Yousaf Aftab, President Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Huddersfield North
Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Huddersfield laid the foundation stone of the Baitul Tauhid Mosque on 10 September 2023.
Multiple waqar-e-amal sessions were held to clean the inside of the Baitul Tauhid Mosque and the outer grounds. This would facilitate marquees being set up for the official ceremony and cater to the needs of the local jamaat and central and regional guests.
Huddersfield Jamaat is one of the oldest jamaats, with its establishment in 1962.
The foundation laying ceremony started with the recitation from the Holy Quran with its translation, followed by the history of the Huddersfield Jamaat, and the laying of foundation stones by over 60 members from national, regional, and local levels. The stone placed by Amir Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya came from Qadian, and Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa had prayed for the mosque and provided him with the stone to use for this mosque.
The session ended with a silent prayer, followed by refreshments.
The formal ceremony commenced with the recitation from the Holy Quran with its translation, followed by a poem, a welcome address by the Regional Amir and then an address by Amir Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya UK, outlining the importance of mosques and financial sacrifice, followed by a question and answer session.
Pledges and payments were also taken on the day, and then the session ended with silent prayer, followed by Zuhr and Asr prayers.
The overall attendance on the day was 400. The event was covered by MTA UK and Voice of Islam UK.
Information about the event was posted on social media. Many positive messages were received from local members.