Visiting Al Fazl: The First Ever Mosque in London

Liputan6.com, London - For the past two years, Mubarak Ahmad has been a voluteneer at Al Fazl Mosque, the oldest mosque in London, the capital of England. He is tasked at its book store which also sells Alquran in various languages, accessories, and the black caps that famously bear the name of the first president of Indonesia: 'Sukarno's Cap'.

Mubarak recounted the story when his life was almost taken by COVID-19. He believes it was the power of prayer that kept him alive. "I feel like having the second chance of living," he said on Wednesday (26/7/2023). And that enforced his belief to stay as a volunteer at Al Fazl Mosque.

Al Fazl Mosque was built in 1924, and inaugurated two years afterward. The walls are white, and there is on its roof a 10 meter tall green dome over a square, surrounded by four smaller domes on its corners. Its designer, JH Mawson, combined the Mughal architecture with English style, a synthesis of East and West.

Even though the premise is not vast, with capacity around 150 worshippers, its singularity made this mosque to be listed as a historical building or National Heritage List for England (NHLE) Grade II in 2018.

Al Fazl Mosque was built by the Ahmadiyya community from the donation of its members, both the rich ones and those with limited means, including from women who sold their rings, bracelets, necklaces, and other jewels. At that time, it cost 6,223 pounds to procure the land and construction.

Between 1984 to 2019, Al Fazl Mosque was the residence for the caliphs of the Ahmadiyya community, making it the de facto international headquarter.

"Four of our caliphs came here and acted as the imams for Friday Prayer," Mubarak explained.

The status of Al Fazl as the oldest mosque in London is still incontestable, although Abdul Maalik Tailor, a tour guide, said that he found another place of worship dated from 1895. But it was not a mosque, but a house.

According to londonist.com, a man named Haji Mohammed Dollie did convert a room in his home at Albert Street, near Regent's Park, into a mosque. Another evidence came from The Daily News on 12 June 1899.