The Deceptive Label of “Badmazhab” in Islamic Sectarianism

Unmasking the Deceptive Use of “Badmazhab” in Islamic Disputes

A specific group of Muslims, namely the Barelvi sect, believes that they are true Muslims and considers other Muslims to be heretics. The term “badmazhab” (heretic) is specifically used by this group to label the Ahle Hadith and Deobandi Muslims as misguided, similar to how Qadianis and Shia are perceived. This is why the things that apply to Qadianis and Shia are also applied to them, and they are advised to stay away from them, avoid greeting them, not engage in any transactions with them, not befriend them, or marry them. In fact, they are taught to completely cut off all ties with them. These ideas are deeply embedded in their literature. The founder of this group, the great scholar of the Barelvi sect, laid the foundation for these teachings and in his fatwas, he repeatedly mentioned and incited his followers to adopt this stance. Later, the disciples, following the teachings of their leader, left no stone unturned. Here are a few lines from Fatawa Razawiya, Volume 11:

• “Whoever respects a heretic has helped in the destruction of Islam.” (Fatawa Razawiya, Vol. 11, p. 396)
• “The deviation and heresy of the non-followers of the madhhab (like Ahle Hadith, Deobandi) is proven through the best argument.” (Fatawa Razawiya, Vol. 11, p. 373)
• “What is the status of marrying a heretic like the Shia?” (Fatawa Razawiya, Vol. 11, p. 367)
• “A heretic is like a dog, and even worse than a dog.” (Fatawa Razawiya, Vol. 11, p. 399)
• “Heretic people are like the dogs of hell.” (Fatawa Razawiya, Vol. 11, p. 399)

These few excerpts from Fatawa Razawiya demonstrate the aggressive stance towards those considered heretics. Now, let’s look at an excerpt from a disciple’s response to questions posed by some Barelvis from Bhujpur, district of Muradabad. The response mentions:

“Since Qadianis, Wahabis, Deobandis, Non-followers (Ahle Hadith), Nadwis, Mawdudi, and Tablighis are all heretics, misbelievers, and misguided according to Islamic law, it is necessary to inform everyone about the issue of not offering prayers behind them, not marrying them, and avoiding any kind of relationship with them. It is an utmost sin to offer prayers behind them, and it is strictly forbidden to marry them. Establishing any form of Islamic connection with them leads to the destruction of one’s faith and will ruin their belief. Those who follow these teachings will find light, and those who do not will find hellfire. May Allah protect us.”

Shahzad Qadri Turabi, in his article “Whom should we marry our daughter to?” writes:

“The current heretical groups, including Deobandi, Wahabi (Ahle Hadith), Shia, Bohri, Qadiani, and Mawdudi, are all heretics. It is forbidden to establish any relationship with them. All of them consider us, the Sunni Hanafi Barelvi sect, to be innovators and polytheists.”

Bilal Barkati, a Barelvi, has written a poem titled “Wahabi Deobandi Bad-Aqida” in which he says:

“In the guise of dignity, they move around as deceitful,
Wahabis, bad in belief, roaming around as cunning.”
“By making neighbors their excuse, they prepare their children,
Ready for the journey of hardship.”

Thus, the term “badmazhab” is used by Barelvis to label both Ahle Hadith and Deobandis in the same manner. There is no doubt that this term is used to perceive these groups as misguided Muslims, similar to the way non-believers are regarded. They teach their followers that Ahle Hadith and Deobandis are misguided, have incorrect beliefs, and are destined for hell, May Allah protect us.

Here, observe how the Barelvi sect distorts the Hadiths related to non-believers and innovators, and misapplies them to Ahle Hadith and Deobandis, misleading their followers with the term badmazhab (heretic) and teaching them to distance themselves from these groups.

To support their views, they use weak Hadiths, fabricated statements, and even fabricated Hadiths. There are many such fraudulent claims on this subject, but I will mention a few of the most famous ones, which expose their deceit and fraud.

