{{Short description|Pakistani mufti (1936–2022)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = [[Grand Mufti]]<ref name="berecorder">{{cite news| title=Grand Mufti Rafi Usmani passes away|url=https://www.brecorder.com/news/40209612/mufti-muhammad-rafi-usmani-passes-away |access-date=18 November 2022 |work=[[Business Recorder]] (newspaper) |date=18 November 2022}}</ref> | native_name = {{nastaliq|محمد رفیع عثمانی}} | office1 = 3rd President of [[Darul Uloom Karachi]] | predecessor1 = [[Abdul Hai Arifi]] | successor1 = [[Taqi Usmani]] | term_start1 = 1986 | term_end1 = 18 November 2022 | office2 = Vice-president of [[Wifaq-ul-Madaris]] | term_start2 = 5 October 2017 | term_end2 = 16 June 2021 | module2 = {{Infobox religious biography |embed = yes |religion=[[Islam]] |birth_date = {{birth date|df=y|1936|7|21}} |birth_place = [[Deoband]], [[United Provinces of British India|United Provinces]], British India |death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|2022|11|18|1936|7|21}} |death_place = [[Karachi]], Sindh, Pakistan |alma_mater = {{ublist|[[Darul Uloom Deoband]]|[[University of the Punjab]]|[[Darul Uloom Karachi]] }} |relations = {{ublist|[[Taqi Usmani]] (brother)|[[Usmani family of Deoband]] }} |father = [[Muhammad Shafi]] |denomination = [[Sunni Islam|Sunni]] |jurisprudence = [[Hanafi]] | creed = [[Maturidi]] |movement = [[Deobandi]] |resting_place = [[Darul Uloom Karachi]] cemetery }} }} '''Rafi Usmani'''{{Efn|{{langx|ur|{{nastaliq|محمد رفیع عثمانی}}|translit=Muḥammad Rafīʿ Us̱mānī}}}} (21 July 1936 – 18 November 2022) was a Pakistani [[Ulama|Islamic scholar]] who served as the president of [[Darul Uloom Karachi]]. He was an alumnus of [[Darul Uloom Deoband]], [[University of the Punjab]] and the Darul Uloom Karachi, and was the elder brother of [[Taqi Usmani]].
He authored books including ''Ahkām-e-Zakāt'', ''Al-Tālīqāt al-nāfi'ah alā fath al-mulhim'', ''Islām mai aurat ki hukmrāni'' and ''Nawādir al-Fiqh''. He was a syndicate member of the [[University of Karachi]], vice-president and a member of the executive council of [[Wifaq-ul-Madaris]].
==Background and early life== {{See also|Usmani family of Deoband#Miyānji Shukrullah}} Muḥammad Rafi Usmani was born on 21 July 1936 into the [[Usmani family of Deoband]], in British India, in a town called [[Deoband]].{{Sfn|Asmatullah|2014|p=11}} He was named Muḥammad Rafī by [[Ashraf Ali Thanwi]].{{Sfn|Samdani|2010|p=48}} Usmāni's father [[Muhammad Shafi]] was a Grand Mufti of [[Darul Uloom Deoband]] and one of the pioneer figures of [[Pakistan Movement]].<ref>{{cite book |author1=Syed Mehboob Rizwi |author1-link=Syed Mehboob Rizwi |translator1-last=Murtaz Hussain F |translator1-first=Quraishi |title=Tārīkh Dārul Uloom Deoband |trans-title=History of The Dar al-Ulum Deoband|publisher=Idārah Ehtemam |location=[[Darul Uloom Deoband]] |pages=93–94 |language=en}}</ref> Islamic scholar [[Taqi Usmani]] is his younger brother.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1471212 | title=Mufti Taqi Usmani survives assassination attempt in Karachi|date=22 March 2019|website=Dawn (newspaper)|access-date=12 March 2020}}</ref>
=== Soviet–Afghan War === In the late 1980s, he participated in the [[Soviet–Afghan War]] by joining the group [[Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami]] (HUJI).<ref>{{cite book |last=Hegghammer |first=Thomas |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7FfPDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA395 |title=The Caravan: Abdallah Azzam and the Rise of Global Jihad |date=2020 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-76595-4 |location=Cambridge |page=395 |doi=10.1017/9781139049375 |s2cid=214002117}}</ref> From 1988 to 1991, he published his jihad memoirs in the Urdu monthly of Darul Uloom Karachi, ''Al-Balagh'', as well in the Urdu daily [[Daily Jang|''Jang'']] and the Urdu monthly ''al-Irshad'' belonging to HUJI. These jihad memoirs were later published into a book titled ''Ye Tere Pur-Asrār Bande'' ({{Translation|''These Incredible Servants of Yours''}}).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Jan |first=Najeeb |title=The Metacolonial State: Pakistan, Critical Ontology, and the Biopolitical Horizons of Political Islam |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |year=2019 |page=208}}</ref>
