From medieval coins to modern mosques: Islam's deep roots in Britain

Countries & Cities · Published 15 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: While many view Islam as a contemporary arrival, its history in Britain is far older. From eighth-century trade coins to fourteenth-century medical texts, Islamic influence has shaped English intellectual and economic life for over a millennium, predating the modern migration patterns that define the current demographic landscape.

The presence of Muslims in Britain dates back to at least the 16th century, but historical interactions are even older. In the 8th century, Offa, King of Mercia, minted coins with Islamic inscriptions—likely to facilitate trade with the Caliphate of Córdoba or as a prestige move. By the 9th century, British islands were already being described in early Islamic geographical literature as "Bratiniya."

During the Middle Ages, Islamic scholarship was foundational to English learning. By 1386, Latin translations of works by philosophers like Avicenna and Averroes were well known among the educated. Avicenna's 'The Canon of Medicine' (1025) remained a standard medical text in England until the 18th century. Furthermore, early European advocates of the scientific method, such as Roger Bacon, were influenced by Islamic works on optics.

Modern demographics shifted significantly in the 20th century. During the 1950s and 1960s, South Asian Muslims moved from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India to inhabit urban industrial hubs such as Tower Hamlets in London. Since the 1980s, civil wars and unrest in Africa and the Middle East brought refugees from countries including Somalia, Iraq, and Bosnia.

Out of 1,825 mosques located across the UK during 2017, 72 per cent linked back to reform movements from South Asia. While many are religiously conservative, only one—Finsbury Park Mosque—has been linked to jihadist networks.

Today, British Muslims navigate a complex identity shaped by kinship and transnational ties. While many first-generation migrants maintain 'gift economies' of marriage and goods, younger generations often prefer marrying compatible partners within the UK. Despite facing an 'Islamophobia penalty,' the community remains diverse, with 85 per cent identifying as Sunni and 15 per cent as Shi‘a.

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