Madina Mosque Trust

About

Madina Mosque Trust was established in 1984 to provide Muslims in Hackney a place to worship, perform religious ceremonies and educate themselves about faith.

Story

Madina Mosque Trust became a Registered Charity in 1984 to administer and deliver religious services at 2a Lea Bridge Road for the Gujarati Muslim community who had settled in Hackney after immigrating from India, Burma and parts of East Africa through the 1960’s and 1970’s.

Situated in a prominent location adjacent to Lea Bridge Roundabout, Madina Mosque Trust (MMT) today serves a diverse range of Muslims from all ethnicities, cultures and backgrounds.

In the early 1960’s, Muslims in Hackney would travel to the East London Mosque (446–448 Commercial Road, Limehouse) on Friday’s and Eid’s, taking opportunities to discharge their religious obligations and immerse themselves in their heritage and partake in cultural traditions. Through these connections, they would turn to each other to seek financial, immigration and housing support - becoming self-sufficient.

The Gujarati Muslim community grew larger with each wave of immigration and in the later years of the 60’s, Taraweeh Prayers - Nightly prayers during the Holy month of Ramadan - became a frequent fixture at the homes of Haji Yusuf Baleseria, Haji Yusuf Gora Bhula & Haji Ebrahim Hajat.

This collective organizing became the impetus for Hackney Muslims to establish the Naquib-ul-Islam Society in 1972 and through generous contributions, the Society purchased 82 Forburg Road for £12,000 - a princely sum in the 1970’s – for use as a Mosque.

With conversion permission not forthcoming from Hackney Council, Claptonians decided to purchase 2 Millfields Road – a location which did not have the same appeal or support for those residing in Stamford Hill – leading to a formal split between the two communities in 1979 and ratified with the sale of the property for £16,000.

Residents of Stamford Hill used the proceeds from the sale to acquire 70 Cazenove Road, the current site of the North London Mosque Trust (also known as Masjid-e-Quba).

For the Claptonians, a working group was established in 1980 to acquire a site which would allow Muslims within the vicinity to discharge their religious obligations as well as educate the next generation of young British Muslims.

There were many who sacrificed so much but the following members of the community would be burdened to serve as the first Trustees of what would later become Madina Mosque Trust:

Qari Mahmood Bismillah
Haji Yusuf Hajat
Haji Mohamed Pirbhai
Haji Abdul Rahman Patel
Haji Shabbir Patel

With their young families, demand for religious instruction was sated with many of the Trustees serving as educators for the first Madrassah (Religious School) - operating out of the residential home of Haji Ismail Patel of Newick Road until 1979 - before migrating to Millfields School for a short period until a more permanent venue was found in the form of Mildenhall Road at the home of Haji Noor Rangrez.

In 1981, the religious school would move a few doors down to 16 Mildenhall Road - which had been purchased for £14,000 to facilitate daily congregational prayers under the guidance of the first Imam, Maulana Iqbal Rangooni - marking the coming together of the school and the religious obligations for Claptonians which until then had taken place every Friday at St. John’s Ambulance Hall on Mildenhall Road.

In 1982, 18 Mildenhall Road was purchased for £18,000 and the Trust began the search for a larger premises to purpose-build a Mosque which would cater for the next few generations of Claptonian Muslims.

In 1984, 2a Lea Bridge Road - a dilapidated carpet factory - was purchased at auction for the sum of £120,000. The process of converting the site into the purpose-built mosque that it is today would take 8 years of strategic guidance from Hackney Council’s Planning Department, and financial support of £650,000 provided for by the sale of properties and generous contributions/loans from individuals.

The governance of Madina Mosque Trust - as a Registered Charity - was established by the Trustees with strategic input from the Haji Mohammed Anis Lakhi whom the Trust relied on heavily to perform administrative duties and drive the organisation forward.

The Trust acknowledges the great sacrifices made by the Trustees, Members of the Trust and the wider community, and stands indebted to those who have played a role in the purchase, conversion and construction of Madina Mosque Trust.

Mission

Madina Mosque Trust was established in 1984 to provide Muslims in Hackney a place to worship, perform religious ceremonies and educate themselves about faith.