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Crowds pack London Mosque
Gulf News on Wednesday witnessed waves of British Muslims packing the Central Mosque in London to perform Eid prayers and share religious festivities.
- By Dr Abdul-HadiAl-Timimi, Abu Dhabi Editor
- Published: 00:07 October 2, 2008
London: Gulf News on Wednesday witnessed waves of British Muslims packing the Central Mosque in London to perform Eid prayers and share religious festivities.
Thousands of Muslims from various nationalities and ethnic origins joined in the prayers in five patches which started from 8am in the cool morning.
"The space is not sufficient to accommodate all those Muslims who want to perform their prayers," Shaikh Mohammad Fathullah, chief Imam of London Central Mosque told Gulf News. "We decided this year to perform five Eid prayers between 8.00 and 12.00 am, so that believers can plan their time and come to pray and share the Eid joy and blessings with other Muslims."
London Central Mosque is the largest of over 130 mosques and Islamic centres in the British Capital. Its construction was completed in 1977, some 37 years after the British War Cabinet headed by Winston Churchill had authorised the allocation of £100,000 (Dh649,000) to acquire a site in London.
The late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan donated millions of dollars towards the costs of constructing the Central Mosque which reached approximately $12 million (Dh44 million).
The mosque receives between 8,000 and 10,000 Muslims each week but the numbers during the Eid festivals reach 20,000, according to mosque records.
The prayers are performed in the main hall, the basement garage and the outside front space to accommodate as many as possible. The mosque attracts large numbers of men, women and children from London and the surrounding areas, according to Shaikh Fathullah, to prayers, lectures, courses, and fatwa.
Daily functions
Shaikh Fathullah was delegated and seconded by Al Azhar Al Sharif to London central Mosque in 2007. He is one of a group of five Imams who serve in various capacities and perform various religious duties.
Muslims who come for prayers and other services are as varied and divided as their countries of origin. There are Arabs, Pakistanis, Indians, Afghans among others.
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