KARACHI: The funeral of Mufti Rafi Usmani — renowned scholar, cleric, and patron of Jamia Dar ul-Uloom seminary of Karachi — was offered on Sunday at the seminary in Korangi neighbourhood of the port city where he was later laid to rest.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman, chief of the ruling Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) alliance, and Kamran Tessori, governor of Sindh, were among those who attended the funeral.
The Namaz-i-Janaza was led by the cleric’s younger brother, Taqi Usmani.
Mufti Rafi Usmani Janaza today at Jamia Darululoom Karachi pic.twitter.com/hsskZJS0lK
— M Adil Naeem (@MAdilNaeem92) November 20, 2022
A large contingent of police was deployed to guard the event. A bomb disposal squad also checked the entire seminary — one of the largest religious institutions of the Deoband school of thought in the country — before the funeral.
The eldest son of Mufti Shafi Usmani, himself a renowned cleric and founder of the seminary, Rafi, 86, passed away in Karachi on Friday after a prolonged illness.
Saddened to learn of the passing of prominent religious scholar Aalim e Deen Mufti Rafi Usmani (principal of Darul Uloom Karachi & elder brother of Mufti Taqi Usmani), who will be remembered for his invaluable scholarship. My prayers & condolences go to the family.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) November 19, 2022
Born in July 1936 in the town of Deoband in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh of present-day India, elder Usmani migrated to Pakistan with his family in 1947.
His students and admirers who were well aware of his personal and family history said the cleric memorised Quran in 1948 and then completed the Dars-i-Nizami degree from his father’s seminary, then located in the old city area of Nanakwara.
He then associated himself with teaching and academic activities with the same seminary. After his father’s demise in 1976, his close aide Maulana Abdul Hai Arifi became chief of the Dar ul-Uloom and retained the office till his death in 1986.
Afterwards, Usmani assumed the office and served it till his death.
