The Hallifordian - 2016-2017

16 Shah Jahan Mosque On a rather rain swept afternoon in mid-De- cember I took four of my Year 11 GCSE Religious Studies students - Oliver Baker, Oliver Chadwick, Joe Bishop and Tom Saunders - to the Shah Jahan Mosque in Woking. The Shah Jahan Mosque was the first mosque to be built in the United Kingdom in 1889. It may surprise you to know that it was built by a Hungar- ian Jew and designed by a British Christian! The architect travelled to Turkey and Egypt to study tra- ditional designs before returning to Woking to carry out the work. Today, it sits, like a tiny gem in the Surrey suburbs. The building is still used for wor- ship and is now a grade 2 listed building. The students were given a tour of the mosque itself by our host Mr Muhammad Habib. He told us about its fascinating history and how modern Mus- lims such as himself use the building to enrich their faith. We were then invited to watch formal prayers after which Mr Habib invited us to the cosy library next door for an informal question and answer style session. Each student had plenty to discuss and the time raced by. Mr Habib answered each question Muhammad Habib gave a fascinating talk inside the mosque. Shah Jahan Mosque, Woking.