The Britannia Islamic Centre Library
Reading develops the minds of young children and further expands the awareness of adults. Libraries play a vital role in the growth and expansion of our society, allowing for new opinions and proposals to be introduced. They are institutions of knowledge, where minds transform and original ideas are born. Britain had a rich history of literature and the preservation of books. Anglo-Saxon Britain was known for the quantity and quality of its books. Playwrights and authors such as Shakespeare and Charles Dickens are known worldwide for their works. Additionally, the modernisation of Britain was exceedingly reliant on the circulation of ideas across different countries. For example, the works of Greek philosophers Hippocrates and Galen were preserved for centuries and were the foundation of medieval medicine. Another example was Ibn Sina, often described as the father of early modern medicine - a physician of the 11th century. He wrote The Canon of Medicine which allowed English doctors to understand the previously unknown basic anatomy needed to perform surgeries. The preservation of books allows old ideas to be remembered and new theories to be spread.
With relevance to Islamic history, the world’s first library was founded by a Muslim woman, Fatima Al-Fihri - also the founder of the first university. Al-Qarawiyyan Library in Fez, Morocco was opened in 859 AD and is still operating today. The minds influenced by the works in this library have contributed to the development of the Ummah, and its legacy can still be seen today. The development of Islamic civilisation was heavily influenced by reading and sharing different viewpoints through the preservation of books in libraries. However, in this day and age, we are lacking in this field of intellectual reading. One reason for this is the absence of Islamic books. Despite having a wide range of books in our local libraries, Islamic books are not widely available.
Currently, the BIC Library has a starting selection of Islamic books, varying from tafseers of the Quran to the seerah of the Prophet Muhammad SAW. Reading from an Islamic perspective allows us to evaluate worldly affairs in accordance with the teachings of Allah SWT in the Quran and also the Prophet Muhammad SAW. We hope to expand our library and collect a wider variety of Islamic books to make available to the community, so donations are welcome! We officially opened on the 14th of October 2024 so please feel free to visit. You can find us at the BIC Centre at 136-138 Marjorie Street, Leicester, LE4 5GX. Please contact 07969505931 for further information.