The Story Behind Farooqui Foundation
The Tahera & Idris Farooqui Foundation (TIFF) is a family-led charitable foundation established by the children of Mrs. Tahera Farooqui and Haji Muhammed Idris Farooqui to honour their legacy and carry forward their lifelong commitment to education, service and helping others.
Established in 2008 under Section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956 (now Section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013), the Foundation supports initiatives in literacy, healthcare and social welfare.
Mrs. Tahera Farooqui (1932–2019)
Mrs. Tahera Farooqui was born in 1932 into a modest zamindar family in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh. Together with her husband, Haji Muhammed Idris Farooqui (1925–1981), she raised ten children before seeing her family grow to include forty grandchildren spread across India, the United States, the Middle East and New Zealand.
Despite her limited formal education, Mrs. Farooqui was deeply influenced by the principles of her Muslim faith and by the spirit of harmony she experienced while growing up in her village, where people of different faiths and backgrounds lived side by side. She firmly believed that education was the gateway to opportunity and that no sacrifice was too great when it came to the future of her children.
Known simply as "Amma," she devoted her life to her family and to helping others. She lived by the belief that much is expected of those to whom much has been given and sought to pass those values to future generations through her example, generosity and compassion.
Mrs. Farooqui's legacy continues to inspire her family and remains at the heart of the Tahera & Idris Farooqui Foundation.
(Haji Muhammed) Idris Farooqui (1925–1981)
Haji Muhammed Idris Farooqui was born in 1925 into a family from Kakrahta village in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh. The family's history was shaped by both sacrifice and resilience. One of his great-grandfathers participated in the Uprising of 1857 against the East India Company, following which the family's substantial landholdings were confiscated.
Idris' father, Muhammad Saleem, along with other family members, helped rebuild the family's fortunes through enterprise and determination. Together, they established trading and Public Works Department contracting businesses in Burma. In late 1941, however, Saleem joined the efforts of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose to free India and subsequently went missing during the war, never returning home.
The years that followed were difficult. In 1942, young Idris travelled to Singapore in search of a livelihood, while his younger brother moved to Bombay and started a small bakery business. When Idris returned in early 1947, the brothers worked together to grow the enterprise and rebuild the family's future through hard work, perseverance and faith.
Throughout his life, Idris Farooqui believed that success carried a responsibility to help others. Whether through financial assistance, helping families build or repair their homes, creating employment opportunities or supporting those in need, he quietly gave back to his community. This spirit of philanthropy continues to inspire the work of the Tahera & Idris Farooqui Foundation today
About the Farooqui Family
The Farooqui family traces its roots to Kakrahta village in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh. Over the generations, family members have lived and worked across India and abroad while remaining closely connected to their roots. The values of education, hard work, helping others and giving back to society have been passed from one generation to the next and continue to inspire the work of the Tahera & Idris Farooqui Foundation.
"Ho mera kaam ghareebon ki himayat karna,
Dard mandoon se, zaeefon se mohabbat karna."
“My mission is to support the poor,
To love those who are in pain,
And to show compassion to the weak.”
