More than 3,500 mourners attended the funeral of a prominent imam who was widely regarded as one of Manchester’s first Muslim community leader.
Tributes were paid to Imam Habib-ur Rahman at the British Muslim Heritage Centre on Friday 12 May.
The retired teacher who died at age of 90 due to heart problems was a former imam at Manchester Central Mosque in Rusholme and then later at Medina Mosque in Levenshulme.
Arriving to the UK from Gujranwala in Pakistan with his wife in 1965, he left behind eight children and resided in Victoria Park in Manchester.
Mr Rahman taught maths at Failsworth High School and also volunteered in the evenings to teach second generation immigrants from Pakistan in the evenings.
He was a board member at three Muslim schools in Manchester and very quickly became a much respected figure by leaders of all faiths and none.
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Mr Rahman was present when the late Manchester Gorton MP Gerald Kaufman assisted in laying the foundation stone for what later became Manchester Central Mosque in Victoria Park.
A statement from the Manchester Council of Mosques said: “He was a religious leader who was instrumental in developing the vision and landscape of Muslims in the UK. He was a pioneer in establishing mosques and educational institutions and raised funds for the most vulnerable in our society and across the world. He promoted interfaith dialogue and encouraged citizens to work for the betterment of society.”
