By TCN News,
Ludhiana: A special program launched by All India Majlis Ahrar Islam to provide Iftar and Sehri to Muslim inmates in jails in Punjab has completed 10 years. Commemorating the occasion, Maulana Mohammad Usman Rahmani Ludhianwi, national general secretary, All India Majlis Ahrar Islam gave details about the program to pressmen here on 14th August.
Maulana Usman, who is also Naib Shahi Imam, said the program was started in 2001 in the central jail of Ludhiana but it was expanded in entire Punjab in 2002 and has since continued without any break. He said he himself visited all jails in the state, he personally met Muslim inmates, and sometimes he got emotional seeing the condition of the inmates. The Iftar and Sehri program is run by Al-Habeeb Trust, social welfare wing of Majlis Ahrar.
Muslim inmates breaking Iftar in Ludhiana central jail
Giving details about the program, Maulana Usman Rahmani said that on the first day of Ramadan, a big Ramadan kit is given to each Muslim inmate in all jails in the state. Each packet contains one month ration for sehri for entire Ramadan. For Iftar, every day fresh fruits are sent to all jails. This is done by volunteers of Majlis, said the maulana.
He also said that the Majlis is also giving attention on education and purification of the inmates.
Maulana Mohd Usman Rahmani Ludhiyanwi, General Secretary of Al-Habeeb Trust distributing relief items among children of the Muslim women inmates
Volunteers of Ahrar disturbing relief materials among Muslim women inmates in Amritsar jail
He informed that Shahi Imam of Punjab Maulana Habeebur Rahman Sani Ludhianwi convinced the government and authorities 10 years ago that during Ramadan, all Muslim inmates of a jail should be kept in one big barrack where they will live and offer five times prayer with azan.
Maulana Usman Rahmani said the most important work in last 10 years was the construction of a mosque in the central jail of Ludhiana. Named as Masjid Khatm-e-Nabuwwat, it is said to be the first mosque to be construed inside a jail in the country. He said the mosque is beautiful. It has a small hauz for wazu and a library with all necessary books. Maulana Rahmani informed this all began with the movement of Khatm-e-Nabuwwat. When we began the movement against Qadyanis they filed cases against us, and thus members of Majlis Ahrar were sent to jails where they saw the opportunities for work among the Muslim inmates.
On Eid day, Majlis Ahrar hosts an Eid Milan program in Ludhiana jail for all inmates of the jail irrespective of their faith and religion. They are invited to a dinner. This helps in building love and good relations among the inmates, he said.