Shah Abdul Aziz Raipuri (16 July 1905 – 3 June 1992) was an Islamic scholar, Sufi leader, and educationist from the Indian subcontinent. As the third successor of Khanqah Alia Rahimia Raipur, he contributed to Islamic education, spiritual guidance, and social reform.^[1]

Born in Gumthala, Karnal district, British India, Raipuri was raised in a devout religious family. His father, Chaudhry Tasaduq Hussain, was a follower of Rashid Ahmad Gangohi, a pivotal figure in the Deobandi movement. This familial background influenced his lifelong commitment to Islamic scholarship and Sufism.^[2]

He had six sons and three daughters:

1. Saeed Ahmed Raipuri (appointed successor)
2. Rao Rasheed Ahmad
3. Rao Khalil Ahmad
4. Rao Habib Ahmad
5. Rao Zafar Iqbal
6. Rao Abdul Qadir

Raipuri received his Islamic education at Mazahir Uloom Saharanpur, where he studied under eminent scholars such as Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri, Husain Ahmad Madani, and Mahmud Hasan Deobandi. His rigorous training in Islamic jurisprudence, theology, and Sufism laid the groundwork for his later contributions to religious education.^[3]

In 1962, following the death of Abdul Qadir Raipuri, he was appointed head of Khanqah Alia Rahimia Raipur. Under his leadership, the khanqah emerged as a prominent center for Islamic scholarship and moral reformation. His key initiatives included:

• Reviving traditional Islamic education
• Expanding social welfare programs
• Promoting spiritual purification (Islah)
• Upholding the intellectual legacy of Shah Waliullah Dehlavi^[4]

Raipuri played a significant role in advancing Islamic education by:

• Serving as Principal of Mazahir Uloom Saharanpur (1940–1947)
• Mentoring scholars in Pakistan after Partition
• Influencing institutions such as Jamia Uloom Islamia, Banori Town, and the Rahimia Institute of Quranic Sciences

These efforts sought to maintain high academic standards in religious studies.^[5]

In 1987, he established Tanzeem Fikr-e-Waliullahi Pakistan, an organization dedicated to:

• Reviving the ideological legacy of Shah Waliullah Dehlavi
• Promoting contemporary Islamic scholarship
• Enhancing the intellectual unity of the Muslim community^[6]

Raipuri was active in Islamic political movements and social activism. His involvement included:

• Participation in Jamiat Talaba-e-Islam, a student-led movement
• Engagement in the 1970s Khatm-e-Nubuwwat movement opposing Ahmadiyya beliefs
• Advocacy for Islamic governance and educational reform, influenced by scholars such as Mahmud Hasan Deobandi, Ubaidullah Sindhi, and Husain Ahmad Madani^[7]

In 1988, as part of a deliberate process to ensure continuity in leadership and scholarly vision, Abdul Aziz Raipuri formally designated his eldest son, Saeed Ahmed Raipuri, as his successor. This succession—attained through rigorous mentorship and institutional stewardship within the khanqah—ensured that his reformist vision and academic traditions would persist.^[8]

Raipuri passed away on 3 June 1992 in Lahore, Pakistan, and was interred in Raipur, India. His enduring legacy is reflected in the sustained influence of the institutions he founded and the scholars he mentored.^[9]

• Khanqah Alia Rahimia Raipur
• Mazahir Uloom Saharanpur
• Shah Waliullah Dehlavi
• Jamia Uloom Islamia, Banori Town