Birmingham Central Mosque
Encyclopedia
Birmingham Central Mosque, is a mosque
in the Highgate
area of Birmingham
, England
, run by the Birmingham Mosque Trust. It is one of the largest Muslim
centres in Europe
.
The mosque is open to men and women, and its main prayer halls currently hold between 3,500 and 4,000 people during a Friday service, with over 20,000 worshippers walking through the mosque's doors during the multiple services held on the religious festivals of Eid
. It is frequented by visitors from educational institutions and community/faith groups from across Europe.
. After initially raising money to lay the foundations of the mosque, funds ran dry. A possibility existed that Birmingham City Council
would sell the land to another buyer if the mosque was not completed within two years. The mosque trustees therefore went to local businesses ― both Muslim
and non-Muslim ― for donations. Soon enough, sufficient money was raised to pay for the building and completion of the mosque in 1969. The mosque was then officially opened in 1975 as the largest mosque in Western Europe
. A golden dome was added to the top of the minaret
in 1981. In 1986, the mosque sought and was granted permission to call prayer within certain limits. Between 1988 and 1990, Al-Hijrah School
educated children in three rented rooms within the mosque before moving to Midland House in Small Heath
.
In 2006, the West Midlands Fire Service
put out a fire in the mosque. A fire began in an office in the building. It did not spread far, yet it caused damage to electronics and also destroyed paperwork.
On September 2009, the English Defence League
held a demonstration in Birmingham and were confronted by counter-demonstrators. Muslims youths were reportedly told by Birmigham Central Mosue leaders to confront EDL protesters.
still make up the mosque management or are trustees of the mosque but as time has passed, many new innovations have been made as to how the mosque is democratically run using Islamic teachings as the basis for equal representation of all members of the community. Thus, regular meetings, annual selection and equal opportunities have meant that the running of Birmingham Central Mosque has been as efficient as possible over the decades.
, a controversial Muslim leader. Naseem once claimed that Al-Qaeda
did not exist. The mosque has a female community spokesperson, Salma Yaqoob
, and is said to be the only mosque in the world with a female, Amra Bone, sitting on the city's religious Shariah Council.
Former staff have included the Imam and Teacher of hadith, Abu Yusuf Riyadh ul Haq
, journalist Adam Yosef
and counsellor Abdul Qayyum Lodhi.
of the Kaaba
in Saudi Arabia
. It has also been visited by Roy Hattersley
MP, Douglas Hurd
MP, Khalid Mahmood
MP, George Galloway
MP, scholar of comparative religion Shabbir Ally, Professor Tariq Ramadan
and religious and political dignitaries. It has a close relationship with the West Midlands Police
and interfaith leaders.
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
in the Highgate
Highgate, Birmingham
Highgate is an area of Birmingham, England. Following the Big City Plan of February 2008, Highgate is now a district of Birmingham City Centre. This area is regarded as the site of the original Anglo-Saxon settlement which gave the city of Birmingham its name....
area of Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, run by the Birmingham Mosque Trust. It is one of the largest Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
centres in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
The mosque is open to men and women, and its main prayer halls currently hold between 3,500 and 4,000 people during a Friday service, with over 20,000 worshippers walking through the mosque's doors during the multiple services held on the religious festivals of Eid
Muslim holidays
There are two main holidays in Islam, Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha. The way that holidays are recognized can vary across cultures, as well as across sects of Islam, Sunni and Shia. Muslim holidays generally follow the lunar calendar, and thus move each year relative to the solar calendar. The...
. It is frequented by visitors from educational institutions and community/faith groups from across Europe.
History
Birmingham Central Mosque is one of the earliest purpose-built mosques in the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. After initially raising money to lay the foundations of the mosque, funds ran dry. A possibility existed that Birmingham City Council
Birmingham City Council
The Birmingham City Council is the body responsible for the governance of the City of Birmingham in England, which has been a metropolitan district since 1974. It is the most populated local authority in the United Kingdom with, following a reorganisation of boundaries in June 2004, 120 Birmingham...
would sell the land to another buyer if the mosque was not completed within two years. The mosque trustees therefore went to local businesses ― both Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
and non-Muslim ― for donations. Soon enough, sufficient money was raised to pay for the building and completion of the mosque in 1969. The mosque was then officially opened in 1975 as the largest mosque in Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
. A golden dome was added to the top of the minaret
Minaret
A minaret مناره , sometimes مئذنه) is a distinctive architectural feature of Islamic mosques, generally a tall spire with an onion-shaped or conical crown, usually either free standing or taller than any associated support structure. The basic form of a minaret includes a base, shaft, and gallery....
in 1981. In 1986, the mosque sought and was granted permission to call prayer within certain limits. Between 1988 and 1990, Al-Hijrah School
Al-Hijrah School
Al-Hijrah School is a voluntary-aided Islamic secondary school based in the Bordesley Green area of Birmingham, England. It is a specialist Science College with approximately 285 pupils aged 11–16.-History:...
educated children in three rented rooms within the mosque before moving to Midland House in Small Heath
Small Heath, Birmingham
Small Heath is an inner-city area within the city of Birmingham, West Midlands, England. It is situated on and around the A45 ....
