Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani; a Great Islamic Scholar, Urdu, Arabic and English Writer and Urdu Poet

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani(Urdu: مفتی محمد تقی عثمانی) (born in 1943) (also spelled Uthmani) is a Hanafi Islamic scholar from Pakistan. He served as a judge on the Federal Shariat Court of Pakistan from 1980 to 1982 and the Shari'a Appellate Bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan from 1982 to 2002. 

He is an expert in the fields of Islamic Jurisprudence (Fiqh), economics and hadith. He also held a number of positions on the Shariah Boards of prestigious Islamic institutions, and is one of the most influential Islamic authors outside the Middle East. He is the son of Late Mufti Muhammad Shafi, the grand Mufti of Pakistan. He is the brother of another notable Islamic scholar, Mufti Muhammad Rafi Usmani and Maulana Wali Razi. He is uncle of Saud Usmani the famous Urdu poet and Mufti Mahmood Ashraf Usmani the great Islamic Scholar from Pakistan.

DarulUloom Deoband

Taqi Usmani was born in Deoband, a city in the Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh, India, in 1943. After completing the Alim course at Darul Uloom Karachi, he specialized in fiqh under the guidance of his eminent father, Grand Mufti of Deoband School Pakistan Mufti Muhammad Shafi Usmani. 

He received his Takhassus degree in Islamic education from Darul Uloom Karachi in 1961. He also holds a Master of Arts degree in Arabic literature from the University of Punjab and a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) degree from the University of Karachi. Mufti Sahab received ijaza to teach hadith from a number of scholars such as Sheikh Hasan Mashat, Mufti Muhammad Shafi Uthmani, Maulana Idris Kandhlawi, Mufti Rashid Ahmad Ludhianvi, and Shaikhul Hadith Muhammad Zakariyya Kandhlawi.

A book by Mufti Usmani

He pioneered the concept of Islamic banking in Pakistan when he established the Meezan Bank. Mufti Sahab has authored a number of books in Arabic, Urdu, and English on Islamic topics in addition to a large number of articles on Islamic banking and finance published in a number of journals and magazines.

In March 2004, United Arab Emirates Vice President and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum presented an award to Taqi Usmani in recognition of his lifetime service and achievement in Islamic finance during the annual International Islamic Finance Forum (IIFF) in Dubai.

Darul Uloom Karachi

In accordance with the tradition of the scholars of Deoband and recognizing the importance of tasawwuf, Mufti Sahab's bay'ah was accepted by Shaikh Dr. Abdul Hayy Arifi Abdul Hayy Arifi and Maseehullah Khan. Mufti Sahab is currently a mentor to numerous spiritual aspirants all over the world and delivers weekly lectures on self-improvement at Darul Uloom Karachi on Sundays between Asr Salaah and Maghrib Salaah.

He currently teaches Sahih al-Bukhari, fiqh, and Islamic economics at Darul Uloom Karachi and is known for his Islahi Khutbat. He was a key member of a team of scholars which helped declare Ahmadis, also derogatorily known as Qadianis, as non-Muslims by Pakistan's National Assembly during the era of former Pakistani president, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, in the 1970s. During the presidency of General Zia ul Haq, he was instrumental in drafting laws pertaining to Hudood, Qisas, and Dayiat.

Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani is a well known Islamic Scholar and has a wide reader ship and followers across the globe. But a few people know that his has been bestowed upon with a brilliant talent of poetry. Though his poetry has not been published yet but I have a copy of his non-published poetry. In Sha Allah some day I will post some pieces of his poetry.

Jamia Darul Uloom Karachi

Muhammad Taqi Uthmani is currently a member of the following organizations:

• Islamic Fiqah Academy, Jeddah (Permanent Member)

• Darul Uloom Karachi, Karachi (Vice Principal)

• Accounting and Auditing Organization of Islamic Financial Institutions, Bahrain (Chairman of Shari'a Standard Council)

• Central Bank of Bahrain, Bahrain (Chairman of Shariah Board)

• Amana Investments Limited, Sri Lanka (Chairman of Shariah Board)

• Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, UAE. (Chairman of Shari'a Board)

• Guidance Financial Group, USA (Member of Shari'a Supervisory Board)

• Meezan Bank Ltd, Pakistan (Chairman of Shari'a Board)

• BankIslami Pakistan Limited (Chairman of Shari'a Board)

• Jamiatul Ulama USA, USA

• Pak Qatar Takaful (Chairman of Shari'a Board)

A Great work by Usmani

Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani has written more than 70 books. Many of his books got a great acknowledgement and appreciation from the scholarly readers across the globe. Some of his most famous books are given below:

• Takmila Fathul Mulhim. An Arabic commentary on Sahih Muslim in six volumes.

• Ulum ul Qur'an. An Urdu work on the sciences related to the revelation and exegesis of the Qur'an. It has been translated into English under the title An Approach to the Qur'anic Sciences.

English Translation of Quran by Usmani

• Ma'ariful Qur'an. An eight-volume English edition of the famous commentary of the Qur'an compiled in Urdu by his father Mufti Muhammad Shafi. Taqi Usmani.

