Fatawa Razawiyyah

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Barelvi movement
Ideology and influences Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah Hanafi fiqh Shafi'i fiqh Maturidi theology Ash'ari theology
Key figures Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi Hassan Raza Khan Naeem-ud-Deen Muradabadi Hamid Raza Khan Jamaat Ali Shah Mustafa Raza Khan Qadri Maulana Abdul Hamid Qadri Badayuni Mohammad Abdul Ghafoor Hazarvi Ahmad Saeed Kazmi Amjad Ali Aazmi Ziaul Mustafa Razvi Qadri Akhtar Raza Khan
History and movement All India Sunni Conference Majlis-e-Tahaffuz-e-Khatme Nabuwwat
Notable scholars Past Shah Turab ul Haq Muhammad Fazlur Rahman Ansari Khwaja Qamar ul Din Sialvi Shah Ahmad Noorani Abdul Sattar Khan Niazi Arshadul Qaudri Syed Shujaat Ali Qadri Shamsul-hasan Shams Barelvi Maulana Ziauddin Madani Muhammad Alauddin Siddiqui Muhammad Shafee Okarvi Muhammad Waqaruddin Qadri Akhtar Raza Khan Khadim Hussain Rizvi Muhammad Arshad Misbahi Yaseen Akhtar Misbahi Syed Shujaat Ali Qadri Present Qamaruzzaman Azmi Ameen Mian Quadri Hamid Saeed Kazmi Muhammad Raza Saqib Mustafai Kanthapuram A. P. Aboobacker Musliyar Ziaul Mustafa Razvi Qadri Sibtain Raza Khan Asjad Raza Khan Ilyas Qadri
Institutions India Jamiatur Raza Manzar-e-Islam Al Jamiatul Ashrafia Al-Jame-atul-Islamia Jamia Naeemia Moradabad Jamia-tul-Madina Al Madeena Islamic complex Markazu Saquafathi Sunniyya Jamia Nizamia Jamia Amjadia Razvia Madrasa Faizul Uloom Darul Huda Islamic University Jamia Shahbazia Madrasa-e-Aliya, Rampur Pakistan Hizbul Ahnaf Ashraf ul Madaris Jamia Nizamia Ghousia Aleemiyah Institute of Islamic Studies Jamia Naeemia Lahore Mohi-ud-Din Islamic University Dar-ul-Madinah Schools Minhaj University Lahore United Kingdom Al-Mustafa Islamic Cultural Centre Ireland Bangladesh Jamia Ahmadiyya Sunnia Kamil Madrasa Sri Lanka Madrasa Faiz-e-Raza South Africa Imam Ahmed Raza Academy Darul Uloom Pretoria
Notable channels Noor TV (UK) Madni Channel
Notable works Kanzul Iman-Quran translation Tafsir Zia ul Quran Fatawa-e-Razvia Bahar-e-Shariat Husamul Haramain Zujajat al-Masabih Manaqib-al-Jaleela Zia un Nabi
Notable organisations Jama'at Raza-e-Mustafa Dawat e Islami Mohiuddin Trust World Islamic Mission Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan Jamaat Ahle Sunnat Sunni Tehreek Tanzeem-ul-Madaris Sunni Ittehad Council Sunni Students' Federation Aalmi Tehreek-e-Namoos-e-Risalat Majlis-e-Tahaffuz-e-Khatme Nabuwwat Central Jamaat-e Ahl-e Sunnat Tanzeem ul Madaris Raza Academy Dargah-e-Ala Hazrat All India Sunni Jem-iyyathul Ulama All India Ulema and Mashaikh Board Muslim Charity Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan Idara-e-Shariah
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Fatawa Razawiyyah (Urdu: فتاویٰ رضویہ, romanized: Fatāwā Raẓāwiyyah) is a 30-volume compendium of Sunni Hanafi legal fatawas (legal edicts) by Imam Ahmad Raza Khan (1856–1921). Spanning nearly 22,000 pages, it addresses over 7,000 questions across law, theology, science and society. These fatwas are widely regarded as authoritative and precedent-setting, often cited like case law in Hanafi legal practice. The work is noted for its rich citations, multilingual responses and literary preface and remains influential among scholars and jurists.

