UK Imam Pulse Check 2025: Summary Report

Throughout London and the UK, we can see the visible signs of a growing faith community, one that has outgrown and continues to outgrow its current infrastructure. Tending to these growing needs, we often consider and focus on the number of Mosques, institutions and current capacities available for attendees. We see this manifesting with old buildings – whether pubs, schools, homes, or churches – being repurposed to serve as Mosques and Islamic Centres, whilst old Mosques are being refurbished or replaced with newer, larger, and more modern buildings, often beautiful and attractive. 

This is a great blessing, and not to be undervalued, but as we build and repurpose the physical infrastructure we must also recognise that these buildings will not serve their purpose without qualified, capable men and women who operate from within. A beautiful building empty of individuals able to fulfil the roles for which it has been erected will have very little impact. This is an area that needs to be addressed immediately; we have outgrown the pastoral and professional infrastructures just as we have outgrown the physical spaces within which we operate.

If we look to the life of The Prophet ﷺ, we see that his model of operation was largely dedicated to building and teaching the great men and women who surrounded him and, who would eventually become his successors, the leaders and servants of Islam. The building of the two Mosques, Quba and al-Masjid an-Nabawi, were in fact exercises in people and community building. His Mosques were simple, but the men and women who served from within them were grand in character and deep in faith, having an impact that eventually spread globally.  

Our Mosques across the UK can become beacons of light, institutions that guide nationally and internationally through service and work based upon the framework of Islam. However, in order for this to happen, our mosques need to be manned and led by men and women dedicated to the mission.

For this purpose, we have provided a brief report based upon a small-scale survey of Imams across the U.K. We plan to build upon this survey in various ways throughout the coming year, and we hope that this will be considered a small contribution toward the betterment of our Mosques and Islamic Institutions.

Introduction: A Voice from the Coalface

This report presents the findings of the 2025 UK Imam Pulse Check, a targeted grassroots survey conducted in December 2025 with 62 respondents.

In contrast to purely academic or top-down institutional reviews which have undeniable value, this study was led by Imams ‘on the ground,’ somewhat informally, designed to capture the raw, lived experience of those serving at the frontlines of the British Muslim community. By providing a direct channel for Imams to speak anonymously and authentically about their professional and personal lives, this data seeks to offer  vital “voice and colour” to the broader conversation regarding religious leadership.  The findings below represent the survey data, with a further 15-20 anonymous interviews due to be completed which will add further qualitative ‘colour’ to the findings in due course.

In support of other studies that have touched upon the role of the Imam such as the work led by Dr Riyaz Timol at Cardiff University, this brief pulse check indicates specific pressures, psychological burdens, and structural gaps that appear to define the vocation today. It is intended to serve as a conversation starter and food for thought for fellow imams, stakeholders, masjid leadership and community leaders, rather than a final, authoritative evidence base. The limited sample size means these are interesting initial observations that warrant further, more rigorous investigation and discussion, however in no way should be used nor claimed to be academically authoritative by the authors.

1. Profile of Respondents & Employment Context

Purpose: Establishing a snapshot of who the Imams are and their employment reality.

• Years Served: The participating workforce appears well-established but faces a “mid-career” bulge. The most common cohort has 3–6 years of service (24%), while over 30% have more than 13 years of experience.
• Employment Type: The survey sample is split almost equally: 50% Full-time and 50% Part-time.
• Secondary Income: An indication of financial pressure is that 69.4% of Imams report requiring a secondary income to manage household expenses, suggesting the primary role is often not financially viable on its own.
• The Salary Crisis: As seen in Chart 1 below (Salary Distribution), over 51% of Imams in this survey earn in the lowest bracket of £14,000–£20,000.

• Insightful Correlation: The findings suggest a very weak relationship between experience and pay (Chart 7 below). The ‘flat career ladder’ issue is a recurring concern, as an Imam with significant experience may earn a similar wage to a newcomer.

2. The Multifaceted Role: Services Provide

Purpose: Establish the breadth of the Imam’s responsibilities and the complexity of their daily workload, beyond leading prayers.

