Muḥammad Shafī‘ ibn Muḥammad Yāsīn ‘Us̱mānī Deobandī ( ur, ; ar, محمد شفيع بن محمد ياسين العثماني الديوبندي, ''Muḥammad Shafī‘ ibn Muḥammad Yāsīn al-‘Uthmānī ad-Diyūbandī''; 25 January 18976 October 1976), often referred to as Mufti Muhammad Shafi, was a
Pakistani Sunni Islamic scholar
In Islam, the ''ulama'' (; ar, علماء ', singular ', "scholar", literally "the learned ones", also spelled ''ulema''; feminine: ''alimah'' ingularand ''aalimath'' lural are the guardians, transmitters, and interpreters of religious ...
of the
Deobandi school of Islamic thought.
A
Hanafi
The Hanafi school ( ar, حَنَفِية, translit=Ḥanafiyah; also called Hanafite in English), Hanafism, or the Hanafi fiqh, is the oldest and one of the four traditional major Sunni schools ( maddhab) of Islamic Law (Fiqh). It is named a ...
jurist and
mufti
A Mufti (; ar, مفتي) is an Islamic jurist qualified to issue a nonbinding opinion (''fatwa'') on a point of Islamic law (''sharia''). The act of issuing fatwas is called ''iftāʾ''. Muftis and their ''fatwas'' played an important role ...
, he was also an authority on
shari'ah
Sharia (; ar, شريعة, sharīʿa ) is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition. It is derived from the religious precepts of Islam and is based on the sacred scriptures of Islam, particularly the Quran and the ...
,
hadith
Ḥadīth ( or ; ar, حديث, , , , , , , literally "talk" or "discourse") or Athar ( ar, أثر, , literally "remnant"/"effect") refers to what the majority of Muslims believe to be a record of the words, actions, and the silent approva ...
, Qur'anic exegesis, and Sufism. Born in
Deoband,
British India
The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...
, he graduated in 1917 from
Darul Uloom Deoband, where he later taught hadith and held the post of Chief Mufti. He resigned from the school in 1943 to devote his time to the
Pakistan Movement
The Pakistan Movement ( ur, , translit=Teḥrīk-e-Pākistān) was a political movement in the first half of the 20th century that aimed for the creation of Pakistan from the Muslim-majority areas of British India. It was connected to the per ...
. After the
independence
Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the statu ...
he moved to Pakistan, where he established
Darul Uloom Karachi
Darul Uloom Karachi ( ur, دارالعلوم کراچی) is a Madrasa in Karachi, Pakistan. It was founded by Muhammad Shafi Deobandi in June 1951 at Nanak Wara and later on it transferred to Korangi, Karachi, on March 17, 1957. It continues the ...
in 1951. Of his written works, his best-known is ''
Ma'ariful Qur'an'', a commentary on the
Qur'an
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , s ...
.
Birth and early childhood
Muhammad Shafi, son of Muhammad Yasin, was born on 25 January 1897 (21 Sha'ban 1314
AH) in
Deoband,
British India
The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...
, to an
Usmani family.
[ Translated by Zameelur Rahman from introduction to ] He was given the name "Muhammad Shafi" () by his father's sheikh,
Rashid Ahmad Gangohi
Rashīd Aḥmad ibn Hidāyat Aḥmad Ayyūbī Anṣārī Gangohī (182611 August 1905) ( ur, ) was an Indian Deobandi Islamic scholar, a leading figure of the Deobandi jurist and scholar of hadith. His lineage reaches back to Abu Ayyub al-Ans ...
, though he was originally named "Muhammad Mubin" () by his grandfather, Khalifah Tahsin Ali.
Shafi grew up in a religious environment. As a child he played in the courtyard of Darul Uloom Deoband and sat in the company of his father, who was a teacher at the school.[
]
Education
Aged five, Shafi began memorising the Qur'an with Muhammad Azim and Namdar Khan at the Darul Uloom.[
] In 1907 or 1908 (1325 AH), he commenced the study of Urdu, Persian, mathematics and other subjects at Darul Uloom Deoband, which he completed within the next five years under the supervision of his father.[
He studied arithmetic and ]Euclid
Euclid (; grc-gre, Εὐκλείδης; BC) was an ancient Greek mathematician active as a geometer and logician. Considered the "father of geometry", he is chiefly known for the '' Elements'' treatise, which established the foundations of ...
from his uncle Munshi Manzur Ahmad and Quranic recitation from Muhammad Yusuf Miruthi. Along with teaching Shafi the Persian books, Maulana Yasin also instructed him in the elementary Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...
books of ''sarf'' (morphology), ''nahw'' (grammar), and ''fiqh
''Fiqh'' (; ar, فقه ) is Islamic jurisprudence. Muhammad-> Companions-> Followers-> Fiqh.
