Timeline
First female Muslim wrestling coach
Haniyah Kousar, the UK’s first female Muslim wrestling coach, is redefining the norms in a traditionally male-dominated sport. At just 20, she proudly upholds her faith while advocating for greater inclusivity. Her dedication is not only transforming the sport but also inspiring and empowering women of all ages to participate, breaking down barriers and challenging stereotypes along the way.
2024
First female Muslim chaplaincy lead
Maysoon Shafiq has become the first female Muslim chaplaincy team lead at NHS England, appointed at Rotherham General Hospital. As an award-winning faith leader, she continues to break barriers, advocating for women and hosting events to bridge knowledge gaps about Islam.
2024
First Muslim Deputy Speaker
Nusrat Ghani MP has been elected Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons and Chairman of Ways and Means, marking a historic moment as she becomes the first Muslim woman and ethnic minority to serve in The Chair.
2024
First Muslim Lord Chancellor
In July 2024, Labour MP Shabana Mahmood, who is of Pakistani heritage, became the first Muslim Lord Chancellor and the second woman to hold this position.
2024
25 Muslim MPs Elected
The General Election in 2024 has resulted in the election of 25 Muslim MPs, which means they make up almost 4% of the total 650 MPs.
2024
First Hijab-Wearing Army Recruit
Iqra Shahzadi made history as the first hijab-wearing soldier in the British Army. Driven by her desire to promote inclusivity, she overcame challenges from her conservative upbringing. By joining the Army, she aims to create a welcoming environment for future Muslim women, helping them find their place within the military.
2023
Royal Mint lauches kaaba gold bar
The Royal Mint, renowned as the home of precious metals, released an exclusively designed 20g gold bullion bar depicting the Kaaba. It was released ahead of Ramadan in 2023.
2023
First hijab sculpture
A sculpture measuring five metres (16ft) tall and weighing a tonne was commissioned by Legacy West Midlands to celebrate women who wear hijabs.
2023
First British Muslim to win Oscar
Actor Riz Ahmed made history by becoming the first British Muslim actor to win an Oscar for the live-action film The Long Goodbye, which he co-wrote under direction of Aneil Karia.
2022
Muslim population grows to four million
The 2021 census showed that the Muslim community had grown to almost 4 million making up 6.5% of the population. This means one in three minority ethnic people are Muslim and Islam is the second largest faith in Britain.
2021
First Female Muslim Referee
Jawahir Roble, the UK’s first female Muslim referee, dreams of officiating in the Premier League. Originally from Somalia, she came to the UK as a refugee at 10 and overcame cultural barriers to pursue her passion for football. With FA qualifications and a coaching degree, she now aims to inspire more women to join the sport.
2020
Muslim war heroine awarded with a blue plaque
English Heritage honoured Second World War British Muslim female spy, Noor Inayat Khan with a blue memorial plaque to mark the house on Taviton Street in Bloomsbury; it was her family home when she left for Nazi-occupied France in 1943 as an undercover radio operator.
2020
London’s first Muslim mayor
In 2016, Sadiq Khan ran to become the mayor of London and was elected with 57% of the vote to become the first elected Muslim and first elected minority ethnic London Mayor.
2016
UK Government issues first Islamic bond
In June 2014, The British government cemented Britain’s position as the western hub for Islamic finance by becoming the first country outside the Islamic world to issue sovereign Sukuk, the Islamic equivalent of a bond. The £200 million of Sukuk, which matures in matured in 2019, was sold to investors based in the UK and in the major hubs for Islamic finance around the world.
2014
Mo Farah wins Olympic Gold Medal
Mohamed Muktar Jama Farah, a Somali-born British long-distance runner won his first olympic gold medal in 2012 and went on to become one of the greatest runners of all time. His ten global championship gold medals (4 Olympic and 6 World titles) make him the most successful British track athlete in modern Olympic Games history.
2012
First Muslim women elected as MPs
During the 2010 General Elections, the first Muslim women MPs were elected and were from the labour party: Shabana Mahmood (Birmingham Ladywood), Yasmin Qureshi, (Bolton South East) and Rushanara Ali (Bethnal Green and Bow), who also became the first person of Bangladeshi origin to be elected to the British parliament.
2010
First Muslim serves as Government Cabinet Minister
In 2010, Baroness Sayeeda Warsi became the first Muslim Cabinet Minister serving in Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservative government. She was born to parents of Pakistani origin in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire
2010
First national Muslim women’s group formed
Muslim Women’s Network starts as a national informal group in 2003 with the support of the Women’s National Commission, becoming formally registered as a CIC in 2008 and changing its name to Muslim Women's Network UK, then becoming a registered charity in 2013.
