GLASGOW: A dead body (later known as Mohammad Yousuf) was found inside Scotland’s largest mosque on Thursday morning, prompting police to cordon off the building, the Independent and Asiam Image have reported.
Officers in Glasgow were called out to the Central Mosque in the Gorbals area in the early hours of Thursday morning. They quickly sealed off the building, but Police Scotland later said that the death of the 80-year-old man was not being treated as suspicious.
A spokeswoman for the force said: “Police received a report of an 80-year-old man’s body being found within the Central Mosque. “A post-mortem examination will be carried out in due course to establish the exact cause of death. The death is currently being treated as non-suspicious.”
Glasgow Central Mosque opened on the city’s south side in 1984, and has been since visited by Prince Charles and Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon. The landmark building is the largest mosque in Scotland and can accommodate up to 2,500 people, including 500 spaces for women.
Glasgow Central Mosque has paid tribute to Mohammad Yousuf who died within the building. Officers raced to the body find at around 3.40am Thursday morning on Ballater Street. Cops confirmed the body of 80-year-old Mohammed Yusuf was found within the Mosque. They are not treating the death as suspicious. But now Mosque bosses have remembered the “elder member” of their congregation.
A statement read: “In the early hours of Thursday morning, an elderly member of our congregation, Mohammed Yusuf, was found in the Mosque, having passed away. “To Allah we belong and to Allah we return. May Allah (swt) grant him a high place in Jannat Al Firdous (heaven) and the family sabr (patience) during this extremely difficult time.
“We thank the emergency services for their prompt response and handling of the incident. Police Scotland have confirmed that the circumstances of our dear Mr Yusuf’s passing aren’t suspicious.
People mourned and said that Mohammad Yousuf was a humble and kind person who was preparing for morning prayer when he passed away. He was a regular goer to the mosque and always there for almost every congregation prayer. He passed away doing what he loved and pleasing his Lord by praying.