Biography of Hafiz Salahdin Yusuf (1945-2020)

Hafiz Salahdin was born in 1945 in India in the city of Jepur. His father Hafiz AbduShakur was not a scholar but he memorised the Quran and would love scholars, sit in their talks and benefit from them. He was a student of Shaykh Muhammad Yusuf Jepuri (the author of “Haqiqatul Fiqh”) and had learned the translation of the Quran from him. He named his son Muhammad Yusuf after him and afterwards when he became an author, he put the name “Salahdin” instead of “Muhammad” and probably because Salahdin Ayubi’s name was Yusuf, and hence he choose this combination of name.

In 1949, 2 years after the partition the partition his family moved to Pakistan, first to Hyderabad (Sind) and afterwards Karachi. His father Hafiz AbduShakur had 6 brothers and he was the only Ahl e Hadith of his family. Afterwards his brother AbdulQayum became Ahl e Hadith and also moved to Pakistan, and his elder brother AbdulGhani also moved to Pakistan, but his other 3 brothers remained in India in Jepur.

When they were in India, whenever Hafiz AbdulJabbar Kandehlwi used to come to Jepur, he would stay at Hafiz AbdusShakur’s house. When they moved to Pakistan, Hafiz AbdulJabbar’s son Qari AbduKhaliq Rehmani was in Karachi and would come to visit them.

His studies

Hafiz Salahdin Yusuf was around 10-11 when his family moved to Karachi and he started his studies there in Masjid Rehmaniyah. Before he only learned at home from his father. Hafiz Salahdin Yusuf memorised the Quran in 1 year from Qari Muhammad Ishfaq who was from the Deobandi school of thought. Afterwards Hafiz Salahdin Yusuf started to study Dars Nizami in Jami Al-Ulum As-Su’udiyah in which Hakim Ali Dehlwi was Sadr Mudarisin. This Madrasah after moved to Safeed Masjid Soldier Bazar and was named Dar Al-Hadith Rehmaniyah and its president was Shaykh AbulWahab, who was the son of Shaykh Ata Ur-Rahman. Shaykh Ata urRahman had established Dar Al-Hadith Rehmaniyah in Delhi so his son named this Madrasah in Karachi in the memory of his father’s Madrasah.

During his studies there for 2-3 years with studying the books of Dars Nizami, Hafiz Salahdin Yusuf used to read many magazines such as Tajalli Deoband, Chiragh Deoband, Faran Karachi, Sayarah Lahore, Tarjuman Al-Quran Lahore, Mithaq Lahore, Raheeq Lahore, daily Shihab Lahore, and weekly Asia Lahore. Likewise he had the fervour to read books of Shaykh Masood Alam Nadwi, Shaykh Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi, Shaykh AbdusSalam Nadwi, Qadhi Sulayman Mansurpuri, Shaykh Shibli Nu’mani, Shaykh Sulayman Nadwi, Shaykh Mawdudi. His teacher from Jamiyah Al-Ulum Su’udiyah  Shaykh AbdurRahseed Nadwi Ad-Daakhi is the one who encouraged him to read a lot as he himself graduating from Nadwah had a great fervour to read a lot.

Afterwards Hafiz Salahdin Yusuf went to Lahore and joined Dar Al-Ulum Taqwiyatul Islam of which Shaykh Dawud Ghaznawi was the head, and Hafiz Muhammad Ishaq, Hafiz AbdurRasheed Goharwi and AbdurRasheed Mujahidabadi were teachers. There he would also benefit from Shaykh Ataullah Haneef Bhujiyani whose Makatabah Salafiyah was next to the Dar Al-Ulum Taqwiyatul Islam.

During his studies in Dar Al-Ulum Taqwiyatul Islam, he started to write some articles. His first article was on “Jashan Milad Nabi” and it was published in “Al-Itisam”. His second was on journalism in Pakistan and it was published in Al-Itisam. His third article was in 2 parts in Al-Itisam in defence of Ahl e Hadith against objections of Shaykh Amir Uthmani, the director of Tajalli Deoband.