2003
Second largest mosque complex in Europe opens
In 2003 Baitul Futuh mosque was opened. It was built for and by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and is situated in Morden, Surrey. It is considered the second largest mosque complex in western Europe (after the Mosque of Rome) and can hold up to 10,000 worshippers.
2003
First Muslim woman in the House of Lords
Manzila Pola Uddin was the first Muslim woman to be appointed to the House of Lords. She was given her peerage in 1998. Baroness Uddin had arrived in the UK with her family in 1973 aged 13, from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh).
1998
First Muslim MP
Mohammad Sarwar became Britain’s first Muslim MP when he was elected as the Labour Member of Parliament for Glasgow Govan in the 1997 general election.
1997
Muslim council of Britain founded
On 23rd November 1997, The Muslim Council of Britain was inaugurated at Brent Town Hall, London. It is now an umbrella body of mosques, charities, schools and Islamic associations.
1997
First Muslim to play in Premier League
In the inaugural season of the Premier League in 1992, there was only one known Muslim in the entire division, Tottenham Hotspurs’ Mohamed Ali Amer, known as Nayim. He was a Spanish central midfielder.
1992
Islamic society of Britain established
Founded in 1990, we were one of the first organisations that sought to bring a uniquely British perspective to Islam.
1990
Muslim Umbrella organisation established
The Union of Muslim Organizations of UK and Ireland (UMO), an ‘umbrella’ organization established in 1970, made little headway. Constitution at charity commission is dated 1975.
1970s
Migration from East Africa
‘Africanisation’ policies in East Africa during the 1960s and 1970s, led to tens of thousands of South Asians migrating to the UK, a quarter of whom were Muslims. (Image from National Education Network)
1970s
First Muslim Councillor
In 1970 Bashir Maan became the first Muslim in Britain to hold elected office when he became a Labour Party councillor for the Kingston ward in Glasgow. Two years prior he had become the first magistrate in Scotland. He arrived in Scotland in 1953 from Pakistan and was a businessman before entering public service.
1970
Migration of Muslims to the UK
South Asian migrants started arriving in the UK after 1947 Indian-Pakistan partition. They helped solve labour shortages in the British steel, textile and engineering industries. A large majority of Pakistani migrants in the UK originated from Mirpur. Migrants from urban areas of Pakistan were more likely to be professionals who came to work for the NHS. Turkish migration from mainland Turkey to the UK did not start until the late 1960s.
1960s
Muslim Population reaches ten thousand
8,000–10,000 Muslims living in Britain by 1945, as many as 5,000 were thought to be converts rather than migrants (Image source Woking Muslim)
1945
Britain's first Muslim war heroine
Noor Inayat Khan gave her life as a British agent fighting with the French Resistance. She was a radio operator with the code name Madeleine. She was captured by the Gestapo and executed in the Dachau Concentration camp in 1944.
1944
1 million Muslims supported Britain in World War II
According to the national Muslim War Memorial Trust, 5.5 million Muslims participated on the allied side of the war during WWII. Muslims mainly from India and African countries fought on three continents. This 9,000 – 12,000 Palestinians fought for Britain in WW2 in Egypt and Mesopotamia. Nearly 1.5 million Muslims were killed in action. (Image credit - National Muslim War Memorial Trust)
1939
First female Muslim president the Muslim Society
Helen Morton (Lady Khalida) Hamilton Buchanan was elected as the president of the Muslim Society of Great Britain (aka British Muslim Society) after the death of Lord Headley in 1935. This made her the first noted female Muslim president which was significant for that time in Britain where women were rarely in leadership positions.
1935
First Quran words broadcast
Words from the Koran are broadcast on British radio for the first time, in BBC programme The Sphinx.
1935
Marmaduke Pickthal – English Quran Translation
In 1928, Marmaduke Pickthall took a two-year sabbatical to complete his translation of the of the Quran, a work that he considered the summit of his achievement. His English-language translation of the Quran, titled The Meaning of the Glorious Koran was published in 1930. It remains among the two most popular translations, the other being the work of Abdullah Yusuf Ali.
1930
Marmaduke Pickthall converts to Islam
He was the son of an Anglican priest and as a schoolboy, Pickthall was a classmate and friend of Winston Churchill. In June 1917, Pickthall gave a speech defending the rights of Palestinian Arabs, in the context of the debate over the Balfour Declaration. In November 1917, Pickthall converted to Islam, publicly taking the shahada at the Woking Muslim Mission
1917
Lady Evelyn Cobbold converts to Islam
Lady Evelyn Cobbold was a Scottish diarist, traveller and noblewoman who confirmed her Islamic faith in 1915 taking the Arabic name Zainab. She became the first British Muslim woman to make the pilgrimage to Mecca known as the Hajj in 1933.