==Education== Usmani memorized half of the ''[[Quran]]'' at [[Darul Uloom Deoband]], and migrated to [[Pakistan]] on 1 May 1948.{{Sfn|Asmatullah|2014|p=12}} He completed memorizing the ''Quran'' at the Masjid Bab al-Islam in [[Aram Bagh, Karachi|Aram Bagh]], and recited the last lesson with the Palestinian Grand Mufti, [[Amin al-Husseini]].{{Sfn|Samdani|2010|pp=49–50}} He entered the [[Darul Uloom Karachi]] in 1951, and graduated in the traditional "[[dars-e-nizami]]" in 1960.{{Sfn|Samdani|2010|pp=49–50}} In 1378 [[Hijri year|AH]], he passed the "molvi" and "munshi" (also known as "Molvi Fazil"{{Sfn|Samdani|2010|pp=49–50}}) examinations from [[University of the Punjab]].{{Sfn|Asmatullah|2014|p=12}}{{Sfn|Samdani|2010|pp=49–50}} He specialized in Islamic jurisprudence ([[Ifta (islamic term)|ifta]]) at Darul Uloom Karachi in 1960.{{Sfn|Asmatullah|2014|p=12}}
Usmani studied ''[[Sahih Bukhari]]'' with [[Rashid Ahmed Ludhianvi]], ''[[Sahih Muslim]]'' with Akbar Ali Saharanpuri, ''[[Muwatta Imam Muhammad]]'' and ''[[Sunan Nasai]]'' with Sahban Mehmood, ''[[Sunan Abu Dawood]]'' with Ri'ā'yatullah and ''[[Jami' al-Tirmidhi]]'' with [[Saleemullah Khan]].{{Sfn|Asmatullah|2014|p=20}} He studied parts of ''[[Sunan ibn Majah]]'' with Muhammad Haqīq, and completed studying it under the tutelage of Ri'ā'yatullah.{{Sfn|Asmatullah|2014|p=20}} He was authorized to transmit [[hadith]] by Hasan bin Muhammad al-Musyath, [[Muhammad Idris Kandhlawi]], Muhammad Shafi Deobandi, [[Muhammad Tayyib Qasmi]], [[Zakariyya Kandhlawi]] and [[Zafar Ahmad Usmani]].{{Sfn|Asmatullah|2014|pp=20–21}}
==Career== Usmani was a member of [[All Pakistan Ulema Council]], [[Council of Islamic Ideology]], [[Ruet-e-Hilal Committee]] and [[Zakat Council]] of the [[Government of Sindh]].{{Sfn|Asmatullah|2014|p=15}} He was an advisor to Shariat Appellate Bench, [[Supreme Court of Pakistan]] and a syndicate member of the [[NED University of Engineering & Technology]] and the [[University of Karachi]].{{Sfn|Asmatullah|2014|p=15}} He served as a member of the examinations committee and the executive council of [[Wifaq-ul-Madaris]],{{Sfn|Asmatullah|2014|p=13, 15}} and subsequently became its patron.<ref>{{cite news |title=Renowned Islamic scholar Mufti Rafi Usmani passes away |url=https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/18-Nov-2022/renowned-islamic-scholar-mufti-rafi-usmani-passes-away |access-date=18 November 2022 |work=Daily Pakistan |date=18 November 2022}}</ref> He served as the vice-president of Wifaq-ul-Madaris between 5 October 2017 and 16 June 2021.<ref>{{cite web |title=Vice-presidents of the Wifaqul Madaris |url=https://www.wifaqulmadaris.org/ohdydaran/naib-sadoor.php |publisher=Wifaqul Madaris |access-date=18 November 2022 |archive-date=18 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221118224817/https://www.wifaqulmadaris.org/ohdydaran/naib-sadoor.php }}</ref> After the death of [[Abdul Hai Arifi]] in 1986, Usmani succeeded him and became the third president of Darul Uloom Karachi.<ref>{{cite book|author=Mufti Ikram Ul Haq|title=Companion of Hajj|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_67lAgAAQBAJ|date=2014|publisher=[[Xlibris Corporation]]|isbn=978-1-4931-6637-4|page=11}}</ref><ref name="tni"/>
At Darul Uloom Karachi, Usmani taught all the books related to [[dars-e-nizami]] from 1380 [[Hijri year|AH]] to 1390 AH (the 1960s). From 1391 AH (1971) onwards, he taught the sciences of [[hadith]] and [[Ifta (islamic term)|ifta]] in the seminary.{{Sfn|Asmatullah|2014|pp=1415}} He gave lectures on ''Sahih Muslim'' and trained the students of Islamic jurisprudence.{{Sfn|Asmatullah|2014|p=12}} His students included [[Muhammad ibn Adam Al-Kawthari]].<ref name="bmm">{{cite news |last1=Ahmed |first1=Juber |title=Condolences Pour In For Leading Pakistani Scholar, Mufti Rafi Usmani |url=https://www.britishmuslim-magazine.com/2022/11/condolences-pour-in-for-leading-pakistani-scholar-mufti-rafi-usmani/ |access-date=21 November 2022 |work=British Muslim Magazine}}</ref>
