Ahl-i Hadith

This article is about the modern South Asian movement. For the early Islamic movement and theological school, seeAhl al-Hadith.

Ahl-i-HadithorAhl-e-Hadith(Urdu:اہلِ حدیث,people ofhadith) is aSalafireform movement that emerged inNorth Indiain the mid-nineteenth century from the teachings ofSayyid Ahmad Shahid,Syed Nazeer Husainand NawabSiddiq Hasan Khan.It is an offshoot of the 19th-century Indian Tariqah-i-Muhammadiya movement tied to the 18th-century traditions ofShah Waliullah Dehlawiand theWahhabi movement.The adherents of the movement described themselves variously as "Muwahideen"and as"Ahl e-Hadith."

Initially coterminous with the so-called (Indian) "Wahhabis", the movement emerged as a distinct group around 1864, having claimed the appellation of "Ahl-i Hadith"to highlight its commitment to the body ofḥadīth—statements attributed toMuhammad,validated through chains of transmission—and itspolitical quietism.The movement was noteworthy for its robust opposition to practices associated with the veneration of saints, which they regarded as a breach of the doctrine ofTawḥīd(Islamic monotheism).Its adherents profess to hold the same views as those of the earlyAhl al-Hadithschool.They rejecttaqlid(following legal precedent) and favourijtihad(independent legal reasoning) based on the scriptures.Today, the terms "Salafi"and"Ahl-i Hadith"are often used interchangeably, the movement shares doctrinal tendencies with theHanbalischoolprevalent in theArabian Peninsula,and many of its members have identified themselves with theZahirischool of thought.Some believe it possesses some notable distinctions from the mainlyArabSalafis.

Holding considerable influence amongst the urban Islamic intellectual circles of South Asia, theAhl-i Hadithconsolidated themselves into the All IndiaAhl-i-HadithConference in 1906and, inPakistan,formed a political wing in theJamiat Ahle Hadithin 1986.The movement has drawn support and funding fromSaudi Arabia.

History

Origins

See also:Ibn Taymiyyah,Shah Waliullah Dehlawi,Shah Abdul Aziz Dehlavi,Mughal Empire,British Conquest of Delhi (1803),andSayyid Ahmad Shahid

ImamShah Waliullah Dehlawi(1703 - 1762 C.E) is considered as the intellectual fore-forefather of theAhl-i-Hadith.After hisPilgrimagetoMecca,Shah Waliullah Dehlawi spent 14 months inMedina,studyingQur'an,Hadithand works of the classical Hanbali theologianIbn Taymiyya(d. 728 A.H/ 1328 C.E) under thehadithscholarMuhammad Tahir al-Kurani, the son ofIbrahim al-Kurani.Upon return to India, he preachedTawhidand a return to theSunnah,and claimedIjtihadjust like Ibn Taymiyya.Shah maintained thatIjtihadis essential forMuslim scholarsfor all ages since cognizance of Divine injunctions related to the novel issues of each era is obligatory. He also opposed various rituals of saint veneration and customs at saint's tombs which he held to be idolatrous.Shah's campaigns againstbid'ah(religious innovations), emphasis onIjtihadas well as his political activities were immensely influenced by Ibn Taymiyya. His precepts for reviving anIslamic Caliphatemodelled on theKhulafa al-Rashidunas elucidated in his treatises likeIzalat al-Khifa,Qurrat al-'Aynayn,etc. echoed the doctrines propounded by Ibn Taymiyya during the 14th/7th century.

