Foster Hindu parents bring up Farzana in Islamic tradition

[Aka123]

When they marry off their daughter Farzana on Sunday, Madhava Reddy and Lakshmi Reddy will have set a new benchmark for secularism. The couple raised Farzana, who lost her parents, from the age of four as their own child and according to Islamic traditions.

Take heart. All is not lost yet. There are still people around who stand by values, pluralism and tolerance. While most cry hoarse about religious co-existence, here is a family that lives by it. Madhava Reddy and his wife Lakshmi Reddy are perhaps the best hope for humanity.

When they marry off their daughter Farzana on Sunday, they will have set a new benchmark for secularism. If you do a double-take, you must be an outsider. For the people of Gouraipally, a sleepy village 7 km from Yadgirigutta in Nalgonda district, it is nothing unusual.

They have seen Reddy and his wife raising Farzana right from the age of four as their own child. The girl, who lost her parents at an early age, could not have asked for better foster parents. When none of her relatives came forward to adopt her, Madhava Reddy took her in his care.

The Reddy couple, who have two sons, took an instant liking for Farzana.

They not merely showered love and affection on her but brought her up according to Islamic traditions. Apart from giving her modern education, they ensured that Farzana was not deprived of Islamic teachings.

“We never forced our religion on her but allowed the girl to perform ‘namaz’, read the Quran and observe fast during Ramzan,” says Madhava Reddy, who retired from the Electricity Board.

No wonder, as 22-year-old Farzana prepares for a new phase of life on Sunday, she is sad to part with her parents.

“I will miss mummy and daddy a lot,” she says in a choked voice.

A bright student, Farzana passed 10th Class and Intermediate in first division. Later, she did nursing course in Hyderabad and got a job at Yashoda Hospital, Malakpet.

Qazi Akhter of Yadgirigutta is expected to perform Farzana’s ‘nikah’ with a Nalgonda boy, Mohd. Rasheed, on Sunday. Ghiasuddin Babukhan, chairman, Hyderabad Zakat and Charitable Trust, who supported Farzana’s education, is lending a helping hand in her marriage, too.

Reddy’s two sons, who are working in the U.S., are fond of Farzana and keep in touch with her. Treat others as you would like to be treated yourself is the golden principle of the family. Sure, an ounce of practice is worth tonnes of preaching.


J. S. IFTHEKHAR

Foster Hindu parents bring up Farzana in Islamic tradition - The Hindu

 

[Aka123]

Muslim parents marry adopted Hindu girl to Hindu groom

GHAZIABAD: A childless 55-year-old Muslim furniture shop owner adopted a Hindu Brahmin's daughter 18 years ago, brought her up as a Hindu, and on Thursday night, married Gudiya off to a Brahmin business executive from South Delhi.

In what may sound as a fairy tale, Gudiya's Muslim parents married off their only 'child' with full Hindu rites, in a ceremony as grand as they could afford.

And, as they bid a tearful farewell to Gudiya, now called Rakhi, who hung on to the couple as though she would never leave, the neighbors and invitees were amazed at the intensity of the bond between parents and child.

Gudiya left with her husband, a multi-national corporation executive, Ranjit Sharma, leaving her 'father', Shabir Khan, behind. "Who will we now celebrate Holi with? No Eid will be the same without her. She is more our child than a natural one would be," he said.

It all started 18 years ago, when Shabir Khan used to live in Vinod Nagar in East Delhi. The couple had no child of their own. And, one Sharma, a neighbor and close friend, had 6 daughters. Sharma agreed that Khan could adopt one of his daughters, which Khan did.

Then, some years later, Khan moved to Rahul Vihar in Ghaziabad, where his shop in Pratap Vihar was doing well.

"I thought it was my daughter's arrival that brought us luck. And, since she joined us, she has been a sort of reason for our existence. "Aaj mujhe lagta hai jaise mere dil ka ek tukra chala gaya (Today, I feel like a peace of my heart has departed from me.)

When Khan adopted Gudiya, he had a separate pooja ghar (prayer room) for her, where she could pray to the Hindu deities. The family celebrated Diwali with as much gusto as they did Eid.

