The Passing of Mufti Taha Karaan (rahimahuAllah)

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

The passing of shaykhuna, Mufti Taha Karaan (rahimahuAllah ta’ala), is a moment of tremendous sadness. His family, colleagues, students, and friends across the world are mourning this loss. A resplendent light and carrier of Prophetic knowledge is no longer with us. Every corner of the earth mourns him today. Most definitely, he is happy, content, and in a state of bliss and felicity. Those who knew him in this world, and are now remembering him, all realize that with us until yesterday was an inhabitant of Jannah. Today, that is what he has become. He has departed from this short-lived, temporal world. May Allah grant him the abundant rewards that are prepared for His righteous servants in the hereafter.

There are few in our time who come near to equaling Mln Taha’s qualities and character. He was an ocean of knowledge; through his words and actions, durar and fawa’id were bestowed benevolently on all those who sat in his company. He was a prolific scholar, a polymath endowed with encyclopedic knowledge in a vast array of subjects. He wielded a pen with grace and eloquence. His recitation of the Qur’an and the Hadith was soul-touching. His intellectual acuity was unparalleled; his academic integrity was sincere; his ghayrah for Islam was that of the salaf‘s. He had a profound love and respect for ulama, tullab, and those engaged in Islam’s service.

I remember the hub of DUAI, the library. The entry to it was open, there was no door on it. In the middle of the library were desks set up to form a rectangle. The final year classes were held there. Mln Taha would sit at the head of the rectangle. Some of the best days at madrasah were when he would sit in the library teaching for hours. Those in attendance would stay well past the end of the day benefiting from, appreciating, and absorbing his pearls and gems of knowledge. His wisdom was vast and deep. I remember his durus at DUAI. When studying the biographies of early ulama, like Abu Ishaq al-Shirazi and his majalis, I am reminded of Mln Taha’s gatherings. He is from the kibar of the ulama. He is well known for his extensive knowledge. He had an outstanding command of the Arabic language, poetry, research, writing, fatawa, and the other things Allah gifted him with.

Another of his traits was the beauty of his character, his tender and loving personality, and his genuine concern for others. I realized this from my own interactions and experiences with him. I also realized it through my encounters with others who met him, even if just briefly. He is beloved by so many. All of his students know how he was with his noble, dignified, distinguished character and caring nature.

His generous support and the mentorship he provided changed us forever. He saw to our academic enrichment; being in his company molded us into who we are. We are nearer to Allah and better people because of him. He invested countless hours into us. He helped us pursue sacred knowledge; he selflessly helped his students in so many ways. The accounts of this are innumerable. May Allah reward him infinitely and abundantly. He carried sacred knowledge everywhere he went; he was an embodiment of the Prophetic character and a true heir of the Prophets.

I went to the madrasah’s library, here in Lombard, in the morning before Jumu’ah. Some of the students and I gathered in the library to offer salat al-janazah ala al-gha’ib for our teacher. After the prayer, we spoke about him for a little while. Thereafter, we continued with our project of checking the dates of passing and authors’ names for the mu’talif wa mukhtalif literature using Imam Dhahabi’s Siyar, Ibn al-Sam’ani’s Ansab, and other works. I remember these books from the DUAI library. I remember the seat of teaching next to the shelf where these books were lodged. The work this morning was done while holding back tears. It may be the fond memories of someone that make one shed the most tears. I do not possess a memory of him except for that. He was an amazing person.

Another janazah prayer was performed in the dawrat al-hadith classroom at DarusSalam today. Tullab from all corners of the world weep. One of the greatest scholars of this era is no longer with us.   

I extend heartfelt condolences to the Karaan family, Mln Taha’s children, relatives, and kin. As well, my heartfelt condolences go out to the esteemed teachers at DUAI, its staff, its students, the Muslim community of Strand, and all others who are mourning Mawlana around the world.

May Allah forgive him, pardon him, and shower him in His mercy. May He give him a lush and expansive grave. May He give him the highest rank in Jannah. May He raise him among the Prophets, the martyrs, and the righteous. May Allah accept his good deeds and multiply them. May Allah be well pleased with him. May Allah give his family patience and comfort during this trying time. May He bless them and assist them in all ways. May He give them the best of this world and the next. May Allah accept the dedication, effort, and sacrifices of the DUAI teachers. O Allah! Bless DUAI and shower the ulama in Your mercy. Help them and give them Your divine assistance. May DUAI be a beacon of knowledge for generations to come. May Allah accept the students of DUAI. Allah make us steadfast during this time and give us patience. O Allah! Give us the tawfiq to implement what our teacher taught us and help us in our efforts to uphold it and teach it to the next generation. O Allah! Bless the entire ummah and remove all difficulties from our way. O Allah! Allow us to gain proximity to You. O Allah! Be pleased with us and forgive us for our sins. Allah send the choicest of prayers and salutations upon Your Prophet and Messenger, his family, his companions, and all those who follow them. Ameen.

Yaqub Abdurrahman

Lombard, Illinois

June 11, 2021