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Book Review: ‘Our Fatima of Liverpool’

“Our Fatima of Liverpool” provides a short but thorough account into the life of one of the founding figures of Britain’s first mosque community. I was especially surprised to read about Fatima’s journey to Islam and the fortitude she showed despite violent opposition from her own family and society. It was quite emotional to read about her mother’s violent reaction to her reading the Qur’an … Continue reading Book Review: ‘Our Fatima of Liverpool’

Britain’s First Muslimahs: 4 Women who Helped Build British Islam

The role of women in Britain’s earliest Muslim communities has largely been forgotten, read more about the lives of early Muslimah converts and their contributions to British Islam. Harriet Khadijah Holehouse She was William Abdullah Quilliam’s mother. Harriet travelled with young William to Europe and it is claimed later travelled widely to Algeria, Malta and Turkey. She converted to Islam on the day of William’s … Continue reading Britain’s First Muslimahs: 4 Women who Helped Build British Islam

Historic Photos of Al-Quds (Palestine)

Palestinian women crushing olives to make olive oil during the harvest months, c.1900. Bust of a Bedouin c.1900. Orange packing in a family workshop in Jaffa, 1907. Grocer standing in front of his store in the Old City of Jerusalem, c.1910. Aerial photo of Palestine in 1917. Palestinian girls playing in the snow near al-Quds in 1921. Palestinian men selling bread in the 1930s. A … Continue reading Historic Photos of Al-Quds (Palestine)

Shaykh Ahmadou Bamba: Freedom-Fighter and Saint of Senegal

Ahmadou Bamba was born in the year 1853 in the village of Mbacké. His family descended from a long line of Qa’dirī scholars. His parents were Mame Momar Anta Saly and Mariyama Bousso. His father was the most well respected qa’di in his kingdom, responsible for building several Islamic schools and his mother was known for her service to the community as well. As a … Continue reading Shaykh Ahmadou Bamba: Freedom-Fighter and Saint of Senegal

The South Asian Trailblazer who Introduced Curry and Shampooing to Britain

Sake Dean Mahomed was born in 1759 in Patna, India to a Muslim family. His father served in the East India Company’s Bengal Army and died when Mahomed was a young boy. Following his father’s death, Dean was taken under the care of Captain Godfrey Evan Baker, an Anglo-Irish Protestant officer. He served in the army like his father as a trainee surgeon. He stayed … Continue reading The South Asian Trailblazer who Introduced Curry and Shampooing to Britain

An African King in the Heart of India

Born with the name ‘Chapu’ in southern Ethiopia’s Khambata region in 1548, Malik Ambar fell into the hands of slave dealers as a young boy. He was bought and sold several times until he reached Baghdad where he was sold to a prominent merchant who educated and converted him to Islam and gave him the name ‘Ambar’- Arabic for amber, the brown Jewel. In the … Continue reading An African King in the Heart of India

The Imperial Typewriters Strike

The Imperial Typewriters Strike in 1974 saw hundreds of mainly Asian workers go on strike and protest against discrimination and unfair working conditions. Established in 1908, Imperial Typewriters was bought by a US firm in the 1960s which recruited heavily from Leicester’s Asian population and employed a high proportion of women. The new employees made up about 1,100 of the 1,600-strong workforce. White workers remaining … Continue reading The Imperial Typewriters Strike

Remembering the Deir Yassin massacre

The massacre of villagers in Deir Yassin has become one of the most contentious issues in the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It has become a clear proof of Israeli injustice and inhumane treatment of the Palestinians. The resultant fear that seized the Palestinian people marked the beginning of their depopulation. In January 1948, Deir Yassin villagers met with Jewish leaders of the Givat Shaul … Continue reading Remembering the Deir Yassin massacre

Britain’s First Purpose-Built Mosque

Explore the history of the Shah Jahan Mosque, the first purpose-built mosque in Britain. The Shah Jahan Mosque, located in Woking, Surrey, is believed to be the first purpose-built mosque in Britain and northern Europe. It was commissioned by Dr Gottlieb Wilhelm Leitner, a Jewish-Hungarian linguist who spent most of his life in Lahore, British India. He first came to England to take a degree … Continue reading Britain’s First Purpose-Built Mosque

Pre-Islamic Arabia: Tribes, Traditions and Theology

Read my previous article on ‘Why Study Seerah?’ here To understand the Seerah, it important to understand and appreciate the circumstances at that time in Arabia. It provides beneficial context to help us understand why the Prophet ﷺ was sent to the region. Many Islamic scholars refer to this time period as the ‘jahiliyyah’ which means ‘the age or condition of ignorance.’ Tribes The Arabs … Continue reading Pre-Islamic Arabia: Tribes, Traditions and Theology