Rowland Allanson-Winn, 5th Baron Headley

Rowland Allanson-Winn, 5th Baron Headley (1855–1935), was far from your typical British aristocrat. While he was a peer of the realm and a respected engineer, he is most famous for being one of the earliest and most prominent British converts to Islam.

He was often affectionately known as Shaikh Rahmatullah al-Farooq.

The Engineer and Adventurer

Before his religious transition captured the public's imagination, Allanson-Winn was a man of practical science and physical prowess.

• Civil Engineering: He was a specialist in foreshore protection. He designed systems to prevent coastal erosion, a critical issue for an island nation like the UK.
• Martial Arts Pioneer: He was an accomplished boxer and fencer. In 1890, he co-authored Broadsword and Singlestick, a definitive manual on Victorian-era swordsmanship and self-defense.
• The Peerage: He succeeded to the Irish Barony of Headley in 1913, giving him a platform in the House of Lords.

Conversion to Islam

In 1913, the same year he inherited his title, Lord Headley publicly announced his conversion to Islam. This caused a minor sensation in Edwardian society.

• The Woking Muslim Mission: He was heavily influenced by Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din, the founder of the Woking Muslim Mission at the Shah Jahan Mosque.
• The British Muslim Society: He became the president of the British Muslim Society and worked tirelessly to dispel Western myths about Islam, portraying it as a religion of logic and peace that was entirely compatible with British identity.
• The Hajj: In 1923, he made history by performing the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, a rare feat for a Westerner of his status at the time.

Key Contributions

Lord Headley was a prolific writer who sought to bridge the gap between his heritage and his faith. His most notable works include:

• A Western Awakening to Islam
• Three Great Prophets of the World (Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad)
• The Affinity between the Original Christian Teachings and Islam

"I have been asked, 'Why I, an official and a peer, should have adopted Islam?' It is because I found that the teachings of the Prophet were more in accord with my own ideas of the after-life and the duties of man to his Creator."

— Lord Headley

Lord Headley remains a fascinating figure of the "British Muslim Heritage," representing a time when the boundaries of identity were being explored in very unexpected ways.

Google Gemini AI

27/1/2026: 7.07 p.m