Fatawa Razawiyyah is a monumental scholarly treasure that possesses numerous outstanding qualities such as its vast volume, high-level research, authoritative legal and theological references, coverage of multiple disciplines, abundance of evidences and a unique linguistic and stylistic expression.

• Vast volume. After modern editing, it comprises 30 volumes, encompassing approximately 22,000 pages, around 7,000 questions and answers and nearly 200 research treatises—while also addressing thousands of additional issues incidentally throughout the work.

• Unparalleled preface. In the remarkable introductory sermon of this book, the author employed 90 names of juristic imams and classical legal texts as a rhetorical embellishment, stringing them together so eloquently that it served both as praise of Allah Almighty and a means of invoking blessings through these sacred names.

• Exemplary research. In investigating any issue, the author begins with the literal meaning, then provides the technical definition and categorisation. He then identifies the specific type of the issue under discussion, followed by its ruling in Islamic law. After that, he references the Holy Qur’an, Hadith, consensus (ijmāʿ), disagreements among scholars, the views of different schools of law and finally authoritative opinions from the Hanafi school.

• A reference for scholars and laypeople alike. Among those who sought his guidance were not only common people but also scholars, Hadith experts (muḥaddithīn) and jurists (fuqahāʾ), who consulted him for resolving complex religious issues.

• Defence of Sunni beliefs. In addition to legal investigations, it contains numerous treatises defending the beliefs of Ahl-e-Sunnat wal-Jamāʿat (mainstream Sunni Islam).

• An authoritative legal collection. This work is a trusted compendium of Hanafi jurisprudence. Scholars and muftis regularly consult it when issuing legal verdicts.

• Encompassing multiple sciences. Beyond jurisprudence, the collection also spans dozens of other disciplines such as Hadith, Tafsir, theology (ʿilm al-kalām), science, astronomy (tawqīt), mathematics, logic and philosophy.

• Scientific insights. It reflects deep scientific understanding. It presents scholarly refutations of major scientists – Democritus, Ptolemy, Avicenna, Nasir al-Din al-Tusi, Kepler, William Herschel, Isaac Newton, Galileo Galilei, Albert Einstein and Albert F. Porta – whose theories were critically analysed (an approach acknowledged by the University of Michigan^[1]). In contrast, it supports the scientific perspectives of Archimedes, al-Khwarizmi, al-Kindi, Ghazālī, Razi, Al-Biruni, Ibn al-Haytham, Omar Khayyam and J. J. Thomas^[2]. It includes scientific discussions on water, steam, ice (see Volume 1, p. 547); classification of coral as a stone (see Volume 3, Chapter on Tayammum, p. 686)^[3]; critique of the theory of Earth’s motion attributed to Pythagoras, Nicolaus Copernicus and Albert Einstein; scientific aspects of sound and phonograph technology (see Volume 23). In short, the book is interspersed with numerous segments of scientific inquiry throughout.

• Abundant evidences. The book is full of references. For instance, in the treatise Lamʿat al-Ḍuḥā fī Iʿfāʾ al-Luḥā, he proves the obligation of growing a fist-length beard using 18 verses, 72 Hadiths and 60 scholarly opinions. In Al-Hādī al-Ḥājib ʿan Janāzat al-Ghāʾib, he cites references from 239 books. His 70-page fatwa on the prohibition of prostration of reverence (sajda taʿẓīmī) includes 40 Hadiths and 150 juristic and fatwa sources. On the topic of the dead hearing the living (samāʿ al-mawtā), a 149-page fatwa features 60 Hadiths and 300 scholarly quotes. His ruling on combining prayers (jamʿ al-ṣalātayn) spans 114 pages and references 80 Hadiths and hundreds of citations. Even his shortest treatise of just 15 pages, titled Al-Taḥbīr bi-Bāb al-Tadbīr, is filled with 21 Qur’anic verses, 40 Hadiths and numerous textual evidences and specific cases.

• Answers tailored to the language of the question. Responses were provided in the same language in which the question was posed.

• Addition of treatises. All 30 volumes contain integrated treatises—a feature rarely seen in other fatwa collections.

