Islam in the United Kingdom

Historically, contact between Britain and the Islamic world began during the Middle Ages and grew during the Elizabethan era as Britain built relationships with places like the Ottoman Empire. As the British Empire grew, Muslims from places like India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh began to settle in Britain, especially after World War II.

Today, British Muslims come from many different backgrounds. Many are from South Asia, but there are also Turkish, Arab, and Somali communities, along with about 100,000 people who were born in the UK and chose to follow Islam. The Muslim population in the UK is growing quickly and tends to be younger than other religious groups. Each year, thousands of people decide to follow Islam, with many of them being women.

History

Early history

Main articles: List of Arabic loanwords in English and Islam in England

The first signs of Islam in England go back to the 8th century. A king named Offa, from a place called Mercia, made a coin with writing from a faraway land. Later, people from North Africa and the Middle East lived in London, working as diplomats, translators, merchants, and musicians.

In 1627, a group of people from what is now Morocco took over an island called Lundy for five years. They were led by a man named Jan Janszoon, who was a Muslim from the Netherlands. They used a special flag and took some people from Europe to sell as workers in faraway places.

Interactions under British Empire

Main articles: Company rule in India and British Raj

When the British took control of a place called Bengal in India in 1757, they began to rule many Muslims. One of the first people from this area to visit Britain was a Muslim teacher and traveler named I'tisam-ud-Din, who wrote about his journey in a book.

Many Muslims came to Britain to work on British ships as sailors, known as lascars. They came mostly from places like Bengal. Some opened the first Indian restaurant in London in 1810.

By World War I, there were over 50,000 people from India working on British ships, many of them Muslim. The first mosque built just for worship in Britain was in a place called Woking in 1889. Another mosque was set up in Liverpool the same year. The first mosque in London opened in 1924.

Immigration and post-World War II

After World War II, many Muslims came to Britain from places like India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh to help rebuild the country. They worked in many jobs, including in the National Health Service, which cares for sick people.

Unfortunately, some people treated these new neighbors badly, calling them hurtful names and being unfair to them. But many young people stood up for their rights, inspired by movements that fought for fairness and equality.

Over time, more Muslims came to Britain, especially after wars in other parts of the world. By 2007, there were over 1,500 mosques in Britain.

Demographics

According to the 2021 United Kingdom census, Muslims in England and Wales numbered 3,868,133, or 6.5% of the population. Northern Ireland recorded a population of 10,870, or 0.6% of the population, with the highest number of Muslims recorded in Belfast at 5,487, or 1.59% of the population. The equivalent census was conducted a year later in Scotland and recorded a population of 119,872, or 2.2% of the population. In Scotland, Glasgow recorded the highest number of Muslims at 48,766, or 7.86% of the population.

The Muslim population of England and Wales has grown consistently since World War II. In 2017, Pew Research Center projected the population of Muslims in the United Kingdom to grow to 6.56 million (12.7% of the population) by 2050 under a zero migration scenario, or to 13.48 million (17.2%) under a high migration scenario.

Several large cities have areas where most people are Muslim, even if the rest of the city has fewer Muslims. In addition, it is possible to find small areas that are almost entirely Muslim: for example, Savile Town in Dewsbury.

Initial limited mosque availability meant that prayers were conducted in small rooms of council flats until the 1980s when more and larger facilities became available. Some synagogues and community buildings were turned into mosques and existing mosques began to expand their buildings. This process has continued down to the present day with the East London Mosque recently expanding into a large former car park where the London Muslim Centre is now used for prayers, recreational facilities and housing. Most people regard themselves as part of the ummah, and their identity is based on their religion rather than their ethnic group.

Islam is the third-largest religious group of British Indian people, after Hinduism and Sikhism. 8% of UK Muslims are of Indian descent, principally those whose origins are in Gujarat, West Bengal, Telangana and Kerala. Gujarati Muslims from the Surat and Bharuch districts started to arrive from the 1940s when India was under British colonial rule, settling in the towns of Dewsbury and Batley in Yorkshire and in parts of Lancashire.

