Alhaj Aunali Yusufali Salehmohamed, born in Zanzibar, Tanzania where he started his social services at a very young age, first as a volunteer of Hujjatul Islam Jamaat. He was involved in community sports activities and served as a treasurer of Ithna Asheri Gymkhana and was also a Troop Leader of Ithna Asheri Boy Scouts in Zanzibar. He was a cricket enthusiast and was an official scorer of the Zanzibar Ithna-Asheri Cricket Team for many years. He was always in the forefront and vocal to protest whenever he realizes a player was unjustly victimized on the cricket ground, he was a great supporter of our Cricket Team in Zanzibar.
He settled in Dar es Salaam in 1966 and has rendered voluntary services in various religious institutions. He was particularly associated with imparting religious education to community children working as organizer and teacher. He has served Husseini Society (KSI Jamaat Madressah) as a teacher and later as the Secretary and President of Husseini Society from 1970 to 1974. He was also the Captain of the Husaini Volunteer Corps of Dar es Salaam Jamaat for 8 years. He has also served in the Ithna-Asheri Union of Dar es Salaam as the Secretary of Union Nursery School and Liaison Officer of the Ladies Section. He left Dar es Salaam in 1974 to settle down overseas.
During his short stay in Dubai in the year 1975 around this time the Shia Ithna Asheri Jamaat in Deira, Dubai was formed and he was elected as a Committee Member where he also served as volunteer in the Jamaat.
In 1980, he settled in Surat, Gujarat and was involved in Tabligh work, there he served many community activities, mainly helping the needy and old people.
Since 1976 he had been visiting Kutch regularly and had carried out several projects as well as taken part in numerous welfare works. He was instrumental in uniting all Kutch Jamaats to form the Kutch Federation in 1988. Aunali bhai earned the title of Sher-e-Kutch for his love and affection in extending social services for the poor people in the region.
Aunali bhai, working closely with the World Federation Secretariat was involved in many projects throughout Gujarat and has done commendable work in the fields of housing for the needy families and in the education field. His emotional and touching speech in 1991 at the World Federation Conference on the subject of ‘Eradication of Poverty” in Gujarat still echoes to many who were present then and attracted the attention of the world community and gained sympathy for the cause., 22 years have passed, by the grace and mercy of Allah (SWT), and through the efforts of the people there, the situation has since greatly improved, equally the standard of living has improved.
He was honored jointly by all the six Jamaats of Kutch in 1986 and again by Kutch Federation in January 2000 in presence of Marhum Mulla Saheb at Kera. He was also honored by the Council of Gujarat in January 2000.
As a liaison officer of the World Federation from 1988 – 2003 and under the leadership of the World Federation President Late Mulla Asghar Ali M.M. Jaffer as his representative in India, he espoused the cause of Housing, Education, Medical and other welfare activities in many parts of India and by his tireless efforts have brought about concrete results of community advancement and progress.
The work he has done for the development of Masjids, Imambaras and religious activities will always remain in the memory of the community he served. Among his multi-faceted efforts, notably in the educational field is highly praise worthy. Since 1987, he has done commendable work in this direction through the Zainabiya Child Sponsorship Scheme (Z.C.S.S.) of World Federation. He has undertaken numerous visits to different parts of India on behalf of Z.C.S.S. from 1987 to 2003 and from November 2005 up till MAY 2011.
His sphere of services extends from Gujarat, Kutch, Mumbai, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Chennai and Bengal where he has done highly praise worthy and effective work of helping the cause of education of the Shia Ithna Asheri Community’s children.
Aunali Bhai has accompanied Marhum Mulla Asghar Ali M. M. Jaffer and his delegation during his tours to India from 1989 to February 2000. He has also accompanied leaders and officials from the World Federation, other organizations and donors from different parts of the world on the inspection of their projects in India which included visiting to some remote villages in India.
As an Executive Councilor of the World Federation, many organizations sought his guidance. He has volunteered to monitor the World Federation, NASIMCO, Africa Federation and generous donors’ projects in India, which is not an easy task to carry out in remote parts of India.
His selfless services have been appreciated by the Z.C.S.S. in March 1997 and at the World Federation conference in October 1997 in London, he was presented a Memento and Citation from the secretariat of World Federation by Late Mulla Asghar Ali M. Jaffer in recognition of his services to the World Federation in Gujarat, Kutch, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and many remote places in India.
He was honored by the World Federation in 2002 and was awarded The Late Mulla Asghar Ali M. M. Jaffer Memorial Award for the services to Gujarat and Kutch at the time of the earthquake of 2001.
n 2006, the Husseini Madressah of KSI Jamaat of Dar es Salaam honored him a Memento during their 50 years celebrations. Central Health Board (CHB) of Africa Federation has also given him Certificate in 2010 for his cooperation and services to the patients in Ahmedabad. He has also attended countless functions throughout India and has presided in many functions in Gujarat and Kutch, and received many accolades; the list goes on …..
For last 30 years, he has sacrificed his valuable time in the service of the community and its overall development with dedication for the pleasure of Allah (SWT). He has now retired from active work and lives in Hyderabad, India with his wife and the only son Sadiq, his daughter in-law and a grandson Shoaib.
We pray that Almighty grants you a long healthy life and further Tawfeeq to continue with your services, Ameen.
The Africa Federation Chairman, Alhaj Anwarali Dharamsi and the Office Bearers extend their heartiest congratulations to Aunali Bhai Salehmohamed, and wish him every success in his endeavors, May Allah (SWT) grant him good health and long life, Ameen.
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