After the death of his father,Shah 'Abd al-Azizcontinued the works of Shah Waliullah. He was aMuhaddithwho emphasized the importance ofHadithwith students all across the subcontinent. As a teacher, preacher and social religious-reformer, Shah 'Abd al-Aziz was closely monitoring the socio-political developments in the subcontinent.Britishwere gaining ascendancy in India by capturing power inBengal,BiharandOrissa.In 1799, British defeated theKingdom of Mysorein theFourth Anglo-Mysore War.When the British armies enteredDelhi in 1803,theMughal Empirewas turned into aprotectorateofBritish East India Company,thus gaining political supremacy in the subcontinent. Upon this, Shah 'Abd al-Aziz declared a decisivefatwadeclaring India to beDar-al Harb(abode of war). This was the first significantfatwaagainst colonial rule in the subcontinent that gave an indirect call toSouth AsianMuslimsto fight colonial occupation and liberate the country.This decisivefatwaby Shah Waliullah's eldest son and successor, Shah 'Abd al Azeez, calling upon Muslims to strive to restore India back toIslamic rule,would greatly inspire his studentSayyid Ahmed Shahidand motivate him to plan for futureJihad.After a brief period as a mercenary, Sayyid Ahmad would further pursue his religious studies and re-appeared as an eminent religious scholar and a visionary leader, gaining many disciples. He came to be widely identified as the inheritor of Shah Waliullah's mantle and numerousSunni Muslimsvolunteered to join his cause.

Indian Jihad Movement

See also:Shah Ismail Dehlvi,Wahhabi Movement,Company rule in India,Sikh Empire,Raja Ranjit Singh,andBattle of Balakot

Under these circumstances the call toJihadagainstBritish rulebegan becoming popular amongst the Muslim masses.Shah Ismail Dehlvi,the nephew of Shah 'Abd al-Aziz and grandson of Shah Waliullah, would lead areligious revivalistmovement. In addition to being an excellent orator, he was also a soldier and military commander. Shah Muhammad Ishaq, the grandson of Shah 'Abd al-Aziz would continue his religious reform after Abdul Aziz's death in 1823. Maulana Abdul Haie, son-in-law of Shah 'Abd al-Aziz was also a reputed scholar. These three theologians prepared the spadework ofTariqah-i-Muhammadiyya,the reform movement that would be known as the Indian "Wahhabi movement". During his last years, Shah 'Abd al-Aziz would give his cloak to Syed Ahmed Bareilly appointing him as his successor.Sayyid Ahmedwould campaign against the corruption of variousSufiorders,and initiate his disciples intoTariqah-i-Muhammadiya( "Muhammadiyya Order" ). The disciples in this order were required to make a vow that they will strictly abide byShariaand would not follow anything not proven byQur'anandHadith.

One of the prominent disciples of Sayyid Ahmed was Wilayat Ali Khan, a student ofHajjiAbdul Haq ofBenares;popularly known as the "NejdiSheikh".Abdul Haq was an Islamic scholar who spent years studying in the remote Central Arabian Province of Nejd, the seat of theWahhabimovement. Upon his return, he preached many of its militant ideals and had already established Wahhabi doctrines in South Asia before Sayyid Ahmad'sHajjin 1821.'Abd al-Haqq would later become a member ofTariqah-i Muhammadiyaand join Sayyid Ahmad'sHajjtoHejazin 1821 along with his disciple Wilayat Ali. Unlike other members of the group, 'Abd al-Haqq travelled toYemento study under the theologianMuḥammad b. ʿAlī al-Shawkānī(d. 1834) and would become greatly influential in shaping the teachings ofAhl-i Hadith.Meanwhile Wilayat Ali Khan, being a disciple of both Sayyid Ahmad and the Najdi Sheikh, emerged as an important leader of Indian "Wahhabi" movement and its military campaigns ofJihad.

In 1821, Syed Ahmad embarked on a journey for Hajj in Hejaz accompanied by Shah Ismail Dehlvi and Maulana Abdul Haie with 400 disciples. They performed Hajj in 1823 (1237 A.H) and stayed in Hejaz for 8 months. Shah Ismail and Abdul Haie authored theArabicbook "Sirat e Mustaqim"to callArabsto theirreformativemovement. They returned home in 1824. The three scholars then charted a strategic plan to wage Jihad against the colonial occupation across India. Many parts of the subcontinent became recruitment centres for theMujahideen.When hisPathandisciples offered him territory, Syed Ahmed set-up theNorth West Frontier Provinceas the operations headquarters for the future "Wahhabite" Jihad in 1826 to re-take the subcontinent from the British. However this put theMujahideeninto conflict with theSikh empire.In January 1827, Syed Ahmed was elected asImamandAmir-ul-Mu'mineen(commander of faithful) by religious scholars and tribal chiefs. Soon war broke out between Sikhs and "Wahhabi" Mujahideen.

