Imam Sheikh Al-Sudais led Friday Jumah Prayer at Tauheedul Islam Mosque Blackburn

Imam Sheikh Al-Sudais led Jumah Prayer at

Tauheedul Islam Mosque in Blackburn

Dr. Mozammel Haque

London: Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais, the Head Imam and Khateeb of Masjid al-Haram in Makkah al-Mukarramah, led and delivered his Friday Jumah Khutbah (sermon) at the Tauheedul Islam Mosque in Blackburn, Lancashire, UK.

The Tauheedul Islam Mosque - the two-storey building - is the largest Mosque in Lancashire. The total cost for the building of the Mosque was 3.5 million pounds. Qatar's Royal family provided an initial 1.5 million pounds donation for the basic construction of the Mosque, with the remainder of the funds generated from the Blackburn community.

The community had outgrown the much smaller Mosque which was established at the same site in the 1960s. Being largest in Lancashire, the new building is one of the biggest in the UK.

While delivering his Friday sermon, Imam Sheikh al-Sudais said, "You should uphold the great Islamic values while dealing with Muslims as well as non-Muslims and should not engage in any corrupt or unjust practices."

Sheikh Al-Sudais also told Muslims to serve as ambassadors of their religion.

Lord Adam Patel of Blackburn, the President of the Masjid al-Tauheedul Islam, who has led the project, said, "In the 21st century Britain, the role of the Masjid is as important as it was in the time of our Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings be upon him)."

Lord Patel also said, "At Masjid Tauheedul Islam our purpose is to advance the Islamic faith through the provision of a wide range of spiritual, educational and social services enriched with Islamic values that fulfil the needs of our members and the wider community."

"Our vision is to become a centre of excellence for the Islamic learning and practice providing a beacon for Muslims and other faith communities who wish to get a deeper knowledge and understanding of Islam - a place where one can experience and embrace the genuine beauty of our faith," said Lord Patel.

Lord Patel also added, "By the grace of Almighty Allah, and the prayers of many distinguished scholars and well-wishers, presently within the Masjid-e-Tauheedul Islam campus, we also manage one of the largest Madrasahs in the UK, and the only government-funded Islamic Girls High School in the North West of England."

The Masjid al-Tauheedul Islam has also the facilities for Islamic education of children and it is next to Tauheedul Islam Girls High School.

The Head Imam of the Masjid al-Haram, Sheikh al-Sudais, later visited Tauheedul Islam Girls High School, which was recently awarded Valuntary Aided status and became the first government-funded Islamic school in the region. Imam Sheikh Al-Sudais urged Muslim men to take care of their women and commended the school authorities for their efforts to provide proper Islamic education to their children.

Imam al-Sudais at the Islamic Cultural Centre, London

Imam al-Sudais at the Islamic Cultural Centre, London

Imam Al-Sudais urges Muslims to engage
proactively and positively


Dr. Mozammel Haque

Unfortunately, in different parts of the world, including in this country, Muslims stands to start Ramadan and end Ramadan in different times. Probably this Ramadan will be an occasion to bring people together, said Shaykh Dr. Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais, the Imam and Khateeb of the Masjid Al-Haram, Makkah al-Mukarramah while addressing a part of the cream of the Muslim leaders of various organisations, schools, centres and NGOs before the Issa prayer in the Library Hall of the Islamic Cultural Centre (ICC), London, on Friday, the 7th of August 2009.

Those who were present at this meeting, among others, were Dr. Muhammad Abdul Bari, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB); Mr. Sayed Ferjani, President of the Muslim Association of Britain (MAB), Mufti Aslam, Mr. Shoaib, Councillor Lutfur Rahman, Councillor of Tower Hamlets.

The Imam, famous for his beautiful recitation of the Qur’an, urged Muslim leaders to hold regular meetings to exchange ideas between them. He expressed hope that the coming Ramadan will be an occasion to bring people together. He congratulated Muslim organizations for their efforts towards Muslims in Britain.
Imam Al-Sudais prayed to Allah the Almighty to make strengthen us, to make us attempt to be more united, Insha Allah, for the future. He said I suggested before regular meetings for Muslim leaders and Muslim communities in this place and other places so that people can exchange ideas and Allah the Almighty helps them to bring their hearts together.

Shaykh Al-Sudais said, I am not an expert to address you with regards to things probably you know better but I will be attempting to impart some knowledge with regard to what I think be useful for you as leaders of the Muslim community in this country.

