Friendship in The Square: Muslim Activism in Historic London 1880s to the 1940s

Author: M A Sherif
Publisher: Islamic Book Trust
ISBN: 9789672795353
Year: 2025
Pages: 500pp
Weight: 720g
Price: RM85

Much has changed in London from Victorian times, but some features have also remained the same: the hustle and bustle, the greenery of its tree-lined parks and squares, the cosmopolitanism with opportunities for friendship and collaboration. There has likewise been an enduring Muslim presence, with individuals of courage and organising ability who have taken up causes, founded institutions for the public good, and inspired others to similar service. This was often against the tide of British colonial policies in days of Empire, but they persisted in the face of surveillance and upper class snobbery. Friendships in the Square is a collection of biographical essays interleaved with institutional histories of networks and associations. There are accounts of human foibles and heroic endeavours, of support from Englishmen of goodwill, of organisational collaborations and dissensions, and cloak-and-dagger episodes in which sometimes fact is stranger than fiction. The Muslim story is embedded within London’s story.

“Written in an engagingly readable style the monograph shares the rich life stories of a number of historically significant Muslims in London in a captivating narrative. What is distinctive about it is that moving away from orthodox narratives, it exposes a differently contoured landscape, drawing attention to the significance of the many networks and connections that Muslims  themselves established on British soil, delivering portraits of the many rich encounters and exchanges between Muslims and other Britons in the UK and the contributions made by them. Time and again, we see their actions directly subverting widespread contemporary assumptions and images of Muslims’ passivity and inferiority. Given the debates and controversies surrounding Islam and Muslims globally, but more particularly in the West, this work will undoubtedly be of great interest and relevance not only to scholars and students but also to socially, culturally, and politically aware lay audiences.”
–Professor Humayun Ansari OBE, Emeritus Professor of the History of Islam and Cultural Diversity, History Department, Royal Holloway, University of London.

“Another excellently researched book by M.A. Sherif. It not only chronicles the efforts of Muslim activists in Britain from the 1880s onwards but also doubles as a unique tourist guide to lost Muslim heritage buildings and sites across London. A must-have for anyone wishing to explore the rich and often overlooked Muslim heritage of London and Britain.”
–AbdulMaalik Tailor, World Halal Tourism expert and Britain’s first professionally qualified Muslim tour guide.