Shahzad Qadri Turabi writes in the same article:

The Prophet ﷺ said: “أصحاب البدع كلاب أهل النار” – “The people of innovation are the dogs of hell.”
(Al-Tadween Fi Akhbar Qazwin, 2/458, published by Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1987; Fayz Al-Qadeer, 1/528, Al-Maktabah Al-Tijariyah Al-Kubra, Egypt, 1356 AH, Hadith #1080; Kanz al-‘Ummal, Hadith #1094)

And the Prophet ﷺ also said regarding marrying someone from a heretical sect: “أَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَنْ تَكُونَ كَرِيمَتُهُ فِرَاشَ كَلْبٍ فَكَرِهْتُمُوهُ” – “Does any of you like that his daughter or sister should be beneath the possession of a dog? You would find it very disgusting.”
(Sunan Ibn Majah, Abwab Al-Nikah, p.139; Musnad Ahmad, 1/86, Dar al-Fikr, Beirut, Lebanon)

Thus, the heretics are like the dogs of hell, and giving your daughter or sister to them is akin to giving them to a dog. From these quotes, it becomes clear that associating with heretics, visiting them, inviting them, allowing them to preach in the Sunni mosque, and marrying them is not permissible. Moreover, those Wahabis, Deobandis, and other such misguided people, whose heresy has reached the level of kufr, are undoubtedly kafirs. Similarly, a person who does not hold the beliefs of kufr but considers those who have insulted the honor of the Prophet ﷺ to be Muslims is also, according to consensus, a kafir. (Turabi’s statement ends here)

In this, Turabi has mentioned two Hadiths. The first Hadith is: “أصحاب البدع كلاب النار” – “The people of innovation are the dogs of hell.” This is narrated by Ahmad and Al-Daraqutni.

Firstly, there is a mistranslation here. The term badmazhab (heretic) is not mentioned in this Hadith; it refers to bad’ah (innovation). The correct translation would be: “The innovators are the dogs of hell.” Since this Hadith contradicted their position, they altered the translation to fit their narrative.

Secondly, this Hadith is weak, as declared by scholars like Al-Suyuti, Al-Albani, Ibn Al-Jawzi, and Al-Dhahabi. (See: Al-Jami’ al-Saghir, Hadith #1074; Al-Silsilah al-Dhaifah, Hadith #2792; Al-‘Ilal al-Mutanaheya, 1/169; Takhreej al-‘Ilal al-Mutanaheya, p.56)

Thirdly, the authentic Hadith says: “الخوارج كلاب النار” – “The Khawarij are the dogs of hell.” (See: Sahih Ibn Majah, Hadith #143)

As for the second Hadith, it cannot be found in the mentioned references, nor is it present in any authentic Hadith collection. Upon reading Turabi’s misleading commentary, one is left in astonishment.

Turabi further writes:

The Prophet ﷺ said about the heretics: “ولا تجالسوهم ولا تواكلوهم ولا تشاربوهم ولا تناكحوهم ولا تخالطوهم ولا تعودوا مرضاهم ولا تصلوا معهم ولا تصلوا عليهم” – “Do not sit with them, do not eat or drink with them, do not marry them, do not associate with them, do not visit their sick, do not pray with them, and do not pray for them.”
(Sahih Ibn Hibban, 1/277; Sunan Al-Bayhaqi al-Kubra, 10/205; Al-Sunnah by Abdullah Ibn Ahmad, 1/126; I’tiqad Ahl al-Sunnah, 1/134; Musnad al-Rabi, 1/302; Al-Sunnah by Ibn Abi Asim, 1/144; Al-Jarh wa al-Tadil, 7/52; Mizan al-I’tidal, 2/31; Lisan al-Mizan, 2/52; Al-Majruhin, 1/187; Tadhhib al-Kamal, 6/499; Al-‘Ilal al-Mutanaheya, 1/168; Takhleeq al-Taliq, 5/125; Al-Jami’ Lakhlaq al-Rawi wa al-Sami’, 2/118; Al-Mughni, 9/11; Al-Du’afa by Al-Aqili, 1/126, Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1404 AH; Tarikh Baghdad, 8/143; Al-Kifayah fi ‘Ilm al-Riwayah, 1/48, Maktabah al-‘Ilmiyyah, Medina Munawwara, Saudi Arabia, 1398 AH) (Turabi’s statement ends here)

This narration is frequently shared among the people of misguidance and is used to encourage others to distance themselves from other Muslims, as can be seen in Turabi’s writings above.

The opening words of this Hadith, which specify the group to whom these statements apply, were omitted. Secondly, while the references were gathered, it seems the one citing these did not realize that these sources include books dedicated specifically to collecting weak narrations and unreliable narrators, warning people not to use them as proof. These books include Al-Majruhin, Al-‘Ilal al-Mutanaheya, and Al-Du’afa by Al-Aqili, which Turabi has cited.