The commands and prohibitions chosen by God were revealed through the agency of the Prophet in both the Quran and the Sunnah (words, deeds, and ...
'' (jurisprudence), up to ''Fusul-i Akbari'', ''Hidayat an-Nahw'', and ''Munyat al-Musalli''.[
In 1330 AH (1912)][ or 1331 AH (1913)][ Shafi was formally enrolled in the upper level Arabic classes of Darul Uloom Deoband. He did Daurah Hadith in 1335 AH (1916/1917) under the supervision of Anwar Shah Kashmiri, and completed his education in 1336 AH (1917/1918).][ The teachers under whom Shafi formally studied included:][
*]Anwar Shah Kashmiri
Anwar Shah Kashmiri (known with honorifics as ''Sayyid Muḥammad Anwar Shāh ibn Mu‘aẓẓam Shāh al-Kashmīrī''; 16 November 1875 – 28 May 1933) was a Kashmiri Muslim scholar and jurist who served as the first principal of Madrasa Ami ...
*Shabbir Ahmad Usmani
Shabbir Ahmad Usmani (11 October 188713 December 1949) was an Islamic scholar who supported the Pakistan Movement in the 1940s. He was a religious scholar, writer, orator, politician, and expert in Tafsir and Hadith.
Born in 1887 in Bijnor, U ...
*Azizur Rahman Usmani
Aziz-ul-Rahman Usmani (also written as Azizur Rahman Usmani) (died 1928) was an Indian Sunni Muslim scholar who served as first Grand Mufti of Darul Uloom Deoband. He is best known for his ''Fatawa Darul Uloom Deoband''. His brother was Shabbir ...
*Mian Asghar Hussain Deobandi
Asghar Hussain Deobandi (also known as Mian Sayyid Asghar Hussain) (16 October 1877 — 8 January 1945) was an Indian Sunni Muslim scholar who co-founded Madrasatul Islah.
Born on 16 October 1877 in a Deoband-based family, claiming descent to ...
*Izaz Ali Amrohi
Izaz Ali Amrohi ( ur, ; November 1882 – 1955) was an Indian Islamic scholar who served as the second and ninth Grand Mufti of the Darul Uloom Deoband. His book ''Nafahtul Arab'' is taught in madrassas including the Darul Uloom Deoband.
Biogr ...
*Muhammad Rasul Khan
*Muhammad Ibrahim Balliyawi
*Ghulam Rasul Hazarwi
*Hafiz Muhammad Ahmad
Hafiz Muhammad Ahmad (also known as Muhammad Ahmad Nanautawi) (1862-1930) was an Indian Muslim scholar, who served as the Vice Chancellor of the Darul Uloom Deoband for thirty five years. He was the Grand Mufti of the Hyderabad State from 1922 t ...
Among his teachers was Anwar Shah Kashmiri
Anwar Shah Kashmiri (known with honorifics as ''Sayyid Muḥammad Anwar Shāh ibn Mu‘aẓẓam Shāh al-Kashmīrī''; 16 November 1875 – 28 May 1933) was a Kashmiri Muslim scholar and jurist who served as the first principal of Madrasa Ami ...
, who was the school's head teacher. Some of the books Shafi studied with him were '' Sahih al-Bukhari'', ''Jami' at-Tirmidhi
Jami at-Tirmidhi ( ar, جامع الترمذي), also known as Sunan at-Tirmidhi, is one of "the six books" ('' Kutub al-Sittah'' - the six major hadith collections). It was collected by Al-Tirmidhi. He began compiling it after the year 250 A.H. ...
'' (with the exception of a small part), at-Tirmidhi
Abū ʿĪsā Muḥammad ibn ʿĪsā as-Sulamī aḍ-Ḍarīr al-Būghī at-Tirmidhī ( ar, أبو عيسى محمد بن عيسى السلمي الضرير البوغي الترمذي; fa, , ''Termezī''; 824 – 9 October 892 CE / 209 - 2 ...