The single largest group of Muslims in the United Kingdom are of Pakistani descent. Pakistanis were one of the first South Asian Muslim communities to permanently settle in the United Kingdom, arriving in England first in the late 1940s. Immigration from Mirpur in Pakistan grew from the late 1950s, accompanied by immigration from other parts of Pakistan especially from Punjab, particularly from the surrounding Punjab villages of Faisalabad, Sahiwal, Sialkot, Jhelum, Gujar Khan and Gujrat, in addition to from the north-west Punjab including the chhachhi Pathans and Pashtuns from Attock District, and some from villages of Ghazi, Nowshera and Peshawar. There is also a fairly large Punjabi community from East Africa found in London. People of Pakistani extraction are particularly notable in West Midlands, West Yorkshire, London, Lancashire/Greater Manchester and several industrial towns such as Luton, Slough and High Wycombe in the Home Counties. There are smaller numbers of Sindhis in Greater London. Pakistanis were traditionally working class but are slowly progressing into a Metropolitan middle class.

People of Bangladeshi descent are the second largest Muslim community (after Pakistanis), 15% of Muslims in England and Wales are of Bangladeshi descent, one of the ethnic groups in the UK with the largest proportion of people following a single religion, being 92% Muslim. The majority of these Muslims come from the Sylhet Division of Bangladesh. Many mosques opened by the British Bangladeshi community are often named after Shah Jalal and other Sufi saints who took part in the Islamic conquest of Sylhet in 1303. British Bangladeshi Muslims are mainly concentrated in London (Tower Hamlets and Newham), Luton, Birmingham and Oldham. The Bangladeshi Muslim community in London forms 24% of the Muslim population, larger than any other ethnic group. Other smaller Bangladeshi Muslim communities are present in Newcastle upon Tyne, Bradford, Manchester, Sunderland, Portsmouth, and Rochdale.

There are large numbers of Gujarati Muslims in Dewsbury, Blackburn (including Darwen), Bolton, Preston, Nottingham, Leicester, Nuneaton, Gloucester and London (Newham, Waltham Forest and Hackney).

People of Arab origin in Britain are the descendants of Arab immigrants to Britain from a variety of Arab states or entities, including Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority. Most British Arabs are Sunni Muslim, although some – such as those of Iraqi and Lebanese origin – are Shi'ite. The main Arab Muslim communities in the UK live in the Greater London area, with smaller numbers living in Manchester, Liverpool, and Birmingham. There are also sizable and very long-established communities of Muslim Yemenis in the United Kingdom in among other places Cardiff and the South Shields area near Newcastle.

The UK has a significant Iraqi Kurdish population. Iraqi Kurds are mostly Sunni Muslims.

Turks in the United Kingdom represent a unique community in the country because they have emigrated not only from the Republic of Turkey but also from other former Ottoman regions; in fact, the majority of British Turks are Turkish Cypriots who migrated from the island of Cyprus from the British colonial period onwards. The second largest Turkish community descend from Turkey. There has also been ethnic Turkish migration waves from Arabic-speaking countries (such as Iraq and Syria) as well as the Balkans (including Bulgaria, Greece, and Romania). A report published by the Home Affairs Committee in 2011 claimed that there was 500,000 British Turks, made up of approximately 150,000 Turkish nationals, 300,000 Turkish Cypriots, and the remainder from other countries. As of 2013^[update], there was a growing number of ethnic Turks from the modern diaspora in Western Europe; for example, Turks with German and Dutch citizenship (i.e. Turkish Germans and Turkish Dutch) had also immigrated to Britain in accordance with the freedom of movement under EU law.

Turkish Cypriots first began to migrate to the United Kingdom in 1917. At the time, the British Empire had already annexed Cyprus and the residents of Cyprus became subjects of the Crown. Migration continued through the 1920s; during the Second World War, the number of Turkish-run cafes increased from 20 in 1939 to 200 in 1945 – creating a demand for more Turkish Cypriot workers. However, due to the Cyprus conflict, many Turkish Cypriots began to leave the island for political reasons in the 1950s, with the numbers increasing significantly after the intercommunal violence of late 1963. With the subsequent division of the island in 1974 (followed by the declaration of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in 1983) an economic embargo against the Turkish Cypriots by the Greek Cypriot controlled Republic of Cyprus, caused a further 130,000 Turkish Cypriots to leave the Island for the United Kingdom.