• Historical titles. The treatises bear titles that incorporate chronograms—coded references to their year of composition—a rare literary art in which the author was highly proficient.

• Consideration of social customs. The work takes into account societal needs and common practices so that Muslims may fulfil both the rights of Allah and the rights of fellow human beings with ease.

• Prevention of discord and corruption. In issuing verdicts, the work emphasises prioritising the fulfilment of obligations, avoidance of prohibitions and protection from religious discord and social chaos.

The Fatawa Razawiyyah is organized into thirty volumes, systematically arranged by the major categories of Hanafi jurisprudence. Taking just as an example, the work begins with the Book of Purification (كتاب الطهارة), spanning Volumes 1 to 4. This section lays the foundation for ritual practice and includes around 239 fatawa across 29 treatises, covering detailed rulings on cleanliness, ablution, tayammum, water purity and related matters. The introductory note — اجلى الاعلام ان الفتوى مطلقاعلى قول الإمام — affirms that the rulings throughout are based on the authoritative views of the Hanafi Imams.

Volumes 5 to 8 cover the Book of Prayer (كتاب الصلوة) with over 1200 fatawa exploring the structure, pronunciation and practical questions of ṣalāh. Volume 9 is dedicated to the Book of Funerals (كتاب الجنائز), containing 273 fatawa on matters like funeral prayer, burial and related customs, including the permissibility of writing on the shroud.

The remaining volumes deal with all other major fields of Islamic law, including zakat, fasting, pilgrimage, marriage, divorce, oaths, penal law, transactions, inheritance, food and drink and contemporary legal and ethical issues. The last five volumes are devoted to miscellaneous topics that reflect the breadth and relevance of the jurist’s response to the needs of his time. Together, these volumes form one of the most comprehensive and authoritative legal compilations in the Hanafi tradition.

• Fatawa Razawiyyah: Volume 1 — Book of Purification (Part 1)
• Fatawa Razawiyyah: Volume 2 — Book of Purification (Part 2)
• Fatawa Razawiyyah: Volume 3 — Book of Purification (Part 1)
• Fatawa Razawiyyah: Volume 4 — Book of Purification (Part 2)
• Fatawa Razawiyyah: Volume 5 — Book of Prayer (Part 1)
• Fatawa Razawiyyah: Volume 6 — Book of Prayer (Part 2)
• Fatawa Razawiyyah: Volume 7 — Book of Prayer (Part 3)
• Fatawa Razawiyyah: Volume 8 — Book of Prayer (Part 4)
• Fatawa Razawiyyah: Volume 9 — Book of Funerals
• Fatawa Razawiyyah: Volume 10 — Book of Zakat, Book of Fasting, Book of Pilgrimage
• Fatawa Razawiyyah: Volume 11 — Book of Marriage (Part 1)
• Fatawa Razawiyyah: Volume 12 — Book of Marriage (Part 2), Book of Divorce (Part 1)
• Fatawa Razawiyyah: Volume 13 — Book of Divorce (Part 2), Book of Oaths, Book of Hudud and Discretionary Punishments
• Fatawa Razawiyyah: Volume 14 — Book of Biography, Military Expeditions and International Law (Part 1)
• Fatawa Razawiyyah: Volume 15 — Book of Biography, Military Expeditions and International Law (Part 2)
• Fatawa Razawiyyah: Volume 16 — Book of Partnerships, Book of Endowments (Waqf)
• Fatawa Razawiyyah: Volume 17 — Book of Transactions, Book of Assignment of Debt, Book of Guarantees
• Fatawa Razawiyyah: Volume 18 — Book of Testimonies, Book of Judiciary and Legal Claims
• Fatawa Razawiyyah: Volume 19 — Book of Agency, Book of Confession, Book of Reconciliation, Book of Investment Partnerships, Book of Trusts, Book of Borrowing, Book of Gifts, Book of Leasing, Book of Coercion, Book of Legal Disability, Book of Usurpation
• Fatawa Razawiyyah: Volume 20 — Book of Preemption, Book of Division, Book of Sharecropping, Book of Slaughter and Hunting, Book of Sacrifices
• Fatawa Razawiyyah: Volume 21 — Book of Permissibility and Prohibition (Part 1)
• Fatawa Razawiyyah: Volume 22 — Book of Permissibility and Prohibition (Part 2)
• Fatawa Razawiyyah: Volume 23 — Book of Permissibility and Prohibition (Part 3)
• Fatawa Razawiyyah: Volume 24 — Book of Permissibility and Prohibition (Part 4)
• Fatawa Razawiyyah: Volume 25 — Book of Civil Transactions, Book of Beverages, Book of Mortgages, Chapter on Oaths, Book of Bequests
• Fatawa Razawiyyah: Volume 26 — Book of Inheritance, Book of Miscellaneous Issues (Part 1)
• Fatawa Razawiyyah: Volume 27 — Book of Miscellaneous Issues (Part 2)
• Fatawa Razawiyyah: Volume 28 — Book of Miscellaneous Issues (Part 3)
• Fatawa Razawiyyah: Volume 29 — Book of Miscellaneous Issues (Part 4)
• Fatawa Razawiyyah: Volume 30 — Book of Miscellaneous Issues (Part 5)

