Masjid One — a vision in the making

Aysha Tanisha
March 29, 2018

The gathering point of the Muslim Ummah or community is the mosque. For Muslims, it is a divine place wherein they connect to their Creator through prayers. It is synonymous to the house of God, as one can see the rich and poor, healthy and ill, educated and uneducated stand alongside one another, praying in synchronization. 

In India, Muslims fall under the minority category. This qualifies the socially and economically disadvantaged Muslims to avail government benefits designed to improve their condition. Till date, due to lack of information and guidance, not many have benefitted from this. NGOs and organizations working for the development of Muslims weren’t of much help, as they have been tackling issues from a surface level.

In the Prophetic times mosques didn’t function solely for prayer purposes. It engaged in activities concerning community development. Many organizations, activists and leaders have insisted on re-working this concept. Mohammed Imthiyaz, a young businessman and social activist, and his team have left for Mangaluru to lay the groundwork for the ‘Masjid One’ plan.

This project aims at bringing all the mosques in the country under one plan of action, with an objective of developing the Muslims throughout India. As per the plan, the Masjid committee will stop by each Jamaat’s home and gather information on the family economy, social status, family members’ employment, health and education level etc. The information thus collected will go on the App. The project will enable Muslims to benefit from government plans and schemes. The poor will be helped by the rich donors. Many mosques are enthusiastic about the project, including the ones from Karnataka, Kerala, and Uthar Pradesh. 

The situation of Muslim community

1. Socio-economic conditions of a considerable number of Muslims in India are too bad. A major part of Muslims is below the poverty line.
2. The literacy level of the Indian Muslim is below the country average.
3. Muslims are often found crammed into ghettos with poor infrastructure and civic facilities.
4. They are often neglected and discriminated.
5. Many of the Muslims are doing menial jobs, working as daily wage laborers which leaves children with no choice but to toil away their childhood too.
6. In poor Muslim neighborhoods, housing facility and basic sanitation is lacking to the point where inhabitants develop various communicable diseases.  

Why Masjid One?

If you are wondering how Masjid One can fight poverty, illiteracy and employment hindrances Muslims face, then the action plan of this project will bring around a ray of hope to relax those furrowed eyebrows.
1. Its vision is to utilize masjids as an epicenter for the betterment of the Muslim populace all over India.
2. Foremost, it will organize masjids and Jamaat’s of Masjids. 
3. Through the Masjid One Platform, it intends to collect, document, process and analyze data concerning all Muslims in India.
4. This is done to identify the most destitute, needy and urgent cases of Indian Muslims.
5. Resources will be identified and allocated for the ones in desperate need of it.
6. It aims at finding sustainable, realistic, achievable and permanent solution to raise the dignity and socio-economic status of the Muslim Community in India.

Advantages of Masjid One

1. The data collection via Masjid One Platform will enable the Muslim Ummah to utilize the resources available in ‘n’ number of ways. 
2. The data collected through and through will be subjected to analysis in order to generate a clear picture of the current scenario of Indian Muslims. This will be instrumental in identifying root problems. As per the needs, various short-term and long-term programs will be designed. Also, execution of sustainable programs will be looked into for empowering the less fortunate Muslim masses.
3. Data collection will be segregated family wise. ( all information on a families socio-economic condition will be noted down)
4. The Data collection includes full details of mosques and khazis across India, including the status of mosques, access to resources, and resources.  
5. It will work in a decentralized way. Work and Contributions are expected from each Masjids, rather than one central body doing all the work.
6. It will use technologies like Data Analytics and Web Technology to optimally solve the problems. 
7. This platform will also facilitate Voter ID and Aadhar registry related work enabling the Muslims to be the rightful citizens of India.
8. Information can be helpful to allocate facilities to all Muslims in India.
9. Resource recognition and resources distribution for Muslims and mosques is the first priority.
10. Muslims can use many government schemes through Masjid One.
11. Motivating and supporting the mosques to generate Income through alternative sources and making them self sustainable and financially independent.

The fundamentals that can be achieved through Masjid One

1. It will create system for Muslim families wherein families with excess of resources and willing to help will reach out to the ones in greatest need.
2. It will also create a Systemwhere Masjids with abundant resources, which are self-sufficient and with the capacity to help other Masjids, to help those Masjids that are lacking in basic and fundamental infrastructure and in greatest need.
3. All India Muslim Development Board (AIMDB) will be eventually formed. This board will take initiatives to bring out new welfare schemes and try to tackle problems prevalent in the society.

Masjid One - Why it is the Solution?