In reality, this narration is weak and not at all credible. To confirm its weakness, I will mention a few opinions from Hadith scholars:

Shaykh Al-Albani declared it weak in Sahih al-Jami’:
“إنَّ اللهَ اختارني واختار لي أصحابي وأصهاري، وسيأتي قومٌ يَسُبُّونَهُم ويُبْغِضُونَهم فلا تُجَالِسُوهُم ولا تُشَارِبُوهُم ولا تُوَاكِلُوهُم ولا تُنَاكِحُوهُم” (Sahih al-Jami’ Hadith #1537)

Shaykh-ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah in Al-Sarim al-Maslul also regarded this narration as questionable, stating:
“إنَّ اللهَ اختارني واختار لي أصحابي فجعلهم أنصاري وجعلهم أصهاري وإنه سيجيءُ في آخرِ الزمانِ قومٌ ينتقصونَهم ألا فلا تُواكِلوهم ولا تشاربوهم ألا فلا تُناكحوهم ألا فلا تُصلُّوا معهم ولا تُصلُّوا عليهم عليهم حلتِ اللعنةُ” (Al-Sarim al-Maslul, 3/1099)

Al-Aqili in Al-Du’afa mentioned this narration and declared one of its narrators, Ahmad ibn Imran, to be a munkir al-hadith (rejected as a narrator).
“إنَّ اللهَ اختارَني فاختار لي أصحابي وأصهاري، وسيأتي قومٌ يسُبُّونَهم وينتقِصونَهم؛ فلا تُجالِسوهم ولا تُشارِبوهم ولا تُؤاكِلوهم ولا تُناكِحوهم” (Al-Du’afa Al-Kabir, 1/126)

Ibn Hibban, in Al-Majruhin, considered this narration to be baseless, stating it had no authentic origin:
“إنَّ اللهَ عزَّ وجلَّ اتَّخَذَ لي أصحابًا وأصهارًا وإنهُ سيكونُ في آخرِ الزمانِ قومٌ يَبغضونهم فلا تُؤاكلوهم ولا تُشاربوهمْ ولا تُصلُّوا عليهمْ ولا تُصلُّوا معهم” (Al-Majruhin, 1/212)

Al-Dhahabi mentioned in Mizan al-I’tidal that this Hadith is “مُنْكَرٌ جِدًّا” (very weak and rejected). It is narrated as follows:
إن الله اتخذ لي أصحابًا وأصهارا وأنه سيكون في آخر الزمان قوم يبغضونهم فلا تواكلوهم ولا تصلوا عليهم ، ولا تصلوا معهم
(Mizan al-I’tidal: 1/319)

In Al-Sunnah, the same narration is found with the following chain and text:
أَخْبَرَنَا يَعْقُوبُ بْنُ سُفْيَانَ الْفَارِسِيُّ ، قَالَ : ثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ سُفْيَانَ الْمُحَارِبِيُّ ، قَالَ : أنبا الْمُحَارِبِيُّ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ ، عَنْ عُبَيْدَةَ الْحَذَّاءِ ، عَنْ عُمَرَ أَبِي حَفْصٍ ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ ، قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : ” إِنَّ اللَّهَ اخْتَارَنِي وَاخْتَارَ لِي أَصْحَابًا ، فَجَعَلَهُمْ أَصْحَابِي ، وَأَصْهَارِي ، وَأَنْصَارِي ، وَسَيَأْتِي قَوْمٌ مِنْ بَعْدِكُمْ يَسُبُّونَهُمْ ، أَوْ ، قَالَ : يَنْتَقِصُونَهُمْ ، فَلا تُجَالِسُوهُمْ ، وَلا تُؤَاكِلُوهُمْ ، وَلا تُشَارِبُوهُمْ ، وَلا تُنَاكِحُوهُمْ ، وَلا تُصَلُّوا مَعَهُمْ ، وَلا تُصَلُّوا عَلَيْهِم”
(Al-Sunnah by Abu Bakr ibn al-Khallal, Dhikr As’hab Rasulullah ﷺ, Hadith #773)

In the chain of narrators, ‘Umar ibn Abi Hafs (also known as Amr ibn Khalid al-Asadi) is accused of fabricating Hadiths. Hafiz Ibn Hajar and Abu Ahmad labeled him munkar al-hadith (a narrator of rejected Hadiths). Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Al-Daraqutni, Al-Dhahabi, and others declared him matruk (rejected), while Ishaq ibn Rahwayh called him a fabricator of Hadith.