To provide a complete picture of the Imam’s professional reality, we have analysed the specific duties they perform. The data shows that the modern UK Imam is far more than a prayer leader; they function as registrars, educators, social workers, and administrators.

The survey reveals that the “Imam” title encompasses a vast array of high-responsibility services beyond leading prayers alone. Most Imams are “generalists” who must switch between legal, educational, and crisis-intervention roles throughout a single day.

• Top Professional Duties: Marriage Nikahs (79%) and Supplementary Children’s Education (76%) are the most common services, followed closely by Adult Education (72%).
• The Social Work Burden: A significant 66% of Imams provide formal Counselling, often without the specific training or clinical supervision required for such high-stakes emotional labour.
• Administrative Overload: Nearly half of the respondents are also burdened with Masjid Management (43%) and Admin work (46%), tasks that can often detract from their primary spiritual and pastoral duties.

3. Job Satisfaction & Role Sustainability

Purpose: Assessing whether the role is experienced is fulfilling and sustainable.

• Overall Satisfaction: 64.5% of Imams report being satisfied (Chart 2 below).
• Sustainability: However, qualitative data primarily from the free text comments provided, suggests this is primarily “spiritual satisfaction.” Many noted that while they feel blessed and privileged to serve, the financial and emotional toll makes the role feel unsustainable for those with growing family needs.

• Insightful Correlation: Satisfaction appears to be highest for the small group of Imams earning over £36,000, whereas dissatisfaction is concentrated almost exclusively in the sub-£20k bracket. Note: The £36,000+ group is a very small subsample, so this correlation should be viewed as an initial indicator only.  However, it could also indicate a resolving towards a fair and sustainable starting salary for Imams, somewhat in line with public sector professions.

4. Mental Health, Wellbeing & Support

Purpose: Surfacing the emotional impact and the availability of support.

As shown in the pie chart below, 43.5% of UK Imams report work-related mental health consequences.

The Nature of the Strain: Qualitative responses via free text responses reveal that the strain is not just from the workload, but from the emotional weight of community crises (domestic abuse, youth identity) combined with feeling “undervalued” by Masjid management.

Breakdown of Issues by Type

The issues Imams face are not just general “stress,” but specific, overlapping clinical symptoms as highlighted by the chart below.

• Stress & Anxiety: The most common reports, with 22 mentions of acute stress and 10 of anxiety.
• Low Mood & Despondency: Several Imams mentioned “Depression” or a sense of “Frustration and Despondency,” often linked to feeling undervalued by their institutions.
• Vicarious Trauma & Burnout: A small but significant group explicitly mentioned “Trauma” and “Burnout,” which is common in frontline roles where individuals absorb the crises of others.

The Isolation of the “At-Risk” Group

The most critical concern for community stakeholders is the apparent support gap for this group.

• The Support Reality: Of those Imams who reported mental health issues (a sub-sample of the total), 85% explicitly stated they have no support from their institutions.
• Institutional Absence: Commentary suggests that Imams feel they must “hide” these struggles from their committees to protect their reputation or job security.

Initial Correlation: Full-time Imams appear to be significantly more at risk, with 31% reporting mental health issues compared to only 19% of part-timers.

5. Training, Skills & Professional Development

Purpose: Identifying gaps between role expectations and current preparation.
• Adequacy: Only 38.7% feel “Adequately Trained” (Chart 4 below).
• Investment Needs: The “essential training” requested shifts from theological to social:

1. Professional Counselling & Mental Health First Aid (for dealing with congregant trauma).
2. Youth Engagement (addressing philosophical doubts and identity).
3. Media & Public Relations.

6. Community Needs & Frontline Challenges

Purpose: Capturing the real, lived challenges Imams face.
• Greatest Concerns: Youth (77.4%) is the primary concern by a wide margin, followed by Apostasy/Loss of Faith (56.5%) and Islamophobia (50%) (Chart 5 below).

• Key Challenges: The top barriers to better work are Lack of community engagement (54.8%) and Lack of funding (50%).

Insightful Correlation: Chart 6 below suggests that Masjids with a formal community plan may see a significant reduction in the “Lack of Engagement” challenge (from 68% down to 37%). This initial finding highlights a promising area for strategic investment.