On 24 February 1828, one of the three leaders of Jihad, Maulvi Abdul Haei, the chief advisor to Syed Ahmed died as an old and ailing person. In his letters to Sikh rulerRanjit Singh,Syed Ahmed clarified that he didn't seek a confrontation withSikhs,but only their help in defeating the British. Ranjit Singh, for his part, respected Syed Ahmed as a "courageous, bold and determined person". By 1830, many Pathan tribal chiefs rose against the WahhabiMujahideenand committed massacres against the Wahhabi emigrants. Disillusioned by this, Syed Ahmed lost interest in the movement and made plans to migrate to Arabia. However, senior advisors such as Shah Ismail opposed the idea and sought to complete the objectives of the movement, despite the setbacks.

On 17 April 1831, Syed Ahmed set out on his last journey forBalakotwith the aim to captureKashmir,accompanied by Shah Ismail. A Pashtun chieftain named Zabardast Khan who made a secret deal with the Sikh commanderSher Singhwithheld promised reinforcements. On 6 May 1831, an army of 10,000Mujahideenfaced a strong force of 12,000 Sikh soldiers led by Sher Singh. On that day Syed Ahmed, Shah Ismail and prominent leaders of the Wahhabi movement fell fighting in the battlefield. Sikh victory at Balakot arose jubilation inLahore.The defeat at Balakot made a devastating blow to the Wahhabi movement.

After the death and defeats of both Sayyid Ahmed Shahid and Shah Ismail Dehlwi; many of his followers continued the Jihad movement across South Asia. Others became the followers of Shah Muhammad Ishaq (1778–1846 C.E), the grandson of Shah 'Abd al-Azeez and head of theMadrasa Rahimiyyain Delhi. Some of the disciples of Shah Muhammad Ishaq would formally establish theAhl-i Hadithmovement.

Establishment ofAhl-i Hadith

Nawab Siddiq Hasan Khan(1832–1890), one of the founders ofAhl-i Hadithmovement was influenced by Yemeni scholarAl-Shawkani

See also:Sayyid Siddiq Hasan Khan,Sayyid Nazeer Hussain Dehlawi,Muhammad Hussain Batalvi,andBritish Raj

In the mid-nineteenth century, an Islamic religious reform movement was started in Northern India that continued theTariqah-i-Muhammadiyyamovement. It rejected everything introduced intoIslamafterQur'an,Sunnah,Hadithand the early eras.This was led byNawab Siddiq Hasan KhanofBhopal(1832–1890) whose father became a Sunni convert under the influence of Shah 'Abd al-Aziz (1746–1824) andSyed Nazir Husain(1805–1902) who was a student of Muhaddith Shah Muhammad Ishaq (1782–1846), the grandson of Shah 'Abd al-Aziz and hisKhalifa(successor). With the aim of restoring Islamic unity and strengthening Muslim faith, they called for a return to original sources of religion,"Qur'an and Hadith"and eradicate what they perceived asbid‘ah(innovations),shirk(polytheism), heresies and superstitions.

Siddiq Hasan’s father Sayyid Awlad Hasan was a strong supporter ofSayyid Ahmad Shahidand had accompanied him toAfghanistaninKhyber Pakhtunkhwato participate in his famousJihadmovement.Another major source of influence on Khan was the "NajdiSheikh"'Abd al-Haqq Benarasi who had returned fromYemenand became the first scholar to teach the doctrines of Yemeni theologianAl-Shawkaniin South Asia. Benarasi was Khan's Hadith master in Delhi; teaching him doctrines such as rejection ofshirk,bid'ah,Taqlid,etc. and became influential in laying the doctrinal foundations of the laterAhl-i Hadith.Khan also had studied under the tutelage of other notable students of Shawkani such as Nāṣir al-Ḥāzimī, ʿAbd al-Qayyūm Buḍhānawī and the Bhopali scholar Ḥusayn b. Muḥsin al-Yamanī.

