Islam is the second largest religion in the United Kingdom. In 2014 the total population of Muslims in Great Britain was estimated to 3,115,000, of which about half (1,554,000) were born overseas. Islam is the fastest growing religious confession in the UK and its adherents have the lowest average age out of all the major religious groups. Between 2001 and 2009 the Muslim population increased almost 10 times faster than the non-Muslim population. The majority of Muslims in United Kingdom belong to the Sunni denomination.
The first large group of Muslims in Britain arrived about 300 years ago. They were sailors recruited in India to work for the East India Company, and so it's not surprising that the first Muslim communities were found in port towns. The next wave of Muslim immigration to Britain followed the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869. The increase in trade caused a demand for men to work in ports and on ships. Most of these immigrants came from the Yemen, probably because Aden was the main refueling stop for ships between Britain and the Far East.
Many of the immigrants in the 1950s and 60s came from India and Pakistan in search of a better material life. And the first mosque in Britain is recorded as having been at 2 Glyn Rhondda Street, Cardiff, in 1860.
Like their brothers and sisters all over the world, Muslims in the United Kingdom are very attached to the values, teachings and rituals of Islam. They welcome the holy month of Ramadan as it should be, since it allows them to draw closer to the Almighty by reaping the many spiritual awards (Thawab). Allah (SWT) said: “The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Quran, a guidance for mankind, and clear proofs of the guidance, and the Criterion (of right and wrong)”, Al Baqara/185.
The Muslim Council of Britain is a national representative Muslim umbrella body with over 500 affiliated national, regional and local organizations, mosques, charities and schools. In order to determine the beginning of each month of the Islamic calendar, the MCB is responsible to announce the date of the first day of the Holy Month of Ramadan.
Assabile.com, will keep you informed of the exact day of the beginning of the Holy month of Ramadan 2024/1445 in the United Kingdom. According to the MCB, Ramadan 2024/1445 will begin insha’ Allah on 11 March 2024.
New Ramadan 2024/1445 will begin in the UK on saturday april, 2, 2022.
May Allah, the Almighty, bless you, and accept your fasting and your prayers.
Written by: Amine Hilal
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