Migrant workers from the Republic of Turkey began to arrive in large numbers in the 1970s, followed by their family members in the late 1970s and 1980s. Many of these workers were recruited by Turkish Cypriots who had already established businesses such as restaurants. These workers were required to renew their work permits every year until they became residents after living in the country for five years. By the 1980s, intellectuals, including students, and highly educated professionals arrived in the country, most of which received support from the Turkish Cypriot community. Mainland Turks settled in similar areas of London in which the Turkish Cypriots lived in; however, many have also moved to the outer districts, such as Essex.

The Turkish community have established several mosques in the country. The first was Shacklewell Lane Mosque, established by the Turkish Cypriot community in 1977. There are numerous other Turkish mosques in London, mainly in Hackney, including the Aziziye Mosque and Suleymaniye Mosque. Notable Turkish mosques outside London include Selimiye Mosque in Manchester, Hamidiye Mosque in Leicester, and Osmaniye Mosque in Stoke-on-Trent.

Turks from the same districts from their homeland tend to congregate in the same quarters in the UK. The majority live in capital city of London, particularly in Hackney, Haringey, Enfield, Lewisham, Lambeth, Southwark, Croydon, Islington, Kensington, Waltham Forest, and Wood Green. Outside London there are smaller Turkish communities in Birmingham, Hertfordshire, Luton, Manchester, Sheffield and the East Midlands.

Although data is short, findings indicate Maghrebis make up a substantial community in Europe and the United Kingdom. Britain has long ties with Maghrebis, through contact with the Maghrebis. Nevertheless, Britain has a far lower count of Maghrebis in comparison to France, the Netherlands and Spain, where the majority of Muslims are Maghrebi.

A 2009 government paper estimated the Nigerian Muslim community at 12,000 to 14,000 people. The community is concentrated in London.

Horner Muslims in the UK refer to Muslims in the U.K. who have ancestry in Horn African countries such as Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia, and to its broadest extent, includes the Atbai region of Sudan. Oromo Ethiopian immigrants to the UK are among the most evenly split ethnic groups, with roughly half of them being Christian and the other half being Muslim. A 2009 estimate by Somali community organisations puts the Somali population figure in the UK at 90,000 residents. The first Somali immigrants were seamen and traders who arrived in small numbers in port cities in the late 19th century, although most Somalis in the UK are recent arrivals. Further more Somali European such as from Holland or Denmark have been emigrating in recent years. Established Somali communities are found in Bristol, Cardiff, Liverpool and London, and newer ones have formed in Leicester, Manchester and Sheffield.

The history of native British Muslims has a long presence in the country. The earliest known Englishman to convert to Islam was John Nelson of the 16th century. Thomas Keith was a Scottish soldier who converted to Islam and became the governor of Medina. The pirate Jack Ward, one of the inspirations for Captain Jack Sparrow, converted to Islam in the early 1600s. Another famous convert was the Victorian explorer Richard Francis Burton who successfully completed a Hajj to Mecca in 1853, although later in life he declared himself an atheist. Abdullah Quilliam was a 19th-century Englishman who converted to Islam and built what is argued to be the first mosque in the country in Liverpool. He was known locally for his work advocating trade unionism and divorce law reform and persuaded more people in Liverpool to convert but they faced abuse from the wider society.

