Al-Qalam 
Hadrath Moulana A R Soofie (RA) (Habibi/Nashbandi) was a senior member of the Soofie Saheb family of Durban.
The paternal grandfather of Ml Rauf was Hadrath Yusuf Bayat Habibi RA (Shah Saheb of Westville ) a Mureed and Khalifa of Hadrath Soofie Saheb (RA) who married the niece of Hadrath Soofie Saheb RA ) – this marriage resulted in the birth of Hadrath Imam Abdul Majid Habibi (RA).
•Imam Abdul Majid Habibi RA (a great Islamic educationist of his era ) married the daughter of Hadrath Shah Abdul Aziz Soofie RA (Dadajaan ) the 2nd son of Hadrath Soofie Saheb (RA), the result of this pious union was Hadrath Moulana Abdul Rauf Soofie (RA). It is obvious that ML A Rauf was born in a home of deep learning and spirituality.
Hadrath Moulana A R Soofie (RA) similtaneously served as resident Imam of the Soofie Habibi Institution in Westville since his youth and in for a sterling 50 years taught lslamiyaat at numerous Maddressas including Islamic Schools in around Durban, the last being the Orient Secondary School.
Hadrath Moulana (RA) accomplished the Dars e Nizaamiyah course under the guidance of numerous Ulema but his Imtihaan (examination) and his Dastaar Bandi (accreditation / certification) was personally accomplished under the special care of Hadrath Allama Mohamed Shafie Okarvi (RA) of Pakistan.
Moulana A Rauf Soofie (RA) was one of the first Ulema in South Africa to study at a University, thus his lectures besides reflecting the dept of his Islamic Knowlege and maturity, was much appreciated by the youth and intellectuals.
Moulana Soofie (RA), as any true Muslim would, was opposed to Apartheid and in numerous tangible ways opposed this crime against humanity and supported anti Apartheid movements and activists.
True to the spirit of his maternal great grandfather ie Hadrath Soofie Saheb (RA) Hadrath Moulana was keen on Islamic Da’wa and inter-faith sessions. Sheikh Ahmed Deedat once tagged Ml Rauf along to a panel discussion on SABC, the subject being: Islam and Christianity.
In the early 90s or a short while Hadrath A Rauf (RA) accepted the offer of Sh. Ahmed Deedat on a flexi basis to serve at the Islamic Propagation Center, this arrangement was short lived due to Moulana’s full work load.
My personal interaction with Hadrath Moulana, in my early youth, compels me to confess that he was almost a Hujja ( authority /advocate ) on Tasawuff (Islamic Mysticism ) and second to none among local Ulema.
While Hadrath Moulana was the Mureed since his youth of Hadrath Khwaja Ebrahim Soofie (RA) of Ajmer (eldest son and Khalifa of Hadrath Soofie Saheb and Hadrath Khwaja Habeeb Ali Shah RA), Moulana continued to sit at the feet of great Sufi masters both locally and abroad.
Besides the Khilafa of the Quaderia/ Chishtia/ Nizamia/ Hafizia and Habibiyah Sufi orders being conferred upon Ml Rauf, in his latter years, Hadrath Sufi Mohammad Siddique (RA) simultaneously while initiating Ml Rauf into the Naqshbandia Sililah (fraternity ) also blessed Ml Rauf with Ijaza (authority ) too.
Moulana Rauf will surely be missed. May Allah grace his widow (daughter of Shah Noor Muhammed Soofie ) and his Son Muhtaram Hafiz Fuzail MZ with the fortitude to bear the physical parting of their beloved – and may Allah (Wahda ) honour Hadrath Moulana Abdul Rauf Habibi with His ‘proximity’ in the company of His Servants – ameen!
Sh/Imam Syed Sayeed Mohamed
Pretoria