Syed Nazeer Husain from Delhi and Siddiq Hasan Khan of Bhopal drew primarily on the work of hadith scholars from Yemen in the early years of the movement, reintroducing the field into the Indian subcontinent. Their strong emphasis on education and book publishing has often attracted members of the social elite both in South Asia and overseas.Alongside the Yemeni reformers, the teachings ofShāh Muḥammad Ismāʿīl Dehlvi(1779–1832 C.E) also became highly important inAhl-i Hadithcircles. Shah Muhammad's ground-breaking theological works likeTaqwiyat al-īmān(Strengthening of the Faith),al-Ṣirāṭ al-Mustaqīm(The Straight Path),Yak Rūzī(One Dayer), etc. elucidated the core doctrines of theAhl-i Hadithmovement. All these works called upon the believers to uphold the principle ofTawhid(montheism), and condemned various practices associated withsaint-venerations, visitations to tombs,Sufirituals, etc. asshirk(polytheism).

Following the teachings of Shah Ismail,Ahl-i Hadithalso rejectedTaqlidto works of classicalSunniFiqh(jurisprudence) and believed in direct understanding ofQur'anandHadith.Due to their connections with Shah Ismail and Sayyid Ahmad'sJihadmovement,Ahl-i Hadithwere considered as "Wahhabi" conspirators by the British administration. Theanti-colonialactivism ofAhl-i Hadithreligious reformers as well as their sympathies for Jihad made them the primary target more than any otherreformmovement. For theBritish imperialstatesmen, their endeavours were part of a wider "Wahhabi" conspiracy. Apart from the British, manyHanafitescholars also were critical of Sayyid Ahmad and his followers.Throughout the 19th century,Ahl-i Hadithscholars were persecuted under various pretexts during the "Wahhabi trails" (of 1850s–1870s). Eventually the leaders of the movement sought pragmatic accommodation with theBritish Rajin order to stop the repression campaign against Wahhabis. Upon the petition ofAhl-i-HadithscholarMuhammad Hussain Batalvito theBritish Indian Administration,the government of India issued a notification in 1886, stopping the use of the term "Wahhabi" in official correspondence. In a victory to reform movement, the government conceded to referring the community as "Ahl-i Hadith".

University of Parispolitical scientistAntoine Sfeirhas referred to the movement as having an elitist character which perhaps contributes to their status as a minority in South Asia.Folk Islamand Sufism, commonly popular with the poor and working class in the region, are anathema toAhl-i Hadithbeliefs and practices. This attitude toward Sufism has brought the movement into conflict with the rivalBarelvimovement even more so than the Barelvis perennial rivals, theDeobandis.

In the 1920s, the Ahl-i Hadith opened a center for their movement inSrinagar.Followers of theHanafischool of law, forming the majority of Muslims inJammu and Kashmir,socially boycotted and physically attackedAhl-i Hadithfollowers, eventually declaring such followers to beapostatesand banning them from praying in mainstream mosques.From the 1930s the group also began to be active in the political realm ofPakistan,withEhsan Elahi Zaheerleading the movement into a full foray in the 1970s, eventually gaining the movement a network of mosques and Islamic schools.Following other South Asian Islamic movements, theAhl-i Hadithnow also administer schools and mosques in the English-speaking world. In the modern era, the movement draws both inspiration and financial support fromSaudi Arabia,now being favoured over the rival Deobandi movement as a counterbalance to Iranian influence.

Tenets

See also:Salafism,Tawhid,Ijtihad,Taqlid,andMadhab

Its adherents opposeTaqlid.They reject being bound by the four mainstream Islamic jurisprudentialMad'habs,and the fourImams.Hence they are known as ghair muqallidīn (non-conformists). They repudiate the traditions of the schools of jurisprudence and consider it permissible to seek guidance directly fromQur'anand authenticHadith.This set them in opposition to the Sufi sects of the subcontinent with whom they often have arguments, and they disagree with followers of theHanafischool of thought due to jurisprudential differences.Classical treatises ofHanbalitheologian Ahmad ibn Taymiyya constitute one of the most important doctrinal references of theAhl-i Hadith.These works were introduced to them under the influence of prominent Yemeni traditionalist scholarMuhammad al-Shawkani.

