Title: Deobandi and Barailavi

Question: I want to ask what is the difference between Deobandi and Barailavi? How would one know that he is a Deobandi or Barailavi? Suppose a person does not know what is he and he asks his parents about it but they are also not able to say whether they are Deobandi or Barailavi. In this situation what would one do to know? Who is Aala Hadhrat or Hadhrat Raza? Do we Muslims, Barailavi or Deobandi regard him as a pious and true believer and include him in the list of Aulia-E-Kiram. I mean what is your thought about him. I have asked others but they are not able to tell me fully. I do not know why? Because of fear from Ulama or fear of fight and quarrel what I do not know. I want to know the correct view so that I can pass the correct answer to my younger ones and children, so that they do not live in dark as I am living having half knowledge about Islam and Shariah. If you all learned people of Shariah will not answer our queries then whom are we going to ask.

Answer ID: 42137Posted on: Sep 1, 2020

Bismillah hir-Rahman nir-Rahim !

(Fatwa: 131/H-17/TH=1434) (1) The elder Ulama of Deoband (رحمهم الله تعالى رحمة واسعة) and their followers are true Ahl Sunnah Wal Jamah. If someone practices as per the holy Quran, Hadith Sharif, and his beliefs are correct as per it while he avoids bid’ah and nonsense then he is true Muslim. There is no harm if it is not known whether he is a Deobandi or not. (2) Ahmad Raza Khan grew up in Bareilly and he was buried there. The Barailavi sect is attributed to him. Barailavi also call him Ala Hadhrat. There is a book ‘Nuzhah al-Khawatir’ written by Hadhrat Maulana Abdul Hai al-Hasani Lucknowi (رحمة الله). The details provided in the book establish that Ahmad Raza Khan cannot be included in the lists of true believer and Auliya. If you want to see more details buy the complete set of ‘Elmi Muhazarah’ by Hadhrat Maulana Mufti Muhammad Amin, Palanpuri from Maktaba Darul Uloom Deoband, and study it thoroughly.