.
In 2006, the West Midlands Fire Service
West Midlands Fire Service
West Midlands Fire Service is the statutory fire and rescue service responsible for fire protection, prevention, intervention and emergency rescue in the county of the West Midlands in England....
put out a fire in the mosque. A fire began in an office in the building. It did not spread far, yet it caused damage to electronics and also destroyed paperwork.
On September 2009, the English Defence League
English Defence League
The English Defence League is a far-right street protest movement which opposes what it considers to be a spread of Islamism, Sharia law and Islamic extremism in the UK. The EDL uses street marches to protest against Islamic extremism...
held a demonstration in Birmingham and were confronted by counter-demonstrators. Muslims youths were reportedly told by Birmigham Central Mosue leaders to confront EDL protesters.
Impact
Since the mosque's establishment, it has become a focal point for the Birmingham Muslim community, providing education for children and adults, lectures and seminars, counselling and a marriage bureau along with sporting and recreational activities and workshops. Over the years, Muslims have used the mosque for events, meetings, lectures, studies and community and educational purposes. Many of the original founders of the mosque committeeCommittee
A committee is a type of small deliberative assembly that is usually intended to remain subordinate to another, larger deliberative assembly—which when organized so that action on committee requires a vote by all its entitled members, is called the "Committee of the Whole"...
still make up the mosque management or are trustees of the mosque but as time has passed, many new innovations have been made as to how the mosque is democratically run using Islamic teachings as the basis for equal representation of all members of the community. Thus, regular meetings, annual selection and equal opportunities have meant that the running of Birmingham Central Mosque has been as efficient as possible over the decades.
Management
The original Idea for the Birmingham Mosque came from Dr M A Qureshi, who settled in Birmingham in the late 1950s. The chairman of the Birmingham Mosque Trust is Mohammad NaseemMohammad Naseem
Mohammad Naseem, born in 1924, is a former GP and the chairman of the Birmingham Mosque Trust , one of the largest and most prominent Islamic places of worship in the United Kingdom....
, a controversial Muslim leader. Naseem once claimed that Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
did not exist. The mosque has a female community spokesperson, Salma Yaqoob
Salma Yaqoob
Salma Yaqoob is the leader, and former vice-chair, of the Respect Party and a former Birmingham City Councillor. She is also the head of the Birmingham Stop the War Coalition and a spokesperson for Birmingham Central Mosque....
, and is said to be the only mosque in the world with a female, Amra Bone, sitting on the city's religious Shariah Council.
Former staff have included the Imam and Teacher of hadith, Abu Yusuf Riyadh ul Haq
Abu Yusuf Riyadh ul Haq
Abu Yusuf Riyadh-ul-Haq is an Islamic scholar based in the United Kingdom. He was born in Gujarat, India, and moved with his family to the United Kingdom in 1974. He is internationally recognized as a prominent scholar of Islam in the Western world and considered an authority on various Islamic...
, journalist Adam Yosef
Adam Yosef
Adam Yosef is a British multimedia journalist and community activist.-Activism:Between 2003 and 2004, Yosef was employed by the Birmingham Mosque Trust as a Press & Public Relations representative...
and counsellor Abdul Qayyum Lodhi.
Prominent visitors
The mosque has been attended by well known scholars including As-Sudais, the ImamImam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
of the Kaaba
Kaaba
The Kaaba is a cuboid-shaped building in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and is the most sacred site in Islam. The Qur'an states that the Kaaba was constructed by Abraham, or Ibraheem, in Arabic, and his son Ishmael, or Ismaeel, as said in Arabic, after he had settled in Arabia. The building has a mosque...
in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
. It has also been visited by Roy Hattersley
Roy Hattersley
Roy Sydney George Hattersley, Baron Hattersley is a British Labour politician, author and journalist from Sheffield. He served as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 1983 to 1992.-Early life:...
MP, Douglas Hurd
Douglas Hurd
Douglas Richard Hurd, Baron Hurd of Westwell, CH, CBE, PC , is a British Conservative politician and novelist, who served in the governments of Margaret Thatcher and John Major between 1979 and his retirement in 1995....
MP, Khalid Mahmood
Khalid Mahmood
Khalid Mahmood is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Birmingham Perry Barr since 2001.-Political career:...
MP, George Galloway
George Galloway
George Galloway is a British politician, author, journalist and broadcaster who was a Member of Parliament from 1987 to 2010. He was formerly an MP for the Labour Party, first for Glasgow Hillhead and later for Glasgow Kelvin, before his expulsion from the party in October 2003, the same year...
MP, scholar of comparative religion Shabbir Ally, Professor Tariq Ramadan
Tariq Ramadan
Tariq Ramadan is a Swiss academic, poet and writer. He is also a Professor of Contemporary Islamic Studies in the Faculty of Oriental Studies at Oxford University...
and religious and political dignitaries. It has a close relationship with the West Midlands Police
West Midlands Police
West Midlands Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England.Covering an area with nearly 2.6 million inhabitants, which includes the cities of Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton and also the Black Country; the force is made up...
and interfaith leaders.