviant sect founded by one Ahmad Rida Khan from Bareilly, India. Its founder was born in
the year 1856 and died in the year 1921 CE. His father's name was Naqi Ali Khan and his grandfather's name
was Rida Ali Khan (Tadhkira Ulama-e-Hind, vol.1, p. 1). The Barelvi, Ahmad Rida Khan was named as Amman
Miyan by his mother while his father called him Ahmad Miyan. It was his grandfather who called him Ahmad Rida
(see the book: Al-Bareilawi, p. 25 by Naseem al-Bastawi ). He liked none of these names and personally called
himself Abdal Mustafa (see: Man huwa Ahmad Rida, by Shaja'at Ali al-Qadiri, p. 15). His most endeared followers
used to call him: A'la Hadrat (His esteemed Highness)!. They claim to be the only true Ahl-e-Sunnat wal Jamaat
(Sunni) in the whole of the Indian subcontinent, and the representatives of the Hanafi Madhhab in jurisprudence
(fiqh). In reality one can not fail to see the opposite on many occasions. This we hope to show with direct quotes
and examples from their own works and how it is in direct contradistinction from the Madhhab they claim to
follow.

AHAMD RIDA KHAN'S HARSHNESS

The author of Hayat Ala hadrat (p. 211) known as: Zafar al-Din Bihari said: "He was hard hearted and callous to
his opponents. He did not take any care required by the Sharia!"

His nephew Naseem al-Bastawi described him as follows: "In his young age he had deep brown colour, but
strenuous efforts changed his colour and removed the freshness in his face." (see his book: al-Bareilawi, p. 10)

The Barelvi was so harsh that even some of his followers left him. One of them was Muhammad Yasin, a founder
and manager of a Madrasa called Isha'at al-Ulum. He separated himself from the Barelvi's after a while. Yasin's
own father was involved with a Madrasa in Bareilly under the name of Misbah al-Tahdhib and he too severed
himself away from the Barelvi's due to their callousness, insolence and declaring Muslim scholars as unbelievers
- this is known as takfir (see Hayat ala hadrat, p. 211).

Let us provide some independent confirmation from a non-Deobandi and non-Barelvi source, but from an
Orientalist who wrote a few pages on the Barelvi-Deobandi conflict. The author, Barbara Daly Metcalf who visited
Deoband several times, as well as other seats of learning in India during the years 1969-1970 said in her book:
Islamic Revival in British India: Deoband, 1860-1900 (p. 312):

"A number of attempts to found schools seem to have faltered (i.e. Barelvi one's). In 1872 Ahmad Riza's father
founded a madrasah in Bareilly, the Misbahu't-Tahzib, but soon, with its name changed to the Misbahul-Ulum, it
came under Deobandi control, supported by substantial traders and patronized by Maulana Muhammad Ahsan
Nanawtawi. In 1894, another school was founded, the Isha'atul-Ulum, under the direction of Maulana
Muhammad Yasin Panjabi, a former student at Deoband. In 1909, however, when Yasin attended the huge
Deobandi convocation for former students, he began to drift away from belief in Ahmad Riza and back toward
the Deobandi's."

AHMAD RIDA KHAN THE INFALLIBLE "PROPHET"! FOR BARELVIS

They made him free from error and like the prophets of Allah (May Allah's peace and blessings be upon them
all)! One of them said: "The pen of Ahmad Rida and his tongue were immune from a slip, even from a point,
although it is an established fact that every scholar has a slip." (See Abdal Hakim Sharaf's, Yadi Ala hadrat, p.
32).

Another Barelvi fanatic said: "The Barelvi did not utter even a word from his tongue repugnant to the Sharia.
Allah has protected him from every lapse!!" (Intro to Fatawa Ridwiyya, 2/5, by Muhammad Asghar).

Another individual by the name of Anwar Rida said in his book Majmuah maqalat al-Barelviya (p. 223): "Since his
childhood Ahmad Rida has been protected from straying and error, and adherence to the straight path was
ingrained in his nature!!"

