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Rizvi or Rizavi is the Urdu pronunciation for the Persian surname Razavi or the Arabic surname Radawi/Ridhawi. It is a surname commonly associated with Shia Muslims who believe they are the descendants of the 8th Shiite Imam and a descendant and successor of Prophet Mohammad through his daughter Fatimah married with Ali ibn Abi talib, Imam Mohammad al-Taqi al Jawwad. Since the Rizvi clan trace their lineage to Fatimah al Zehra, they often to use the prefix Syed (or its synonyms) in front of their name. Rizvi Sayyids are from the lineage of Musa al Mubarraqa the younger son of ninth Twelver Shiite Imam Mohammad al-Taqi al Jawwad and the younger brother of tenth Shiite Imam Ali al-Hadi Naqi. Musa al Mubarraqa is known to be the ancestor of those Sayyids who use the title of his grandfather and eight Shiite Imam Ali al-Reza or Al-Rida in their surnames. All Rizvi, Ridawi and Razavi Sayyids are from the descendants of Imam Ali Raza through his Sons Hasan, Ibrahim, Jafar, Mohammad Al Taqi, Hussian, Sultan Ali. All Shia Rizvis are from Musa Al Mubarraqa.
There is a common misconceptions that Rizvis can only be of Shia belief, though Rizvis being majority Shias, there are few well known and authenticated Rizvis who prescribe to Sunni beliefs. The claim that Sunni Rizvis are Syed descendants of Prophet Mohammad, through his seventh descendent Imam Ali ar-Ridha is true and the chain is the same as of Shia Muslims.