Several Tablighi Jamaat men have donated blood plasma after recovering from the novel coronavirus infection and successfully completing their quarantine period. Around 300 Tablighis, responding to an appeal by their leader Maulana Saad, have volunteered to save the lives of others battling the infection.
Over the weekend, some of the men who were in quarantine in Narela and Sultanpuri went to donate blood plasma. Among them were Tablighis from Chennai, Mumbai, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh who had come to the Capital to attend events in Nizamuddin but found themselves stranded after the declaration of lockdown.
“I had come from Chennai to attend a jod (meeting) at Markaz [the Tablighi Jamaat headquarters in Nizamuddin] on March 21 and was supposed to leave by Tamil Nadu Express on March 24. Then the Prime Minister declared a lockdown. Like so many others, I was stranded at the centre. On March 30 evening, I was shifted to Rajiv Gandhi hospital and released on April 19,” said 42-year-old Farooq Basha.
Two days later, Basha got to know about blood plasma therapy. “Allah saved my life. Now, I want to save others. It does not matter that we do not know the person who will benefit. At the end of the day, it is about humanity. I hope it will help improve the image of the Tablighi Jamaat in the mind of the common man,” he said, referring to the negative coverage the group received in several sections of the media because of a cluster of cases emanating from the Nizamuddin centre.
Also read: The story of India’s largest COVID-19 cluster
Incidentally, Basha went to donate plasma after a day of fasting. “Three other men from our Tamil Nadu group have donated plasma. Our first COVID-19 report was positive, the subsequent two were negative,” he said.
Basha’s colleague Abdul Rehman had done likewise last Friday. The 45-year-old was under quarantine for almost a month — two weeks in a hospital, then another 17 days at home.
“I have been associated with Tablighi Jamaat for many years. I attend ijtema (congregations) at many places. After getting to know about plasma therapy, I consulted my family about donating,” he said. Did he think of his own health? “What was there to worry? I am 45 and fit. I am a salesman and don’t feel any weakness. I just wanted to help the needy,” said Rehman.
Following the example of Basha and Rehman, 52-year-old Sabir Ali of Bihar too went to donate plasma. He, however, refrained from speaking to the media, saying, “It is all between Allah and me. In our religion, if you give charity with one hand, the second hand should not know. So, I do not want to talk about it.”
Earlier, on April 21, Maulana Saad had asked Tabligh men who had recovered to come forward to donate plasma. “Most of our brothers who were in quarantine tested negative. They have all recovered. Those who tested positive are recovering too. I request all of them to come forward and donate blood plasma,” he had said.