The first volume was published during the author’s lifetime by his brother at Hasani Press.^[4] Subsequently, Raza Academy in Bombay released several volumes in 1985.^[5][6][7] Later, starting in 1999, the Raza Foundation in Lahore published a comprehensive 30-volume edition.^[8] Through these successive editions, Fatawa Razawiyyah gradually developed into a monumental encyclopaedia of Islamic studies.

The compilation and publication history of Fatawa Razawiyyah reflects a gradual but evolving effort to preserve and systematize the legal rulings of Imam Ahmad Raza Khan. During the lifetime of the author, only one volume was published in 1915. Thereafter, from 1924 to 1994, the volumes 2 to 12 were published through various printing presses such as Matba‘ Ahl-e-Sunnat (Bareilly), Sarfaraz Press (Lucknow) and others.

A more systematic and complete second edition was produced by the Raza Foundation in Lahore, which published a fully expanded 30-volume set between 1990 and 2007. This edition reorganized and categorized the verdicts thematically, including approximately 7,000 verdicts and 206 detailed treatises, with a total of over 21,000 pages.

A CD version of Fatawa Razawiyyah was released on 21 December 2015, featuring a replica of the published Second Edition. It included features such as searchable text. The CD was produced by Al-Madina tul-Ilmiyah, the research wing of Dawat e Islami, through its publishing division, Maktaba tul-Madinah, and was offered as a free download from the official website.

A third and more expansive edition followed, also by the Raza Foundation in Lahore, in 33 volumes, concluding in 2006. This edition added dedicated volumes for contents and indexes and restructured the material even further for ease of reference. This final version remains the most comprehensive and authoritative edition to date, widely used by scholars, researchers and legal experts in Islamic studies.

An Android app version of Fatawa Razawiyyah was released on 15 August 2024, featuring a replica of the published Third Edition. Like the CD edition, it included features such as searchable text. The app was developed by Al-Madina tul-Ilmiyah, the research wing of Dawat e Islami, through its publishing division, Maktaba tul-Madinah, and was offered as a free download from the Google Play Store.

The work addresses diverse legal, theological and social issues, contributing to its enduring relevance and popularity.

It has received praise from both scholars and the general public, as reflected in the wide range of questions included in the collection, submitted by jurists, academics and ordinary individuals alike.

Historian Usha Sanyal offered a more favorable appraisal in her 2005 book, Makers of the Muslim World: Ahmad Riza Khan, recognizing the significance of Fatawa Razawiyyah in shaping Islamic jurisprudence in South Asia.^[4]

Indian author and political commentator Arun Shourie discussed the text in his book, The World of Fatwas or the Sharia in Action, acknowledging its influence and examining its role in shaping legal discourse in contemporary Islamic contexts.^[9]

The work’s academic value is further demonstrated by numerous scholarly studies and theses dedicated to analyzing its legal methodology, exegetical discussions and socio-economic insights.

