The Light of Guidance and the Voice of Devotion: Aala Hazrat’s Immortal Salaam
By Syed Amjad Hussain, New Age Islam
30 May 2025
This article explores the profound poetic devotion of Aala Hazrat Imam Ahmad Raza Khan Barelvi, whose timeless Naat poetry beautifully praises the Prophet Muhammad Mustafa Sallallahu Ta’Aala Alayhi Wasallam with deep reverence, elegance, and spiritual insight.
Main Points:
1. Aala Hazrat Imam Ahmad Raza Khan’s poetry profoundly celebrates the beauty and mercy of the Prophet.
2. His verses blend deep spirituality with exquisite literary craftsmanship.
3. The Naat poetry reflects unwavering love and reverence.
4. His words continue to inspire millions worldwide.
5. His legacy bridges faith, poetry, and devotion seamlessly.
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Dargah Aala Hazrat in Bareilly Sharif, Uttar Pradesh (Credits: Mufti Muhammad Asif Noori)
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Introduction
In the glorious heritage of Islamic devotional poetry, there are few names that glow so brightly as that of Aala Hazrat Imam Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi (1856–1921), a renowned Islamic scholar, saint, theologian, jurist, and Sufi poet of British India. His poetry, with its stunning beauty of language and spirituality, still resonates throughout the Muslim world as a shining tribute to Prophet Muhammad Mustafa Sallallahu Ta'aala Alayhi Wasallam. In his magnum opus Hadaiq-e-Bakhshish (Gardens of Salvation), Imam Ahmed Raza wrote his spiritual love in perpetuity, depicting the Prophet as not just a guide and reformer but as the pivot of divine mercy and light.
The Poet-Scholar of Bareilly
Aala Hazrat Imam Ahmed Raza Khan was born to Hazrat Maulana Naqi Ali Khan bin Raza Ali Khan in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, at a time when India was undergoing colossal political, religious, and social transformation under British colonization. Imam Ahmed Raza Khan was a polymath with more than a thousand works to his name, ranging from Islamic jurisprudence (Fiqh) and theology (Kalam) to logic, mathematics, and, most astonishingly, poetry.
Though his religious and juridical contributions made him a Hanafi jurist of high stature, his Na'ats (eulogistic poems of the Prophet) revealed his inner religious self, a heart that was in love with the Prophet Muhammad Mustafa Sallallahu Ta'aala Alayhi Wassallam. His Na'ats form the central component of the Ahl-e-Sunnat Wal Jamaat school, which he formulated for the propagation of Prophet's love as an Islamic ideal.
Mustafa Jaan-e-Rahmat: A Sublime Salutation
At the heart of Imam Ahmed Raza's poetry is his most celebrated Na'at, "Mustafa Jaan-e-Rahmat Pe Lakhon Salaam". In Urdu, this long Salaam is one of the most celebrated devotional poems in South Asia by Muslims. It contains 171 couplets, each of which radiates metaphorical beauty, light, mercy, and closeness to the Prophet.
"Mustafa Jaan-e-Rahmat Pe Lakhon Salaam
Sham-e-bBazm-e-Hidayat Pe Lakhon Salaam”
(Millions of salutations to Mustafa, the symbol of mercy.
Millions of greetings on the lamp of the assembly of guidance.)
In the first few words of these lines, Imam Ahmed Raza describes the Prophet's two roles, as a fountain of mercy (Rahmat) and as a guide who lights up the spiritual journey of mankind. The poem then traverses imagery borrowed from Qur'anic sources, nature metaphors, and heavenly symbols, revealing Imam Ahmed Raza's mastery over literary beauty and theological understanding.
A Gaze That Revives: Life-Bestowing Imagery
Imam Ahmed Raza employs new metaphors to lift the Prophet's characteristics to the heights of transcendence:
"Jis Taraf Uth Gayee Dam Mein Dam Aagaya
Uss Nigaah-e-Inaayat Pe Laakhon Salaam”
(Wherever it fell, life itself was restored
Peace be upon such a life-giving look!)
These lines show the spiritual awakening that is caused through the vision of the Prophet, a Sufi notion wherein the vision (nazar) of the Prophet or of the saint transforms the inner self of the seeker.
Echoes of the Prophetic Light in Nature and Revelation
Imam Ahmed Raza takes Qur'anic references with naturalistic elegance with ease, penning verses that display both theological accuracy and poetic elegance:
"Woh Dahan Jis Ki Har Baat Wahi-e-Khuda
Chashma-e-Ilm-o-Hikmat Pe Laakhon Salaam”
(The mouth through which all words are divine revelation
Peace be upon the source of knowledge and wisdom!)
This verse brings to mind the Prophet's unique role as the recipient of God's revelation (Wahi) and its interpretation for humanity. His speech is portrayed as a flowing spring that provides nourishment to mind as much as soul.