He always asked students to keep a distance from politics.<ref>{{Cite web |title=مفتی رفیع عثمانی کی مدارس کے طلبہ کو سیاست سے دور رہنے کی تلقین |url=https://jang.com.pk/news/693319-muhammad-rafi-usmani-not-allow-student-in-politics |access-date=13 March 2020 |website=jang.com.pk}}</ref>
==Literary works== Usmani authored about 27 books in [[Arabic]] and [[Urdu]].{{Sfn|Asmatullah|2014|pp=16–17}}
His Urdu translation and commentary of Inayat Ahmad's ''Ilm al-Sīgha'' is taught in the traditional [[dars-e-nizami]] curriculum in many [[madrasas]] of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, England, South Africa and United States of America.{{Sfn|Asmatullah|2014|pp=16–17}}
His other books include:{{Sfn|Asmatullah|2014|pp=16–17}} * ''Ahkām-e-Zakāt'' ({{Translation|''Rulings Pertaining to [[Zakat]]''}}) * ''Alāmāt-i qiyāmat aur nuzūl-i Masīḥ'' ({{Translation|''Signs of the End Times and the Descent of the [[Masih]]''}}) * ''Al-Tālīqāt al-nāfi'ah alā fath al-mulhim'' * ''Bai al-wafā'' * ''Europe ke tīn mu'āshi nizām, jāgīrdāri, sarmāyadāri, ishtirākiyat awr unka tārikhi pas-e-manzar''. Its English translation is published separately as ''The three systems of economics in Europe: feudalism, capitalism, socialism and their historical background''. * ''Islām mai aurat ki hukmrāni'' ({{Translation|''Female leadership in Islam''}}) * ''Ḥayāt-i Muftī-yi Aʻẓam'' ({{Translation|''Life of the Grand Mufti''}}), a biography of Muhammad Shafi Deobandi. * ''Kitābat-e-Hadees ahd-e-risālat o ahd-e-sahāba mai'' {{Translation|''The writing of [[hadith]] in the era of the Prophet and his companions''}}) * ''Mere murshid Ḥaẓrat-i ʻĀrifī'' ({{Translation|''My Mentor: Hazrat ʻĀrifī''}}), on the life and works of Abdul Hai Aarifi. * ''Nawādir al-Fiqh''
==Recognition== Usmani was given the title of ''[[Mufti-e-Azam]]'' (Grand Mufti) through a consensus opinion for his scholarly contributions.<ref name="gulf">{{cite news |last1=Samar |first1=Azeem |title=Thousands attend funeral prayers for Grand Mufti of Pakistan, Rafi Usmani |url=https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/pakistan/thousands-attend-funeral-prayers-for-grand-mufti-of-pakistan-rafi-usmani-1.92139176 |access-date=21 November 2022 |work=[[Gulf News]] |date=20 November 2022}}</ref> According to [[Dawn (newspaper)|Dawn]], he was appointed Grand Mufti by scholars representing the [[Deobandi|Deobandi movement]] in 1995.<ref name="dawn211122" /> He was seen as a learned scholar, jurist, [[muhaddith]], researcher and author, an excellent administrator, and a successful teacher and lecturer.<ref>{{cite news |title=مفتی اعظم رفیع عثمانی محب وطن،سچے عاشق رسولؐ تھے،قاری محمد بن سعید |trans-title=Mufti Azam Rafi Usmani was a patriot, a true lover of the Prophet, Qari Muhammad bin Saeed |url=https://dailypakistan.com.pk/21-Nov-2022/1511252 |access-date=21 November 2022 |work=[[Daily Pakistan]] |date=21 November 2022 |language=ur}}</ref>
==Death== [[File:Mufti Rafi Usmani's Janazah Salah view.jpg|thumb|A view of Usmani's [[Janazah]].]] Usmani was suffering several health issues after surviving [[COVID-19]] and was being treated for these complications.<ref name="dawn">{{cite news |title=Mufti Rafi Usmani is no more |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1721794 |access-date=19 November 2022 |work=[[Dawn (newspaper)|Dawn]] |date=19 November 2022}}</ref> He died after a prolonged illness in [[Karachi]] on 18 November 2022, aged 86.<ref name="dawn" /> [[Arif Alvi]] and [[Shehbaz Sharif]] expressed sorrow on his death.