London’s First Purpose-Built Mosque, Fazl Mosque, Marks Centenary; Year-Long Service Programme Launched
LONDON: The Fazl Mosque in Southfields, southwest London, the city’s first purpose-built mosque, marked its centenary on Saturday 3 October 2026. Opened in 1926, it holds around 150 worshippers. Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, worldwide head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, said: “True faith requires us to serve our neighbours, show loyalty to the country in…
LONDON: The Fazl Mosque in Southfields, southwest London, the city’s first purpose-built mosque, marked its centenary on Saturday 3 October 2026. Opened in 1926, it holds around 150 worshippers.
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, worldwide head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, said: “True faith requires us to serve our neighbours, show loyalty to the country in which we live, and make peace with all people, regardless of their faith or background.”
The mosque became the community’s global headquarters in 1984, when the Fourth Caliph, Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, left Pakistan amid persecution. Humanity First, the humanitarian charity, was founded there during the Bosnian war, as was MTA International, billed as the first global Muslim TV channel. The current Caliph was elected there in 2003; the headquarters moved to Tilford, Surrey, in 2019.
The building was funded by ordinary members, with an appeal in Qadian, India, raising about 65,000 rupees (around £8,500), much of it from Ahmadi women. About 600 guests attended the 1926 opening. Visitors have included Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Nobel laureate Abdus Salam and two future Saudi kings. It was listed by Historic England in 2018 and received a green heritage plaque from Wandsworth Council in March 2026.
The centenary launches a year-long programme to serve 10,000 meals to the homeless and needy and give 10,000 volunteer hours, alongside an advertising campaign on 100 London buses.