1915
First Muslim awarded Victoria Cross
Khudadad Khan became the first Muslim recipient of the Victoria Cross, Britain's highest award for bravery. He was born in 1888 in the village of Dab in Chakwal District of the Punjab Province, British India (now Pakistan).
1914
Lord Headley converts to Islam
Lord Headley, the 5th Baron of Headley inherited his peerage from his cousin in 1913. Later in the same year he converted to Islam (16 November 1913) and adopted the Muslim name of Shaikh Rahmatullah al-Farooq. In 1914 he established the Muslim Society of Great Britain and became its President. He was also the Chairman of the Woking Mosque Trust and worked tirelessly to promote Islam in his time. He authored several books on Islam. (Image credit: Woking Muslim)
1913 - 14
Muslim soldiers in World War I
It is estimated that 1.5 million Indian troops fought to defend Britain. Of those, 400,000 were Muslim soldiers. (Image credit - National Muslim War Memorial Trust)
1914 -18
The Right Hon. Syed Ameer Ali – Appointed to Privy Council
Syed arrived in the UK in 1869. He was friends with the Fawcetts and attended female suffrage meetings in 1870. He was called to the Bar through the Inner Temple and returned to India to serve in the Calcutta High Court. He retired in 1904 and settled in the UK. In 1909 he was appointed to the Privy Council, the first Indian member on the Council. In 1910, he launched a project to build a mosque in London and in 1911 he formed the British Red Crescent Society because the British Red Cross was not helping injured Turks and Arabs in Italian attacks, addressing the need for an independent society to help the sick and wounded irrespective of race or religion.
1909
Abdullah Yusuf Ali (lawyer and scholar)
He is known for his translation of the Quran in English with 1934. He was born in India and arrived in Britain in 1891 to study law at the University of Cambridge. He had to return to India but was called to the bar at Lincoln’s Inn 1896 in absentia. After returned to Britain in 1905 for two years he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and the Royal Society of Literature. He was awarded a CBE in 1917. He died in 1953 and is buried in Brookwood Cemetery near Woking.
1891
Liverpool mosque founded
William Quilliam founded the Liverpool Mosque and Muslim Institute in 1891
1891
First purpose built mosque
Although The Shah Jahan Mosque (also known as Woking mosque) was not technically the first mosque in Britain, it was the first purpose built mosque when it was constructed in 1889. The mosque was designed by architect William Isaac Chambers.
1889
Queen Victoria appoints Muslim Advisor
Mohammed Abdul Karim had been gifted to Queen Victoria 50th year on the throne in 1887. However, in 1888 she promoted hime from servant to 'munshi' (teacher). He became her close confidante and taught her Urdu about Islam. She bestowed him with titles; honors; prime seats at operas and banquets; a private carriage; and personal gifts. Victoria also commissioned multiple portraits of him.
1888
William Quilliam converts to Islam
A prominent English solicitor who had been educated on the Isle of Man and the son of a Methodist preacher converted to Islam in 1887.
1887
First Muslim cemetery in Britain established
The first Muslim cemetery was established in 1884 inside a section of Brockwood cemetery, near Woking. It was established by a Hungarian Jewish academic, Dr Gottlieb Wilhelm Leitner. At the time it was known as the ‘Muhammadan cemetery’. However, it is now referred to as plot M1. Many notable Muslims were buried there ranging from seamen, was veterans, scholars to royalty.
1884
First Bangladeshis working in London Restaurants
Sailors from Sylhet in (what is now Bangladesh) were employed by the East India Company. There are records of Sylhetis arriving and working in London restaurants as early as 1873.
1873
First Muslim member of the House of Lords
Henry Edward John Stanley converted to Islam in 1859 and abandoned his position as a British diplomat in the Ottoman Empire. Lord Stanley became the first Muslim member of the House of Lords when he inherited his titles in 1869 upon the death of his father.
1869
First mosque in Britain
2 Glyn Rhondda Street, Cardiff is accepted as the first mosque in Britain. It was founded by Yemeni and Somali sailors and was recorded by the Register of Religious Sites as a place of worship from 1860.
1860
First Yemeni communities
Yemenis are one of the UK’s oldest Muslim communities. Yemeni sailors worked in the British merchant navy and in the mid-19th century, left the old colonial port of Aden, Yemen and arrived in the UK.