His writings

His first book was entitled “Khilafat se Mulukiyat tak” which was the compilation of a series of his article published in Al-Itisam refuting the book “Khilafat wa Mulukiyat” of Shaykh Mawdudi. These articles were published in the form of the book under the advise and guidance of Shaykh Ata’ullah Haneef Bhujiyani. His first book was published while he was 20 or 21 years old.

After Shaykh Ataullah Haneef Bhujiyani took back the charge of Al-Itisam magazine, in 1970 Hafiz Salahdin Yusuf helped him and likewise his nephew Muhammad Sulayman Ansari and his son Hafiz Ahmad Shakir became part of the team running Al-Itisam. After some time, Hafiz Salahdin Yusuf became the editor of the magazine. Hafiz Salahdin Yusuf remained the director of Al-Itisam for 15-16 years up to the death of Shaykh Ataullah Haneef Bhujiyani. He remained linked to Al-Itisam for some time after the death of Shaykh Bhujiyani. In total he was attached to Al-Itisam for approximately 24 years and in this period, he wrote many articles, editorials, presentation of books, biographies and others. This material is in many thousands of pages.

After leaving Al-I’tisam, Hafiz Salahdin Yusuf became attached to Maktabah Darussalam established by Shaykh AbdulMalik Mujahid. Hafiz Salahdin Yusuf remained 4 months in Riyadh in the office of Darussalam where he started to write his Tafsir “Ahsan Al-Bayan”, which he completed after returning to Lahore where he worked in their office on Lower Mall Rd. Hafiz Salahdin Yusuf was the head of the research department of Darussalam Lahore. The Tafsir “Ahsan Al-Bayan” was published with the translation of Shaykh Muhammad Junagarhi and this Tafsir became very popular. This translation was chosen by KSA to be distributed freely to pilgrims by King Fahd Complex, but after Hanafi blind followers complained that it is confusing laymen who are Hanafi, it was slightly summarised. Its summary has been translated by Darussalam in English in 5 volumes entitled “Tafsir Ahsanul Bayan”.

Hafiz Salahdin Yusuf also did a translation of the Quran with Shaykh AbdulJabbar which was published in the Tafsir “Ahsan Al-Kalam” of Dr Muhsin Khan, and also in “Ma’ani Al-Quran Al-Kareem”, a word for word translation published by Darussalam.

With this, we count among his books:

1) “Riyadh As-Salihin”: Translation in Urdu and notes in 2 volumes. It has also been translated in English.

2) “Khilafat wa Mulukiyat ki tarikhi wa Shar’i Haythiyat”: This is the book mentioned before written against Shaykh Mawdudi’s “Khilafat wa Mulukiyat”. It has recently been published again with additions in 2018 in 604 pages by Ziaul Hadees Lahore of his son Usman Yusuf.

3) “Awraton ke Imtiyazi Masail wa Qawanin”: On the Fiqhi issues related to women in 317 pages published by Darussalam on women leadership of a country, triple divorce, polygamy, her witness, blood money, inheritance and other issues.

4) “Zakah wa Ushr ke Ahkam wa Masail wa Fazail”: 135 pages published by Darusslam

5) “Ramadhan Al-Mubarak, Fazail, Ahkam, wa Masail”: Published by Darusslam. It has also been translated in English under the name “Ramadan, Rules and related issues” 32 pages.

6) “Masnun Nikah or Shadi Biyah ki Rusumat”: 110 pages published by Darussalam on marriage according to the Sunnah and innovations.

7) “Mafrur Larkion ka Nikah or Humari Adalteen”: 88 pages published by Darussalam on women running away from home and doing a court marriage without the Wali.

8) “Rusumat Muharram Al-Haram or Sanihah Karbala”: On the innovations of the tenth of Muharram and the event of Karbala, 112 pages published by Darussalam.

9) “Masnun Namaz or Roaz Marah li Duaein”: how to pray with daily invocations. 159 pages published by Darussalam.

