We recently got invited to the prestigious one year anniversary celebration of the Inter Firm Islamic Societies group.  This celebration was held at the exquisite Arab Chamber of Commerce in Park Lane and was an event that will be remembered for its professionalism and excellent organisation for years to come.

How was it structured?

Upon entering the impressively presented venue, we were greeted by a series of name badges and a pleasant individual who helped us find our particular badge and directed us inside for the first round of Halal networking drinks.

Here we were able to meet with fellow like-minded individuals, exchange business cards and enjoy a range of exotic fruit juices.  Salat facilities, indoor seating and an enchanted garden were also available for those who wanted a change of scenery.

A Western Muslim UK tip would be to maximize this networking opportunity as it is very rare that you get a group of inspirational young Muslims together and as the popular saying goes, “it is all about who know!”

Who were the speakers?

We had the pleasure of not one, not two, but three esteemed guests throughout the evening.  First up was Iqbal Nasim who spoke about all of the brilliant work that the National Zakat Foundation do and how we can all get involved with this great cause.

Next up was Team GB Olympic Hockey player, Darren Cheesman who provided a fascinating talk on how we can be successful Muslims in this World and the hereafter as well as how we can coach others to be equally successful.

Finally, we had Sheikh Alaa Elsayed who gave a truly World class talk on Motivation and how our ultimate goal should be focused on how we can reach Jannat-ul-firdous InshAllah.  The Sheikh also inspired us by using stories from the Prophets [PBUH] time as well.

Was there any food?

After praying Maghrid Salat as a big community, we all returned to the main lounge for another round of networking and most importantly, were greeted to a full buffet reception!  This included a range of mouth-watering Arab delicacies, which singlehandedly had the power to make you feel as if you had been transported to the Middle East.

Here we were able to help ourselves to the food and drink available, continue networking with fellow Muslims from London and reflect upon what we had learnt directly with the speakers themselves.

Overall, we at Western Muslim UK had a fantastic time at the Inter Firm Islamic Societies anniversary celebration and have been meeting up for coffee with our fellow guests on a regular basis.  If you would like more information about the Inter Firm Islamic Societies group, including upcoming events, promotions and a direct link to their Facebook page, then please click here.