1860s
Traflagar Square - name has Arabic Origins
When Trafalgar Square was established, it was named after the Battle of Trafalgar, that took place off the coast of Cape Trafalgar. However, the name "Trafalgar" is a Spanish word of Arabic origin, derived from either Taraf al-Ghar 'cape of the cave/laurel' or Taraf al-Gharb 'extremity of the west'.
1820
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First India Restaurant
First Indian restaurant in Britain , Hindostanee Coffee House, was established near Portman Square by Sake Dean Mahomet.
1810
The first Mosque at Kew Gardens
In the 18th century, Kew Gardens featured a decorative "Turkish mosque" designed by William Chambers, and served as an ornamental tribute to Turkish-Islamic architecture.
1763
First English translation of Quran from Arabic
The 'Koran' translated by George Sale was published in 1734. It was the second translation of the Qur’ānic text to be printed in English but was the first translation in English to be based directly on the Arabic text.
1734
Turkish servants of King George I
King George I had two Turkish personal servants, Mehemet and Mustapha. Mehemet rose to a position of considerable wealth and influence and was rewarded for his service with the noble title: 'Mehemet von Koenigstreu' ('True to the King').
1714
Muslim and Islam as English words
The words 'Islam' and 'Muslim' only entered the English language in the 17th Century.
C17th
First English Quran Translation
The earliest English translation was written by a non-Muslim, Alexander Ross, chaplain to King Charles I. It was translated from a French translation as he did not know Arabic. It was known as the Alcoran of Mahomet.
1649
University of Oxford establishes Professorship to study Arabic
The position of Professor of Arabic at the University of Oxford was established in 1636 by William Laud. Its aim was to advocate a rational, historical approach to the study of Islam. It is one of the oldest Chairs of Arabic in Europe. The first 'Laudian' Professor of Arabic was Edward Pococke.
1636
University of Cambridge establishes first Professorship to study Arabic
In 1632 the Professorship in Arabic was established at at the University of Cambridge by Sir Thomas Adam. He gave the university money to fund it. Abraham Wheelocke - became the the first 'Adams' Cambridge Professor of Arabic in around 1632.
1632
Moroccan Ambassador arrives in England
In 1600, Abd el-Ouahed ben Messaoud, the principal secretary to the Moroccan ruler Mulai Ahmad al-Mansur, visited England as an ambassador to the court of Queen Elizabeth I for 6 months
1600
First Convert to Islam
The first recorded Englishman to become a Muslim was John Nelson, who converted to Islam at some point in the 16th Century. This information comes from the book The Voyage made to Tripoli (1583) by Thomas Saunders.
C16th
Muslim Characters in plays
More than 60 plays between 1576-1603 had Muslim characters (Turks, North Africans and Persians) as they were crowd pullers. Shakespeare's Othello, was of Muslim heritage and described as a 'Moor' from Venice. In the play, it is implied he converted to Christianity.
C16th
Terminology for Muslims
Elizabethan England did not use the term ‘Muslim’; instead a multitude of words to describe followers of the Islamic faith was used, from ‘Moor’, ‘Arab’, ‘Saracen’ to ‘Turk’. The words were often used interchangeably.
C16th
Queen Elizabeth I builds alliance with Muslim rulers
When Queen Elizabeth I was isolated by Catholic Europe, she sent diplomats and merchants into the Muslim world creating commercial and political alliances. In return Muslims began arriving in London.
C16th
First Muslim woman to enter Britain
Aura Soltana may have been the first Muslim woman known to enter England. She was a Tartar woman and was brought in from Russia as a slave by a merchant named Anthony Jenkinson in 1560, who gifted her to Queen Elizabeth I. Records show she was christened and became her lady in waiting.
1560
Henry VIII collected Turkish made carpets
Henry VIII amassed a collection of Turkish made carpets and by the time of his death had amassed hundreds of them. Some of his portraits show him standing on them or standing in front of them as the carpets were considered as pieces of Islamic art and a sign of status, wealth and power.
16th Century
Muslims mentioned in The Canterbury Tales
The Canterbury Tales is a collection of 24 stories written by Geoffrey Chaucer (1387-1400), which included Muslim characters such as: Razis (Ibn Zakariyya Al-Razi), a pioneer in sciences, Avicen (Ibn Sina), a leading philosopher and Averrois (Ibn Rushd) who was another leading philosopher.
C14th
Shahadah on English coin
Earliest evidence of Britain's links to the Muslim world comes from the 8th century time of Anglo-Saxon King Offa of Mercia. He issued a coin in 794 which imitated a gold dinar. One side was inscribed in Arabic with the Islamic declaration of faith (shahadah), ‘there is no God but Allah alone’,
C8th
