Family fulfils final wish, donates $10,000 to Nadi mosque

A Nadi family has honoured a dying man’s final wish by donating $10,000 he had gifted them to the Nadi Airport Masjid, four years after his death.

The money was originally given by the late Marhoom Jaffar Khan, a Fiji-born visitor from New Zealand who was a regular guest at the Nadi Downtown Hotel.

Then hotel owners Chandrika Prasad and his wife, Saroj Kumari, received the money with one condition: that it be donated to the masjid after his passing.

Mr Khan had known the Prasad family for more than 30 years and developed a close bond with them during his frequent stays in Nadi, particularly in the years leading up to his death when he was in poor health.

Ms Kumari said the gift stemmed from a light-hearted conversation.

“We became very close. He would spend time with us and visit our office, and we would often sit and talk. He treated us as his children,” she said.

“He was very sick during the time he stayed with us, and even my staff would regularly take him to the hospital whenever he needed medical attention, and he would often give them $50 or $100 as a token of appreciation.

“One day, while he was sitting in my office, I jokingly said, ‘Uncle, you are giving money to everyone, and I am also your daughter.’ I was only joking.”

To her surprise, Mr Khan later went to the bank on the same day and transferred $10,000 into her account.

“I thought he might give us $100 or $200, but when he returned and showed me the receipt, I saw he had transferred $10,000. I was completely surprised,” she said.

Ms Kumari said that during a visit to New Zealand during the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr Khan made his final wishes clear.

“We wanted to return the money to him, but he told us that if we ever wished to do so, we should not return it to him. Instead, after his death, we were to donate the money to the Nadi Airport Masjid in his name,” she said.

Mr Prasad said the family remained committed to fulfilling those wishes despite enquiries from others seeking the funds.

“It was the fulfilment of a wish. After Uncle Jaffar’s death, the money was meant to go to the mosque,” he said.

After locating the appropriate representatives of the masjid, the funds were handed over to trustees in September 2025, ensuring Mr Khan’s final act of generosity continues to benefit the community long after his passing.

A trustee of the Nadi Airport Masjid confirmed receipt of the donation and said the funds would be put to good use.