Akhtar Raza Khan

Religious career In 1967, at the age of 25, he became a teacher at the Manzar-i Islam at Bareilly Dargah.

Khan was known by several titles among Barelvis in India, such as Tajush Sharia ("Crown of Sharia"), Mufti-e-Azam ("Supreme Mufti"), Qazi ul-Quzzat ("Islamic Chief Justice"), and others. He had tens of millions of followers in India.

He died following a long illness on 20 July 2018, aged 74. After his death Mufti Mohammad Salim Noori, spokesperson of the Bareilly Dargah, said Khan was "the lone cleric in India to get a title of Tajushariya and "one of the few prominent persons across the world to be allowed to visit the inside [of the] Kaaba in Mecca." His funeral occurred on 22 July 2018 at Islamia Inter College, Bareilly. The prayer was led by his son and successor Asjad Raza Khan. His funeral was watched by at least 12,500,000 people across the world. A day of mourning was organised in Bareilly.

The funeral was organised by the Members of Bareilly Dargah and other organisations related to Dargah. The Namaz-e-Janaza was led by the son of Akhtar Raza Khan and head Mufti of Bareilly, Asjad Raza Khan at 10:00 AM on 22 July 2018.

In 2016, Khan wrote a book Tie Ka Mas'ala and he had issued fatwa against wearing ties, Khan had called tie as the symbol of Christians, the non-Muslims.

In October 2016, Khan under the letterhead of Shariat Council of India issued the Fatwa against the Uniform Civil Code in India and said it is made a law, it will be boycotted.

Akhtar Raza Khan was known for some of his extreme views; he penned a pamphlet forbidding prayers behind Deobandi imams. He was also sceptical of the Pakistani Barelvi organisation Dawat-e-Islami and their leader Ilyas Qadri. He wrote a book named "Iblis Ka Raqs" in refutation of Qadri and his organisation.

Poetry His composition of Na`at was entitled Safina-e-Bakhshish, written in three languages.

Books He was the author of "more than 50 books on Islamic theology and thought in Urdu and Arabic", including: Suno Chup Raho