Muslim scholars strongly condemn dowry practice

Yakutpura: Strongly condemning the evil practice of dowry, Ulemas and scholars asked the parents of bridegroom not to seek or accept or indirectly force the parents of bride to give dowry. They blamed this as the reason behind thousands of girls not getting married by worried parents throughout the city.

While performing marriage of three underprivileged couples from Yakutpura, Madannapet and Karimnagar on Sunday, at an event organised and supported by Anjuman Falah-e-Muashira, some the scholars and elders termed the practice as nothing less than eating the meat of prohibited animals.

The programme was attended by Moulana Gayas Ahmed Rashadi, president, Safa Baitul Maal, Ziauddin Nayyar of Tameer-e-Millat, Columnist, Abdul Hafeez Islami, Dr Mohammed Mushtaq Ali, president of Anjuman, Ismail Shareef, vice president, Mohammed Bin Sayeed, Treasurer, Mohiuddin, Faheemuddin and Asadullah Baig (Qazi who performed the marriages). Each of the couples were blessed along with items worth Rs 35,000, useful for starting their newly married life.

According to Mustaq Ali, with the objective of helping some economically weak families, time and again some of the well to do bridegroom's families are approaching the organization ensure that some of the poor couples get married along with them at the same stage.

Even though the Anjuman has been organizing the mass marriages for the past 26 years, Mushtaq Ali, president of Anjuman feels that the trend was set about eight years ago by a good Samaritan who helped in marriage of about 11 couples while undertaking austerity measures and reducing extravagant costs for his own family.

Some families believe that they would be rewarded by God if they help in the marriage of poor couple. More over some them help organise this event in their valimas. Prior to Ramzan a family of bridegroom helped in the marriage of three couples, where three bridegrooms shared the space with the main groom, said Mushtaq Ali.

The Anjuman invites applications before the marriage season and after verification they decide a day on which these mass marriages could be conducted. Each of the couple would be provided household items worth Rs 35,000 which could help the couple start their new life.

Those who cannot afford approach us and we help them get married without a hitch. These marriages are made simple and remain aloof from any practice of dowry. We only process those applications, where there is no such practice is involved, he added.