• The Meanings of the Noble Qur'an. A two-volume English translation of the Qur'an with explanatory notes.

• Islamic Laws of Animal Slaughter.

• An Introduction to Islamic Finance.

• Islam and Modernism, Adam Publishers & Distributors, India, May 4, 2005.

The Authority of Sunnah

Along with these best seller books he introduced many other books in English, Arabic and Urdu languages. A detailed list of his books is as under:

English books

• The Authority of Sunnah

• The Rules of I'tikaf

• What is Christianity?

• Easy Good Deeds

• Perform Salaah Correctly

• The Language of the Friday Khutba

Islam and Modernism

• Islam and Modernism

• Discourse on the Islamic Way of Life

• Sayings of Prophet Muhammad (SAW)

• The Legal Status of Following a Madhhab

• Spiritual Discourses

• Islamic Months

• Radiant Prayers

• Qur'anic Sciences

• Contemporary Fatawa (Compilation of English Fatawa Issued by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani)

Ahkam Uz Zabaeh

Arabic books:

• Ma Hia An Nasraniyya?

• Nathrat Abarah Haul At Ta'limi Al Islamiyya

• Ahkamu Al Auraq An Naqdiyya

• Buhooth Fi Qadaya Fiqhiya Ma'asira

• Ahkam uz Zibai’h

Islam Aur Jiddat Pasandi

Urdu books:

• In'aamul Bari (Explanation/Commentary of Sahih ul Bukhari) (9 volumes, 3 published)

• Asan Nakian (Easy Good Deeds)

• Undulus Mein Chand Roz (A Few Days in Andalus)

• Islam Aur Seasat-e-Hazra (Islam and Contemporary Politics)

• Islam Aur Jidat Pasandi (Islam and Modernism)

• Islahe Ma'ashara (Perfecting Society)

• Islahi Mawa’iz (Discourses for Spiritual Perfection) (3 volumes)

• Islahi Majalis (Discourses on Tasawwuf) (5 volumes)

• Islahi Khutbat (Discourses on Individual Spiritual Perfection) (13 volumes)

Akabir-e-Deoband Kia Thay?

• Ihkami I'tikaf (The Rules of I'tikaf)

• Islam Aur Jadeed Ma'eeshat Wa Tijarat (Islam and Modern Economics & Commerce)

• Akabir Deoband Kya The? (The Significant Character of Scholars of Deoband)

• Bible Se Qur'aan Tak (3 volumes)

• Bible Kya Heh? (What is the Bible?)

• Purnoor Dua'en (Radiant Prayers) (a collection of prayers for all occasions)

• Tarashe (Excerpts from Islamic Works)

• Taqleed Ki Shari'i Hasiat (The Legal Status of Following a Madhhab)

• Jahan-e-Deda (Travelogue I)

• Duniya Mere Aagaye (Travelogue II)

• Hazrat Mu'awiyah (RA) Aur Tarikhi Haqa'iq (Hazrat Mu'awiyah (RA) and the Historical Facts)

• Hujjiat Hadith (Authority of Hadith)

• Huzur (SAW) Ne Farmaya (Sayings of Prophet (SAW)

• Hakimul Ummat Ke Siasi Afkar (Political Thoughts of Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi)

• Dars-e-Tirmidhi (an explanation of the famous hadith collection, Sunan At Tirmidhi)

• Deeni Madaris Ka Nisab Wa Nitham

• Zikr-o-Fikr (a collection of articles written for Jang, a daily newspaper)

Uloom Ul Qur'an

• Zabat-e-Wiladat (Birth Control: Islamic Rulings)

• Isayat Kya Hai? (What is Christianity?)

• Ulum ul Qur'aan (Qur'anic Sciences)

• Idalat-e-Faisle (Court Rulings)

• Fard Ke Islah (Individual Reform)

• Fiqhi Maqalaat (Collection of Articles on Islamic Jurisprudence)

• Ma'aasir Hadhrat Arifi (Sayings and Memories of Hadhrat Arifi)

• Mere Walid, Mere Shaikh (My Father, My Shaikh)

• Milkiat-e-Zamion Aur Uske Tahdid (Land Ownership and Its Limitations)

• Nashri Taqreerain (Speeches Aired on Radio Pakistan)

Hamara Ma'ashi Nizam

• Hamara Ma'ashi Nizam (Our Economic System)

• Nuqoosh-e-Raftigan (Obituaries of Islamic Scholars and Other Dignitaries)

• Nifaz-e-Shari'a Aur Uske Masaa'il (Establishment of Shari'a and Its Problems)

• Namazein Sunnah Ke Mutabiq Parhe (Pray Salaah According to the Sunnah)

• Hamare A'eli Masaa'il (Our Family Issues)

• Hamara Ta'limi Nizam (Our Educational System)

• Dastoor ul A'maal Baer-e-Talibeen-e-Islah (Instructions for Aspirants of Spiritual Improvement)

• Murawwaja islami bankari

• Gher soodi bankari