---
title: "Ahl-i-Hadith: Sunni Revivalist Movement | Model Diplomat"
description: "Ahl-i-Hadith is a Sunni revivalist movement rejecting taqlīd, focusing on direct rulings from the Qur'an and Hadith. Key for civil services aspirants."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/ahl-i-hadith"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- Ahl-i-Hadith is a Sunni revivalist movement that rejects taqlīd of the four legal schools and derives rulings directly from the Qur'an and authenticated Hadith.
- How does Ahl-i-Hadith differ from the Deobandi and Barelvi schools?
- What is the relationship between Ahl-i-Hadith and Salafism?
- Who were the founding figures of the Ahl-i-Hadith movement?
- Why is the Ahl-i-Hadith significant for sectarian analysis in Pakistan?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

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In 1906, scholars of the movement founded the All India Ahl-i-Hadith Conference at Arah, Bihar, institutionalising a scripturalist Sunni current that rejected the authority of the four traditional legal schools.

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