Muhammad Shafi Deobandi

This article is about the Islamic scholar. For the politician, seeMuhammad Shafi (politician).For the Olympic cyclist, seeMuhammad Shafi (cyclist).For the Olympic sprinter, seeMuhammad Shafi (athlete).

Muḥammad Shafī‘ ibn Muḥammad Yāsīn ‘Us̱mānī Deobandī(Urdu:محمد شفیع بن محمد ياسین عثمانی دیوبندی;Arabic:محمد شفيع بن محمد ياسين العثماني الديوبندي,Muḥammad Shafī‘ ibn Muḥammad Yāsīn al-‘Uthmānī ad-Diyūbandī;c.25 January 1897 – 6 October 1976),often referred to asMufti Muhammad Shafi,was aPakistaniSunniIslamic scholarof theDeobandischool of Islamic thought.

Mufti Muhammad Shafi
مفتی محمد شفیع
1st President ofDarul Uloom Karachi
In office 1951 – 6 October 1976
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Abdul Hai Arifi
4th Chief Mufti ofDarul Uloom Deoband
In office c.13 August 1931 –c.November 1935
Preceded by	Riyazudin Bijnori
Succeeded by	Muhammad Sahool Bhagalpuri
7th Chief Mufti ofDarul Uloom Deoband
In office c. 4 April 1940 – c. 23 March 1943
Preceded by	Kifayatullah Gangohi
Succeeded by	Farooq Ahmad
Personal
Born	c.25 January 1897 Deoband,North-Western Provinces,British India
Died	6 October 1976(1976-10-06)(aged 79) Karachi, Sindh,Pakistan
Religion	Islam
Nationality	British Indian(1897–1947) Indian (1947–1948) Pakistani (1948–1976)
Era	20th-century philosophy
Denomination	Sunni
Jurisprudence	Hanafi
Creed	Maturidi
Movement	Deobandi
Main interest(s)	Tafsir
Notable work(s)	Ma'ariful Qur'an,Seerat Khatam al-Anbiya
Alma mater	Darul Uloom Deoband
Tariqa	Chishti(Sabiri-Imdadi)
Muslim leader
Disciple of	Ashraf Ali Thanawi Mahmud Hasan
Students Abul Hasan Jashori
Influenced by Mahmud Hasan Habibur Rahman Usmani Anwar Shah Kashmiri Shabbir Ahmad Usmani Ashraf Ali Thanawi Aziz-ul-Rahman Usmani Mian Asghar Hussain Deobandi Izaz Ali Amrohi Ibrahim Balyawi
Influenced Muhammad Taqi Usmani Muhammad Rafi Usmani

AHanafijurist andmufti,he was also an authority onshari'ah,hadith,Qur'anic exegesis, and Sufism. Born inDeoband,British India,he graduated in 1917 fromDarul 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 thePakistan Movement.After theindependencehe moved to Pakistan, where he establishedDarul Uloom Karachiin 1951. Of his written works, his best-known isMa'ariful Qur'an,a commentary on theQur'an.

Birth and early childhood

See also:Usmani family of Deoband § Miyānji Shukrullah

Muhammad Shafi, son of Muhammad Yasin, was born on 25 January 1897 (21 Sha'ban 1314AH) inDeoband,British India,to anUsmanifamily.He was given the name "Muhammad Shafi" (محمد شفيع) by his father's sheikh,Rashid Ahmad Gangohi,though he was originally named "Muhammad Mubin" (محمد مبین) 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 memorizing 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 andEuclidfrom 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 elementaryArabicbooks ofsarf(morphology),nahw(grammar), andfiqh(jurisprudence), up toFusul-i Akbari,Hidayat an-Nahw,andMunyat 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
• Shabbir Ahmad Usmani
• Azizur Rahman Usmani
• Mian Asghar Hussain Deobandi
• Izaz Ali Amrohi
• Muhammad Rasul Khan
• Muhammad Ibrahim Balliyawi
• Ghulam Rasul Hazarwi
• Hafiz Muhammad Ahmad