• Ahmad Saeed Tufail. Analytical Review of the Influence of "Fatawa Shami" on "Fatawa Razawiyyah". MPhil thesis, Minhaj University, Lahore.
• Ali Nawaz. Seerah Discussions in "Fatawa Razawiyyah". Master’s thesis, Government College University, Faisalabad.
• Atif Fazal. Method of Reasoning from Athar al-Sahabah in "Fatawa Razawiyyah": In the Context of Family Law. MPhil thesis, Government College University, Lahore.
• Azam Ali. Analytical and Research Study of Seerah Discussions in "Fatawa Razawiyyah". MPhil thesis, Government College University, Faisalabad, 2014.
• Abdul Mustafa Sabir. Research Study of Key Hadith Topics in "Fatawa Razawiyyah". MPhil thesis, Gift University, Gujranwala.
• Hafiz Muhammad Khizar Hayat. Economic Thought of Imam Ahmad Raza Barelvi and the Modern Era: A Special Study of "Fatawa Razawiyyah". MPhil thesis, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan.
• Muhammad Abdul Qawi. Ilm Mukhtalif al-Hadith and Its Application in "Fatawa Razawiyyah". MPhil thesis, University of Faisalabad.
• Muhammad Ishaq Madni. Role of "Fatawa Razawiyyah" in Politics of the Subcontinent. PhD dissertation, University of Karachi.
• Muhammad Jameel ur Rehman. Discussions on Ilm al-Jarh wa al-Ta'dil in "Fatawa Razawiyyah". MPhil thesis, Government College University, Faisalabad.
• Muhammad Mahboob Raza. Methodology and Style of "Fatawa Razawiyyah": In Light of Kitab al-Taharah. Bachelor's thesis, Government College University, Lahore.
• Muhammad Wasim. Research Study of 'Al-Mubeen Khatam al-Nabiyyin' and Refutation of Denial of Finality of Prophethood: In Light of "Fatawa Razawiyyah". MPhil thesis, National College of Business Administration and Economics, Multan.
• Mumtaz Ahmad. "Fatawa Alamgiri" and "Fatawa Shami" in Light of "Fatawa Razawiyyah". PhD dissertation, Lahore Garrison University.
• Noor Saliha. Discussions on Ismat and Risalat in "Fatawa Razawiyyah". Master’s thesis, Government College University, Faisalabad.
• Qaiser Ayub. Comparative Study of Methodologies in "Fatawa Razawiyyah", "Imdad al-Fatawa" and "Fatawa Thanaiyyah". MPhil thesis, Government College University, Faisalabad, 2009.
• Ruqayya Chaman. Research Review of Usul al-Fiqh Discussions in Light of "Fatawa Razawiyyah". MPhil thesis, Government College University, Faisalabad.
• Saba Noor. Economic Thought of Imam Ahmad Raza Khan on Ijarah and Mudarabah and Its Relevance Today: In Light of "Fatawa Razawiyyah". MPhil thesis, University of Faisalabad, Pattoki Campus.
• Sayyida Safeena Ali. Exegetical Discussions in "Fatawa Razawiyyah" (Volumes 11, 12). Master’s thesis, Minhaj University, Lahore.
• Umar Daraz Rana. Sufi Discussions in "Fatawa Razawiyyah": Study and Analysis. MPhil thesis, Government College University, Faisalabad.
• Zeenat Yasmeen. Comparative Review of Economic Issues in "Fatawa Rashidiyyah" and "Fatawa Razawiyyah". MPhil thesis, University of Sargodha, Sub-Campus Bhakkar, 2017.

• Fatawa Razawiyyah – Dawat-e-Islami – Free access to the complete 30-volume Urdu edition published by Dawat-e-Islami, available for online reading and download.
• Fatawa Razawiyyah – Alahazrat Network – Digitized version of the complete 30-volume set hosted on Internet Archive, useful for offline reading and citation.
• Fatawa Razawiyyah – Archive.org – Organized access to all 30 volumes with individual volume listings, provided by Alahazrat Network in Urdu PDF format.
• Fatawa Razawiyyah – CD Version – A desktop application available for free download from Dawat-e-Islami’s official website.
• Fatawa Razawiyyah – Android App – An app available on the Google Play Store with features such as search and bookmarks.