Semiulla Wafin was born as the son of Zinnetulla and Mushfika (Möshfika) in the Tatar village of
Aktuk, located in the
Sergachsky District of
Nizhny Novgorod Governorate,
Russian Empire (now
Krasnooktyabrsky District, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast,
Russia). As a child, Wafin emigrated to
Terijoki with his parents. They eventually settled in
Tampere. Wafin went to work at his father Zinnetulla’s fabric shop
S. Wafin ("Siniatulla Wafin") in 1925. Semiulla took over the shop after his father passed and operated it from 1941 to 1982. It was located in
Aleksis Kiven katu. Wafin was a founding member and a member of the board of
The Tampere Islamic Congregation. He was the chairman from 1951 until his death in 1983. Wafin was also involved in the founding of
The Tampere Turkish Society, and for many years operated at the board. Wafin was married to Mahrusa Allayarı (1911–1984), a Tatar from
Xinjiang. They met in
Berlin, where Semiulla studied economics. Among the Finnish Tatar community she, like her husband, took an active role in the cultural life of the community and for example served at the board of the
Tampere Turkish Society and wrote for
Ayaz Ishaki's magazine
Yaña Milli Yul as "M. Wafa". In Berlin, Mahrusa graduated as a dentist and before this she had studied in
Istanbul. Father of Mahrusa was a wealthy landowner Zakircan Allayarı (né Aldargarov), who with his brother Siddik founded libraries. Semiulla Wafin was passionate about the
Turkish language and taught it to the children of his community. He was in extensive correspondence with Turkic people abroad and wrote to them about the lives of Tatars in Tampere. == Versions of name ==