AMOSQUEADAY #29: DARUL AMAN MOSQUE

# HISTORY :

Considered to be a landmark in the Geylang area, Darul Aman Mosque was built in 1984-1986 to replace the Aminah Mosque, which had to be demolished to make way for the redevelopment of the Kampung Ubi and Geylang Serai area. The upgraded mosque now has larger prayer areas that can accommodate 4,000 persons, 8 multi-purpose classrooms with modern teaching and learning facilities, conducive environment and audio system to support mass prayers; and better audio visual and lighting systems that enhance effective delivery of mass lectures.

The upgraded mosque still retains its original concept of the traditional Malay design roofs and a main central building that has roof beams exposed within the building (without false ceiling in the way Malay houses were built in the past). The prayer halls are located in the central building while two other smaller buildings are connected to them by link ways. This concept provides good natural ventilation and creates a spacious and cool atmosphere for the prayer halls.

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# TARAWEEH:

I decided to go to Darul Aman Mosque as I passed by it in the morning, on my way to the office, and I found its architecture lovely. It is using the old Kampong roofs in a modern way with harmonious geometrical patterns.

I like that more than the dome mosques because the dome architecture is the predominant (if not only) one in France and most Arab countries. It is deeply rooted in the culture. However, the original architecture used in the Malay world is more of this triangle rooftop. There was a discrepancy between Javaneese muslims on whether they should use Dome or triangle rooftops. The advocates of the first one claimed that this was the “true” mosque in the “true” Islam as Islam conquered the region throught the honest and friendly behaviour of Arab traders. Their opponents would rather recall that their cultural architecture is the triangle one and that it should be the one used for Mosques as well.

Of course, there is no such a thing as an Islamic architecture in the sens of one proned by the Sources. And the Mosque of the Prophet SAWS has been built very simply, without neither a dome nor a geometrical rooftop but rather the simplest straight rooftop. (1) Therefore, the expression of the different cultures throught the architecture of the most symbolic is to me a proof of God’s Greatness and a blessing for mankind:

And of His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and the diversity of your languages and your colors. Indeed in that are signs for those of knowledge.

Ar-Rum 30:22

So I felt it is a pity when I saw those retailer of aluminium domes in the countryside of Java and Sumatra. Many retailers along the street sell ready-to-use dome that you only have to carry and put on the top of your building, as a cherry on the top of a cake or a seal on an enveloppe. It is as if the building needed this dome as a certificate of its Islamic identity.

I may be going too far now 🙂

So I went to Darul Aman for the last Iftar of Ramadhan and it didn’t start as the warmest Iftar so far… When I arrived, I joined to women next to the big plate of rice we were to share. And the one besides me didn’t speak while the one in front of me kept staring at me while siping her bandung… Quite scary and awkward.

I guess this is when somebody is so intrigued and shy to talk to you. Anyway, it then became very homely. An old woman beside me would turn back a few times telling me to finish the meal, to eat meet and so on so forth. Cute intention from this old stranger.

Thank you Darul Aman, thank you Malay Mumy for making my last Iftar of Ramadhan 🙂

AMOSQUEADAY #28: KAMPONG HOLLAND MOSQUE

# HISTORY:

In the mid 1950s, Masjid Kampong Holland was a surau for the nearest village and it was next to a pig farm. The flats and restaurants around (in Holland village) were built in the 70s, at around the same time Kampong Holland Mosque was built.

The current mosque has been completed in 1974 but it remained closed as not all the construction fees had been paid back. The Mosque was then relying on donations from whorshippers to pay back the debt but it was not enough. MUIS offered a loan of $8000 but the Mosque committee was afraid not to be able to pay the loan fully backy. It appears that most mosques in SIngapore have an easy relationship with Saudi Arabia, may be because of the common British past. Kampong Holland’s committee called the council of Saudi Arabia for help and the former gave them S$15 000 for the development of the masjid in 1974.

Since then, Kampong Holland hasn’t changed most.

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# TARAWEEH:

The tiny little mosque of hte very famous and tourist-friendly Holland Village is to close by the end of the year 2013.

I am both proud and sad to have known it and discovered its atmosphere on its last Ramadhan.

(1) HDB has informed Muis that the final TOL extension for KHM is until 31 December 2013, as the mosque site will be affected by the redevelopment plans in that area together with the adjacent parcels that are being cleared as part of the Selective Enbloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS). To ensure that the religious needs of the Muslim residents in Holland Village/Buona Vista area, in particular the elderly residents, continue to be met, Muis and the KHM Management Board have explored several possibilities going forward. (1)

The 40-year-old mosque is filled with history and a very warm and authentic though simple atmosphere. Its life is fading but its most loyal visitors seems to be trying to revive it in its last breath. They were like a family who would stay next to the bedside of a critically ill member of the family. They would wait desperately, anxiously, teared between fear, love, pity and maybe a selfish impatience to put an end to their suffering and uncertainty.

