The Raza Academy was founded in 1979 in Manchester to promote Sunni Islam within the United Kingdom, and to serve Islam and the Muslim Community. Since its foundation Raza Academy has now published over one hundred books, and since 1985 it has produced a monthly magazine, which has been called The Islamic Times, which after many struggles has gone from strength to strength.

Raza Academy is named after one of the greatest Muslims of the modern age, Imam Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi (Rahmatullah Alaih), who was born in 1856 and passed away in 1921. He was so great that he was given the title of Reviver of the Islamic Century. His writings and life are of the greatest importance to Muslims in the World today, and so Raza Academy devotes its efforts to publishing, in English, works by and about him. Imam Ahmed Raza was also a great upholder of Sunni Islam, and so Raza Academy also devotes its work to explaining and defending Sunni Islam. And especially Imam Ahmed Raza was devoted to the total love and respect for the Prophet Muhammad (Sall Allahu Alaihi wa Sallam). For this reason Raza Academy puts at the very centre of its work the upholding of the Superiority of the Prophet (Sall Allahu Alaihi wa Sallam).