1. It aims to generate more than 10 lakh leaders.
2. It will establish 24 clusters in India.
3. It aims at providing at least 2+ Crores of Indian Muslims are with an income source.
4. It will facilitate pooling of nationwide resources of Muslims.
5. It will create commerce, entrepreneurship and establish support structures.
6. It aims at constructing 5 lakh family trusts, construction of schools, colleges and infrastructure for Indian Muslims and encouraging industry throughcouncilors and chambers. 
7. It will bring together Ulemas, Businessmen, Masjids, Organizations and Muslim Politicians.
8. It will provide career guidance and motivation for youth. 
9. It will create larger and greater Sadaqah Network that reaches maximum number of Muslims.
10. It will raise the overall standard of living among the Muslims.
11. It will focus on education, healthcare, Shelter and other basic necessities of Indian Muslims.

Contributions to the country from Masjid One

1. Every Muslim in the country registered under Masjid One Platform will receive announcements, government updates and other important information within minutes, through instant SMS. 
2. Four mosques can join together and start a school and 8-10 mosques can start an Islamic financial cooperative institution. 
3. Platform may alsowork as a News Portal and News Agency. 
4. It will improve the Economic output by the Muslim communities, consequently improving the GDP of the country.  
5. It will increase the literacy rate of the Country. 
6. It will contribute to Swacch Bharat Abhiyan, by keeping Masjid and its Mohalla surroundings clean.

‘Masjid One’ is a large scale utilization of the data collected on the Indian Muslim population. Its desired result is to uplift the Muslims in reduced circumstances. To ensure this, Masjid One will look into utilizing the existing NGO’s and formation of NGO’s under Masjids and Committees.  Sub- committees that can focus on Jamaat wise and city wise social work will be formed. Assignment of social work will be segregated based on underlying concerns such as Women and Child, Economic upliftment and Self-Reliance, Education and Healthcare. 
 

Comments

Saifuddeen P
 - 
Sunday, 8 Jul 2018

can you Please provide the contact detailes of people handling this project. intreseted in implimenting same in our jamath 

 

 

Saleem
 - 
Saturday, 31 Mar 2018

Highly challenging task in this present era, but nothing shall be impossible if the intention is holy & pure.  I personally pray with almighty Allah to bestow endurance and success upon this team. Aameen. 

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News Network
July 19,2020

Bengaluru, Jul 19: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa convened a meeting with Private Medical College Hospitals on Saturday to assess COVID-19 management and directed them to provide 50 per cent of the beds, as promised, with effect from Sunday.

The chief minister said that private medical college hospitals need to cooperate as there is a sharp rise in COVID-10 cases in the city. He further said that it has come to the notice of the government that some institutes are denying treatment of COVID-19 as well as non-COVID patients.

The chief minister expressed his concerns over media reports stating several people died as they didn't get timely treatment due to denial from the hospitals. He said that Bengaluru should continue to lead the country as a role model in COVID-19 management.

During previous meetings, private medical colleges had agreed upon providing around 4,500 beds, which would make the total beds available in government and private medical colleges 6,500.

The chief minister expressed dismay over some colleges not providing the number of beds as promised and also about certain lacunae which were noticed by ministers during their visit.
During this emergency situation, we should show humanity. COVID and non-COVID patients shall not be denied treatment and the balance in healthcare system shall be maintained, he advised.

He assured them of all support, including providing doctors and nurses if need be.
The private medical colleges had assured to provide 50 per cent of beds and some colleges offered 80 per cent of the beds for COVID treatment.

Nodal officers have already been appointed to monitor the availability of beds in these medical colleges.

It was decided to issue a notice to Vaidehi Medical College for their absence in the meeting.

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Wafa Sultana
April 4,2020

Over the last couple of days when the world was occupied with unifying efforts to fight the deadly Covid19 pandemic, sections of Indian media provided viewers a familiar scapegoat – the Indian Muslims – who are often stereotyped as a community being constantly at loggerheads with the citizenry and the State. Biased media channels were quick to resort to blaming the entire Muslim community for the spread of the disease in the country, thanks to an ill-timed Tablighi Jamaat gathering at its international headquarters in Delhi’s Nizamuddin. Unsurprisingly, the opprobrium was also marked by a sudden spike in WhatsApp forwards of videos with people wearing skullcaps licking spoons and performing Sufi breathing rituals, suggesting some sort of wild conspiracy on the part of the community to spread the virus.  Some media channels were quick to formulate, hypothesize and provide loose definitions of a newly discovered form of Jihad i.e. ‘Corona Jihad ’ thereby vilifying the Islamic faith and its followers.

While the investigation on the culpability of the organizers of the Nizamuddin event is still ongoing, there is enough information to suggest that the meeting was held before any lockdown was in force, and the problem began when there was no way of getting people out once the curfew was announced. Be that as it may, there is little doubt that organizing a meet of such a scale when there is a global pandemic smacks of gross misjudgment, and definitely the organizers should be held accountable if laws or public orders were defied. Attendees who attempt to defy quarantine measures must be dealt with strictly. However, what is alarming is that the focus and narrative have now shifted from the unfortunate event at Nizamuddin to the Tablighi Jamaat itself.