Year of arrival (2021 census, England and Wales)

1. Born in the UK (51.0%)
2. Before 1971 (2.20%)
3. 1971 to 1980 (3.20%)
4. 1981 to 1990 (4.00%)
5. 1991 to 2000 (7.40%)
6. 2001 to 2010 (13.3%)
7. 2011 to 2021 (18.9%)

Muslims in the United Kingdom by region and country

Region / Country	2021		2011		2001
	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%
England	3,801,186	6.7%	2,660,116	5.0%	1,524,887	3.1%
—Greater London	1,318,754	15.0%	1,012,823	12.4%	607,083	8.5%
—West Midlands	569,963	9.6%	376,152	6.7%	216,184	4.1%
—North West	563,105	7.6%	356,458	5.1%	204,261	3.0%
—Yorkshire and the Humber	442,533	8.1%	326,050	6.2%	189,089	3.8%
—South East	309,067	3.3%	201,651	2.3%	108,725	1.4%
—East	234,744	3.3%	148,341	2.5%	78,931	1.5%
—East Midlands	210,766	4.3%	140,649	3.1%	70,224	1.7%
—South West	80,152	1.4%	51,228	1.0%	23,465	0.5%
—North East	72,102	2.7%	46,764	1.8%	26,925	1.1%
Scotland	119,872	2.2%	76,737	1.4%	42,557	0.8%
Wales	66,947	2.2%	45,950	1.5%	21,739	0.7%
Northern Ireland	10,870	0.6%	3,832	0.2%	1,943	0.1%
United Kingdom	3,998,875	6.0%	2,786,635	4.4%	1,591,126	2.7%

Branches

See also: Islamic schools and branches

Most British Muslims follow Sunni Islam. A survey found that about 84% of British Muslims identify with Sunni Islam, including many who do not specify a particular group within Sunni Islam. Smaller groups include followers of Shi'a Islam and other Islamic traditions.

Shi'a Islam makes up a smaller part of the Muslim community in the United Kingdom. Shi'a communities are found mainly in big cities like London. They hold special events each year, such as Ashura and Arba'een.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has been in the UK since 1912 and has its main mosque, called The Blessed Mosque, in Surrey. They also have large groups for young people and women.

Society

Economics

British Muslims are active in many parts of the UK’s economy, working as employees, professionals, business owners, and more. It can be hard to measure their exact economic impact because many records don’t track religion. However, studies show their importance. One report estimated Muslims contributed around £31 billion yearly to the UK economy, with many businesses and jobs in London alone. More recent estimates suggest this contribution has grown to at least £70 billion per year.

Data from 2021 shows that Muslim people in England and Wales often have lower employment rates and higher economic inactivity. This is partly because many are still in school or taking care of families, especially among women.

Education

About one-third of Muslims in the UK have degrees, which is a bit higher than the average. However, a larger share of Muslims don’t have any formal qualifications compared to others. More Muslim young people are going to university now than before. In schools, Muslim students—especially girls—often do very well, with some schools ranking at the top nationally.

Politics

Muslims are becoming more active in politics. Many have been elected as Members of Parliament and hold other important positions. Most tend to support the Labour Party, though some are prominent in the Conservative Party as well. In recent elections, more Muslim representatives have been elected, showing growing involvement in public service.

Law

In the UK, there are special courts called sharia councils that help resolve disagreements within Muslim communities. These are not official courts but are used by some families, especially for marriage-related issues. While they have support from some leaders, there have been concerns about fairness and equality in how they operate.

Media and culture

British Muslims are visible in media and sports. Many work as journalists, news presenters, and in television. In football, Muslim players have made significant impacts, and some traditions, like moments of quiet reflection after scoring, reflect their practices.

Associations

There are many groups and organisations representing British Muslims, focusing on community support, education, and religious activities. These groups help bring together people and provide various services.

Proselytisation

Every year, around 5,200 people in the UK choose to become Muslims. Prisons have been one place where many conversions happen. Some prisoners convert for protection, while others are genuinely interested. Mosques sometimes welcome new converts, though not all are always open to those changes.

Extremist ideology

There have been concerns about extremist ideas influencing some British Muslims. Some groups and countries have been accused of supporting extreme views. Security services work to monitor and prevent radical activities. Many British Muslims, however, are concerned about extremism and support efforts to prevent it.

