What are we doing?
Wimbledon Masjid is embarking on a significant project to realign our Qiblah and construct a new mihrab and mimbar, aiming to enhance our worship space for the community. This initiative not only reflects our commitment to excellence in worship but also offers an opportunity for you to contribute to a lasting legacy.
We welcome your support!
Phase 1 - target £19,000 end of October - to start and complete bulk of works.
Phase 2 - target £16,000 November - to complete works and make final invoice payments.
Give on behalf of loved ones, family members, or in memory of those who've passed away. Donating £1500 or more puts you among a select few contributing 5% to this campaign, but every amount is valued and encouraged - give what you can and know it will make a difference and will be rewarded.
By donating to this project, you can make your contribution go further through Gift Aid. If you're a UK taxpayer, Gift Aid allows us to reclaim an extra 25p for every £1 you donate, at no additional cost to you. This means a £100 donation becomes £125, significantly boosting the impact of your support. To qualify, you must have paid enough UK Income Tax or Capital Gains Tax in the current tax year to cover the amount reclaimed. When donating online, simply tick the Gift Aid box to confirm your eligibility.
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A Historic Step for Wimbledon Masjid: Realigning Our Qiblah and Building a New Mihrab & Mimbar
Alhamdulillah, Wimbledon Masjid has always stood as a home for worship, guidance, and unity in our community. From the very beginning, our elders and founders established the direction of prayer (Qiblah) with sincerity, using the best tools and knowledge available at the time. Their efforts, led with the advice of respected scholars such as Mufti Abdul Baqi (RA), ensured that generations of worshippers were able to pray in peace and confidence.
Historic alignment was determined in good faith, fulfilling Sharia requirements: that worshippers face towards the Ka‘bah in Makkah to the best of one’s ability, with a broad allowance for direction rather than pinpoint accuracy.
Today, Allah has blessed us with more precise tools and knowledge. As we prepare for the new carpet installation and joinery works, we have been given a rare opportunity to gently realign the Qiblah direction to reflect the most accurate measurements available. This is not a correction of past efforts – for all past prayers remain completely valid within Shariah – but rather a continuation of the same spirit: to always strive for ihsaan (excellence) in our worship.
1. Qiblah Realignment: Why Now and What It Means
Over the past months, the Management Committee has carefully considered this matter. We consulted with scholars to discuss the
· jurisprudential (fiqh): confirming that changing to a more accurate alignment is permissible (mubah) though not obligatory,
· Considering community implications: ensuring clarity that past prayers remain valid, and
· worked closely with Subject Matter Expert who presented detailed calculations showing what the mathematically accurate Qiblah should be based on current data.
The conclusion was clear: while the current Qiblah direction is Islamically sound, aligning more closely to the most accurate bearing available today is both permissible and praiseworthy.
What Is Changing & How Much
The new alignment adjusts the prayer direction by approximately 21 degrees from the existing Qiblah orientation. The realignment will mean that the imam’s position and saff’s (prayer lines) will face the true direction more directly, the mihra...
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