Ahl-i-Hadithmovement continues the reform tradition of Shah Waliullah Dehlawi (1703–1762) whom the adherents regard as its first modern member. They also draw upon the teachings of his sonShah 'Abd al-Aziz Muhaddith Dehlavi,his followerSyed Ahmed Barelvi,and the YemeniteQadiMuhammad al-Shawkani(whom they regard asShaykh al-Islam). Siddiq Hasan Khan's father studied under Shah Abd al-Aziz and Syed Nazir Husain was a student of the Muhaddith Shah Muhammad Ishaq, a grandson of Shah Waliullah Dehlawi.Due to their reliance on theQur'anandHadithonly and their rejection ofQiyas(analogical reasoning) inIslamic law,the modern-dayAhl-i Hadithare often compared to the olderZahirischool ofFiqh(Islamic law),with which the Ahl-i Hadith consciously identify themselves.

Shah Ismail Dehlvi's bookTaqwiyat-ul-Imanis viewed as the manifesto of theAhl-i-Hadithmovement. In it he emphasised on thepristine monotheismof Islam and condemned what he viewed as heretic un-Islamic customs that violatedTawhid.Such customs included celebration of death anniversary ofAwliyaa(Saints), asking their mercy or invoking Allah's blessing through them.Ahl-i Hadithcondemned practices such as visiting the Prophet's grave and various customs related to saint veneration fervently, in a tone which rivaled in intensity to that of theArabianMuwahhidunmovement.

While their educational programs tend to include a diverse array of Muslim academic texts, few adherents of the movement ascribe themselves to oneschoolof Muslimjurisprudence,placing a greater emphasis on personal responsibility to derive judgments and ritual practice.While the movement's figureheads have ascribed to theZahiritelegal school, with a great number of them preferring the works of Yemeni scholarMuhammad al-Shawkani,the generality of the movement is described as respecting all Sunni schools of Islamic law while preferring to take directly from the Qur'an,prophetic traditionand'Ijma(consensus) of the early generations of Muslims.While the movement has been compared toSalafist movementin Arab nations and been branded asWahhabistby the opposingBarelwimovement,theAhl-i Hadithremain similar to yet distinct from Salafists.

According to Islamic scholarMuhammad Asadullah al-Ghalib,the aim and objective of theAhl-i Hadithmovement is:

"To earn the satisfaction ofAllahby preaching and establishing unmixed Tawheed and by following properly theKitabandSunnahin all spheres of life. The social and political aim of Ahle Hadeeth Movement is to make all out reforms of the society through the reforms ofAqeedahandAmal."

Practices

See also:Islamic jurisprudence

Like otherIslamic reformmovements, theAhl-i Hadithare distinguished by certain common features and beliefs. The men tend to have a particular style of untrimmed beard often considered a visual indicator. In regard to ritual acts of'Ibadah(Islamic acts of worship), the movement's practices are noticeably different from theHanafimadh'hab(legal school) which predominates in South Asia; the men hold their hands above the navel when lined up for congregational prayer, raise them to the level of their heads before bowing, and say "Ameen" out loud after the prayer leader.Ahl-i Hadithcall for a return to the first principles and for a revival of "the original simplicity and purity tofaithand practices. "They are also opposed to foreign customs and beliefs that crept into Muslim societies as well as foreign philosophical thoughts and Sufi mystical concepts such asMa'rifat.The movement also distinguished itself from theWahhabimovement, which followed theHanbalilegal school and its rulings, while theAhl-i Hadithadherents considered themselves as following no singlemadh'hab(legal school).

Breaking with the dominant Hanafi andSuficustoms, they also emphasise the fraternity and equality of all Muslims; such as permittingMuslim womento pray inMasjids,addressing theKhutbah(Friday sermons) to both villagers and city-dwellers in the native languages, makingdivorceprocedure easy and accessible to women, rejectingtriple Talaq,authorising marriage contracts between poor and affluent classes of the society, etc. Other key themes include living a pious and disciplined life by working hard; and attainment ofIhsan(spiritual perfection) through virtuous deeds. While the movement became popular amongst the affluent urban classes, it also has considerable sway in the rural regions.

