Gyms to coaching classes to healthcare: How mosques in Hyderabad are transforming lives

Women working out at a gym, students undergoing coaching for competitive exams, or career counselling, or picking up a book from the shelves of the library, high school boys reading textbooks, with a teacher around to clarify doubts, and men, women and children getting their health checkup.

Ever imagined such activities taking place on the premises of a place of worship? Yes, they are increasingly becoming a common sight at mosques in Hyderabad.
A group of concerned intellectuals, academicians, NGOs and heads of mosques has come together and begun to shape the mosques as social centres that cater to the educational, career, health and wellness needs of the people around. While the majority of the beneficiaries are Muslims, the services are not really restricted to the particular community.

It began as a small initiative at the Alamgir Masjid at Shantinagar area in Hyderabad in 2019 and is now popular in 26 mosques. Organisers hope to increase this to a 100 mosques soon.

What necessitated the initiative, why mosques?

Hyderabad is perhaps the only city in the country to have three minority medical colleges, including one exclusively for women (Shadan). There are several pharmacy, engineering and professional and arts colleges.

The Muslim community, which has for a long time been registering lower literacy levels, has as a result taken a hit on employability too. This resulted in economic and social backwardness.

Recent surveys showed that only about six per cent of Muslims in slums are salaried class as against 28 per cent for Hindus. Illiteracy among Muslim children below 14 years is 24 per cent while it is only nine per cent for Hindus.

A survey conducted before Ramzan 2019 revealed that 63 percent Muslim families in Hyderabad are in poverty, while only two percent are rich with net worth above Rs 1 crore.

During the period known as the golden age of Muslims, mosques would serve as the social and educational needs of the community. The five daily congregational prayers as also the weekly congregations during Fridays used to serve as the venue to discuss issues confronting the community.

But gradually they became restricted only to prayers. Now, once again mosques are emerging as social and educational hubs for Muslims, guiding them to come out of their backwardness. And Hyderabad is leading the new movement.

“We select the mosques that are surrounded by slums and below middle class habitats,” explains Mujtaba Hasan Askari, who heads the Helping Hand Foundation involved in providing free medicare to the poor and needy.

“In most of the cases in these areas, people die even without the disease being diagnosed. We felt the need for medical intervention on an immediate basis and educational initiative on a long term basis”, said Zakir Hussain, educationist.

Mujtaba recalled the response when they first wanted to hold a medical camp at Alamgir mosque. People began to request them to set up a permanent clinic. The Masjid committee came forward to provide accommodation and it became a reality.

The focus began to expand to education, to help boys and girls gain subject and general knowledge and be good at presentation, to be sought after rather than seeking for. The results may be visible after years, as all are now high school students.

Covid-19 forces classes to go online

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, all these activities, except medical services, came to a halt.

Intellectuals from the community, academicians like Zafer Javed of the famous Sultan-ul-Uloom Educational Society, those in IT, skill development, recruitment and guidance professions had a brainstorming session at the Chowk Masjid in Old City recently to discuss the expansion of the academic and health services to more mosques. Sultan-ul-Uloom provides faculty for free, while hospitals depute doctors and medical staff.

“With all these big people extending a helping hand by way of providing teachers, counsellors, doctors and the other people required and the mosques providing the accommodation, the mission is going smoothly. There is not much money required,” says Zakir Hussain, who is the man shouldering the responsibility.

Zakir tells The Federal that the initiative has been receiving tremendous response and more mosque panels are coming forward.

“Most of those utilising the health services are women and children. Check up and prescription services for seasonal and general complaints go on at these primary health care centres. Eleven doctors and more than 20 medical and paramedical staff render these services from 11am to 4 pm, with breaks during Namaz timings,” says Mujtaba Hasan Askari.

Services like cancer screening and referring to big hospitals in case of need have also been introduced. Based on the advice by the counsellors, women make use of the equipment at the exclusive gym.

“I was suffering from obesity and PCOD (polycystic ovarian disease). I joined the wellness program at Rabia clinic and within a short span of one month lost 8kgs and I am now feeling more energetic,” says Ayesha Parveen of Wadi-e-Mahmood, a slum in Rajendarnagar area.

She says she could not have afforded the treatment or the gym if it were not free.

Three-year-old Zubair Shaik from Saif Colony in Shaheen Nagar was suffering from frequent bouts of respiratory infections. “I took him to the health centre at Shaheen Nagar masjid. Doctors diagnosed and referred him to a higher centre. My son was diagnosed with a heart problem. Helping Hands Foundation is now helping us with the surgery that is beyond our reach,” said Zubair’s mother.

Focus on skill, presentation

On the career guidance front, Mohsin says, “Most of our children have the capacity to work but they often fail to grab a job opportunity due to lack of communication skills. Our initiative aims to provide them the skill to be in demand rather than trying for a job.”

Zaheer, the head of Alamgir Masjid, says the online classes made the students bold and confident. “We see change before and after the initiative. The students lacked confidence when they came here. Today, they debate on subjects and issues,” he explains.

The over-two-centuries old Chowk Masjid not only gives students access to the library but also arranges classes for children from classes 5 to 10. “We are now looking at extending the facility to intermediate (classes 11 and 12) also,” Zakir says.

Heads of the mosques where the initiative is working for the last one year have shared their experiences. At the Salarjung Colony mosque, the committee provided cycles to 40 students, who regularly attend the prayers.

Senior journalist and social activist Zaheeruddin Ali Khan has been involved in the training of youth for recruitment to various government jobs including the police department and even civil services.

Software professionals Asim, Khaleel and Mohsin are offering IT services for the coaching centres to be set up in mosques.