Shaikh Muhammad Ikram, in his well-known history of Indian Muslims, Mauj-i Kausar, writes as follows about the period covered by his book:

``In European languages, Islam was best represented by Sayyid Ameer Ali. And in Western lands, our most successful missionary Khawaja Kamal-un-Din was engaged in his work during this era.''

(p. ii)

The Pakistani writer Ashiq Husain Batalvi, in his Urdu book Chand Yadain, Chand Tasirat (`Some Memories, Some Impressions'), has an entire chapter on the Woking Muslim Mission:

``The name of the Woking Muslim Mission has reached more or less every part of the world. It has done so much work of propagation of Islam in Europe that no other body has probably done as much…

``In 1912 the late Khawaja Kamal-ud-Din came to England. He was a successful lawyer in Lahore, but he had a tremendous love for Islam. Leaving his practice, he devoted his life for the propagation of Islam and came to England for this purpose…

``Khawaja Kamal-ud-Din created a trust for the running of the mosque which initially had three members: Sayyid Ameer Ali, Mirza Sir Abbas Ali Baig, and Sir Thomas Arnold who was Iqbal's teacher. This trust appointed the Khawaja as the Imam, and since that time the Woking Mosque has been the biggest centre of Islamic propagation in England…

``Through his efforts the English translation of the Quran by Muhammad Ali was published from Woking in 1917. This was without doubt a great achievement because before that no Muslim of the world had translated the Divine Word into English…

``Apart from the Khawaja, other people who served as Imams of the Woking mosque included Maulana Sadr-ud-Din, Maulana Muhammad Yaqub Khan, Maulavi Mustafa Khan, Dr Muhammad Abdullah and Maulavi Aftab-ud-Din, whose names deserve honour and respect…

``Besides propagation work, the Woking Mission is the centre of those hundreds of thousands of Muslims who live in England. They include Muslims of every country from Morocco to China. On Eid occasions, the scene at Woking is worthy of view. There are Muslims gathered from Turkey, Iran, Egypt, Malaya, Indonesia, Pakistan, India, Arabia, Nigeria, Algeria, in short, every race, colour and nation. There are also many English converts to Islam…

``The Imam of the Woking mosque is especially busy. Many societies and organisations in Britain often hold meetings at which representatives of different faiths are invited to speak. The Imam of Woking, usually and often, has the honour to represent Islam at these functions.''

(Chand Yadain, Chand Tasirat, published by Aeenah Adab, Lahore, 1969, pp. 399--405)

Note: All the Imams referred to in the above extract were prominent members of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Jama`at.

Muslims Support Woking Mission

Given below, by way of example, are some instances of gatherings at the Woking Muslim Mission under Lahore Ahmadi Imams, attended and addressed by prominent, world-famous Muslims of various sects and nationalities. The reports are taken from the Mission's organ, The Islamic Review, of the time.

Meeting in London on 6 October 1916 chaired by Khawaja Kamal-ud-Din. Participants included Mr. Pickthall and Allama Abdullah Yusuf Ali, both of whom published English translations of the Quran some years later. Yusuf Ali also addressed the meeting. Muslims from India, Egypt and Iraq were also present.

(The Islamic Review, November 1916, pp. 512--525)

Eid-ul-Fitr prayers at Woking, 9 February 1932, led by Maulavi Aftab-ud-Din Ahmad. Among those attending were the Egyptian Charge d'Affairs and the Persian ambassador. The report also says:

``Mr. M.A. Jinnah, the renowned Indian-Muslim politician, also spoke in appreciation of the Mosque and its work.''

(The Islamic Review, April 1932, pp. 101--103)

Eid-ul-Fitr prayers at Woking, 15 December 1936, led by Maulavi Aftab-ud-Din Ahmad. Among those attending were the Saudi Arabian and Iraqi ambassadors, and Ameer Adel Arsalan. Report contains photograph showing the Imam giving the sermon, and the dignitaries in the congregation.

(The Islamic Review, February 1937, pp. 42-- 44)

Holy Prophet Muhammad's birthday celebration in London, 22 May 1937, led by Maulavi Aftab-ud-Din Ahmad. Among those attending were: Crown Prince Saud of Saudi Arabia, princes and Sultans from the Muslim world, and various Arab ambassadors. A list of some of their names is printed.

(The Islamic Review, July 1937, pp. 242--245)

In March 1926, Khawaja Kamal-ud-Din visited South Africa. He was welcomed by the entire Muslim community of Durban. Meetings were held in honour of the Khawaja and Lord Headley, a British Muslim, and they delivered speeches in the Town Hall. Reports from the South African Press (The Latest of Durban, 20 March 1926, Natal Witness, 27 March 1926, and Natal Mercury, 22 March 1926) are printed in the Islamic Review, June 1926, pp. 206--214.