Muhammad Rafat Uthman
- Died
- 1438 AH
- Born in
- -
Muhammad Rafat Uthman (d. 1438 AH / 2016 CE) was an Egyptian scholar of Islamic law who served as a professor of comparative jurisprudence and dean of the Faculty of Sharia and Law at Al-Azhar University . He is noted for his legal scholarship on Islamic governance, contemporary financial and medical issues, and his comparative treatise al-Nizam al-Qada'i fi al-Fiqh al-Islami (The Judicial System in Islamic Jurisprudence) .
Academic Career and Jurisprudential Contributions
Uthman specialized in comparative jurisprudence (al-fiqh al-muqaran) and spent his academic career at Al-Azhar University, where he attained the rank of professor and served as dean of the Faculty of Sharia and Law . His scholarship focused extensively on Islamic procedural law, judicial administration, and public governance. In his work al-Nizam al-Qada'i fi al-Fiqh al-Islami, he analyzed the structure and procedures of the judiciary across different Islamic legal traditions, examining the qualifications, selection, and dismissal of judges, arbitration, courtroom rules, and the legal grounds for overturning judicial verdicts . He also addressed Islamic constitutional and state theory in his study Risalat al-Dawlah fi al-Fiqh al-Islami (The Mission of the State in Islamic Jurisprudence) .
Beyond institutional law, Uthman regularly took part in scholarly symposiums addressing contemporary jurisprudence (al-nawazil). He contributed specialized studies on modern zakat issues—including zakat obligations regarding crops, commercial inventory, and livestock—and presented research on contemporary bioethical issues, such as the Islamic legal perspective on mandatory genetic testing .
Death
Uthman died in 1438 AH (2016 CE).
Answer updated
List of Works
al-Nizam al-Qada'i fi al-Fiqh al-Islami (The Judicial System in Islamic Jurisprudence) is a work on comparative Islamic judicial law. It presents a legal study examining the structure, procedural rules, qualifications, and evidence laws governing the judiciary across Islamic legal traditions.