I am fortunate to have a spacious, newly built mosque not far from my home in Harrow. It is filled to capacity during Ramadan, and to a great extent also on Fridays, accommodating several thousand worshippers. Like many other progressive mosques, it has a variety of other activities other than congregational prayer, such as a youth club and a scouts group, madrassas and hifz classes, a funeral service. As a blessed legacy of last Ramadan, I have made it a point to join the Isha jamaat. There, the number is around 60 or 70 and fills up about 3 rows. So during the five prayers, perhaps not more than 5% of the space is in use.
Two nights ago, on my way to the Isha salaat, nowadays around 9.45 pm,my path crossed a gaunt figure in a black coat, looking downward and staring at a suitcase and rucksack. This was across the high street, opposite to the mosque. I felt something was not right but did not tarry. On my way back after the prayers, he was still here, but this time crouching over his baggage. I stopped to speak to him and find out a bit more. He was clearly in distress and said he had been given notice. He said he had nowhere to go. He was dignified enough to say that he would be able to cope. I wasn’t quite sure about that.
The next day, I asked another down-and-out whom I see regularly on the high street and asked him what would someone who was homeless do at night. He was in that situation himself and said that his practice was to seek a favour from the Muslim shops on the high street to let him sleep in their back entrance.
This struck me about the mismatch between the well-maintained facilities at the mosque – including an air conditioning system during the heat wave, and the socio-economic realities at its doorstep. Perhaps like many other mosques, the trustees include many from the ranks of the upwardly social mobile, like accountants, solicitors and businessmen, rather than those with the life experience of being down-and-out.
There are interventions that can reduce homelessness, where valuable advice can be sought from the National Zakat Foundation (NZF).
The night encounter reminded me of the Algerian activist, Rashid Bennaisa, who would often recount how his ‘ustadh’, Malek Bennabi’, would rail against the indifference of mosque attendees to their social responsibilities. Bennabi cared deeply for the young down and out. It was a theme in his novel Lebbeik, with its description of the plight of a gang of young urchins working in and around the port of Annaba.
Of course there are places of worship helping rough sleepers with temporary overnight accommodation – a shower, hot soup, a sleeping bag. The churches are inspired by Jesus’s teaching of “welcoming the stranger”. The Al-Manaar Centre in Westbourne Grove was once active in offering overnight accommodation, but this is a service no longer listed on its website. This is when family breakdowns and domestic violence, mental health, joblessness, benefit suspension, landlord evictions, asylum cases, Muslim ex-prisoners and such factors are on the rise.
The NZF estimates that rough sleeping has increased by 85% between 2012 and 2019. The Muslim Council of Britain highlighted the impact on Muslims in particular over a decade ago – in its 2015 Census report: “While 2.2% of the overall population are in hostels or temporary shelters for the homeless, this is 5.1% within the Muslim population”.
When researching the life of Abdullah Yusuf Ali, I was stopped in my tracks on discovering that his final days in December 1953 was as a homeless person. Prior to being taken to a hospital in Fulham, he was found in a poor state sitting in Trafalgar Square, in tattered clothes with a suitcase, without money. By the time the Pakistan High Commission stepped in, it was too late.
Can mosque trustees come out of their comfort zone to prevent similar tragedies? Can mosque congregations be encouraged to contribute to NZF’s efforts? And I wonder what happened to the gaunt figure I had seen some nights ago?
Jamil Sherif, August 2026
Recent posting – Testimonies of Urdu’s rich religious literature heritage. click here.
| “Thank you for raising the issue of homeless people & our collective duty to help. Recently in our local Preston Park a homeless Muslim man who is waiting to be housed by council took refuge in the park at night. One night he was sleeping on a bench he was attacked by a gang who ripped off his shoes with a knife and stole his mobile and wallet. His feet were injured & he is too scared to sleep in the park bench so he remains in the trains during the night. This happened recently [. . .] there are so many like him in London especially in big parks like Regents Park. The Regents Park mosque sadly shuts its gate to homeless people [. . .]”. Mrs J A |
| “Mosques have a long-standing tradition in Islam of providing food, rest, and safe refuge for travellers and those in need. Historically, the courtyard or adjoining rooms of a mosque, served as a temporary place of rest and shelter for the poor, travellers, and those who had no home or financial means. Today, we have many purpose-built mosques and Islamic centres across major cities and towns throughout the UK, with many already operating food banks and providing other forms of support to those in need. In recent years, several mosques have also opened their doors to homeless people during the winter months, providing hot meals, warmth, and temporary shelter. Similar initiatives can be found in mosques across other parts of Europe. Such services are not unique to Muslim culture and tradition. Many faith communities have a long history of supporting people who are vulnerable, homeless, or destitute. In particular, Sikh Gurdwaras provides langar (free meals), washing facilities, and shelter to those in need throughout the year. These examples demonstrate the important role that places of worship can play in providing dignity, compassion, and practical support to people facing difficult circumstances. @Dr. Jamil Sherif – I therefore echo your sentiments and suggest that our mosque management committees consider expanding their services to support travellers, the poor, the homeless, the destitute, and those who may find themselves in unfortunate or vulnerable circumstances, particularly towards the later stages of life. The undignified death of the respected Abdullah Yusuf Ali is a deeply distressing reminder of the harsh realities that some people can face. His experience should encourage us to reflect on how our mosques and Islamic centres can provide greater compassion, dignity, and practical support to those who may otherwise be left without assistance. It should be noted that the UK social security system provides an important safety net for individuals who are legally entitled to receive benefits. However, not every homeless or destitute person is eligible for social security support. Those who do not qualify may have to rely on food banks, charitable organisations, and other institutions that provide essential services to meet their basic needs.Jazakallah. Khaled Noor |
| Miranda Bryant in The Guardian, 23 August 2026 – Finland tried to end homelessness. What can we learn from its runaway success – and recent failures? click here |