London’s Oldest Islamic Bookshop at Risk of Closure

For nearly 40 years, Dar al-Taqwa has been a cultural and spiritual landmark in London — a place where Muslims, scholars, students, and newcomers have gathered to learn, connect, and find books found nowhere else.

Founded in 1985 by Egyptian publisher Samir el-Atar, the shop has served as the UK’s only non-sectarian Islamic bookshop, offering everything from political works and cultural studies to children’s books and Qur’an translations in many languages.

Since Samir’s passing in 2022, his widow Noora el-Atar, 69, has taken on the responsibility of keeping the store alive. With footfall declining and online shopping taking over, Dar al-Taqwa is now struggling to survive and has launched a £25,000 fundraiser to cover rent and operating costs.

The shop, run by Noora and just three part-time staff is loved for its family-like atmosphere and its shelves full of rare and out-of-print titles. Longtime staff member Ibrahim Abdirahman Hassan describes it as a place where “you meet interesting people and hear the news first.”

Over the years, Dar al-Taqwa has welcomed notable visitors such as Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens) and Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad, but its impact reaches far beyond famous names.

Losing this bookshop would mean losing a vital piece of British Muslim heritage. A place like this deserves to be preserved before it becomes just a memory.