According to Professor Abdul Ali, former chairman and Director of the Department ofIslamic Studies,Aligarh Muslim University:

"TheAhl-i-Hadith movementwas inspired by the school of thought ofShah Wali Allahof Delhi, who in the eighteenth century, imparted renewed emphasis on the study ofHadith,and raised his voice against the principle oftaqlidin legal matters by justifying the principle ofijtihad,which gave Hadith the right of primacy over the rulings of the juristic schools. This particular trend in Shah Wali Allah's thought became the starting point ofAhl-i-Hadithmovement... TheAhl-i-Hadithmovement which was started in India in the nineteenth century was quite different from that ofWahhabism,because it drew its inspiration not fromMuhammad bin 'Abd al-WahhabofNajdbut from his Indian contemporary Shah Waliullah of Delhi. At the same time... both these movements had some elements of religious purification in their rejection oftaqlidand innovation. "

Relations with other Reform Movements

With Wahhabi Movement

Further information:Relations with the Wahhabi movement

TheWahhabi movementwas a revivalist movement that emerged in theArabian Peninsulain the 18th century, and sharedreformist,traditionalistheritage ofAhl-i Hadith.During the late 19th century, Wahhabi scholars would establish contacts withAhl-i-Hadithand many Wahhabi students would travel to South Asia to study under theAhl-i-Hadithulama,and later became prominent scholars in the Arabian Wahhabi establishment.

Both the Wahhabis andAhl-i-Hadithshared a common creed, opposed Sufi practices such as visiting shrines, seeking aid (istigatha) from dead'Awliya(Islamic saints), etc. Both the movements revived the teachings of the medieval Sunni theologian and jurist, Ibn Taymiyya, whom they considered as "Shaykh al-Islam".With the resources of Muslimprincipality of Bhopalat his disposal,MuhaddithNawab Siddiq Hasan Khanbecame a strong advocate theAhl-i-Hadithcause in India. Suffering from the instabilities of 19th-century Arabia, many Wahhabiulemawould make their way to India and study underAhl-i-Hadithpatronage. ProminentSaudischolars like Hamad ibn 'Atiq would make correspondence with Siddiq Hasan Khan; requesting him to send various classical works, due to scarcity of classical treatises amongst the 19th-century Najdi scholars. He would send his eldest son, Sa'd ibn Atiq, to India to study under Siddiq Hasan Khan as well asSayyid Nazir Hussainfor over nine years. Sa'd ibn Atiq would become a major scholarly authority in theThird Saudi State.He was appointed byIbn Saudas theqadiofRiyadhas well as theImamofGrand Mosque of Riyadgiving him great influence in the educational system. Amongst his students wasAbd al-Aziz Ibn Baz,who was highly influenced by the IndianAhl-i-Hadith.Another son of Sa'd Ibn Atiq as well as other prominent Najdi scholars fromAl Ash-Shaykhwould study with the IndianAhl-i-Hadithduring the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Ahl-i Hadith leaderNawabSīddïq Hasān Khán(1832–1890 C.E/ 1248–1307 A.H) nevertheless strongly objected to the usage of the term "Wahhabi"; viewing it as a restrictive regional term primarily rooted in geography and also considered the term to be politically manipulative. According to him, labelling the exponents ofTawhidas "Wahhabi" was wrong since it symbolised a form of regionalism that went against Islamic universalism. Khan argues that the term has contradicting, unrelated and narrow localised connotations across different parts of the World. Khan pointed out that the term had been turned by theBritish Rajinto a political pejorative phrase; abusing its name to castigate its dissidents of being aligned with the movement ofIbn 'Abd-al-Wahhabof Arabia, (with which British empire had fought variouswars) and that the colonial authorities in had applied it to a wide range ofanti-colonialIslamic reformmovements.He distanced himself as well as the Indian Muslim public from this label, writing:

To call those Indian Muhammadans who do not worship tombs and pirs and prohibit people from unlawful acts by the name Wahabi is entirely false for several reasons: In the first place they do not represent themselves as such, on the contrary they call themselves Sunnis. If there was anything of Wahabism in their creed they would call themselves by that name and should not resent the epithet. Those who worship one God object to being called Wahabis in the Abd al-Wahhab kind of way not only because of his belonging to a different nation and all its politics, but because they consider God as the ruler and protector of the whole world and this [universalist] stance is blunted if they are said to be followers of a territorially rooted Abd al-Wahhab. "

An early photo of theGrand Mosque of Riyadhcirca. 1922.