From Moses to the Cosmos: Unrivalled Praise
Imam Ahmed Raza is not shy to call upon great personalities like Moses and compare the greatness of the Prophet with them:
“Kis Ko Dekha Yeh Musa Se Pooche Koyi
Aankhon Walon Ki Himmat Pe Laakhon Salaam”
(Whom did he see? Let someone enquire of Moses!
Peace be upon the courage of those with such eyes!)
This couplet cleverly refers to the Qur'anic event of Moses, who was bewildered by the divine vision at Mount Sinai. Imam Ahmed Raza implies that even such a prophet would be amazed at the brilliance of Muhammad Mustafa Sallallahu Ta'aala Alayhi Wassallam and, in so doing, makes a claim to the superiority of the Prophet's spiritual excellence.
A Multilingual Poet for a Universal Message
What distinguished Imam Ahmed Raza from the majority of his peers is his multilingual literary work. He wrote poetry in Urdu, Arabic, Persian, Awadhi, Sanskrit and even Hindi, so that his message could reach a wide and diverse community. All the languages he wrote in were such that they would resonate with their native speakers and convey the same message of respect and love for the Prophet in a language, and culture-sensitive way.
His Arabic and Persian Na’ats are widely recited among the educated middle classes, while his Urdu Na’ats are embedded in South Asian Muslim collective memory and are widely recited during Mawlid celebrations, processions, and Friday prayers.
Subtle Spiritual Symbolism and Sufi Affinity
Imam Ahmed Raza's poetry is infused with Sufi symbolism, reflecting his close identification with the Qadiriyya Sufi order. His references to roses, light, stars, and wine are not carnal indulgences but are charged with deeper mystical meanings drawn from the Sufi lexicon.
“Patli-Patli Gul-e-Quds Ki Patiyan
Un Labon Ki Nazaakat Pe Laakhon Salaam”
(How delicate the petals of that holy rose!
Peace be upon the exquisiteness of those lips!)
Here, the Prophet's lips are likened to the petals of the sacred rose, both for their beauty and for their function as bearers of sacred truth.
"Jinke Guchche Se Lachche Jharen Noor Ke
Un Sitaron Ki Nuzhat Pe Laakhon Salaam”
(From his clustered pearls, radiate those roots of light,
Peace be upon the enchantment of those stars!)
The use of "light" (Noor) and "stars" (sitaron) is not poetic license, it is a reference to Hadiths where the Prophet has been referred to as a lamp of guidance, the companions have been likened to guide stars.
Literary Technique and Devotional Discipline
Unlike poets who give artistic license precedence over consistency, Imam Ahmed Raza's poetry is characterized by stunning poetic restraint. His adherence to uniform meter (behr), rhyme (qafiya), and refrain (radeef) is impeccable, a demonstration of mastery of the art. His rhythm and cadence in verse are not only sweet to the ears but also suitable for recitation, which accounts for the long-standing popularity of his verses in religious assemblies.
His poetry is not just devotional; it is didactic in nature, intended to teach the heart, purify the soul, and evoke the love of the Prophet as a way of attaining proximity to Allah.
Impact and International Reception
Today, more than a century after his passing away, Imam Ahmed Raza Khan's Naats are still being recited in India and Pakistan, the Middle East, Africa, Britain, and the US. Renowned Qawwals, Naat Khwans, and scholars of religion recite his couplets again and again. Dedications are still pouring in from his compositions, inspiring generations of poets and spiritual aspirants who regard poetic composition as an act of devotion.
English and other local language translations of Hadaiq-e-Bakhshish have made his work accessible to a new generation of Muslims worldwide. His poetry forms part of religious texts in most educational institutions in the majority of South Asia.
Conclusion: A Poet of Prophetic Love
Imam Ahmed Raza Khan's poetry is a shining example of righteous eloquence, elevating the Prophet Muhammad Mustafa Sallallahu Ta'aala Alayhi Wassallam in terms of words as much as in terms of spirit. His poetry covers the fields of theology, mysticism, as well as literary poetry, proving that pure devotion could be a set of verses, of which each word is a well-considered rose of love. In a time when spirituality is being minimised to ritual, his poetry ignites the soul's desire for the venerated Prophet, inviting Muslims to reclaim the Muhammadan light — a light that never fades, that nourishes the heart, and that dwells in the boundless garden of Hadaiq-e-Bakhshish.
“Jiske Paani Se Shaadaab Jaan-o-Jinaan,
Us Dahan Ki Taraawat Pe Laakhon Salaam”
(Its water makes both spirits and gardens verdant,
Peace be upon the moisture of such a mouth!)
In reality, millions of greetings on that mouth, that eye, that rose-like face, on whom even the angels and the universe grant blessings uninterruptedly.
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Syed Amjad Hussain is an author and Independent research scholar on Sufism and Islam. He is the author of 'Bihar Aur Sufivad', a research book based on the history of Sufism in Bihar.
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-spiritualism/light-devotion-aala-hazrat-immortal-salaam/d/135717
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