Abdulwase Sufian, a young funeral director, is facing a tough challenge at Al-Rahma Mosque in Toxteth due to a lack of space. The mosque, located on Hatherley Street in Liverpool, serves as a central place of worship for the city’s Muslim community. With over 40,000 Muslims in Liverpool and even more from surrounding areas seeking funeral services at the mosque, Abdulwase is struggling to meet the high demand with limited facilities.
The main issue lies in the mosque’s inadequate space for conducting Islamic burial rituals such as Ghusl Mayyit, a cleansing process before burial. With only one washroom and refrigerator available, the mosque is unable to cater to the needs of the growing community. This has led to challenges in providing timely burials and maintaining the sanctity of the burial process. Despite being the only mosque in the area offering such services, Al-Rahma is in urgent need of improvement to better serve the Muslim community.
Abdulwase and the Al-Rahma team are currently fundraising to transform the facilities, including the addition of a dedicated Ghusl Room, refrigerated storage for multiple bodies, and a viewing room for grieving families. The total cost of the project exceeds £100,000, highlighting the financial challenges faced by the mosque. With 138 Janazahs performed since April 2023, the need for enhanced facilities is evident to ensure that the mosque can continue to provide essential funeral services to the community.