In 1931,Ahl-i-Hadithscholar Shaykh Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Dehlawi, founded theDar-ul-Hadithinstitute, which would later be attached to theIslamic University of Medina.It encouraged the study ofHadithacrossHejazand paved the way forMuhammad Nasiruddin al-Albaniand hisMuhaddithfactions in the 1960s. With the support ofSaudi Grand MuftiIbn Baz,culminating in the consolidation of the contemporarySalafi Manhaj.Ibn Baz, who was highly influenced byAhl-i-Hadith,shared the passion for revival ofHadith sciences.After the establishment ofThird Saudi Stateandoil boom,the Saudi Sheikhs would repay their debts by supportingAhl-i-Hadiththrough finances as well as mass publications.Mufti Muhammad ibn Ibrahim's teachers also included students ofAhl-i-Hadithscholars and he too made efforts to support the South AsianAhl-i-Hadithcause. After Mufti Muhammad, Ibn Baz as theGrand Mufti of Saudi Arabiawould greatly support the movement. ProminentAhl-i-Hadithscholars such as Shaykh Abdul Ghaffar Khan would be appointed to teach in Saudi Universities. His famous students includedSafar al-HawaliandMuqbil bin Hadi al-Wadi'i.With Saudi patronage, a vastAhl-i-Hadithnetworks were expanded in South Asia, experiencing a phenomenal increase from 134 in 1988 to 310 in 2000 (131 percent) and currently number around 500. According to Pakistani estimates 34,000 students studied underAhl-i-Hadithmadrassasin 2006 compared to 18,800 in 1996.Ahl-i-Hadithhas had remarkable success in converting Muslims from other schools of thought.

WithSalafiyyaMovement

Further information:Salafiyya Movement,Muhammād Rāshīd Rīdà,andEvolution of Salafiyya Movement

The earlySalafiyyareformers of theArab Worldwould influence and impart influence onAhl-i-Hadithscholars. The Iraqi Salafi scholarKhayr Al-Din Al-'Alusi(d. 1317 A.H/ 1899 C.E) corresponded withAhl-i-Hadithscholar Siddiq Hassan Khan and praised him as a religious reformer. Influenced byAhl-i-Hadith,Salafi scholars likeSayyīd Rashīd Ridá(d. 1354 A.H/ 1935 C.E) would call for a non-madhabor pre-madhabapproach toFiqh(Jurisprudence). 'Abd al-Baqi al-Afghani (d. 1905) who was influenced byAhl-i-Hadithin the subcontinent would also be active thereformmovements inSyria.Syrian Islamic scholarMuhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albanitoo would be highly influenced byAhl-i-Hadithand would be known as an excellentMuhaddith.TheSalafiyyaUlemashared with theAhl-i-Hadith,a common interest in opposing various Sufi practices, denounceTaqlid(blind following), reviving correct theology andHadithsciences.

Organizations

Leading proponents of the movement joined forces against the opposition they faced from establishedulama(religious scholars) and in 1906 formed the All IndiaAhl-i-HadisConference.TheJamiat Ahl-e-Hadeeswas represented in theAll India Azad Muslim Conference,whichopposed the partition of India.One member organization of the All India Ahl-i-Hadis Conference is theAnjuman-i-Hadith,formed by students ofSayyid Miyan Nadhir Husainand divided intoBengalandAssamwings. After the 1947 separation of India and Pakistan, the PakistaniAhle-Hadithcenter was based in and aroundKarachi.

In 1930Ahl-i Hadithwas founded as a small political party in India.In Pakistan, the movement formed a political party,Jamiat Ahle Hadith,which unlike similar Islamic groups opposed government involvement in affairs ofsharialaw.Their leader,Ehsan Elahi Zaheer,was assassinated in 1987. TheAhl-i Hadithopposes Shi'i doctrines.