The Mosque is (or was) a living body as well, a welcoming body that is so easy going that it would host and gather the whole family. After taraweeh, the whole family, old and young, boys and girls, would gather in the kitchen/living room and drink Bandung and laugh and try to forget their sadness or calling back their sweet memories.

Adieu Kampong Holland Mosque, you won’t be there anymore if I come back to your home country. But this night was wonderfully warm and I was really touched by your homely atmosphere.

AMOSQUEADAY #27: TENTERA DIRAJA MOSQUE

# HISTORY: 

Built in 1961 by Muslim members of the British army, this old generation masjid was renamed Tentera Di Raja in recognition of their contributions. Located in the West and close to the National University of Singapore, it is distinguished by its minaret topped by a gold-painted dome. With a capacity of 1000 people, its newly-set up Youth Wing whose members are mostly undergraduates has recently embarked on a tuition scheme called EMAS (English, Maths and Science) for primary six children.

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# TARAWEEH:

One great thing:

Tentera Diraja is a very paradoxical Mosque : it is both majestic and humble.

It is magestic as it sits on the top of a hill, dominating its surroundings with its golden minaret.

It is humble as it is a one floor building, quite small and made of basic material, far from the feast that adorns some mosques.

 

And for all religion We have appointed a rite [of sacrifice] that they may mention the name of Allah over what He has provided for them of [sacrificial] animals. For your god is one God, so to Him submit. And, [O Muhammad], give good tidings to the humble [before their Lord]

Who, when Allah is mentioned, their hearts are fearful, and [to] the patient over what has afflicted them, and the establishers of prayer and those who spend from what We have provided them.

And the camels and cattle We have appointed for you as among the symbols of Allah ; for you therein is good. So mention the name of Allah upon them when lined up [for sacrifice]; and when they are [lifeless] on their sides, then eat from them and feed the needy and the beggar. Thus have We subjected them to you that you may be grateful.

Their meat will not reach Allah , nor will their blood, but what reaches Him is piety from you. Thus have We subjected them to you that you may glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you; and give good tidings to the doers of good.

Sourat Al-Haj – The Pilgrimage – 22

Ayat 34-37

AMOSQUEADAY #26: DARUL GHUFRAN MOSQUE

# HISTORY: 

The mosque was completed and opened to the public on 7th December 1990.
It was officially opened by Hj Othman Harun Eusofe, Member of Parliament GRC Marine Parade on 12th July 1991 (1 Muharram 1421H). MDG was built under the Mosque Building Fund (phase 2) program, at a cost of $6.2 million ($0.6m for the land).

Darul Ghufran Mosque received the “Honourable Mention” from the 3rd Singapore Institute of Architects’ Architectural design award in 1991. At that time, all activities were carried out at a musolla which was placed adjacent to the present site.

Also known as Menara Biru (Blue Minaret) among the Tampines Residents. The Minaret stands at 10 stories high (130ft). It is Singapore’s second largest mosque with a capacity to hold 4000 people and floor area of 4,063 sq metres.

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# TARAWEEH:

One great thing:

El HamdouliLah, Darul Ghufran is the second biggest mosque in Singapore and yet, it was full and over full !  El hamdouliLah, there are many mosques in Singapore but they are all well frequented.

 

“Indeed, your Lord knows, [O Muhammad], that you stand [in prayer] almost two thirds of the night or half of it or a third of it, and [so do] a group of those with you. And Allah determines [the extent of] the night and the day. He has known that you [Muslims] will not be able to do it and has turned to you in forgiveness, so recite what is easy [for you] of the Qur’an. He has known that there will be among you those who are ill and others traveling throughout the land seeking [something] of the bounty of Allah and others fighting for the cause of Allah . So recite what is easy from it and establish prayer and give zakah and loan Allah a goodly loan. And whatever good you put forward for yourselves – you will find it with Allah . It is better and greater in reward. And seek forgiveness of Allah . Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.”

Surah Al Muzzammil – The Enshrouded One – 73

Ayat 20

AMOSQUEADAY #25: OMAR KAMPONG MELAKA

# HISTORY:

According to the Raffles Town Plan, land was set aside for Kampong Melaka or “Melaka Village” for the Muslim community. With the support of Palembang philanthropist Syed Omar bin Ali Aljunied, the beginnings of a surau or prayer house were established in 1820. The original building was a simple structure built with wooden planks and an attap roof. It served as a meeting point not only for the local Malays and Jawi-Peranakans but also early Muslim immigrants such as Arabs and Indonesians.

A new road through Kampong Melaka later increased the number of worshippers and a larger building was required. Despite being located in the middle of a large Chinese community, the mosque remained untouched during the racial riots of the 1960s. The mosque was declared a historic site on 11 November 2001.

