‘It will be a huge loss’: London’s oldest Islamic bookshop is at risk of closure | London

London’s oldest independent Islamic bookshop is in danger of closing within a year due to falling visitor numbers and the rise of online shopping platforms.

Founded in 1985 by Egyptian publisher Samir Al-Attar, Dar Al-Taqwa has served as a cornerstone of British Muslim life for four decades – a place where scholars, students and long-time converts come together to browse, talk and connect.

Staff say the store is the only non-sectarian Islamic bookstore, stocking all kinds of titles from politics and culture to children’s books and translations of the Qur’an in major languages.

Since Al-Attar’s death in 2022, his widow, Noura Al-Attar, a 69-year-old Muslim convert from Leeds, has taken over, devoting her time and energy to keeping the business going.

The store has launched a £25,000 fundraising campaign to cover rent and running costs. “The library started organically, without any loans, and everything came from the community,” she said. “Islam is very broad, which is why we want the library to be the same.”

For 40 years, Dar Al-Taqwa has served as a cultural and spiritual center for the Muslim community in the UK and beyond. Its founder opened the store after realizing the lack of accessible Islamic resources in the UK during the 1980s.

“My husband was very ambitious,” says Noura, who encouraged him to open the store because of her love of reading. “He worked very, very hard.” The couple chose Baker Street because of its proximity to the Central London Mosque and because at the time “a lot of international clients, especially Arabs, would come and stay here in the summer, so it was essential for them.”

The store, which Noura runs with just three part-time employees, started without bank loans, in accordance with Islamic teachings that forbid usury. Instead, the couple relied on community investment and savings. Today, Nora describes the atmosphere as family: “We are a family here, we keep the customers and they become one of us, as employees.”

Dar Al-Taqwa’s shelves are filled with many rare or out-of-print books. “There are books you will find here that you will not find anywhere else,” Noura says proudly.

Some authors, including the American scholar Hamza Yusuf, have personally donated their works. The store also sells academic titles from major publishers such as Routledge and Macmillan, and hosts readings and community events. Last year, they launched author sessions and plan to start a book and poetry club. It is even sometimes used to officiate Islamic marriages.

Ibrahim Abdel Rahman Hassan, 60, a long-time employee, first visited the site as a customer before joining the team in 1996. “A lot of people don’t visit the site because they now read online,” he said. “In the 1990s, people would come to buy books.”

Despite this, he remains attached to the place: “I meet a lot of interesting people here – it’s the center of what’s going on. You get the news when you’re here; if a new book is published, people will tell you about it.”

Dar al-Taqwa has welcomed notable visitors over the years, including Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens), British diplomat Guy Eaton, and Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad of Jordan. However, its scope extends far beyond London.

On a recent visit, Yusri Yusuf, a customer from Malaysia, said he was keen to visit the library after hearing of its closure the day before his return home. “It is a unique library, and there are not many of them – even in Malaysia,” he said. “It’s not just a library, it’s a melting pot.

“People from all over the world come here for the sole purpose of seeking out books and the knowledge they contain. It is something very important and defines the character of London.” “It would be a huge loss,” Youssef, saddened by the prospect, said of the potential closure of the library.