The Imam said, this is a very important opportunity for you and I and for all of us to open our hearts to exchange ideas, to remedy the problems, to seek solutions for all of us those who are living in this country. He congratulates all of the leaders of all of the Muslim organization present today for the efforts that they are doing for the Muslims in this country. He said the echo of your positive and an excellent work reaches us over there in the Bilad al-Haramain. So congratulations.

“The news of your excellent work reaches us over there in the Land of the Two Holy Mosques,” he said.

Imam Al-Sudais also said, I want you to outreach more positively with the official bodies of this country, why not the government? why not the civil servant? why not the local council and so on and so forth,

Shaykh Al-Sudais said, we cannot at all outreach to others, the non-Muslims without making the utmost attempt to outreach ourselves, meaning outreach to other Muslims in this country. He said, we need to be more proactive to outreach to other Muslim organizations, other Muslim groups before we think about outreaching to the non-Muslims in this society.

Imam of the Haram said, our mission is indeed very very clear. We do not have any hidden agenda. Why we Muslims are not proactively involved in politics in this country.

The Imam also said, we are very patient and we have confidence in Allah and confidence in the mission that we are holding, that it is a mission of truth. We are looking to guide this society to the truth and to the right guidance.

Imam of the Haram said, Dawah faces these days many many challenges and we Muslims should take this very seriously.

Shaykh Al-Sudais said, Muslims should proactively and positively move very peacefully towards Dawah.

Shaykh Al-Sudais does recommend for the regular meetings among Muslim leaders in this Islamic Cultural Centre, London. He said, the Central Mosque London is the ideal place to hold such meetings which bring together various groups of the Muslim community of this country.

Imam of the Masjid al-Haram also said, I would be very happy to support you in every way I can and I can be very happy to follow from where I am in Saudi Arabia.

After the meeting with the cream of the Muslim leaders of United Kingdom, Imam of the Haram led the Issa prayer at the Central Mosque, London.

Earlier in the morning, the Imam of the Haram led the Jumah congregation of over 10,000 worshippers at the Central Mosque, London and delivered his Khutbah, the Friday sermons to the Muslim worshippers of over 10, 000. In his Friday sermons, Shaykh Al-Sudais was talking about the manners and tradition of Islam. He urged the Muslim community members to be good example of Islam; to be good members of the society where they live in, to listen and obey to the rules and regulations of the country where they live in.

The Imam of the Haram also talked about tolerance in Islam and he also talked about to abide the Islamic law.

Shaykh Al-Sudais urged the Muslim community to take special care of education. The women, fathers and wives should give special care and more care about their children to be good members of the society in future.

Shaykh Al-Sudais is loved by everybody of the community. Wherever he goes, whoever is organising the programme and event for him find always difficulties to control the people and the crowd. Everybody, men, women and children try to say Salaam Alaikum to Shaykh, request him to make Dua for them. And all these people try to do this at the same time. These people do this because they like him they respect him and they respect the Two Holy Mosques where it is.

Shaykh Al-Sudais said, he was overwhelmed by the Muslim community after the Jumah prayer. The Imam of the Haram said, this is indeed a sign of love; a sign of the bond of brotherhood that binds people not only of this country but those who come from different parts of the world. He said that this is also the sign of the Muslim community loving of those who are coming from the Bilad al-Haramain and this has put a responsibility on myself as a Shaykh coming from Makkah that I should play a role like many other leaders to unite the Muslim community or to help the Muslim communities.

Imam of the Haram also thanked Dr. Ahmed al-Dubayan and to the people who took him around in his trips in different places while he was here.

His Excellency Prince Mohammad Bin Nawaf, the Ambassadors of Saudi Arabia came to the Mosque and prayed his Jumah prayer. From time to time, His Royal Highness comes here to pray Jumah prayers and other ambassadors also come in the evening. It’s the Central Mosque of London as well as the Central Mosque for the community; so it is expected that some of the VIPs, some of the visitors to come to pray here.

The Islamic Cultural Centre, London, is well-known throughout the Muslim community of the world. It started its services to the society since 1944. Now, Islamic Cultural Centre is one of the biggest organisations. It gives services to Muslims and non-Muslims in the society. There are different services: educational services through the courses that it offers and delivers here; it has nurseries with about thirty children; the weekend school has about 220 children. The Centre has unit for the interfaith activities and dialogue between Muslims and other faiths, which is very important. The Centre has also academic Journal published every Quarter.