<ref name="pk">{{cite news |title=Mufti-e-Azam Pakistan Maulana Rafi Usmani dies at 86 |url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1011320-mufti-e-azam-pakistan-maulana-rafi-usmani-dies-at-86 |access-date=18 November 2022 |work=The News International}}</ref> [[Marriyum Aurangzeb]] termed the scholar's death as an irreparable loss and the [[Governor 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".<ref name="pk" /> [[Nawaz Sharif]] expressed that, "My heart is deeply saddened by the death of Mufti Rafi Usmani."<ref>{{cite news |title=مفتی رفیع عثمانی کی وفات پر دل بہت رنجیدہ ہے، نواز شریف |url=https://jang.com.pk/news/1161002 |access-date=19 November 2022 |work=[[Daily Jang]] |date=19 November 2022}}</ref> His student [[Muhammad 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.<ref name="bmm" />
Usmani's funeral prayers were led by his brother Muhammad Taqi Usmani on 20 November 2022, and attended by [[Anis Kaimkhani]], [[Anwar-ul-Haq Haqqani]], [[Fazal-ur-Rehman (politician, born 1953)|Fazal-ur-Rahman]], [[Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman]], Kamran Tessori, [[Muhammad Hanif Jalandhari]] and [[Syed Mustafa Kamal]].<ref name="dawn211122">{{cite news |title=Renowned cleric Rafi Usmani laid to rest |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1722102 |work=Dawn |date=21 November 2022}}</ref><ref name="tni">{{cite news |title=Funeral prayers of Mufti-e-Azam Rafi Usmani offered in Karachi |url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1011874-funeral-prayers-of-mufti-e-azam-rafi-usmani-offered-in-karachi |access-date=20 November 2022 |work=The News International |date=20 November 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Funeral prayer of Mufti Rafi Usmani offered in Karachi |url=https://www.bolnews.com/pakistan/2022/11/funeral-prayer-of-mufti-rafi-usmani-offered-in-karachi/ |access-date=20 November 2022 |work=Bol News |date=20 November 2022}}</ref> He was buried near his father's grave in the cemetery of Darul Uloom Karachi.<ref>{{cite news |title=Mufti-e-Azam Pakistan Rafi Usmani laid to rest in Karachi |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/2387291/mufti-e-azam-pakistan-rafi-usmani-laid-to-rest-in-karachi |access-date=21 November 2022 |work=[[The Express Tribune]] |date=20 November 2022}}</ref>
== Notes == {{Notelist}}
==References== ===Citations=== {{Reflist}}
===Bibliography=== * {{cite book |last1=Usmani |first1=Muhammad Rafi |contributor1= Asmatullah|title=Nawādir al-Fiqh |date=25 November 2014 |publisher=Maktaba Darul Uloom Karachi |location=Karachi |pages=11–21 |language=ur |contribution=Kuchh Mu'allif ke bāre mai |volume= 1}} * {{Cite book |last1=Usmani |first1=Muhammad Rafi |contributor-last1=Samdani |contributor-first1=Aejaz Ahmad |title=Fatāwa Darul Uloom Karachi|contribution= Sāhib-e-fatawa ke mukhtasar hālāt-e-zindagi |volume=1|publisher=Idāratul Ma'ārif |location = [[Karachi]] |date= January 2010 |pages= 48–81}}
==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20100102053404/http://www.geo.tv/12-30-2009/55868.htm Blackwater involved in Karachi catastrophe, says Mufti Usmani (Muharram 2009 blasts in Karachi)] Geo TV News, Published 30 December 2009, Retrieved 13 March 2020
{{Portal bar|Islam|Biography|Pakistan}}{{Islamic scholars from Pakistan|state=collapsed}}{{Wifaq ul Madaris Al-Arabia, Pakistan}} {{Hanafi scholars}} {{Maturidi}} {{Usmani family}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Usmani, Muhammad Rafi}} [[Category:1936 births]] [[Category:2022 deaths]] [[Category:Hanafis]] [[Category:Maturidis]] [[Category:Deobandis]] [[Category:Pakistani Sunni Muslim scholars of Islam]] [[Category:Religious leaders from Karachi]] [[Category:Muhajir people]] [[Category:Grand Muftis of Pakistan]] [[Category:Pakistani religious leaders]] [[Category:Vice presidents of Wifaq ul Madaris Al-Arabia]] [[Category:Presidents of Jamia Darul Uloom, Karachi]] [[Category:Darul Uloom Karachi people]] [[Category:Mujahideen members of the Soviet–Afghan War]] [[Category:People from Deoband]] [[Category:Usmani family]] [[Category:Indian emigrants to Pakistan]]