Muhammad Taqi Usmani
Muhammad Taqi Usmani (born October 3, 1943) is a leading Pakistani Islamic jurist, scholar, and author, recognised for his contributions to the fields of Qur’an, Hadith, Islamic law, economics, and comparative religion. Associated with the Deobandi movement and based in Karachi, Pakistan, he has served as a judge on the Federal Shariat Court and the Supreme Court of Pakistan and is widely regarded as a major authority on Islamic finance and Shariah.
Early Life and Education
Muhammad Taqi Usmani was born in Deoband, India, to the prominent Usmani family of scholars. His father, Mufti Muhammad Shafi, was the former Grand Mufti of Pakistan and founder of Darul Uloom Karachi, where Taqi Usmani would spend much of his academic life. The family migrated to Pakistan in 1948. Usmani studied the Dars-e-Nizami curriculum at Darul Uloom Karachi, specialising in Islamic jurisprudence (Takhassus, equivalent to a PhD). He also earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Karachi and a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from Karachi University, combining traditional and secular education.
Career
Usmani began teaching at Darul Uloom Karachi in 1959 and has remained a central teacher of hadith and fiqh since then. He helped shape the curriculum and currently serves as Vice President of the seminary.
Usmani’s judicial career includes serving as a member of the Council of Islamic Ideology (1977–1981), judge of the Federal Shariat Court of Pakistan (1981–1982), and, most notably, as a judge of the Shariat Appellate Bench of Pakistan’s Supreme Court (1982–2002). He has also been actively involved in global Islamic finance, being a chief advisor to major Islamic banking institutions and playing a foundational role in the development of modern Islamic finance. In 2021, he became Chairman of Wifaq ul Madaris Al-Arabia, a prominent federation of Islamic schools in Pakistan.
Usmani has participated in numerous international Islamic bodies, such as the Islamic Fiqh Academy in Jeddah and the Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI), and is editor-in-chief of Al-Balagh, a monthly journal.
Achievements
Awarded Pakistan’s civil award, Sitara-i-Imtiaz, in 2019, and the Order of Independence by King Abdullah II of Jordan in 2010. Received an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from an American university in 2022.
Played a pioneering role in the development of Islamic banking and finance globally.
Judged at Pakistan’s top Shariah courts for over two decades, influencing contemporary Islamic jurisprudence.
Regularly ranked among the world’s most influential Muslims and was named the most influential Muslim personality in the world in 2020.
Books and Publications
Muhammad Taqi Usmani is a prolific author, having written over 140 books in Arabic, Urdu, and English. His most notable works include:
Numerous articles and research papers.
Qur’an and Hadith:
Maariful Qur’an (contributor/translator, commentary on the Qur’an)
The Noble Qur’an (translation with notes)
Tauzeeh Al-Qur’an (explanation in Urdu and English)
Takmilah Fath al-Mulhim (six-volume commentary on Sahih Muslim)
The Authority of Sunnah
Al-Mudawwanah al-Jāmiʿah (encyclopedia of hadith)
Jurisprudence and Fiqh:
Fatawa-e-Usmani
Fiqh al-Buyu‘
Fiqhi Maqalat
Islam and Modern Economic Problems
Buhuth fi Qadhaya Fiqhiyyah Mu`asirah
Ulum al-Quran (An Approach to the Quranic Sciences)
Islamic Finance:
An Introduction to Islamic Finance
Islamic Finance and Practical Application
Islam aur Jidat Pasandi (Islam and Modernism)
Other:
Taqleed Ki Shari'i Hasiyat
Islahi Khutbat (lectures)
Islah-e-Muashara
Maghribi Mumalik Kay Jadeed Fiqhi Masa'il
Mere Walid – Mere Shaikh (about his father)
Personal Life
Usmani’s life is deeply intertwined with scholarship and service. He continues to live in Karachi, where he teaches, writes, and leads religious initiatives. He comes from a scholarly lineage and maintains close ties with family members active in the fields of Islamic law, education, and jurisprudence. Further details about his private life are limited by tradition and personal discretion.
Legacy and Impact
Muhammad Taqi Usmani’s legacy spans multiple domains: Islamic scholarship, judicial reform, and especially the creation of a viable, ethical Islamic banking system. As one of the central figures in global Islamic finance, his impact includes shaping standards that have been adopted worldwide by Islamic financial institutions. His legal rulings, books, and lectures are widely referenced in academic and religious institutions. A central figure of the Deobandi movement, Usmani continues to influence both contemporary Islamic thought and public policy in Pakistan and beyond.
