Born on 10 April 1856 Liverpool (UK)
Died on 23 April 1932 at Bloomsbury (UK)
Buried at Brookwood cemetery (Muslim Burial ground) Woking (UK)
Abdullah Quilliam- was his Muslim name after conversion to Islam.
Other names: عبد الله كويليام
William Henry Quilliam
Henri Marcel Leon
Haroun Mustapha Leon
Born to a wealthy family. He spent most of his childhood on the Isle of Man and was brought up as a Methodist. He became a solicitor in 1878, specialising in criminal law, and practising at 28 Church Street, Liverpool. He converted to Islam in 1887 after a short visit to Morocco.
To fulfil his dream to serve Islam, Quilliam purchased numbers 8, 11 and 12 Brougham Terrace, Liverpool, following his conversion, through a donation from Nasrullah Khan, Crown Prince of Afghanistan. 8-Brougham Terrace became the Liverpool Muslim Institute, the first functioning mosque in Britain. He also opened a boarding school for boys and a day school for girls, as well as an orphanage, Medina House, for non-Muslim parents who could not look after their children but agreed for them to be brought up as Muslims. In addition, the Institute hosted educational classes covering a wide range of subjects, and included a museum and science laboratory. The institute became a centre for Islamic activities in the U.K.
Publications:
- The faith of Islam 1898, 5000 copies were produced by 1890.
- The Crescent, a weekly account of Muslims in Britain.
- Islamic World, a monthly publication with a worldwide audience.
Islamic honours:
- The 26th Ottoman Caliph, Abdul Hamid II, granted Quilliam the title of Shaykh al-Islām for the British Isles.
- Emir of Afghanistan recognised him as the Sheikh of Muslims in Britain.
- He was appointed as Persian Vice Consul in Liverpool by the Shah
Quilliam was a dynamic and devout Muslim, far ahead of his contemporaries. He supported Khilafat movement and Ottomans. Later, he left Liverpool and lived a life of disguise with aforementioned different names. He was attached to Shah Jehan Mosque - Woking (Surrey-UK). When Mohammad Ali Jauhar visited Woking (Shah Jehan Mosque), he was among the dignitaries met him. He died at the age of 76 and buried in an UNMARKED grave at the Muslim Burial ground - Brookwood Cemetery (Woking-UK).
Below are few photographs related to Abdullah Quilliam and his mission.
An Appeal:
There is an appeal to locate old issues of ‘The Crescent’ magazine published between 1893-1908 by William Abdullah Quilliam from Liverpool. The magazine kept record of Islamic activities in the UK.
Abdullah Quilliam and Barkatullah Bhopali.
Abdullah William Quilliam’s conversion to Islam was a big news during the late 19th century among Muslim intellectuals of Asia. According to Ron Geave’s book ‘Islam in Victorian Britain- Abdullah Quilliam’, and from an Urdu biography on Barkatullah Bhopali we learned that Mr. Abdul Hafiz Mohammad Barkatullah Bhopali (b. 1854-d.1927) was in the UK with Abdullah Quilliam (b.1856-d.1932) as an Imam of the Liverpool Mosque. In fact, the main intention of Mr. Bhopali to travel to England from India was to meet ‘a new convert’-Mr. Quilliam. In the beginning in England Mr. Bhopali faced financial difficulties. However later he established himself as a prolific writer and a journalist. He managed to get a job of Professor of Arabic at University of Liverpool. He worked with famous orientalist Lane-Poole, Gibbs and became a Member of Gibbs Memorial Series. He taught Arabic to Mohammad Ali Jauhar and prepared him for his civil services exam. During his almost five years of stay in Liverpool he was deeply involved in ‘Liverpool Muslim Institute’. He regularly contributed in both publications; ‘The crescent’ and ‘The Islamic World’. Here he met son of Ameer of Afghanistan, which would later help him to transform him from an intellectual to a political activist. He would later participate in an important political meeting in Afghanistan. On 21st of September 1896 under the banner of ‘Anjuman-e-Islam-London, he was invited by Muhammad Dollie in London to his makeshift mosque. Abdullah Quilliam was also present there. Later, he moved to Japan and settled the USA; where he died in self exile. With other Indian freedom fighters he established ‘Provisional Government of India’ in exile.
People in Bhopal only learned that Mr. Bhopali is in England through ‘English magazines’ published from the UK. Name of the magazines were ‘The Crescent’ and ‘The Islamic World’ published by Abdullah Quilliam from Liverpool Muslim Institute.
Our request from the followers of this page is to help us to find out ‘The Crescent’ and ‘The Islamic world’ magazines. We know it was circulated widely in countries ruled by the British Empire, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh. Now we know that it reached Bhopal. If possible; please make an enquiry in your local public and personal libraries in your town/cities. It would be a great help to British Muslim history and community.