On page 271 he claimed further: "Allah protected his pen and tongue from error!" He went even further on p.
270 by saying: "Ala hadrat, the Barelvi, was in the hand of al-Ghawth al-Azam (Abdal Qadir al-Jilani) like a pen in
the writers hand, and al-Ghawth al-Azam was in the hand of the Prophet (may peace and blessings be upon him)
like a pen in the writer's hand, and the Prophet (may peace and blessings be upon him) does not speak of his
own passion in the presence of Allah."

So look to how these people lie and make their leader infallible like the Prophets! What is arrogance and
exaggeration if this is not? See how this "infallible" person was said to be absentminded at times as well below:

HIS ABSENTMINDEDNESS

One of his associates described his carelessness as follows: "It was the habit of the Barelvi that he wore glass's
when he wrote or read something, for his eyesight was weak, and he could not read or write without glasses.
During his leisure hours he lifted it from his eyes and placed it on his forehead. Once some persons came to him
when he was writing. He lifted his glasses and as usual placed it on his forehead; then he became busy with
talking to them. When he finished, he intended to write and searched for his glasses. He forgot that it was on his
forehead. For a while he was perplexed and remained inactive. When he suddenly wiped his face with his hand,
the glasses came down to his nose. Thereupon he remembered that he had kept it on his forehead!" (Hayat ala
hadrat, by Zafar al-Bihari, p. 64)

Another Barelvi, Anwar Rida records in his Majmuah maqalat al-Barelviya (p. 360) an incident where a meal was
placed before Ahmad Rida Khan consisting of bread and curry. He apparently ate the curry and drank the soup
but did not see the bread! When his poor wife asked him about it, he replied: "I did not see the bread!"

HIS DISRESPECT IN USING THE NAME AND QUALITIES OF ALLAHU TA'ALA WHEN ATTACKING
SOMEONE

He attacked the Deobandis by saying in nonsensical and unscholarly language: "A woman is capable of
committing fornication. Then according to the opinion of your leader and teacher, it is necessary that your God
too should be capable of committing fornication - otherwise the prostitutes of the brothers of the Deobandi's
would laugh at Him and say: 'How do you claim for Godhead? You are not capable of doing which even we can
do?' This naturally implies that your God must possess a female sexual organ - otherwise where will be the
sexual intercourse?" (Subhan al-Subbuh. P. 142)

May Allah save us from this sort of heinous and unscholarly language that is far from the ways of the rightly
guided Sunni path, and its terminology in talking about Allahu ta'ala - even when attacking someone.

THE BARELVI'S LOVE FOR RIDA KHAN WAS MORE THAN THEIR LOVE FOR THE GREAT SAHABA!!

The esteemed author of the Fatawa Rahimiyah (available in English under 3 volumes), Mufti Abdur Rahim Qadri
al-Lajpuri said (1/59, Q. no. 24) about the Barelvi sect: "They do not cherish as much reverence in their hearts
for the Holy Companions as they do for the founder of the Reza Khani sect, Maulana Ahmed Reza Khan."

We seek refuge in Allah from such crass beliefs. The real Sunni masses love all the Sahaba more than any
scholar or Wali after them all. If one was to peruse through the Barelvi literature one can not fail to notice how
they contradict not just the Madhhab they claim to follow in jurisprudence (fiqh) but also contradict the way of
the Sahaba on a number of occasions. We hope to prove and elaborate on this later if Allah wills.

AHMAD RIDA KHAN THE HUKKAH ADDICT!

It has been recorded that he used to smoke the Hukkah and offered it to his guests. He even said once that the
DEVIL was his companion when he smoked the hukkah and he and the devil smoked it by turns! See Hayat ala
hadrat (p. 67) and his Malfuzat for details. The Hanafi scholars had ruled to be Makruh (undesirable), while some
contemporary scholars have declared it to be haram (forbidden). See how the Barelvi imitated the ways of those
who cared little for following this fiqhi ruling on the avoidance of smoking tobacco.

