Imām Ahmad Razā and his poetry: on the major Islamic theological disputes in British India

Mohammad, Nadir (2023). Imām Ahmad Razā and his poetry: on the major Islamic theological disputes in British India. University of Birmingham. M.A.

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Abstract

Imām Ahmad Razā Khān Qādirī (1856-1921 CE) of Bareilly, fondly referred to as A‘lā Hazrat (Grand Master) by his devotees, was a Muftī (Islamic jurist), ‘Ālim (scholar), Sufī (mystic), Shā‘ir (poet) and master of many other disciplines who emerged as a central figure for the Ahl-e-Sunnat movement (commonly known as the ‘Barelwīs’) during British India. He played a pioneering role in countering the theological beliefs of other movements that emerged in this period from amongst the Muslims of India, including the Ahl-e-Hadīth, De-obandī and Qādiyānī movements. It is for this reason that he was regarded by his devotees as a mujaddid – a reviver of Islam that emerges each century to purify the religion back to its most pristine state and preserve the religion against heresies. In western academia, Imām Ahmad Razā’s historical significance has previously been explored scarcely and been limited to biographical accounts and references to a handful of his books and fatāwa (legal verdicts). A focus on his role as a poet is almost non-existent. Imām Ahmad Razā’s devotional poetry, found in the collection Hadāiq-e-Bakhshish, was an instrumental tool in launching his theological defence and disseminating what he considered as the true beliefs of Islam. This is the first study that focusses on Imām Ahmad Razā’s significance as a poet, the theological concepts found in his poetry and the role it played in defending against opposition from other religious movements in British India. It attempts to answer the question: What role did Imām Ahmad Razā’s poetry play in a period where the Ahl-e-Sunnat’s theological beliefs were challenged by other reform movements in British India?

Type of Work:

Thesis (Masters by Research > M.A.)

Award Type:

Masters by Research > M.A.

Supervisor(s):