Madrasa Taleem ul Islam

Find out how Madrasa serves Scotland’s largest Muslim community; discover a unique mirror mosaic, a 100 year old spiral staircase and a photograph gallery of the world’s mosques, in this 19th century Thomsonesque villa.

Built in 1878 for residential purposes, Norwoodville was converted into a Synagogue in 1928 by the Orthodox Hebrew Congregation of Pollokshields, serving as a synagogue for over 50 years. In 1988, the then vacant building was acquired by the Madrasa Taleem ul Islam Trust to cater for the needs of a growing local Muslim community.

A major two year renovation was completed in 2005, with a focus on preserving the buildings character while adding functionality for a growing congregation. This included better access for the disabled, extended washroom areas and a unique mirror mosaic designed for the main prayer hall.

The Madrasa can accommodate up to seven hundred worshippers and is used for the five daily congregational prayers as well as the weekly Friday prayer and bi-annual Eid prayers.

There are also religious classes held regularly for students of all ages, with over 2000 children having benefited from our qualified Islamic scholars. The prayer halls are tranquil places of worship, meditation and reflection.

Activities

As part of the Doors Open weekend, the Madrasa will be displaying photographs of mosques from across the world taken by Glaswegian Muslim photographers. The focus will not only be on Islamic architecture and design, but also on the common themes that can be found in all mosques regardless of their size and location.
Refreshments will be provided by offering food from across the Muslim world, explaining the relevance of food, and indeed fasting, in the life of a Muslim.