Identity: Mufassir (Quran commentator), Faqih (jurist), Grand Mufti

Mufti Muhammad Shafi was a great Quranic exegete, an eminent jurist, a distinguished scholar, and a Sufi master whose life reflected a perfect balance of knowledge and practice.

He was born on the night of 20/21 Sha‘ban 1314 AH (1897) in Deoband. His father, Maulana Muhammad Yasin Deobandi, was a respected scholar and a pious man.

He received his early education at Darul Uloom Deoband. He studied the Quran under Hafiz Muhammad Azeem and learned Persian and other subjects from his father. Later, he enrolled in the higher Arabic program and graduated in 1335 AH.

His teachers included renowned scholars such as Anwar Shah Kashmiri, Shabbir Ahmad Usmani, and Azizur Rahman Usmani.

After graduation, he began teaching at Darul Uloom Deoband and soon became one of its leading teachers. He taught for nearly 27 years and trained thousands of students.

Later, he was appointed to Darul Ifta, where he issued rulings on complex legal matters.

He first took spiritual allegiance with Mahmud Hasan and later with Ashraf Ali Thanvi, who granted him spiritual succession (khilafah).

His major works include:
Ma‘arif al-Quran (8 volumes), Islam ka Nizam-e-Arzi, Khatm-e-Nubuwwat Kamil, Seerat Khatam al-Anbiya, Jawahir al-Fiqh, Fatawa Darul Uloom Deoband, Aziz al-Fatawa.

Among these, Ma‘arif al-Quran is considered a masterpiece of Urdu exegesis.

After the creation of Pakistan, he migrated to Karachi and worked for the implementation of Islamic principles and promotion of religious education.

He founded Darul Uloom Karachi, which is now a major Islamic institution.

Death: He passed away on 9/10 Shawwal 1396 AH (5/6 October 1976) in Karachi.