The Fazl Mosque in Southfields, the first purpose-built mosque in London, marked its centenary on Saturday 3 October.
Shakeel Ahmed Syed, former Regional President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community UK in Tooting, said, “Our community in Tooting exists because of that mosque in London. From the Fazl Mosque, missionaries were sent out to towns and cities across Britain to build communities like ours, and everything we do here began there.
“A hundred years on, we mark this centenary the way we were taught to – by helping the people around us. That is what a mosque is for. It is a beacon of peace for all.”
Shakeel and the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Tooting have organised numerous community-focused initiatives to promote social cohesion, civic responsibility and interfaith harmony over the years, including community street parties, street cleaning and litter-picking campaigns, peace conferences and peace prayers, community awards recognising the outstanding contributions of local individuals, and homeless feeding programmes providing practical support to vulnerable members of society.
Shakeel continues, “Through these initiatives, we have reinforced our commitment to community service, strengthened relationships with local residents and demonstrated our dedication to fostering a more inclusive, compassionate and united society.”
The mosque, that has space for around 150 worshippers, was granted listed status by Historic England in 2018, and in March 2026 Wandsworth Borough Council awarded it a green heritage plaque.
Key dignitaries have visited the mosque over the past century including Muhammad Ali Jinnah (the founder of Pakistan), Sir Muhammad Zafrulla Khan (President of the United Nations General Assembly), Professor Abdus Salam (the first Muslim to win a Nobel Prize in science), HRH Prince Faisal and HRH Prince Saud, both of whom later became Kings of Saudi Arabia. HRH Prince Edward has also visited in recent years.
More info about the mosque via https://ahmadiyyauk.org/1926Centenary