Shah Jahan Mosque

Infobox religious building


caption=
building_name=Shah Jahan Mosque
location=Woking
UK
geo=coord|51|19|18.5|N|0|32|51|W|region:GB_type:landmark
religious_affiliation=Islam
website= [http://www.shahjahanmosque.org.uk www.shahjahanmosque.org.uk/]
architect=W. I. Chambers
architecture_type=Mosque
architecture_style=indo-saracenic stile
year_completed=1889
construction_cost=
capacity=
dome_quantity=
minaret_quantity=0 (2 miniature)

The Shah Jahan Mosque (also known as "Woking Mosque") is the first purpose-built mosque in Britain built 1889 in Woking, 30 miles southwest from London in the Oriental Road.

Construction

The Shah Jahan Mosque was built in 1889 as one of the first mosques in westeurope from the orientalist Dr. Gottlieb Wilhelm Leitner [http://www.wokingmuslim.org/pers/dr_leitner.htm Dr. Gottlieb Wilhelm Leitner (1840–1899)] , Builder of the Shah Jehan Mosque, and founder of the Oriental Institute, at Woking, Surrey] in Bath and Bargate stone in indo-saracenic stile commissioned by Shah Jahan, Begum of Bhopal (1868-1901), and maintained since then as a Waqf. Shah Jahan Begum was one of the four female Muslim rulers of Bhopal who reigned between 1819 and 1926.

Shah Jahan Begum made sizable donations towards the building of the mosque und also contributed generously towards the founding of the “Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College” at Aligarh, which developed into the Aligarh Muslim University.

A drawing of the Woking Mosque by the architect W. I. Chambers was published in “The Building News and Engineering Journal”, dated 2 August 1889, shortly before the Mosque was completed. [ [http://www.wokingmuslim.org/photos/sketch-1889-s.htm Woking Mosque architect’s drawing, 1889] ] It was opened to the public in October or November, 1889.

Ahmadiyya period

The mosque fell into disuse briefly between 1900 and 1912. 1913 Leitner's son was on the point of selling the mosque to a developer.The indian lawyer Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din, just arrived in England, was inspired to establish an Islamic mission in the mosque.Khwaja took the case to court arguing that the mosque was consecrated ground and enjoyed the same rights and status as a church. He won and as a result was able to purchase the mosque and its grounds for a nominal sum from the inheritor. [http://www.shahjahanmosque.org.uk/02_02.html History of the Mosque] , page 2, viewed at July 15th, 2008] [ [http://www.masud.co.uk/ISLAM/bmh/BMH-IRO-london_mosques.htm British Muslim Heritage – London’s Mosques] ] The Woking Muslim Mission was established.

Imam of the mosque was:Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din, Maulana Sadr-ud-Din, Maulana Abdul Majid, H. E. Shaikh Hafiz Wahba, Mr. Marmaduke Pickthall, Maulana Muhammad Yakub Khan, Mr. William Bashyr Pickard, Maulana Mustafa Khan, Khwaja Nazir Ahmad, Maulana Aftab-ud-Din Ahmad, S. M. Abdullah, Maulana Muhammad Yahya Butt, Mr. Iqbal Ahmad, Mr. Ghulam Rabbani Khan, Maulana Sheikh Muhammad Tufail. [ [http://www.muslim.org/photos/ber50.htm Remembering 50 years ago] (The Light & Islamic Review, Volume 72, No. 3, May-June 1995, pages 10-13);
[http://www.wokingmuslim.org/photos/abdullah-51.htm Dr. S. M. Abdullah, Imam of the Woking Mosque] ;
[http://www.aaiil.org/text/books/others/nasirahmad/eidsermonswoking/eidsermonswoking.shtml Eid Sermons at the Shah Jehan Mosque] ;
[http://islam.lt/text/pf/iqbalahmad_pf.shtml Biography of Iqbal Ahmad Sahib] ]

Today

Actual Imam of the mosque is mufti Liaquat Ali Amod. [ [http://www.shahjahanmosque.org.uk/04theimam.html Shah Jahan Mosque: The Imam] ]

References

See also

* Woking Muslim Mission
* Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement for the Propagation of Islam
* Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din

External links

* Website: [http://www.shahjahanmosque.org.uk Shah Jahan Mosque]
* AAIIL: [http://www.wokingmuslim.org Woking Mosque and the Woking Muslim Mission]
* BBC: [http://www.bbc.co.uk/southerncounties/content/articles/2007/01/22/forty_eight_woking_mosque_feature.shtml Forty Eight Hours – Tour: Woking Mosque] (Photo of the Mosque in the 1900s)
* [http://www.masud.co.uk/ISLAM/bmh/BMH-IRO-london_mosques.htm British Muslim Heritage – London’s Mosques]