AHMAD RIDA KHAN'S DECLARATION THAT THERE WAS NO JIHAD IN INDIA WHEN THE BRITISH
COLONIALISTS WERE RULING THE SUBCONTINENT

Just like the Qadiyani unbelievers, the leader of this innovatory sect, Ahmad Rida Khan declared that in the time
of British Imperialism in India, there was no Jihad against them! This led to his opponents to consider him to be a
supporter of the British and some went to the level of accusing him to be funded by the British, just like the
Qadiyani religion which emanated at the same time that Ahmad Rida Khan started his outbursts against all his
major opponents from various parts of India.

Ahmad Rida Khan said in his al-Mahajjat al-Mu'tamana (p. 208): "Jihad is not obligatory for us, the Muslims of
India, on the basis of the Qur'an. He who holds that it is obligatory is an opponent to the Muslims and intends to
harm them!"

Look to these words and see how it contradict the brave decision by thousands of Ulama who fought along with
ordinary Muslims against the British and their treacherous servants in India, in the year 1857 CE. This is well
known as the Mutiny of 1857 - and thousands of Ulama were slaughtered by the kuffar. See how Rida Khan is at
variance with these martyrs of Islam.

He also said in his book: Dawam al-Aish (p. 46): "Jihad and fighting are not binding on the Muslims of India!"

In fact one of his followers who wrote the introduction to the last named book (p. 18) admitted that: "The
Muslims harboured a bad faith about him."

Hasan Nizami in an article called Kitabi Dunya (p. 2) when referring to the introduction to Dawam al-Aish (p. 18)
said about Ahmad Rida Khan: "Most of his novices and followers separated from him for their disagreement with
him on the Khilafat Movement."

HIS EXAGGERATED LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT TO HIS FOLLOWERS

He exaggerated to the extent that he made a statement that his followers should strictly abide to his doctrines
and ideologies, to the extent of that which we expect Prophet's to make to their own Nations! His statements
have been collated by a Barelvi by the name of Hasnain Rida in a book entitled: Wasaya Sharif. Rida Khan said
to his followers as recorded in the Wasaya (p. 10):

"Hold fast to my faith and doctrine which is apparent from my works. Hold fast to it and remain honest to it, for
it is the most significant duty among the duties."

Does this not mean that following the views of the Barelvi are more important than the judgements deduced
from the sources of Islamic Law by the Imams of the Hanafi Madhhab he claimed to belong to? A number of his
views explicitly contradict the Hanafi Madhhab as we will show later if Allah wills. He expects his followers to
make taqleed (blind following) of him and his works!

He also said: "I do not know how long I shall live among you. You are the naive sheep of Mustafa (sallallahu
alaihi wa sallam) and the wolves have encompassed you from all sides. They want to lead you astray and create
schism and dissent among you. They wish to carry you to the hell-fire. So keep away from them, especially the
Deobandi's!" (Al-Bastawi in his al-Bareilawi, p. 105).

HE ASKED ALL HIS FOLLOWERS TO EAT SUMTUOS DISHES AND DONATE THE REWARD TO HIS POOR
SOUL AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE!

One of the most unusual and strange requests that he made to his followers is that he in direct opposition to the
Prophet's (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) Sunnah, and the method of all the Sahaba and the vast majority of the
scholars of Ahl-al-Sunnah wa'l Jama'ah declared:
"After my death if possible present (sura) Fatiha to me twice or thrice in a week and offer the following dishes:
ICED RICE PUDDING, EVEN IF IT IS MADE FROM THE MILK OF THE BUFFALO, BIRYANI RICE DISH OF THE
BUKHARAN TYPE, KEBABS, KOFTA, TABAQ, CREAM, BEANS, SAMOSA, APPLE JUICE, POMEGRANATE JUICE, A
BOTTLE OF WATER AND ICED MILK. IF IT IS POSSIBLE, YOU MAY PRESENT THIS OFFERING EVERYDAY, EVEN A
DISH OF THEM - OTHERWISE AS YOU LIKE."

Just reading these words brings an emotion of laughter to the soul. They call this Isale-e-Sawab: Donating
rewards to a deceased soul. But where in Islam does this strange and hilarious method emanate from? Great
scholars have explained the Fiqh of Isale-e-Sawab and its correct methodology, but see how the Barelvi's
exaggerate. What kind of Muslim would make such a last request? We have never heard any one from the early
Muslim generations make such a dastardly request and also expect people to eat and spend on extravagant
dishes - just for the soul of some individual! May Allah save us from extravagance and contradiction of the
Shariah.

