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Qur'an Arrives in England
The very first manuscript of the sacred text of Islam, the Qur'an is brought to the library at Cambridge University. This means that the people of England have better access to the teachings that make up the religion of Islam. -
Qur'an Translated Into English (1)
The sacred text of Islam, the Qur'an, was translated into English. The translation was done based off of a French version of the Qur'an, which was written by Alexander Ross. This enabled more people to read the Qur'an and become familiar with the beliefs of Islam because not all people in England were able to read French. -
Qur'an Translated Into English (2)
The sacred text of Islam, the Qur'an, was translated into English. This translation, however, was done based off of an Arabic manuscript, which was written by George Sale. This also enabled more people to read the Qur'an and become familiar with the beliefs of Islam. This translation was probably more accurate than the first because it was directly translated from Arabic, as opposed to being translated from another translation and facing the risk of losing information in between translations. -
Annexed the Port
Great Britain annexed the port of Aden in Yemen, which resulted in an increase of Muslim seamen settling in large numbers in British seaports. By settling in England they brought along with them their faith, traditions, and practices, which were picked up by the people of England. -
Opened the Suez Canal
Muslim sailors were making an even larger appearance in Cardiff, Liverpool, London, Manchester, and South Shields. This was primarily because of the opening of the Suez Canal, which gave them easier access to England. Again, by settling in England they brought along with them their faith, traditions, and practices, which were picked up by the people of England. -
Conversion of Shaykh Abdullah Quilliam
One of the most significant English conversions to Islam was Quilliam's. He converted during his travels in 1887. He settled in Liverpool and from there he established an entire Muslim community. His conversion alone lead to the spread of Islam and the conversion of many more Muslims. -
Mosque
The first purpose-built mosque was built in England, the Shahjehan Mosque. It was located in Woking. It opened in 1889. The opening of the first pupose-built mosque also opened the window for Muslim to have a place in England to worship. This attracted even more Muslims to England. -
Founding of the British Muslim Society
Lord Headley founded the British Muslim Society as an organization that Muslims living in England could join. This group wanted to present Islam as an attractive religious option to the people of Britain with the hopes of gaining more converts. -
Central Mosque established in Paris
A Central Mosque was established in Paris, France. This helped to encourage the development of a Central Mosque in London. Again, this helped to draw Muslims to England and even further the development of the religion within this country. -
Nationality Act
The Nationality Act was passed, which gave all people the right to enter England freely. This helped to attract more and more Muslims to the country because it became easier for them to enter. -
Commonwealth Immigration Act
This act, which was supposed to halt immigration and restrict people from entering, actually managed to increase the amount of Muslims that wanted to moved to Britain. The Muslims felt more compelled to move so that they could get to Britain before the act was officially in effect. Also, this act made them stay. With the restriction they were forced to either stay in their homeland or move to Britain permanently and many chose to make the move. This helped exponentially with the growth of Islam. -
Oil Crisis
Arabs faced a severe oil crisis in the year 1973. Because of this many of them thought it might be a better option to move to London, England. Upon their arrival many of them made a positive impact on the overall economy in Great Britain, but more specifically they made lasting impacts on the financial, real estate, and business life in England. At the same time they were impacting the religious scene in England brining more Muslims into the country. -
Change in the Schools
The education system can have a major impact on the development of a society. In England the approach to religious study or education was altered in order to focus on a multi-faith based learning curriculum. In other words, the schools stopped nurturing kids in the religious beliefs of their families and instead began educating kids on different faiths. This helped to increase knowledge about religions such as Islam starting at a very young age. -
Central Mosque of London
After decades of working towards opening the Central Mosque the building opened in London in 1977. In 1928 the London Nizamiah Mosque Trust was created to try and initiate the building of the mosque and in 1954 a foundation stone was finally laid down. The construction was complete in 1977. This gave Muslims another center for worship and a focal point for their practice of Islam. -
Educational Reform Act
The emphasis on exposing children to diverse faiths was magnified when the Educational Reform Act was passed in 1988. This act required the teaching of Christianity and the other major faiths in society. Again, this encouraged the spread of knowledge and belief in Islam and presented the faith to young and influential population in England. -
Muslim Council of Britain
This council was established in 1996 with the intention to represent the Muslim voice in public life. There were many groups that arose such as the Union of Muslim Organisations, the Council of Mosques of the United Kingdom, and the Council of Imams and Siddiqi. The most significant group, however, was the MCB. It helped to develop a good relationship between the British government and Islamic faith, thus enabling the continued growth of the Muslim population in present day Great Britain.
