‘It felt as though something was burning inside me, that I myself was on fire. But Allah gave us courage’
One year after a devastating arson attack on their community centre, west London’s Al Falah women are thriving
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On a crisp Monday afternoon in September, the women of the Al Falah Institute gather at the charity’s base in Hayes, west London, to welcome ustazah (female scholar) Nighat Hashmi, who will speak on the balance between halal and haram.
When she arrives, Hashmi is presented with a bouquet of flowers, and the centre’s staff – distinguished by their bright pink hijabs – line up to greet her with a soft chorus of “As-salamu alaykums”.
Guests continue to trickle in over the next hour, until eventually the organisers run out of chairs and a few women must settle on the carpeted floor or the stairs in the hallway.
Since 2009, the Al Falah Institute has been a vital community hub and education centre for Muslim women. It hosts regular maths and English classes, Qur’an study sessions, cooking workshops and self-defence classes. It also has an Arabic calligraphy club and offers refugee support.
Founder Mariam Tariq started the initiative by running evening sessions for children and women in her home. Slowly, interest grew and a group formed with the shared intention of securing a permanent base for women to gather, share and learn.
“The women sold jewellery,” said Tariq. “People went door to door. Fifty pence, £1, £10 – we collected it all and, Alhamdulillah (praise be to God), were able to buy this place in 2011.”
Through donations and Qarz-e-hasna (an Islamic custom of granting loans without interest for charitable purposes), Tariq’s Al Falah vision was born, and it has continued to flourish over the years.
In May 2023, the centre welcomed councillor Shehryar Ahmad-Wallana, then mayor of Hillingdon, after it was recognised as one of the mayor’s chosen charities. It was a significant milestone in the centre’s history.
Just four months after the celebrations, however, the charity faced one of its darkest days. In the early hours of 26 September, vandals attacked and set fire to Al Falah, causing significant damage to the building and facilities.
“I received a call from our neighbour at 10pm,” said Tariq. “At that point, the attackers had only vandalised. The police said they were busy, and that they would come in the morning.
“The vandals returned later at around 2am and started a fire. Before, I thought maybe it was random. But as more time passes, it does feel like a hate crime.”
Alongside the melted light fixtures, the shredded sheets, blackened ceilings and battered door frame, the attackers stacked and set fire to several copies of the Qur’an. Despite Tariq’s suspicions, police didn’t record the incident as a hate crime, and the investigation into the arson report was eventually closed.
“Sitting in my car on the night of the fire, it felt as though something was burning inside me, that I myself was on fire,” said Tariq. “This place is like a child to us. It was really difficult at that time, watching the smoke and flames. But Alhamdulillah (praise be to God), Allah gave us courage.”
Despite the destruction caused, the institute proceeded with its activities as normal. According to Tariq, they did not cancel a single class or session.
“The women of Al Falah are very brave. They said we are even happy to sit in the garden, but we are not stopping. No one can stop us. This is our deen [faith].”
Volunteers from the local community helped to clean and rebuild the centre, and the institute financed its repair work through an online fundraiser.
One staff member who has been involved with the Al Falah Institute since its formation is Saima Malik, who currently volunteers as an English teacher at the centre.
Reflecting on the past year, she said: “It was a slow process, but the people were really energetic. That energy kept us going. Last year, when the attack happened, it looked like a never-ending job. But Alhamdulillah, Allah always has a better plan.”
In reference to the online fundraiser, she added: “Every penny was spent on the building. It led to a total transformation that we wouldn’t have been able to afford otherwise. So now it seems that something good came out of the tragedy that happened.”
Over the past year, the charity has expanded its activities. They now host a Saturday youth club for Muslim girls alongside a regular book club. According to Malik, member numbers have also increased following the media attention on last year’s attack.
“The commitment from the women has completely changed,” said Malik. “They are more regular, more enthusiastic. They want to keep it running. Everybody realised how much of a blessing this is — having a building where you can go and learn for free.”
“You can’t put a price on it,” said Zakia Raja, another longstanding Al Falah member and teacher. “We appreciate it so much. I don’t think there’s any other organisation like this in London. It’s a special place for us. We come here, we learn, we get together.
“If we didn’t have this place, we would just be at home. This gets you out of the house, you make friends. It’s a lovely community. Mashallah [God-willed], it’s been going from strength to strength.”
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