Antisemitism

Some British Muslims have expressed negative views about Jewish people, which has caused concern. After recent conflicts in the Middle East, discussions about these attitudes have grown. There have been debates over how to balance free speech with preventing hate speech, especially around issues related to Israel and Palestine.

Relations with wider society

Many British Muslims feel very connected to their religion. Studies show that they often see themselves as Muslim first and British second. This feeling changes with age and can be linked to experiences with unfair treatment or exclusion.

In the past, polls showed that many British Muslims felt a strong sense of belonging to Britain. However, more recent surveys suggest that fewer feel they fully belong, though most still feel safe where they live.

Britain is generally seen as a good place for opportunities, and many British Muslims want better relations between different religious groups. They also often take part in community activities and give to charity.

When it comes to how others see British Muslims, some people in Britain have negative views about Islam. There have been times when the media and some politicians have spread unfair ideas about Muslims. This has sometimes led to unfair treatment and misunderstanding.

During certain events, like conflicts overseas, some British people have felt more suspicious of Muslims. However, many also believe that Islam and British values can work together well. Views on these topics often differ depending on age and background.

Unfortunately, some people in Britain have faced unfair treatment because of their religion. There have been cases where people were threatened or attacked just because they were Muslim. This has made some people nervous or uncomfortable expressing their views about Islamic topics.

Overall, while many British Muslims feel proud of their identity and contribute positively to society, there are still challenges with misunderstandings and unfair treatment that need to be addressed. Building better relations and understanding between different groups remains important for everyone in Britain.

Notable British Muslim figures

For a more comprehensive list, see List of British Muslims.

Many British Muslims have made important contributions in different areas of life. In business and finance, leaders like Sir Anwar Pervez, who started the Bestway Group, and Mohsin Issa and Zuber Issa, who co-founded EG Group, have built successful companies.

In media and entertainment, famous figures include musician Yusuf Islam, also known as Cat Stevens, actor and musician Riz Ahmed, and television presenter Nadiya Hussain. The world of politics features notable Muslims such as Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, and Humza Yousaf, former First Minister of Scotland.

The sports world has many talented British Muslim athletes, including long-distance runner Mo Farah and England cricketers Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid.

In religion and scholarship, Abdal Hakim Murad, also known as Timothy Winter, is an Islamic scholar and Dean of the Cambridge Muslim College. Many British Muslims are also known for their work in philanthropy and community leadership, helping to support others in need.

Notable mosques

See also: List of mosques in the United Kingdom and Category:Mosques in the United Kingdom

Some of the most famous and important mosques in the United Kingdom include:

• Bradford Grand Mosque – A large mosque built just for worship in West Yorkshire.

• Birmingham Central Mosque – A major mosque and Islamic centre in Birmingham.

• East London Mosque – A well-known mosque complex in Whitechapel, London.

• London Central Mosque – A famous mosque in Regent's Park, London.

• Central Jamia Mosque Ghamkol Sharif – A mosque built just for worship in Birmingham.

• Markazi Masjid, Dewsbury – A European centre of the Tablighi Jamaat.

• Shah Jahan Mosque, Woking – The first mosque built just for worship in Britain.

• Cambridge Central Mosque – A mosque designed to be kind to the environment, and Cambridge’s first mosque built just for worship.

• Masjid-e-Vali, Blackburn – A large new mosque in Lancashire.

• South Lakes Islamic Centre, Cumbria – A notable mosque for the Lake District area.

• Green Lane Masjid – A large mosque and community centre in Birmingham.

• Glasgow Central Mosque – A well-known mosque and Islamic centre in Scotland.

• Leeds Grand Mosque – A major mosque for Leeds and West Yorkshire.

• Finsbury Park Mosque – A well-known mosque in North London.

• Al-Rahma Mosque (Liverpool) – A large mosque and community complex in Liverpool.

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Bradford Grand Mosque

Birmingham Central Mosque

East London Mosque

London Central Mosque

Ghamkol Sharif Mosque

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Markazi Masjid, Dewsbury

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Shah Jahan Mosque, Woking

Cambridge Central Mosque