The

Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Ahmadiyya (, ), officially the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community or the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at (AMJ, ar, الجماعة الإسلامية الأحمدية, al-Jamāʿah al-Islāmīyah al-Aḥmadīyah; ur, , translit=Jamā'at Aḥmadiyyah Musl ...

was established in United Kingdom with the pioneering efforts of Chaudhry Fateh Muhammad Sial, who arrived in London in July in 1913. Sial was the first missionary sent overseas by the

and was under the direction of

Hakeem Noor-ud-Din Hakeem Noor-ud-Din (also spelt: Hakim Nur-ud-Din) ( ar, حکیم نور الدین) (8 January 1834 – 13 March 1914) was a close companion of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement, and was chosen as his first successor on ...

, the first

caliph A caliphate or khilāfah ( ar, خِلَافَة, ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with the title of caliph (; ar, خَلِيفَة , ), a person considered a political-religious successor to th ...

of the movement.

History

Not many years after arriving, the need for a

mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...

in the UK became apparent and in 1926, the Fazl Mosque was formally opened in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

and it became the city's first mosque. The community expanded and built many mosques and mission houses across the country. The most notable of which is Baitul Futuh Mosque in South London stands as one of the largest in

Western Europe Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context. The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...

International Headquarters

The International Headquarters of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is in United Kingdom since 1984. Since the forced exile of the fourth caliph of the community,

Mirza Tahir Ahmad Mirza Tahir Ahmad ( ur, ) (18 December 1928 – 19 April 2003) was the fourth caliph ( ar, خليفة المسيح الرابع, ''khalīfatul masīh al-rābi'') and the head of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Community. He was elected as the fourt ...

from

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...

in 1984, the

Fazl Mosque, London The Fazl mosque (English: ''The Grace Mosque'') also known as The London mosque, is the first purpose-built mosque in London, England. It was opened on 23 October 1926 in Southfields, Wandsworth. At a cost of £6,223, the construction of the pl ...

served as International Headquarters for a period of 35 years before moving the International Headquarters to Islamabad, Tilford on 15 April 2019.

Demographics

As of 2017, there are 30,000 Ahmadis in the UK in 150 local chapters.

Notable Ahmadi Residents of United Kingdom

Mirza Masroor Ahmad Mirza Masroor Ahmad ( ur, ; born 15 September 1950) is the current and fifth leader of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. His official title within the movement is Fifth Caliph of the Messiah ( ar, خليفة المسيح الخامس, ''khal� ...

– Fifth Caliph and current leader of the worldwide

– Fourth Caliph during his time the Community's headquarters moved to United Kingdom from Pakistan. Dr. Abdus Salam - First Muslim Nobel Laureate and A devoted member of the community, lived in Putney, London

Tariq Ahmad, Baron Ahmad of Wimbledon Tariq Mahmood Ahmad, Baron Ahmad of Wimbledon (born 3 April 1968), is a British-Pakistani businessman and a Conservative life peer. He was appointed Minister of State for the Commonwealth and United Nations, and later for South Asia; then Cen ...

– Member of the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminste ...

, UK, Minister of State for the Commonwealth and South Asia and Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Iftikhar A. Ayaz – Tuvaluan Consular Official, UK Cllr Iftikhar Chaudhri – Mayor of

Runnymede Runnymede is a water-meadow alongside the River Thames in the English county of Surrey, and just over west of central London. It is notable for its association with the sealing of Magna Carta, and as a consequence is, with its adjoining ...

Abdul Rahim Dard Abdur Rahim Dard, known as A. R. Dard (19 June 1894 – 7 December 1955) was an Ahmadi Muslim writer, missionary, and political activist for the Pakistan Movement, who served as the Imam of the historic Fazl Mosque, the premier gathering plac ...

– writer,

missionary A missionary is a member of a religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Mi ...

, Imam of the historic Fazl Mosque and political activist for the

Pakistan Movement The Pakistan Movement ( ur, , translit=Teḥrīk-e-Pākistān) was a political movement in the first half of the 20th century that aimed for the creation of Pakistan from the Muslim-majority areas of British India. It was connected to the per ...

Fateh Muhammad Sial – the first Ahmadi missionary sent overseas by

Bashir Ahmad Orchard – first Missionary of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of European descent

Anti-Ahmadiyya Campaign

The movement suffers from Sunni bigotry in the UK. They are not recognised as Muslims by the

Muslim Council of Britain The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) is a national umbrella body with over 500 mosques and educational and charitable associations affiliated to it. It includes national, regional, local, and specialist Muslim organisations and institutions fro ...

and are targets for vilification by the

Khatme Nubuwwat Academy Khatm-e-Nubuwwat Academy (English:''Finality of Prophethood Academy'') is an Anti-Ahmadiyya organisation located in Forest Gate, London, United Kingdom. The organization describes itself as leading an awareness campaign against "Qadiani propaganda", ...

References

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United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

Islam in the United Kingdom