Among his teachers wasAnwar Shah Kashmiri,who was the school's head teacher. Some of the books Shafi studied with him wereSahih al-Bukhari,Sahih al-Tirmidhi(with the exception of a small part),at-Tirmidhi'sShama'iland 'Ilal,al-Falsafah al-'Arabiyahon modern philosophy, andSharh an-Nafision medicine (tibb). Shafi was among Kashmiri's closest students, and Kashmiri would later select Shafi for assistance in refuting theAhmadiyya Movement.Shafi studiedSahih Muslimand half ofHidayahwith Shabbir Ahmad Usmani, whom he would later accompany in the movement to create Pakistan. WithMian Asghar Hussain Deobandihe studied the hadith collectionsSunan Abu Dawud,Sunan an-Nasa'i,and the remainder ofSahih al-Tirmidhi.With Azizur Rahman, head of the Darul Uloom'sFatwaDepartment, Shafi studied theMuwattaofImam Malikin the transmission ofYahya ibn Yahyaand the transmission ofash-Shaybani,at-Tahawi'sSharh Ma'ani al-Athar,Tafsir al-Jalalayn,Mishkat al-Masabih,Ibn Hajar'sSharh Nukhbat al-Fikar,andHisn-i Hasin.He studiedSunan Ibn Majahwith Ghulam Rasul Hazarwi. WithIzaz Ali Amrohihe studied all the books of literature,Maibazi'sSharh Hidayat al-Hikmah,at-Taftazani'sSharh al-'Aqa'id al-Nasafiyah,Ubayd Allah al-Mahbubi'sSharh al-Wiqayah,and some other treatises. With Maulana Muhammad Ibrahim he studiedSadraandShams al-Bazighah.

After Daurah a few books still remained, includingQazi,Mir Zahid,andUmur-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 wasMuwatta Imam Malik,and he later taught other books. In 1354 AH (1935/1936) he was entrusted with teachingSunan Abu Dawudfor 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 wasSunan Abu Dawud,and the other wasMaqamat al-Haririin Arabic literature.After leaving Darul Uloom Deoband, he taughtSahih al-Bukharifor three months atJamiah Islamiyah Dabhel,filling in forMaulana Shabbir Ahmad Usmani.

Shafi establishedDarul Uloom Karachiin 1951 (Shawwal 1370 AH). There he taughtSahih al-Bukharifor several years, as well asMuwatta MalikandShama'il at-Tirmidhi.Whenever due to health or other responsibilities he was unable to teach the whole ofBukhari,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 ofSahih al-Bukhariand the last lessons of theSihah Sittah.

Fatawa, Rulings

Shafi frequently assistedAzizur Rahman Usmani,head of the school'sfatwadepartment.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 entitledNihayat al-arab fi ghayat an-nasaboncaste.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 26,000to over 40,000. Some of Muhammad Shafi's fatwas have been published in eight large volumes titledImdad al-Muftin,while the majority remain unpublished.

Tasawuf

From an early age, Shafi frequently attended the gatherings ofMahmud Hasan Deobandi.Then when Mahmud Hasan wasimprisoned in Malta,Shafi consultedAshraf Ali Thanawi.Mahmud Hasan returned to Deoband in June 1920 (20 Ramadan 1338 AH). In 1339 AH (1920) Shafi gavebay'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 receivedijazat-i bay'at(permission to take disciples) andkhilafah(spiritual successorship).

Pakistan Movement

When theAll-India Muslim Leaguewas 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 theJamiat Ulema-e-Islam,a council of Islamic scholars formed byShabbir Ahmad Usmanito 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 issuedfatwasfor this purpose.

Migration to Pakistan

In 1948 (1367 AH), after thepartition of India,Shafi migrated from Deoband to Pakistan. He foundedDarul Uloom Karachiin 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 booksexplainingtheQuranand interpretingIslamic law.

His best-known and most widely translated work is theMa'ariful Qur'an( "The Wisdom of the Quran" ), which he finished (in Urdu) four years before his death.This work, a commentary on the entire Quran, began as a series of weekly lectures onRadio Pakistanthat ran for ten years.

External links

• Ullah, Asad (30 June 2018)."Research Study of the Contribution of Mufti Muhammad Shafi' in Sīrah Studies".Journal of Islamic and Religious Studies(in Urdu).3(1): 95–105.doi:10.36476/JIRS.3:1.06.2018.07.ISSN2519-7118.
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• مفتی اعظم پاکستان مولانا مفتی محمد شفیع کی عملی، تصنیفی اور ملی خدمتات کا علمی، تحقیقی و تنقیدی جائزہ