السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ
It’s Sunday 9th August 2020. Let me introduce you to Shaykh ul-Islām Mufti Muḥammad Taqī Usmānī مدظله العالی.
My first real encounter with Mufti Taqī Usmānī was in September 2006, when we spent 4 days together in Albania. My colleague Mawlānā Shafīq Raḥmān was also with us. Before then, I had met Mufti Ṣāḥib on a couple of occasions, here in Blackburn. As mentioned in the introduction to ‘My Travels‘, titled ‘The World Through My Eyes‘, Mufti Taqī Usmānī’s travelogues fascinated me. It was as though I was with Mufti Ṣāḥib in all those countries he visited.
Since the visit to Albania, my contact with Mufti Ṣāḥib increased, and I met him a number of times during his travels to the UK. I found him to be an amazing personality, so humble, and so simple.
In 2018, our whole team at the MWI (Muslim Welfare Institute) were blessed to have Mufti Taqi Ṣāḥib’s company in the Balkans, visiting Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro and Bosnia. It was a memorable trip, further enhanced by the presence of Mufti Aḥmad Khānpuri Ṣāḥib and leading scholars of the UK, including Mufti Shabbir Ṣāḥib.
Since that remarkable visit to the Balkans, my connection with Mufti Ṣāḥib became much stronger. In 2019, I was blessed to be in Mufti Ṣāḥib’s auspicious company in Malta, Cyprus, Greece and Hungary, .مَا شَآءَ الله
Inspired by Mufti Ṣāḥib’s travelogues, I started penning short accounts of my trips abroad, in 2012, some of which have been added to the My Travels section on my website. More will be added soon, اِنْ شَاءَ الَّلهُ.
It gives me great pleasure to dedicate another section on HDreflections to Mufti Taqī Usmānī Ṣāḥib, under which you will find every article or post wherein I have mentioned Mufti Taqī Usmānī, in one place. This is the least I can do to try and repay Mufti Ṣāḥib back in this world for allowing me to benefit from his ocean of knowledge.
Almighty Allāh lengthen Mufti TTaqī Usmānī Ṣāḥib’s shadow upon us and allow us all to benefit from him time and time again, Āmeen.
جَزَاكَ اللَّهُ خَيْرًا
Request for DuꜤās
وَالسَّلَامُ Hanif Dudhwala