AHMAD RIDA KHAN'S SELF-PRAISING ARROGANCE AND HIS FOLLOWERS EXCESSIVE EXAGGERATION
OF THEIR LEADER.

Again he raised his rank to a great Prophet by saying about himself: "I am the monarch of the domain of speech.
The people should accept whatever I say." (Quoted by Anwar Rida al-Barelvi in Hadaiqi Bakhshish, which is a
collection of the Barelvi's poems, p. 319).

In his Sharh al-Huquq (p. 8) Rida Khan said about himself: "My breast is the bag of learning. Whenever I was
asked about anything I replied to it immediately - be it concerned with any Science."

He said with respect to Shaykh Abdal Qadir al-Jilani: "I am the dog of Ghawth-i-Azam, and his necklace is in my
neck." (Poem in Hadaiqi Bakshish)

He asked Shaykh Abdal Qadir for direct help in the following words: "O Helper, all the saints of the world go
around the Noble House of Allah, but the Ka'ba itself goes around your exalted gate.." (Poem in Hadaiqi
Bakhshish)

Hasnain Rida al-Barelvi went so far as to claim that: "No versatile scholar like him is found in the last two
centuries!" (Wasaya al-Bareilawi, p. 24).

Ayyub Ali al-Barelvi said about Rida Khan with great exaggeration which some wouldn't hesitate to declare as
Shirk the following in his Nafkhatal-Ruh (p. 5):

"He is the fulfiller of needs, remover of the calamities, obviator of difficulties, supplier of the water of Kawthar,
the master of the grave, resurrection and congregation. He is the helper, the Pole of the Saints, the Successor of
Mustafa (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), the Khidr of the se of guidance, the donator and the sustainer." May Allah
save us from their lies!

Another claimed in the introduction to the fourth volume of Fatawa Ridwiyya: "He was the Abu Hanifah of his
time!"

AHMAD RIDA KHAN'S ENCOUNTER WITH PROSTITUTES

Badr al-Din al-Barelvi in his Sawanih ala hadrat (p. 110) related the following story: "The Barelvi saw some
prostitutes on the way during his childhood. He lifted his shirt and put it on his eyes to veil (himself) from them.
When his shirt was raised he became naked. Thereupon the prostitutes laughed at him, and said: 'You covered
your face and disclosed your private parts.' He replied: 'When the eyes slip, the hearts go astray; when the heart
goes astray, the private parts are exposed!" They say that he was thirteen and a half years old at that time.

AHMAD RIDA KHAN, HIS FOLLOWERS, AND CALLING ON OTHER THAN ALLAH FOR DIRECT HELP AND
GRAVE WORSHIP - AN EXPOSITION AND HOW IT CONTRADICTS THE HANAFI MADHHAB
By seeking help from Allah we understand it to be the greatest form of Worship. Worship consists of the
obligatory prayer and valid forms of making supplication to Allahu ta'ala without joining partners with him. The
soul purpose of Worship is to please Allahu ta'ala and fulfil his commands. Ultimately, if one wishes to have his
desires fulfilled then one should only believe that only Allahu ta'ala can help. The Barelvi's call it a form of
mediation (Tawassul) - but the Ahl-e-Sunnah and among them the Hanafi Madhab and its evidences disgrace
them and expose them as following the way of polytheists. Let us start quoting from the Barelvi sources first to
expose their deviance and contradiction of the Shariah texts.

Ahmad Rida Khan said: "The order of the Helpers of the people (ghawth) and of those who are called for help
begins from Ali, ending at al-Hasan al-Askari, the eleventh Imam of the Shia." (See the Malfuzat of the Barelvi).

He said in al-Amn wal-ala (p. 12-13): "Ali removes calamity and obliterates misery from him who recites the well
known Saifi supplication, 7 or 3 times, or only once. This supplication is as follows: ..." .

This is the same method that some of the most deviant groups like the Shia ask help from Hadrat Ali, radiallahu
anhu - who is free from these lies attributed to him.

