The Fazl Mosque in Wandsworth, also known as London Mosque, is marking its 100th anniversary this year. The building, located in the Southfields area of south London, opened a century ago as the capital’s first mosque and was described by contemporary observers as an impressive white structure surrounded by manicured gardens. The mosque received listed status from Historic England in 2018 and retains much of its original appearance, including its distinctive green dome and vertical windows.
The mosque serves members of the UK’s Ahmadiyya Muslim community and has become an established part of local life. According to Mahmood Rafiq of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community UK, integration with the wider community forms a core part of the mosque’s approach. The institution distributes sweets to local children during Eid celebrations, extends Christmas greetings to neighbors, supports environmental cleanliness efforts, and expresses solidarity with other faith communities facing attacks. Putney Labour MP Fleur Anderson highlighted the mosque’s standing in the neighborhood, noting its contributions to local events.
Beyond its religious function, the mosque has served multiple purposes throughout its history. During the second world war, it operated as an air raid shelter. In recent times, it has hosted blood donation drives and COVID-19 vaccination clinics. The purchase of land for the building was largely financed by Ahmadi Muslims from Qadian in India, many of them women who sold their jewelry to fund the project despite knowing they would likely never visit the completed structure.
The early decades of the mosque reflected distinctive cultural patterns. High-society visitors such as Viscount and Viscountess Allenby were entertained with tea served in fine china and English scones with clotted cream. The mosque’s leadership includes figures with historical significance; Abdur Rahim Dard, the imam during the 1930s, influenced developments connected to the partition of India, and the mosque gardens hosted a pivotal speech by Muhammad Ali Jinnah that contributed to this geopolitical shift.
To mark the centenary, the mosque plans to distribute 10,000 free meals to homeless individuals. The current leader of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Mirza Masroor Ahmad, characterized the mosque’s history as reflecting principles of neighborly service, loyalty to the UK, and peacebuilding across faith boundaries. Community members describe the institution’s message as “love for all, hatred for none” and frame the centenary as representing “a century of connection.”
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