From this, it is clear that this Hadith is weak. Moreover, it refers to a group of people who will come in the later times and curse and have hatred for the Prophet ﷺ and his companions. The Ahle Hadith, who follow the Sunnah and the methodology of the Salaf, have been on this path since the time of the Prophet ﷺ. They are not a new sect that emerged, nor a sect that will emerge in the later times. Rather, they are a group that has been following the prophetic tradition since the time of the Prophet ﷺ. On the other hand, the Barelvi sect is a new sect founded by Ahmad Raza, and before him, there was no existence of such a group.

From this, one can understand how the desires of the soul lead people to such extremes. They have no regard for weak Hadiths, nor do they provide sound evidence in their arguments.

Another Hadith that is often cited, as mentioned in Fatawa Rizwiyyah, states:
“جس نے کسی بدمذہب کی توقیر کی، اس نے اسلام کو ڈھانے میں مدد کی”
(Fatawa Rizwiyyah, Vol. 11, p. 396)

Let’s examine the truth of this statement. This is actually a translation of a Hadith, but those following their desires will translate it according to their own wishes. Let us examine the Hadith and the way it is translated, revealing the deceit involved.

This meaning of the narration is reported from Abdullah ibn Abbas, Jabir ibn Abdullah, Aisha, Abdullah ibn Basr al-Mazni, and Ibrahim ibn Maysarah al-Ta’i, all of whom narrated weak versions of this Hadith. Below are the rulings of a few Hadith scholars on this narration:

(1) من وقَّر أهلَ البدعَ فقد أعان على هدمِ الإسلامِ
Translation: “Whoever honors the people of innovation has helped in the destruction of Islam.”
Ibn ‘Adi said that this narration is questionable because no one has followed Bahlul ibn ‘Ubayd in this narration. (Al-Kamil fi al-Dhuafa: 2/249)
Ibn al-Qaysarani said that Bahlul ibn ‘Ubayd is to be abandoned due to this narration. (Dhakhira al-Hafiz: 4/2432)
Ibn al-Jawzi called it fabricated. (Al-Mawdu’at Ibn al-Jawzi: 1/444)

(2) مَنْ وقَّر صاحبَ بدعةٍ فقد أعان على هدمِ الإسلامِ
Translation: “Whoever honors an innovator has helped in the destruction of Islam.”
Ibn Hibban declared it fabricated. (Al-Majruhin: 1/286)
Ibn al-Jawzi called it a false narration. (Al-Mawdu’at Ibn al-Jawzi: 1/444)
Iraqi said that all the chains from Jabir ibn Abdullah, Aisha, and Abdullah ibn Basr are weak. (Takhreej al-Ihya: 2/111)
Al-Sakhawi declared the chain weak. (Al-Maqasid al-Hasanah: 482)

(3) من أكرم فاسقًا فقد أعان على هدمِ الإسلامِ
Translation: “Whoever honors a sinner has helped in the destruction of Islam.”
Al-Sakhawi declared this narration weak. (Al-Ajwibah al-Mardiyyah: 2/884)

In addition to this, they apply the general Quranic verses and Hadiths related to non-believers and misguided sects to Ahle Hadith, such as the verse in the Quran about not befriending non-believers, which they wrongly apply to Ahle Hadith, A’udhu Billah.

In this way, the Barelvi sect fabricates the term badmazhab (heretic) and labels others as misguided, planting these ideas in the minds of their followers so that they avoid coming closer to those who adhere to the Quran and Sunnah. This is done to prevent their followers from understanding the true teachings of Islam, as they fear that when their followers become aware of the Quran and Sunnah, they will refrain from innovations, superstitions, shirk, and sins, and thus more people will be attracted to the Ahle Hadith movement.

Allah grants understanding of the religion to whom He wills. Alhamdulillah, many people, destined by Allah for guidance, are coming closer to the Quran and Sunnah. I pray that Allah guides the nation, which is immersed in polytheism and innovation, and grants them understanding to follow the true path of Islam, in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf Saliheen.