Funding

Millions of dollars in Saudi funding has also been given into Indian and Pakistani Ahle Hadith madrassas, and educational institutions.

Demographics

Jamia Masjid Ahl-e-Hadith, anAhl-i Hadithmosque inHalifax, West Yorkshire.

During the rule of theBritish Raj,no accurate census was ever taken of the movement's exact number of followers.The group itself claims 22 million followers in India (out of a population of 1396 million) and 10 million in Pakistan (out of a population of 227 million),as well 25 millions in Bangladesh with strongholds in 40 districts of the country.

In the United Kingdom, the Ahl-i Hadith movement maintains 42 centers and boasts a membership which was estimated at 5,000 during the 1990s and 9,000 during the 2000s.Although the movement has been present in the UK since the 1960s, it has not been the subject of extensive academic research and sources on the movement are extremely limited and rare.

Relationship with other Muslim sects

Subcontinent

The relations ofAhl-i Hadithwith other Islamic sects and movements in thesubcontinentis complex. TheAhl-i Hadithis opposed to practices associated with SufiAwliyaa(Saints). In Pakistan, although majority of Salafis shun violence, someAhl-i Hadithorganizations advocate militant actions. The Ahl-i Hadith militant organizations such asLashkar-e-Taiba,an armed wing of Markaz al-Dawah Irshad (MDI), have targeted Indian security forces as well as Barelvis, Shias and Ahmadis. Another organisation, Tehreek e-Mujahideen (an armed Wing ofMarkazi Jamiat Ahle Hadith), has targeted Indian security forces in the contested state ofKashmir.During theAfghan Jihadof 1980s, the Pakistani state encouraged madrassas to fight the Soviet forces, militarizing many organizations including Salafi/Ahle Hadith groups. In sharp contrast, Indian Salafists have been regarded as being “peaceful” and “non-violent.” The Indian Ahle Hadith movement has largely remained apolitical, focusing primarily on religious issues and also encourage participation in the democratic process.While the organizationLashkar-e-Taibahas recruited followers of theAhl-i Hadithmovement in the past, the organization's views on jihad alienate the mainstream adherents of theAhl-i Hadithmovement.Lashkar e-Taibais also accused by the Indian government for conducting various attacks on Indian soil including the2008 Mumbai attacksthat killed more than 160 people.

Afghanistan

When theDeobandiTalibanfirst came to power inAfghanistanin the 1990s, they had suppressed Salafist trends. However, after thepost-9/11US Invasion of Afghanistan,Taliban were forced to ally with Salafists. Many Salafist footsoldiers andAhl-i Hadithorganisations joined theTaliban insurgency (2001–2021)under the Afghan Taliban's command.After Taliban victory in theWar in AfghanistanandRestoration of the Islamic Emirate,hundreds ofAhl-i Hadithulemawould gather to announce theirBay'ah(pledge of allegiance) to theIslamic Emirate of Afghanistan.Number ofAhl-i Hadithclerics and their representatives held gatherings across various provinces of Afghanistan to re-affirm their backing of the Taliban and officially declare their support to theTaliban crackdown on IS-K.

Prominent Ahl-i Hadith figures

Scholastic

• Syed Nazeer Husain
• Siddiq Hasan Khan
• Abdullah Ghaznavi
• Abdul Mannan Wazirabadi
• Muhammad Husain Batalvi
• Sana'ullah Amritsari
• Shams-ul-Haq Azimabadi
• Muhammad Asadullah Al-Ghalib
• Zubair Ali Zai
• Abdullah al-Baqi

*Dr. Zakir niak

Political/militant

• Ehsan Elahi Zaheer
• Sajid Mir
• Hafiz Saeed
• Abdul Rehman Makki
• Jamil al-Rahman

See also

• Outline of Islam
• Glossary of Islam
• Index of Islam-related articles
• Salafi movement
• Jamiat Ahle Hadith
• Bid‘ah
• Wahhabism
• Ahle Hadith Andolon Bangladesh

External links

• Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadees Hind
• Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadees Pakistan
• Markazi Jamiat e Ahlihadith Jammu And Kashmir
• Al-Markazul Islami As-Salafi
• Ahlehadeeth Andolon Bangladesh