For those not familiar with the Tablighi Jamaat, the organization was founded in 1926 in Mewat by scholar Maulana Mohammad Ilyas. The Jamaat’s main objective was to get Muslim youth to learn and practice pristine Islam shorn of external influences. This is achieved through individuals dedicating time for moral and spiritual upliftment secluded from the rest of the world for a brief period of time. There is no formal membership process. More senior and experienced participants typically travel from one mosque to other delivering talks on religious topics, inviting local youth to attend and then volunteer for a spiritual retreat for a fixed number of days to a mosque in a nearby town or village to present the message to their co-religionists. Contrary to ongoing Islamophobic rhetoric, the movement does not actively proselytize. The focus is rather on getting Muslims to learn the teachings and practices of Islam.  This grassroots India-based movement has now grown to almost all countries with substantial Muslim populations. Its annual meets, or ‘ijtemas’ are among the largest Islamic congregations in the world after the annual Haj. One of the reasons for its popularity and wide network in the subcontinent and wordwide is the fact that it has eschewed the need for scholarly intervention, focusing on peer learning of fundamental beliefs and practice rather than high-falutin ideological debates. The Tablighi Jamaat also distinguishes itself from other Islamic movements through its strictly apolitical nature, with a focus on individual self-improvement rather than political mobilization. Hardships and difficulty in the world are expected to be face through ‘sabr’ (patience) and ‘dua’ (supplication),  than through quest for political power or influence. In terms of ideology, it is very much based on mainstream Sunni Islamic principles derived from the Deobandi school.

So, why is all this background important in the current context? While biased media entities have expectedly brought out their Islamophobic paraphernalia out for full display, more neutral commentators have tried to paint the Tablighi Jamaat as a fringe group and have tried to distance it from 'mainstream Muslims'. While the intent is no doubt innocent, this is a trap we must not fall into. This narrative, unfortunately, is also gaining ground due to apathy some Muslims have for the group, accusing it of being “disconnected from the realities of the world”. Unlike other Muslim organizations and movements, the Tablighi Jamat, by virtue of its political indifference, does not boast of high-profile advocates and savvy spokespersons who can defend it in mainstream or social media.  The use of adjectives such as 'outdated' and 'orthodox' by liberal columnists to describe the Jamaat feeds into the malignant attempt to change the narrative from the control of the spread of the pandemic due to the Nizamuddin gathering to 'raison d'etre' of the organization itself.

A large mainstream religious group like the Tablighi Jamaat with nearly a hundred-year history, normally considered to be peaceful, apolitical and minding its own business is now suddenly being villainized owing to unfortunate circumstances. Biased media reactions filled with disgust and hate seem to feed the Indian public conscience with a danngerous misconception - to be a nominal Muslim is okay but being a practicing one is not.  For those committed to the truth and fighting the spread of Islamophobia, the temptation to throw the entire Tablighi Jamaat under the bus must be resisted.

The writer is a lawyer and research scholar at Qatar University. Her research interests include Islamic law and politics.

Comments

zahoorahmed
 - 
Saturday, 4 Apr 2020

great article! provides a great perspective on tableeg jamat

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News Network
July 25,2020

Bengaluru, Jul 25: The Karnataka government on Saturday announced a waiver of crematorium fees for those who succumb to the COVID-19 infection in Bengaluru and said the city civic body would bear the cost.

It said that from now on, families of the COVID deceased need not pay any fees fixed by the city civic body- Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP)- across 12 electric crematoriums in the city.

"There were reports in the media about difficulties faced in performing the last rites of those who died due to COVID-19 infections. Aimed at resolving those difficulties, certain decisions have been taken," Revenue Minister R Ashoka said.

He told reporters here that BBMP had fixed Rs 250 as the cremation fee, Rs 100 for the ash collection pot and Rs 900 for the bier (bamboo stretcher on which the body is carried), all of which have been waived for COVID deaths.

"So it will be a waiver of Rs 1,250 per cremation. The BBMP will bear this cost," he added.

Ashoka also announced Rs 500 per body incentive for the personnel who conduct the last rites of COVID victims.

"This is in recognition of their services at a time when family members of the deceased are not ready to touch the body and not ready to take the body in some cases," he said.

Noting that the government has identified 23 acres of land at five places around Bengaluru for burial or cremation of COVID victims, Ashoka locals in all these areas are protesting against it.

Appealing to the people for cooperation during these difficult times, he said the government's intention was to ensure respectful burial or cremation for the deceased.

"Obstructing it is not right, it is not Indian tradition," he said.

Pointing out that it takes almost a day's time for a COVID victim's body to be handed over for burial or cremation, he said "scientifically, according to experts and doctors, the virus will not remain alive for more than three hours.

...Also, bodies are either burnt or buried eight feet below. So there will not be any problem for those living in nearby areas and it will not spread infection. Cooperate with humanity," he said.

"These lands identified are for all religions and communities and once the pandemic subsides, can be used for other deaths as well," he said.

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