Mufti Rafi Usmani, the Mufti Azam Pakistan and president of Darul Uloom Karachi passed away on Friday evening at the age of 86.

He was considered among the leading scholars of Pakistan. He had been ill for several months.

The date and time for Mufti Rafi’s funeral prayers have not been announced yet. His friends and family have requested prayers for the departed soul.

Mufti Muhammad Raffi Usmani was the elder brother of Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani and was the eldest son of one of the pioneers of Tehreek Pakistan Mufti Muhammad Shafi Usmani.

He was born on July 21, 1936 in the city of Deoband, India in the Osmani family. He was named Muhammad Rafi by Ashraf Ali Thanvi. His father Mufti Shafi was the Grand Mufti of Darul Uloom Deoband.

He memorized half of the Quran at Darul Uloom Deoband, and migrated to Pakistan in 1948. He completed memorizing the Quran at the Masjid Bab al-Islam in Aram Bagh, and recited the last lesson with the Palestanian Grand Mufti, Amin al-Husseini.

He took admission at Darul Uloom Karachi in 1951, and graduated in the traditional “dars-e-nizami” in 1960. He passed the “molvi” and “munshi” (also known as “Molvi Fazil” examinations from University of the Punjab and then specialized in Islamic jurisprudence (fiqah) at Darul Uloom Karachi in 1960.

Mufti Rafi spent his entire life teaching Quran. May Allah Almighty rest his soul in peace.