About Us

Why Quilliam?

Quilliam was named after Shaikh William Henry Abdullah Quilliam (1856-1932), who was a native Englishman, a solicitor, from Liverpool, England. He, and many of his contemporaries, embraced Islam voluntarily and established Britain’s first mosque in Liverpool, now a national heritage site. This was the first native Muslim community, dedicated to serving fellow Brits on the English mainland. Shaikh Quilliam was one of the first people to grapple with the challenges posed by inter-cultural exchanges which preceded the age of mass globalisation. As such, we have much to learn from the example set by him and his small Muslim community in Liverpool.

Article about Abdullah Quilliam’s political work please see:
‘W.H Quilliam: Britain’s first Muslim Activist?’ by Ashraf al-Hoque

For a more detailed biography of Abdullah Quilliam, please see:
http://www.abdullahquilliamsociety.org.uk/

Poetry by Abdulluah Quilliam and more of his literary work is available at:
http://www.masud.co.uk/ISLAM/bmh/bmh.htm

More information about Shaikh William Abdullah Quilliam can be found at:
http://www.abdullahquilliamsociety.org.uk/
http://www.wokingmuslim.org/pers/quilliam/

News articles on Shaikh William Abdullah Quilliam:
Forgotten champion of Islam: One man and his mosque, The Independent, 28/04/09
Architectural Heritage - The 'Little Mosque', Legacies - UK History Local to You, BBC