10) “Namaz Muhammadi or Masnin Dua’ein”: 64 pages published by Darussalam

11) “Tawheed or Shirk ki Haqiqat”: 120 pages published by Darussalam

12) “Qabar Praston ke Jal mein”: 216 pages published by Darulbalagh.

13) “Fazail Asharh Zul Hijjah or Ahkam wa Masail Eed Al-Adha”, published by Darusalam.

14) Translation of “Hisn Al-Muslim”

15) “Kiya Awraton la Tariqah Namaz Mardon se Mukhtalif he?”: 64 pages book showing there is no difference between the prayer of men and women.

16) “Nifaz e Shariat Kiun or Kese”: 32 pages published by Darussalam.

17) “Ijtihad or Ta’beer Shariat le Ikhtiyar ka Masalah”

18) “Isal e Thawab or Quran Khawani”

19) “Jashan Eed Milad”

20) “Ahl e Hadith or Ahl e Taqleed”

21) Tanqih wa Tashil of “Tameemah As-Sabii fi Tarjamah Al-Araba’een min Ahadith An-Nabi (saw)”: 40 Ahadith for children translated by Nawab Siddiq Hasan Khan. Hafiz Salahdin Yusuf edited and replaced ancient Urdu words of it with new ones in this work. This book was published by Dar Ad-Da’wah As-Salafiyah in 23 pages.

22) “Had Rajam ki Shar’i haythiyat”: Refuting Shaykh Ameen Ahsan Islahi and others on this issue, published by Dar Ad-Da’wah As-Salafiyah, 88 pages.

23) “Awrat ki Sarbrahi ka Masalah or Shubuhat wa Mughaltat la Jaizah”: On issue of leadership of women published by Dar Ad-Da’wah Salafiyah.

24) “Islami Khulafa wa Muluk ke Muta’aliq Ghalt Fahmion la Izalah”, published by Dar Ad-Da’wah As-Salafiyah.

25) “Tahreek Jihad or Ahl e Hadith or Ahnaf”

26) “Tanqih Ar-Ruwat fi Takhrij Ahadith Al-Mishkat”: This Arabic Sharh of “Mishkat Al-Masabih” by Shaykh Ahmad Hasan Dehlwi and Shaykh Abu Sa’eed Sharfiudin Dehlwi is in 4 volumes. Hafiz Salahdin Yusuf and Qari Na’eem Al-Haq Na’eem did Tahqiq of the 4^th volume of it. It was published by Ad-Dar Ad-Da’wah As-Salafiyah.

27) “Huquq Alllah”

28) “Huquq Al-‘Ibad”

29) “Huquq Al-Walidayn”

30) “Huquq Al-Awlad”

31) “Huquq Az-Zawjayn”

32) “Huquq wa Faraidh”: The last 5 books have been compiled in this single book, published by Darussalam in 250 pages.

33) “Waqiah Mi’raj or us ke Mushadat”: 122 pages published by Darusslam.

34) “Khane pine ke Adab”: etiquettes of eating and drinking.

35) “Sone Jagne ke Adab”: etiquettes of sleeping and waking up.

36) “Salam ke Adab wa Ahkam”

37) “Khawatin ke Muta’alqah Ba’d Ahamd Masail Ahadith ki Roshni mein”

38) “Ayam Makhsusah mein Awrat ka Quran Parhna or Chuna”

39) “Ek Majlid mein Teen Talaqeen or Us ka Shar’I Hall”: 236 pages published by Darussalam on triple Talaq.

40) “Azmat Hadith or us ke Taqadhe”: 91 pages published by Darussalam on the authority of Hadith.

41) “Islami Libas, Adab wa Ahkam”

42) « Minhatul Bari Tarjamah Al-Adab Al-Mufrad lil Bukhari » : This translation of Adab Al-Mufrad was published in different parts in the monthly magazine “Shahadat” Islamabad.

