BARELWIYAT
Originating in the Indian Subcontinent, the belief and practices of this sect are founded upon superstition, folklore and many innovatory practices. It is a sad fact that the masses of ignorant Muslims do not know the real meaning of ‘Ibaadah (worship); they address their worship (unknowingly) to other than Allah, thereby committing a kind of shirk (associating partners with Allah), which would drive a person right out of Islam. They turn in awe and submission to the graves of Prophets and Righteous people, Invoking them, seeking their help, making vows and offering sacrifices to them. Having realised with great dismay that forms of greater shirk (polytheism) are rife throughout the Muslim World, we have made this page in the hope that it will guide those who have gone astray and bring them out of the darkness of shirk into the light of True Islam.
THE HISTORY AND THEIR FOUNDER
The Bareilawis belong to a sect which is among the sects of the Indo-Pakistan subcontinent belonging to the Hanafi school of law. This name is applied to them for their attribution to their eponym, the promoter of their word, the founder if their bases, and expounder of their principles and foundations, Ahmad Rida, the Bareilawi, who was born in Bareilly, a city in India in the province of Uttar Pradesh.
It is said that he was deeply dark, having a murky colour. His opponents used to condemn him on account of the darkness of his face. A scholar produced a book in refutation of his ideas. He named this book, 'al tin al lazib ala al aswad al kadhib' (sticking clay on the dark liar).
Sometimes he uttered words that were not worthy of a common man, much less of a man to whom learning and leadership have been attributed. This habit was so much deep rotted in him that his friends and advocates of his beliefs and thoughts were forced to say, 'He was hard headed and callous to his opponents. He did not take any care required by the Sharia' [Hayat Ala Hadrat, p.211]
The Bareilawi died of pleurisy. Reports tell us that shortly before his death he made a number of wills. These bequests have been collected in an independent tract and published under the name 'Wasaya Shariff'. In this tract he bequeathed his party as follows: 'Hold fast to my faith and doctrine which is apparent from my works. Hold fast to it and remain honest to it, for it is the most significant duty among the duties' [Robinson: Separatism among Indian Muslims, Cambridge, 1974 p. 443]
Lastly he said, 'After my death if possible present offering (fatiha) to me twice or thrice in a week and offer the following dishes: iced rice pudding, even if it is made from the milk of the buffalo, biryani rice dish of bukhara type, pomengranate juice, a bottle of water, and iced milk. If it is possible you may present this offering everyday, even a dish of them, otherwise as you like. [Al Bastawi al Bareilawi p 9-10]