The life of a renowned Islamic scholar is being celebrated at Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre.
‘A Tale of Two Re-interments' reveals the similarities between Richard III and His Eminence Murshid Muhammad Abdul Wahab Siddiqi (RA); two high-profile men who died young and were re-interred in sacred places in the local area.
His Eminence was a prominent Islamic scholar and spiritual leader to thousands of Muslims globally. The noble Saint passed away 18 March 1994 and was first buried in Coventry. Four years later in 1998 he was reinterred in a specially made tomb (Islamic Mausoleum) at the Hijaz College he founded in Nuneaton, just a few miles from the battlefield.
Now Leicestershire County Council’s Culture Leicestershire team has teamed up with the Hijaz Trust and Bosworth Battlefield to bring the scholar’s story to life.
Councillor Christine Radford, cabinet member for adults and communities, said: “We're pleased to have worked with the Hijaz Trust to create this educational and insightful exhibition to highlight the life of someone so important in the Islamic community.
“I would encourage everyone to take a trip to the Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre to take in the exhibition.”
Written by the Hijaz community, interactive text panels and film show unseen material of His Eminence, with 35 family members taking part in a series of art and craft workshops to create additional items for the exhibition.
Farzana Hannan, Trustee of Hijaz Trust, said: “We are happy and honoured to be part of the exhibition at Bosworth. We’re really keen because we think it’s a great opportunity for people who may not have heard of Hijaz Expo and the things we do, to learn about who we are, to learn about Muslims and the noble saint who is buried here.
“We are really excited about the opportunity for this project to reach people that may have an interest in learning more about local heritage and local history and we think it’s a fantastic opportunity to show that English heritage is much wider than people realise it to be, especially with the burial of the first UK Muslim saint.”
The exhibition will be opened on Sunday 14th May by the Chairman of the County Council Dr Kevin Feltham and His Eminence Shaykh Siddiqi, chair of the Hijaz Trust.
Part of Bosworth Battlefield’s ongoing outreach activities with the local community, the exhibition is free to visit from its opening until January 2024. Normal admission charges apply for the main exhibition galleries. There is a parking charge.
More information about Bosworth battlefield Heritage Centre can be found at www.bosworthbattlefield.org.uk.
More information about the Hijaz Trust can be found on their website.
More information regarding the exhibition can be found on the Culture Leicestershire website.