Rafi Usmani | |
|---|---|
| محمد رفیع عثمانی | |
| 3rd President ofDarul Uloom Karachi | |
| In office 1986 – 18 November 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Abdul Hai Arifi |
| Succeeded by | Taqi Usmani |
| Vice-president ofWifaq-ul-Madaris | |
| In office 5 October 2017 – 16 June 2021 | |
| Personal life | |
| Born | (1936-07-21)21 July 1936 Deoband,United Provinces, British India |
| Died | 18 November 2022(2022-11-18) (aged 86) Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan |
| Resting place | Darul Uloom Karachi cemetery |
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| Alma mater | |
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| Religious life | |
| Religion | Islam |
| Denomination | Sunni |
| Jurisprudence | Hanafi |
| Creed | Maturidi |
| Movement | Deobandi |
Rafi Usmani[a] (21 July 1936 – 18 November 2022) was a PakistaniIslamic scholar who served as the president ofDarul Uloom Karachi. He was an alumnus ofDarul Uloom Deoband,University of the Punjab and the Darul Uloom Karachi, and was the elder brother ofTaqi Usmani.
He authored books includingAhkām-e-Zakāt,Al-Tālīqāt al-nāfi'ah alā fath al-mulhim,Islām mai aurat ki hukmrāni andNawādir al-Fiqh. He was a syndicate member of theUniversity of Karachi, vice-president and a member of the executive council ofWifaq-ul-Madaris.
Muḥammad Rafi Usmani was born on 21 July 1936 into theUsmani family of Deoband, in British India, in a town calledDeoband.[2] He was named Muḥammad Rafī byAshraf Ali Thanwi.[3] Usmāni's fatherMuhammad Shafi was a Grand Mufti ofDarul Uloom Deoband and one of the pioneer figures ofPakistan Movement.[4] Islamic scholarTaqi Usmani is his younger brother.[5]
In the late 1980s, he participated in theSoviet–Afghan War by joining the groupHarkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami (HUJI).[6] From 1988 to 1991, he published his jihad memoirs in the Urdu monthly of Darul Uloom Karachi,Al-Balagh, as well in the Urdu dailyJang and the Urdu monthlyal-Irshad belonging to HUJI. These jihad memoirs were later published into a book titledYe Tere Pur-Asrār Bande (transl. These Incredible Servants of Yours).[7]
Usmani memorized half of theQuran atDarul Uloom Deoband, and migrated toPakistan on 1 May 1948.[8] He completed memorizing theQuran at the Masjid Bab al-Islam inAram Bagh, and recited the last lesson with the Palestinian Grand Mufti,Amin al-Husseini.[9] He entered theDarul Uloom Karachi in 1951, and graduated in the traditional "dars-e-nizami" in 1960.[9] In 1378AH, he passed the "molvi" and "munshi" (also known as "Molvi Fazil"[9]) examinations fromUniversity of the Punjab.[8][9] He specialized in Islamic jurisprudence (ifta) at Darul Uloom Karachi in 1960.[8]
Usmani studiedSahih Bukhari withRashid Ahmed Ludhianvi,Sahih Muslim with Akbar Ali Saharanpuri,Muwatta Imam Muhammad andSunan Nasai with Sahban Mehmood,Sunan Abu Dawood with Ri'ā'yatullah andJami' al-Tirmidhi withSaleemullah Khan.[10] He studied parts ofSunan ibn Majah with Muhammad Haqīq, and completed studying it under the tutelage of Ri'ā'yatullah.[10] He was authorized to transmithadith by Hasan bin Muhammad al-Musyath,Muhammad Idris Kandhlawi, Muhammad Shafi Deobandi,Muhammad Tayyib Qasmi,Zakariyya Kandhlawi andZafar Ahmad Usmani.[11]
Usmani was a member ofAll Pakistan Ulema Council,Council of Islamic Ideology,Ruet-e-Hilal Committee andZakat Council of theGovernment of Sindh.[12] He was an advisor to Shariat Appellate Bench,Supreme Court of Pakistan and a syndicate member of theNED University of Engineering & Technology and theUniversity of Karachi.[12] He served as a member of the examinations committee and the executive council ofWifaq-ul-Madaris,[13] and subsequently became its patron.[14] He served as the vice-president of Wifaq-ul-Madaris between 5 October 2017 and 16 June 2021.[15] After the death ofAbdul Hai Arifi in 1986, Usmani succeeded him and became the third president of Darul Uloom Karachi.[16][17]
At Darul Uloom Karachi, Usmani taught all the books related todars-e-nizami from 1380AH to 1390 AH (the 1960s). From 1391 AH (1971) onwards, he taught the sciences ofhadith andifta in the seminary.[18] He gave lectures onSahih Muslim and trained the students of Islamic jurisprudence.[8] His students includedMuhammad ibn Adam Al-Kawthari.[19]
He always asked students to keep a distance from politics.[20]
Usmani authored about 27 books inArabic andUrdu.[21]
His Urdu translation and commentary of Inayat Ahmad'sIlm al-Sīgha is taught in the traditionaldars-e-nizami curriculum in manymadrasas of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, England, South Africa and United States of America.[21]
His other books include:[21]
Usmani was given the title ofMufti-e-Azam (Grand Mufti) through a consensus opinion for his scholarly contributions.[22] According toDawn, he was appointed Grand Mufti by scholars representing theDeobandi movement in 1995.[23] He was seen as a learned scholar, jurist,muhaddith, researcher and author, an excellent administrator, and a successful teacher and lecturer.[24]
Usmani was suffering several health issues after survivingCOVID-19 and was being treated for these complications.[25] He died after a prolonged illness inKarachi on 18 November 2022, aged 86.[25]Arif Alvi andShehbaz Sharif expressed sorrow on his death.[26]Marriyum Aurangzeb termed the scholar's death as an irreparable loss and theGovernor of Sindh,Kamran Tessori, called it a loss to the whole of the Islamic world.Murad Ali Shah, while expressing sorrow, stated that, "Mufti Sahib's death is a great tragedy for the Islamic world. His religious services are eternal".[26]Nawaz Sharif expressed that, "My heart is deeply saddened by the death of Mufti Rafi Usmani."[27] His studentMuhammad ibn Adam Al-Kawthari expressed that he had no words to express the sadness. Former Prime Minister of Pakistan,Imran Khan, also offered condolences and stated that he will be remembered for his invaluable scholarship.[19]
Usmani's funeral prayers were led by his brother Muhammad Taqi Usmani on 20 November 2022, and attended byAnis Kaimkhani,Anwar-ul-Haq Haqqani,Fazal-ur-Rahman,Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman, Kamran Tessori,Muhammad Hanif Jalandhari andSyed Mustafa Kamal.[23][17][28] He was buried near his father's grave in the cemetery of Darul Uloom Karachi.[29]
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