Updated 29 November 2011
On his recent visit to India, the Assistant Secretary General of Islamic Education, Sayyid Aliraza Naqvi, met a group of young volunteers who run an organisation by the name of Zawwar e Masoomeen (s.a.) Trust. This group collects a fixed monthly amount of India Rupees 100 from dedicated members. They use this money to send under-privileged mu’mineen for Ziyarat through raffle draws. In the last three years, 14 mu’mineen have been for Ziyarat under this scheme.
Tohfa e Zehra (s.a.) is another initiative by the same group wherein marriage gift hampers are given to 8-10 girls on a monthly basis who are about to get married. These girls are from within the community and whose parents cannot afford to their marriage costs due to lack of funds & below poverty line income. Cases of orphans, father-abandoned families, and those families where the father is bed-ridden or incapacitated are also considered. Since its inception in Rajab 2009, 199 marriages have been sponsored.
The gift hampers include:
1. Holy Quran, Musalla, Rida, Mohr & Tasbih – cost is fully sponsored by a fixed donor
2. Gold pendant and earring set (22K Gold) – cost: INR 7,500
3. Seven pairs of unstitched clothes (includes silk clothes, embroidery work, etc) – cost: INR 3,700
4. Two pairs of sandals (one bridal wear and one regular) – cost: INR 600
5. Small makeup set – cost is fully sponsored by a fixed donor
6. Towel, bedding set, and head scarf – cost is fully sponsored by a fixed donor
Sayyid Aliraza Naqvi and the Zawwar e Masoomeen Trust team
Alireza Merchant, one of the group members, stated, “A proper investigation is undertaken by us, whilst maintaining the integrity & dignity of the girl and the family. If the marriages are in the home town then we try to attend as well. As soon as an investigation is complete we send out text messages and emails to the regular community members who then confirm their contributions.”
Each gift hamper costs INR 11,800.00 (approximately £150 / $230 USD)
This concept is different from ‘mass marriages’ as the family members may not be comfortable with ‘mass marriage’.
Zawwar e Masoomeen (s.a.) is a registered trust with the Government of India and the accounts are available to donors as and when requested.
Sayyid Aliraza Naqvi wished them all the very best and appreciated the hard work and time that these individuals put in to get a smile on the face of the families.
For more information email india@world-federation.org