43) “Islami Adab Mu’asharat”: 258 pages published by Darussalam.

44) “Masalah Ruwayat e Hilal or 12 Islami Mahine”: 398 pages on Moon sighting published by Darussalam.

45) “Huquq Mardan or Huquq Niswan”: This book disucsses the rights of men and women in Islam, women working, divorce, Khul’a, and as well the women protection bill 2016 discussed in the assembly.

46) “Ahl e Hadith ka Manhaj or Ahnaf se Ikhtilaf ke Haqiqat wa Nawiyat”: 287 book on the methodology of Ahl e Hadith, published by Umm-ul-Qura publications.

47) “Fitnah Ghamdiyat”: 368 pages book refuting the modernist Javed Ahmad Ghamdi, published by Dar Abi Tayib.

48) “Ramadhan Al-Mubarak mein Karne wale Kam”: 40 pages published by Darussalam. This book has also been translated in English under the name “Ramadan, Excellent Merits and Virtuous Deeds” 31 pages

49) “Molana Ameen Ahsan Islahi, apne Hadithi wa Tafsiri Nazriyat ki Roshni mein”: 632 pages book on the views of Molana Ameen Islahi on Hadith and Tafsir, published by Al-Madinah Islamic Research Centre.

50) “Fikr Farahi or us ke Gumrah Kun Atharat”: 474 pages book on the views of Shaykh Hamidudin Farahi on Tafsir and Hadith, published by Al-Madinah Islamic Research Centre.

51) “Tafsir Surah Fatihah”: Published by Darussalam.

52) “Adab namaz or Khushu wa Khudu’ ki ahmiyat wa Wujub Shaykh Al-Islami ibn taymiyah ke Fatawa ke Aine mein”: Hafiz Salahdin Yusuf compiled Fatawa of Shaykhul Islam ibn Taymiyah on Khushu in prayer.

53) “Qabar Prasti, Ek Haqiqat Pasandanah Jaizah”, published by Dar Ad-Da’wah As-Salafiyah.

54) Tashih, Tanqih and Nazar Thani of “Tafsir Tarjuman Al-Quran bi Lataif Al-Bayan” of Nawab Siddiq Hasan Khan: Hafiz Salahdin Yusuf did verified and checked the Tafsir of Nawab Siddiq Hasan Khan with Hafiz Shahid Mahmood. Hafiz Hamid Mushtaq did the Takhrij and Muhammad Yahya Qureshi replaced the ancient Urdu words with new ones. The first 4 volumes have been published by Maktabah Quddusia and Dar Abi Tayib with up to 10 volumes to come insha Allah.

His services

With these works Hafiz Salahdin Yusuf was also Mushir Wafaqi Shar’i Adalat Pakistan (An adviser to the National Religious Tribunal of Pakistan).

He appeared on PeaceTV Urdu and Paigham TV and in many other Pakistani channels for programs benefiting laymen. He participated in many conferences and seminars, and was in board of many magazines such as Mohadis Lahore of Shaykh AbdurRahman Madni and others.

Hafiz Salahdin Yusuf also introduced many books whose list will be very long such as “Injaz Al-Haajah Sharh Sunnan ibn Majah” Arabic of Shaykh Muhammad Ali Janbaz, “Sirat e Mustaqeem or Ikhtilaf e Ummat” of Shaykh Abul Ashbal Sagheer Ahmad Shaghif, “Al-Islah” of Hafiz Muhammad Gondalwi published by Umm-ul-Qura Publications, “Athar Haneef Bhujiyani”, “Tarikh Ahl e Hadith” of Dr Baha Al-Din, and many other works of scholars.

His death

After a long life devoted to knowledge and writing, Hafiz Salahdin Yusuf passed away on Saturday 11^th July 2020. His son Hafiz Usman Yusuf is a graduate from Madeenah University and is pursuing further education in Punjab University, may Allah give him the Tawfeeq to carry on his father’s mission.

Source: “Dabistan Hadith” of Shaykh Ishaq Bhatti and others.