‘Love for all and hatred for none’ is a motto that the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community have been living out in London for a hundred years.

On the 19th of October, the Fazl Mosque in Southfields celebrated its centenary with a special event named ‘Islamic Light in the West: A Century of Spiritual Revival.’

On the same date in 1924, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II laid the foundation stone for what would soon be the first mosque in London, and only the second mosque in the UK.

He said that the mosque was to be open to everyone, not just Muslims, as he wanted people to learn about Islam, especially the Ahmadiyya version.

The celebrations were attended by a range of important and celebrated people, including the leader of the Lib Dems Ed Davey, His Majesty’s Deputy Lord Lieutenant for Greater London, Chris Cotton, and most importantly the fifth leader of the global Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad. They all delivered speeches.

Over a hundred years the Fazl Mosque became the centre of faith for many people across London and would live out their values in a variety of ways such as blood drives, poppy appeals, and foodbanks.

The mosque has had an enormous impact on London, bringing the teachings of Islam to the city, as well as encouraging interfaith dialogues.

Despite its successes, it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. Members have faced extreme persecution around the world, such as the May 2010 attacks on Ahmadi Mosques in Pakistan,  which resulted in 84 Ahmadis murdered by suicide attack.

Amer Safir is leasing member of the London community and the editor in chief of one of the longest running comparative religious magazine in the world, ‘The Review of Religions.’ He presented the exhibition showcasing Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II’s tour to the UK.

 “This community has been severely persecuted, such as in Pakistan you can be jailed or executed for being a member, which is why the leader of the community had to migrate,” he said.

Amer also talked about what the Ahmadiyya Community have been doing both in London and across the world, stating “We have since built the biggest Mosque in Western Europe (in Morden), as well as translating the Quaran into more than 77 languages, including Braille.”

The work of the Ahmadiyya Community is entirely self-funded, and they have communities across over 200 countries, showing how the community has spread, as well as the global appeal of their efforts and values.

The members of the Fazl Mosque no doubt look forward to another hundred years spreading ‘Love for all and hatred for none.’