's '' Shama'il'' and Ilal'', ''al-Falsafah al-'Arabiyah'' on modern philosophy, and ''Sharh an-Nafisi'' on medicine (''tibb''). Shafi was among Kashmiri's closest students, and Kashmiri would later select Shafi for assistance in refuting the Ahmadiyya Movement
Ahmadiyya (, ), officially the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community or the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at (AMJ, ar, الجماعة الإسلامية الأحمدية, al-Jamāʿah al-Islāmīyah al-Aḥmadīyah; ur, , translit=Jamā'at Aḥmadiyyah Musl ...
. Shafi studied ''Sahih Muslim
Sahih Muslim ( ar, صحيح مسلم, translit=Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim), group=note is a 9th-century ''hadith'' collection and a book of '' sunnah'' compiled by the Persian scholar Muslim ibn al-Ḥajjāj (815–875). It is one of the most valued b ...
'' and half of '' Hidayah'' with Shabbir Ahmad Usmani, whom he would later accompany in the movement to create Pakistan. With Mian Asghar Hussain Deobandi
Asghar Hussain Deobandi (also known as Mian Sayyid Asghar Hussain) (16 October 1877 — 8 January 1945) was an Indian Sunni Muslim scholar who co-founded Madrasatul Islah.
Born on 16 October 1877 in a Deoband-based family, claiming descent to ...
he studied the hadith collections '' Sunan Abu Dawud'', ''Sunan an-Nasa'i
''Al-Sunan al-Sughra'' ( ar, السنن الصغرى), also known as ''Sunan al-Nasa'i'' ( ar, سنن النسائي), is one of the Kutub al-Sittah (six major hadiths), and was collected by al-Nasa'i (214 – 303 AH; c. 829 – 915 CE).
Descr ...
'', and the remainder of ''Jami' at-Tirmidhi''. With Azizur Rahman, head of the Darul Uloom's Fatwa Department, Shafi studied the Muwatta of Imam Malik
Malik ibn Anas ( ar, مَالِك بن أَنَس, 711–795 CE / 93–179 AH), whose full name is Mālik bin Anas bin Mālik bin Abī ʿĀmir bin ʿAmr bin Al-Ḥārith bin Ghaymān bin Khuthayn bin ʿAmr bin Al-Ḥārith al-Aṣbaḥī ...
in the transmission of Yahya ibn Yahya
Yahya II ibn Yahya ( ar, يحيى الثاني بن يحيى) was the sixth Idrisid ruler and sultan of Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It ov ...
and the transmission of ash-Shaybani, at-Tahawi's ''Sharh Ma'ani al-Athar'', ''Tafsir al-Jalalayn
''Tafsīr al-Jalālayn'' ( ar, تفسير الجلالين, lit=Tafsir of the two Jalals) is a classical Sunni interpretation (tafsir) of the Qur'an, composed first by Jalal ad-Din al-Maḥalli in 1459 and then completed after his passing by Jala ...
'', ''Mishkat al-Masabih
''Mishkāt al-Maṣābīḥ'' ( ar, مشكاة المصابيح, lit=The Niche of Lanterns) by Walī ad-Dīn Abū ʿAbd Allāh Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Khaṭīb at-Tibrīzī (d.1248) is an expanded and revised version of al-Baghawī's '' ...
'', Ibn Hajar's ''Sharh Nukhbat al-Fikar'', and ''Hisn-i Hasin''. He studied ''Sunan Ibn Majah'' with Ghulam Rasul Hazarwi. With Izaz Ali Amrohi
Izaz Ali Amrohi ( ur, ; November 1882 – 1955) was an Indian Islamic scholar who served as the second and ninth Grand Mufti of the Darul Uloom Deoband. His book ''Nafahtul Arab'' is taught in madrassas including the Darul Uloom Deoband.
Biogr ...
he studied all the books of literature, Maibazi's ''Sharh Hidayat al-Hikmah'', at-Taftazani's ''Sharh al-'Aqa'id al-Nasafiyah'', Ubayd Allah al-Mahbubi's ''Sharh al-Wiqayah'', and some other treatises. With Maulana Muhammad Ibrahim he studied '' Sadra'' and '' Shams al-Bazighah''.[
After Daurah a few books still remained, including ''Qazi'', ''Mir Zahid'', and ''Umur-i 'Ammah''—these were completed in 1336 AH (1917/1918).][ In that year Shafi was also appointed to teach some lessons.][
]
Career
Shafi began teaching at Darul Uloom Deoband in 1918 or 1919 (1337 AH).[ He taught the elementary level books of the curriculum and eventually reached the level of Daurah Hadith.][ The first book of Daurah level that he was given was '']Muwatta Imam Malik
The ''Muwaṭṭaʾ'' ( ar, الموطأ, "well-trodden path") or ''Muwatta Imam Malik'' ( ar, موطأ الإمام مالك) of Imam Malik (711–795) written in the 8th-century, is one of the earliest collections of hadith texts comprising the ...
