The vision of this project

We are all familiar with the typical mosque, where you go, pray, and then leave. Noor Islamic Centre aims to be a unique centre where the true and original purpose of a mosque can be fulfilled. It will not just be a place for congregational prayers, but instead will become the heart and focal point of the Muslim community. This project will hearken back to the golden ages of Islam and create a genuine community centre that will help the Muslims thrive by providing all the facilities that they need.

Across many metrics of success (e.g. health, income, education, influence), Muslims are at the bottom of society. Our children go through the school system with very few role models in society to mould their aspirations. Worse, they are often actively discriminated against when applying for placements or jobs because of their names or the colour of their skin. The ruthless cycles of poverty and lack of education have led to the current crisis of our youth on the streets selling drugs and overrepresented in the prison population. There is a distinct lack of Muslims in senior positions in key areas like journalism, politics, economics, law, the civil service, etc. How can we expect the youth to reach success, if we have nobody already there to guide them? How can we expect to have any influence in society, without people in the positions to represent us?

To address these challenges, Noor Islamic Centre will engage with our youth across all levels and ages:

The health of the Muslim population is often poor due to lack of education and cultural myths about common diseases. Noor Islamic Centre will have regular health education classes and talks by doctors, for the local community (Muslims and Non-Muslims alike).

Muslims often have no place to gather and congregate, especially in the city. The Centre will be surrounded by purpose built Islamic gardens in the traditional style open to the public for family picnics, events & gatherings, social activities and more.

In South London, we have almost run out of space for Muslim burials. In the future, Noor Islamic Centre will set aside a large plot of land for funeral services and burials. This will alleviate the shortage of burial plots for Muslims in the surrounding area for many years.

Mosques are unfortunately often designed with men in mind, and women as an afterthought. In 2019, gone are the days when our mothers and sisters are expected to stay at home and look after children. Spacious and dedicated areas for the ladies, (and ladies with young children) will be included in the design because we refuse to exclude half of our community by not catering for their needs.

All these plans and more will be in addition to the key functions of a masjid, providing ample space for current and future generations of worshippers, as well as madrasah and Islamic teaching. This will also include outreach work with the local community - we must engage with our non-Muslim neighbours and foster good relationships with them and show them what true Islam teaches.

The details of the project

Noor Islamic Centre has purchased 14 acres of land in a prime area in South London, situated in Whyteleafe, approximately 10 minutes from Purley, and 5 minutes walk from the closest train and bus stations. This land has ample space for the construction of the community centre, with room for expansive Islamic gardens and cemetery, with further acres of room for future expansion as the needs of the community grow.

The architect for your project will be world-renowned Marks Barfield. They are the architects that designed the London Eye, the British Airways i360 tower in Brighton, and most recently, the Cambridge Mosque after winning an international design competition. They will design a modern centre, with a focus on eco-friendly construction and renewable energy usage. The design will be future-proof and Lego-like in nature, so later construction by future generations is already catered for and can be added seamlessly. The Islamic Gardens will be designed by Emma Clarke, a Muslim who most recently designed the gardens for Cambridge Mosque. Her impressive Islamic Garden design at the Chelsea Flower Show was later moved to the gardens of Prince Charles personal home, and she has published a book on the art and history of Islamic gardens.

Next steps

The next step in your project is the fundraising. This project will only be possible if enough people are aware of it, and its aims. News videos on WhatsApp go viral very quickly because brothers and sisters forward them to all their contacts and groups, who then forward it to their contacts and groups, etc. If Noor Islamic Centre can achieve the same exposure, then the sky is the limit for the project. Even for those brothers and sisters who are unable to contribute, if they forward the information to another person who does donate, they too will be rewarded by Allah (swt).

Now is the time for the community to spread the good news far and wide and make your project a reality. We would urge you to take this opportunity whole-heartedly to your circle of family and friends and earn the hasanat that each of us will be desperately in need of on the Day of Judgement. May Allah inspire you and bless you to participate fully and selflessly in realising this vision, which will be a Sadaqah Jariyah for you and your generations until the last day, ameen.

Uthman ibn Affan reported that The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, Whoever builds a mosque for Allah, then Allah will build for him a house like it in Paradise.

Sahih al-Bukhari 439, Sahih Muslim 533