Introduction to A’la Hadrat

My Master, A’la Hadrat, Imam-e-Ahl-e-Sunnat, Reviver of Sunnah, Eradicator of Bid’ah, Scholar of Shari’ah, Guide of Tareeqah, ‘Allamah Maulana Al-Haj Al-Hafiz Al-Qaari Ash-Shah Imam Ahmad Raza Khan عَـلَيْهِ رَحْمَةُ الرَّحْمٰن was born on Saturday, 10^th Shawwal, 1272 A.H. (14th June 1856) at the time of Zuhr Salah in Jasoli, one of the districts of Bareilly Sharif, India. The name corresponding to the year of his birth (1272 A.H.) is Al-Mukhtar.

(Hayat-e-A’la Hadrat, vol. 1, pp. 58 – Maktaba-tul-Madinah, Karachi)

A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه has derived his birth year from Part 28 Verse 22 of Surah Mujadalah:

اُولٰٓئِکَ   کَتَبَ فِیۡ  قُلُوۡبِہِمُ  الۡاِیۡمَانَ  وَ اَیَّدَہُمۡ   بِرُوۡحٍ  مِّنۡہُ ؕ

Translation from Kanz-ul-Iman: It is these upon whose hearts Allah has ingrained faith, and has aided them with a Spirit from His own.

 (Part 28, Surah Al-Mujadalah, verse 22)

His birth name is Muhammad. His grandfather called him as ‘Ahmad Raza’ and he became prominent with this name.

Shaykh-e-Tareeqat, Ameer-e-Ahl-e-Sunnat, the founder of Dawat-e-Islami, ‘Allamah Maulana Abu Bilal Muhammad Ilyas Attar Qadiri Razavi دَامَـتْ بَـرَكَـاتُـهُـمُ الْـعَـالِـيَـه has mentioned A’la Hadrat in his booklet ‘A Brief Biography of Imam Ahmad Raza’ with the following titles: A’la Hadrat, Imam-e-Ahl-e-Sunnat, Reviver of Sunnah, Eradicator of Bid’ah, Scholar of Shari’ah, Guide of Tareeqah, ‘Allamah Maulana Al-Haj Al-Hafiz Al-Qaari Ash-Shah Imam Ahmad Raza Khan.

اُس کی ہستی میں تھا عمل جوہر                سُنّتِ مصطفٰی کا وہ پیکر

 عالمِ دِین صاحبِ تقوٰی                       واہ کیا بات اعلٰی حضرت کی

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب       صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلٰى مُحَمَّد