Rida Khan said in his Hayat al-Mawat as found in his Fatawa (4/300): "Seeking help and aid from anyone besides
Allah is lawful and desired."

He said in his Malfuzat (p. 99): "Jibrail is the supplier of the needs, and the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi
wa sallam) is the supplier of the needs, for the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) fulfils the needs of Jibrail
too."

AL-SALAT AL-GHAWTHIYYA

One of the fanatical Barelvi's by the name of Ahmad Yar Khan described an innovatory Salat known to them as
Salat al-Ghawthiyya in his book Ja'al Haqq (p. 200). This prayer was obviously unknown to Shaykh Abdal Qadir
al-Jilani. These people stop at nothing in their opposition to authentic methods of du'a. It is observed by first
performing 2 rak'ahs of Salah and then the devotee stands in the direction of Baghdad and takes 11 steps
towards it! As the Barelvi follower does so he has to recite the following supplication: "Can a wrong be done to
me while you are my ammunition? Can I be oppressed in the world while you are my helper? Shame to the
protector of the land while he is my helper, when the rope of my camels are lost in the desert."

Many Barelvi's follow the innovatory and Shirk supplication made by Rida Khan in his Hadaiq Bakhshish. He used
to say (p. 186): "O Shade of the deity of Shaykh Abdal Qadir, give me something for Allah's sake, Shaykh Abdal
Qadir! Affection, affection, O affectionate Abdal Qadir. Remove from us the vicissitudes of time, O Abdal Qadir."

The Barelvi used to avoid asking Allahu ta'ala for help! He said in his Malfuzat (p. 307): "During my life I did not
seek help from anyone, and I do not ask anyone for aid except Shaykh Abdal Qadir. Whenever I seek help, I seek
it only from him. Whenever I ask for aid, I ask him alone. Once I tried to ask for aid and seek help from another
saint (hadrat Mahbub Ilahi). When I intended to utter his name for seeking help, I did not utter the words but Ya
Ghauthan (the one whose help is sought). My tongue refused to utter the words for seeking help from anyone
except him!"

He continued his lies against Shaykh Abdal Qadir al-Jilani by saying in his Hadaiq Bakhshish (p. 26): "Shaykh
Abdal Qadir has the power of disposition in the universe. He has been granted permission and he has the
authority. He is the conductor of the affairs of the world."

He said further in the same book (pp. 125-126): "O Shade of Allah, Abdal Qadir. O place of refuge, Abdal Qadir.
We are needy and indigent. You are the possessor of crown and integrity. Give me something for Allah's sake,
Shaykh Abdal Qadir!"

On page 184 he lied further by saying: "The cushion of Abdal Qadir has been spread on the Throne, and the
Throne has been brought down on earth!" On page 179 he claimed: "Shaykh Abdal Qadir is the helper who has
the power of the word Kun fa yakun (Be and It is)."

A Barelvi by the name of Ayyub Ali said in his book: Bagh Firdaus (p. 26): "Shaykh Jilani is the helper of the
helpers. He has the right of consolidation in the guarded tablet. He has the power of turning a woman into a
man."
THEIR ERRONEOUS BELIEFS ABOUT THE POWER OF DEAD SAINTS

We don't deny that Allahu ta'ala blessed his Awleyaa with Karamaat that happened in ther life time to show their
merit for being pious and obdient for Allah's commands, but the way that these Barelvis explain Karamat is
though it is unlimited power like Allahu ta'ala has in the hands of the saints.

Ahmad Rida said in his Barakat al-Istimdad (p. 35): "The domain of a saint (badal) is from heaven to earth, while
the domain of a gnostic (arif) extends from the Throne to the earth."

In the same book (p. 340 he claimed: "The order of the Universe is established through the agency of the
saints!"

In his al-Amn wa'l-Ula (p. 24) he claimed: "The saints give life to the dead, heal up the born blind and the leper,
and cover the whole earth by a single pace."

On page 102 he went further in his lies by saying: "No period of time is free from a saint who provides aid, and
the heaven and earth stand through him alone." .We seek refugee of Allah from this extreme Shirk (polytheism)
believed by Barelvis !!.