'', and he later taught other books. In 1354 AH (1935/1936) he was entrusted with teaching '' Sunan Abu Dawud'' for some time in place of Maulana Asghar Husain. On Husain's request he was given this lecture permanently, and he taught it until he left Darul Uloom Deoband in 1943 (1362 AH). Shafi was regarded as an exceptional lecturer on many subjects, but two of his lessons were most famous—one was ''Sunan Abu Dawud'', and the other was ''Maqamat al-Hariri'' in Arabic literature.[ After leaving Darul Uloom Deoband, he taught '' Sahih al-Bukhari'' for three months at Jamiah Islamiyah Dabhel, filling in for Maulana Shabbir Ahmad Usmani.][
Shafi established ]Darul Uloom Karachi
Darul Uloom Karachi ( ur, دارالعلوم کراچی) is a Madrasa in Karachi, Pakistan. It was founded by Muhammad Shafi Deobandi in June 1951 at Nanak Wara and later on it transferred to Korangi, Karachi, on March 17, 1957. It continues the ...
in 1951 (Shawwal 1370 AH). There he taught ''Sahih al-Bukhari'' for several years, as well as ''Muwatta Malik'' and '' Shama'il at-Tirmidhi''. Whenever due to health or other responsibilities he was unable to teach the whole of ''Bukhari'', then those years he would teach until the Book of Wudu, and other teachers would cover the remainder. In the last four years of his life, he was bedridden and thus unable to teach regularly. However, on the insistence of students and teachers, every year he taught the first lesson of ''Sahih al-Bukhari'' and the last lessons of the Sihah Sittah.[
]
Fatawa, Rulings
Shafi frequently assisted Azizur Rahman Usmani
Aziz-ul-Rahman Usmani (also written as Azizur Rahman Usmani) (died 1928) was an Indian Sunni Muslim scholar who served as first Grand Mufti of Darul Uloom Deoband. He is best known for his ''Fatawa Darul Uloom Deoband''. His brother was Shabbir ...
, head of the school's fatwa department.[ Azizur Rahman resigned from the Darul Uloom in 1344 AH (1925/1926). Others occupied the post of Sadr Mufti (Chief Mufti) until the Majlis-e-Shura of Darul Uloom Deoband appointed Shafi to the post on 28 Rabi al-Awwal 1350 AH (c. 13 August 1931).][ In additions to undertaking the duties of fatwa-writing, Shafi also continued to teach some books of hadith and tafsir.][
In November 1932 (Rajab 1351), Shafi published a tract entitled ''Nihayat al-arab fi ghayat an-nasab'' on caste. The weavers of the Deoband area (who were regarded as a lower caste) revolted against the fatwa, and from early 1353 AH (1934/1935) to late 1354 AH (1935/1936) rallies were held and threats were made against Shafi, in response to which a group of teachers took to acting as his bodyguards. Several scholars wrote or spoke in defense of the fatwa, including Shafi's shaikh Ashraf Ali Thanawi, Sayyid Asghar Husain, and Husain Ahmad Madani. Due to the controversy, Shafi asked to be transferred to the teaching department, a request that was eventually granted by the Majlis-e-Shura in Sha'ban 1354 AH (c. November 1935).][
Shafi remained in the teaching department over the next few years, during which two other ulama held the post of Sadr Mufti. On 25 Safar 1359 AH (c. 4 April 1940), Shafi was appointed to the office a second time.][ He held the post until he left Darul Uloom Deoband in Rabi al-Awwal 1362 AH (March 1943).][
Estimates of the number of fatwas that he issued while at Darul Uloom Deoband range from 26,000][ to over 40,000. Some of Muhammad Shafi's fatwas have been published in eight large volumes titled ''Imdad al-Muftin'', while the majority remain unpublished.][
]
Tasawuf
From an early age, Shafi frequently attended the gatherings of Mahmud Hasan Deobandi
Mahmud Hasan Deobandi (also known as Shaykh al-Hind; 1851–1920) was an Indian Muslim scholar and an activist of the Indian independence movement, who co-founded the Jamia Millia Islamia university and launched the Silk Letter Movement for t ...
