Karachi: Thousands of followers, notables from different walks of life, ulema, and dignitaries attended the funeral prayers for renowned religious scholar of Pakistan, Mufti Mohammad Rafi Usmani, who passed away in Karachi on Friday night after a protracted illness.
Mufti Usmani was known for his coveted title “Mufti-e-Azam Pakistan” (the Grand Mufti of Pakistan). The funeral prayers on Sunday morning were led by his younger brother, Justice (retired) Taqi Usmani, who is also a renowned religious scholar and an expert in Islamic jurisprudence. Taqi Usmani mentioned that noted Islamic scholars in Pakistan through a consensus opinion had granted the revered title of Mufti-e-Azam to his elder brother keeping in view numerous scholarly achievements of the deceased in Islamic studies.
Mufti Usmani was laid to rest in the burial area within the premises of his renowned religious seminary, Darul Uloom Karachi, in the Korangi area of the city. He was buried next to the grave of his father, late Mufti Shafi Usmani, who founded the Darul Uloom and also took part in the movement for creating a separate homeland for Muslims of the Indian subcontinent.
The funeral prayers were attended by noted religious scholars and followers from different parts of the country. Sindh Governor, Kamran Khan Tessori, and the chief of the ruling Pakistan Democratic Movement, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, were among the notable participants. The mosque of Darul Uloom couldn’t accommodate the large number of people who wanted to attend the funeral prayers.
Mufti Usmani was born in Deoband town in pre-partition India in 1936. Besides heading the Darul Uloom, he wrote over 30 books on various aspects of Islamic education. He massively contributed to the promotion of Islamic teachings in Pakistan soon after it came into being.
He served as a member of the syndicate of two well-reputed public sector universities, the University of Karachi and NED University of Engineering & Technology. He was the patron of Wifaqul Madaris which is the controlling authority of the religious seminaries in Pakistan. Mufti Usmani also served as an adviser to the Shariat Appellate bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
In their condolence messages, both President Dr Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that the services of Rafi Usmani in promoting Islamic teachings in Pakistan would always be remembered.