7. Religious Leadership & Community Impact

Purpose: Exploring effectiveness of core religious functions.

Strategic Void: 72.6% of Masjids have no formal local mosque and community strategy. This forces Imams into a “reactive” mode, dealing with individual crises rather than community-wide growth.

Khutbah Impact: While seen as a vital tool, many Imams feel the impact is “temporary” or “ritualistic,” with limited change in community behavior despite serving as the single largest gathering of Muslims they serve in any given week.

8. Solutions, Priorities & Forward-Looking Support

Purpose: Understanding what Imams believe would make the biggest difference.

The Imams voted on the solutions they support (Chart 8 below):

1. Local Planning (69.4%): Assistance in developing strategic masjid and community plans.
2. An Imam’s Guild (62.9%): A professional body to provide a collective voice, HR standards, and peer support.
3. Structured CPD (62.9%): Ongoing professional development training.
4. Funding (56.5%): Direct financial investment into roles to ensure a living wage.

9. Conclusion: Transforming the UK ‘Imamate’ – ideas to consider for further exploration

The UK Imamate is a profession of high devotion but critical structural vulnerability. The path forward requires shifting the perception of the Imam from a “religious employee” to a supported community leader with the financial, psychological, and strategic tools necessary for 21st-century leadership.

• Create independent informal forums or meetups for Imams to meet and discuss these concerns further 
• Establish a National Salary Floor: The data indicates a loose “satisfaction threshold” salary at approximately £36,000 subject to regional variations and inflation. To ensure the vocation is sustainable for Imams and their families and to stop the “experience drain” (where veterans leave due to stagnant pay) and “brain drain” (talent new imams choose careers in law, tech, banking, civil service etc), Masjid committees should move away from the current £14k–£20k norm toward a professionalized pay scale that rewards experience. (inline with others – teachers, therapist, chaplains).
• Bridge the 85% Support Gap: With nearly half of the workforce reporting mental health strain and the vast majority (85%) suffering in isolation, there is an urgent need for an Independent Imam Support Service. This must be external to individual Masjid management to ensure confidentiality and trust.
• Strategic Community Planning: The strongest correlation in the report shows that professional  and strategic local planning could reduce community apathy by half. Masjids must move away from “reactive” leadership. Investment should be directed toward training Imams and committees in strategic planning & management, rather than just theological delivery.
• Evolution of Training (Beyond Theology): Current training is insufficient for modern demands. Future investment should prioritize Vocational CPD in high-stakes areas: Professional Counselling, Domestic Abuse awareness, Mental Health First Aid, and Youth Psychology.
• Formalise an “Imam’s Guild”: With 63% support, the creation of a professional body is no longer optional. A Guild is necessary to set HR standards, provide a collective voice for advocacy, and break the professional isolation that currently characterizes the role.
• Address the Full-Time Burnout Risk: Full-time Imams are significantly more at risk for mental health issues. Masjids should consider shared-responsibility models or “co-imam” structures to distribute the emotional and administrative weight of the community, which is currently over-concentrated on individuals.

Thank you for your time in reading.  We invite you to feedback via email or via a soon to be established meetup.

Authors’ note 

This exercise began organically as a simple, informal pulse check created by Imam Ashraf Dabous and shared within a private WhatsApp group of London Imams. In support of and in recognition of the potential of imams working together, Ustadh Zahed offered to leverage his experience to enhance the survey design, conduct the subsequent data analysis, and draft the final report. It is striking to note, the authors did know each other prior to this exercise, but a common goal and mutual effort has with God’s help cemented a productive working relationship to further support the collective goals of the community.

This process demonstrates a key principle: that through grassroots collaboration, we can all help to move the needle on critical issues facing the community, therefore we encourage and invite fellow members of the community to come forward with their voices, sage experience and talents for the collective benefit of us all.

Zahed Ahmed – (Imam in Enfield, Partner @ Purpose Partners) zahed.ahmed@purpose-partners.co.uk

Ashraf Dabous – Imam (Lewisham Mosque, Jazari Mosque) – ashraf@lewishamislamiccentre.com