. Then when Mahmud Hasan was imprisoned in Malta, Shafi consulted Ashraf Ali Thanawi. Mahmud Hasan returned to Deoband in June 1920 (20 Ramadan 1338 AH). In 1339 AH (1920) Shafi gave ''bay'at'' (allegiance) at his hand. However, Mahmud Hasan died a few months later on 18 Rabi al-awwal AH (November 1920). Shafi returned to Thanawi after Mahmud Hasan's death. In Rabi ath-thani 1349 AH (1930) he received ''ijazat-i bay'at'' (permission to take disciples) and ''khilafah'' (spiritual successorship).[
]
Pakistan Movement
When the All-India Muslim League
The All-India Muslim League (AIML) was a political party established in Dhaka in 1906 when a group of prominent Muslim politicians met the Viceroy of British India, Lord Minto, with the goal of securing Muslim interests on the Indian subcont ...
was formed to campaign for the creation of a separate Muslim state, Ashraf Ali Thanvi instructed all Muslims, including scholars, to support this campaign. Shafi and other scholars, including Zafar Ahmad Usmani, joined the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam ( ur, جمیعت علماءِ اسلام, abbreviated as JUI) was founded by Shabbir Ahmad Usmani as an offshoot of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind (JUH) on 26 October 1945.
History
The original Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind was formed in Br ...
, a council of Islamic scholars formed by Shabbir Ahmad Usmani
Shabbir Ahmad Usmani (11 October 188713 December 1949) was an Islamic scholar who supported the Pakistan Movement in the 1940s. He was a religious scholar, writer, orator, politician, and expert in Tafsir and Hadith.
Born in 1887 in Bijnor, U ...
to campaign for the creation of Pakistan. In 1363 AH (1944) Muhammad Shafi resigned from teaching and issuing fatwas at Darul Uloom Deoband in order to devote his time to the movement for the creation of Pakistan. He toured India, gave speeches, and issued ''fatwas'' for this purpose.[
]
Migration to Pakistan
In 1948 (1367 AH), after the partition of India, Shafi migrated from Deoband to Pakistan. He founded Darul Uloom Karachi
Darul Uloom Karachi ( ur, دارالعلوم کراچی) is a Madrasa in Karachi, Pakistan. It was founded by Muhammad Shafi Deobandi in June 1951 at Nanak Wara and later on it transferred to Korangi, Karachi, on March 17, 1957. It continues the ...
in 1370 AH (1950/1951). He died on 10 Shawwal 1396 (6 October 1976).[
]
Life in Pakistan
He remarked that the various educational systems that came into being under the British rule – traditional Madrasahs, spearheaded by Deoband, and modern schools, spearheaded by Aligarh – should be integrated thus balancing the religious and worldly dimensions of knowledge and nurturing.
He avoided disputes at all costs and on occasion, he even gave up land allocated to him by the government of Pakistan to build a Madrasah, just to avoid a dispute that has arisen in the process.
Works
He wrote around one hundred books explaining the Quran
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , s ...
and interpreting Islamic law
Sharia (; ar, شريعة, sharīʿa ) is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition. It is derived from the religious precepts of Islam and is based on the sacred scriptures of Islam, particularly the Quran and the ...
.
His best-known and most widely translated work is the '' Ma'ariful Qur'an'' ("The Wisdom of the Quran"), which he finished (in Urdu) four years before his death.[''Ma'ariful Qur'an: A Comprehensive Commentary on the Holy Qur'an'' (Karachi: Mataba-e-Darul-Ulomm Karachi, 2008 ed.), Volume 1. p. xv] This work, a commentary on the entire Quran, began as a series of weekly lectures on Radio Pakistan
Radio Pakistan serves as the national public broadcaster for radio in Pakistan. Although some local stations predate Radio Pakistan's founding, it is the oldest existing broadcasting network in Pakistan. The network was established on 14 Augus ...
that ran for ten years.
Notes
External links
*
مفتی اعظم پاکستان مولانا مفتی محمد شفیع کی عملی، تصنیفی اور ملی خدمتات کا علمی، تحقیقی و تنقیدی جائزہ
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Muhammad Shafi Deobandi
Pakistani Islamic religious leaders
Hanafis
Maturidis
Deobandis
Pakistani Sunni Muslim scholars of Islam
Jurisprudence academics
1976 deaths
1897 births
Muhajir people
Grand Muftis of Pakistan
People from Deoband
Darul Uloom Deoband alumni
Darul Uloom Deoband faculty
Students of Mahmud Hasan Deobandi
Students of Anwar Shah Kashmiri
Presidents of Jamia Darul Uloom, Karachi
Darul Uloom Karachi people
Disciples of Ashraf Ali Thanwi