Gudiya completed her 10+2 examination from a Central Board of Secondary Education affiliated school. "We are a little conservative, as is the groom's family. And, they thought that, to be a housewife, she needed only to have passed school," the father said.


Muslim parents marry adopted Hindu girl to Hindu groom - The Times of India

 

[Khalsa97]

These are great stories, got to give respect to the adoptive parents.

 

[Aka123]

These are great stories, got to give respect to the adoptive parents.

Truely inspiring these incidents are!!

 

[Khalsa97]

Truely inspiring these incidents are!!

Nowhere else in the world would this happen!

 

[Capt.Popeye]

What a delight to read/hear of such people. Humanism is the greatest philosopy/religion in the world; actually it is the basis of every religion. Just that Measly Men have tampered with all that.

 

[Aka123]

Nowhere else in the world would this happen!

The reason is the diverse nature of our country.

 

[Anubis]

There was another thread about Muslims helping Hindus with Puja organization and some one said that there were in it for the money and that was not a sign of communal harmony........well this is a good example of communal harmony and humanity!

 

[Aka123]

There was another thread about Muslims helping Hindus with Puja organization and some one said that there were in it for the money and that was not a sign of communal harmony........well this is a good example of communal harmony and humanity!

Very true Bhai!!

 

[Bratva]

Qazi Akhter of Yadgirigutta is expected to perform Farzana’s ‘nikah’ with a Nalgonda boy, Mohd. Rasheed, on Sunday. Ghiasuddin Babukhan, chairman, Hyderabad Zakat and Charitable Trust, who supported Farzana’s education, is lending a helping hand in her marriage, too.

Reddy’s two sons, who are working in the U.S., are fond of Farzana and keep in touch with her.

Irony huh? Two sons in US and mummy daddy seems to be a middle class, yet her education and marriage both financially supported by a muslim trust!

 

[Aka123]

Irony huh? Two sons in US and mummy daddy seems to be a middle class, yet her education and marriage both financially supported by a muslim trust!

Grow up! ....

 

[JonAsad]

Grow up! ....

Well he has a point- what sort of family structure is that?-

 

[Aka123]

Well he has a point- what sort of family structure is that?-

Ok if you want to have a proper discussion, then I'll agree, Yes, there is a point. But in that case lots of if's and but's come in.Now in the article it's nowhere mentioned how old are her brothers and what's their age difference. They might be 3-4 years older than her which means when she was studying, they were studying too. So it was not possible for them to take care of her studies. They might have travelled to US a few years back.

It's not mentioned as well, if they went and asked for support but observing a noble thing they might have offered a helping hand. People and neighbors might have observed this and it became a topic of discussion and this is how news spreads and probably the news reached Mr. Babukhan in a similar way. It's not mentioned if the family was super rich. If not, when they received a helping hand, they probably didn't reject. It's not mentioned as well if her education was partially supported or completely supported, so even in this point we can't come to a conclusion. But does that 'support' part in anyway belittle what her parents did ?

Actually the matter of the article was written to project something else. That's the reason probably the report doesn't include details of what I mentioned above.

 

[Gandhi G in da house]

Wonder why such unique stories of religious harmony and co-operation don't make it to the Western media , yet you see everything bad happening in India being magnified.

Anyway, very heart warming story. Makes me gain confidence in my country. That is all that matters in the end.

 

[Khalsa97]

Ok if you want to have a proper discussion, then I'll agree, Yes, there is a point. But in that case lots of if's and but's come in.Now in the article it's nowhere mentioned how old are her brothers and what's their age difference. They might be 3-4 years older than her which means when she was studying, they were studying too. So it was not possible for them to take care of her studies. It's not mentioned as well, if they went and asked for support but observing a noble thing they might have offered a helping hand. People and neighbors might have observed this and it became a topic of discussion and this is how news spreads and probably the news reached Mr. Babukhan in a similar way. It's not mentioned if the family was super rich. If not, when they received a helping hand, they probably didn't reject. It's not mentioned as well if her education was partially supported or completely supported, so even in this point we can't come to a conclusion. But does that 'support' part in anyway belittle what her parents did ?

Actually the matter of the article was written to project something else. That's the reason probably the report doesn't include details of what I mentioned above.

Don't worry bro, you don't have to justify anything. Jealous people will always pick on the little things to make themselves fell better.