In English, the full name of the building is often known as Omar Kampong Malacca Mosque. Variant names are due to variations in the spelling for Malacca, for example, Omar Kampong Melacca. (1)

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# TARAWEEH:

One great thing:

Really surprised by this beautiful diamond of PEACE in such a stressful environment (stressful for most of my Singaporean friends at least, I like this pressuring environment.

I knew Clark quay for the very poorly famous bridge were my friends would hang out and drink themselves to death.

I also knew Clark quay as part of the Singaporean CBD with its many headquarter offices.

The Clark quay I didn’t know was the spiritual and peaceful one, and here comes Omar Kampong Melaka Mosque ! This Mosque makes such a contrast with its environment, it links you back to nature and purity through its white buildings and brightly colorful plants.

“And it is He who sends down rain from the sky, and We produce thereby the growth of all things. We produce from it greenery from which We produce grains arranged in layers. And from the palm trees – of its emerging fruit are clusters hanging low. And [We produce] gardens of grapevines and olives and pomegranates, similar yet varied. Look at [each of] its fruit when it yields and [at] its ripening. Indeed in that are signs for a people who believe.”

Surat Al-An’am – The Cattle

Ayah 99

AMOSQUEADAY #24: AL-ISTIGHFAR MOSQUE

# HISTORY:

This three-storey mosque is one of the most recent mosques built under Phase Three of the MB programme. Completed in June 1999, it is located in the East. it can be recognized by its outstanding blue dome and modern yet Islamic architecture. The mosque, which can accommodate a congregation of 3300 people offers Madrasah and kindergarten classes. It is a hive of activities during the evening when religious classes open its doors to Muslims in the vicinity.

The design of this mosque is based on Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey. This style embodies building elements necessary for comfortable habitation in the tropics such as wide roof eaves, high ceiling promoting good cross-ventilation and sun shade moldings above windows, etc and fuses them with elements from Islamic architecture.

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# TARAWEEH: 

One great thing:

 Today we went to Istanbul !

This Mosque in the far East of Singapore calls for humbleness. I came across many reminders, I will let you discover them through the pictures.

“And remind, for indeed, the reminder benefits the believers.”

Sourat Ad-Dhariyat 51

Ayah 55

AMOSQUEADAY #23: WAK TANJONG MOSQUE

# HISTORY:

The original mosque which was wakaf by Wak Tanjong was built with wooden structures. It was subsequently rebuilt sometime during 1930s using bricks. The façade and structure of the old mosque was rebuilt under the provision of the preservation laws in 1995. In addition a two storey extension was also built adjacent to the original mosque from land that was wakaf by the family of Haji Hassan Bin Hj Thamby from Malacca.

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# TARAWEEH:

One great thing:

Before (and after) performing taraweeh prayer at Wak Tonjong, we walked along a small tiny part of the very famous Geylang market, and it looked huge !

Ramadhan is this great period of the year when families gather and share generous meals.

Ramadhan is this great period of the year when people show their love to their relatives with gifts

Ramadhan is this great period of the year when we all gather for the sake of One

Ramadhan is this great period of the year when we share and love and worship

Please don’t turn Ramadhan into a period when families split

Please don’t turn Ramadhan into a period when people waste their time and money and energy

Please don’t turn Ramadhan into a period when communication  (Salat) with Him is missed for discussion with them

Please don’t turn Ramadhan into a period when we over-shop and waste

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And yet, the mosque itself is a reminder, the cemetery of the founders inside is even more striking.

AMOSQUEADAY # 22: KHALID MOSQUE

# HISTORY:

A group of kandar peddlers selling Malay food used to rest on the site where the Khalid Mosque is now situated. The late owner of the land, Haji Abdul Khalid.bin Haji Mohamed Tyeb a philanthropist and businessman, on the suggestion of this group of peddlers agreed to turn the land into a wakaf mosque and named it Masjid Khalid.

The mosque was built in 1917 and was managed by the Muslim Trust Fund Association (MTFA) until 1968. The mosque now comes under the administrativeof the Islamic Religious Council Singapore.

The first Imam of the mosques was Almarhum Syeikh Osman bin Syaikh Omar AlGanus, an Arab from Palembang. He was also a famous Qadi (registrar of Muslim marriages) in Singapore at that time. Almarhum Syeikh Osman was also a great cook and the tradition of preparing food at the mosque still lives on today. This has made the Khalid Mosque famous for good food that is available there during occations on the Muslim calendar.

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# TARAWEEH:

One great thing:

Our stay in this mosque was very enlightening and warm.

I have broken fast a few times in Mosques so far but it was the first time I had such an authentic Iftar: sitting on the floor, sharing one single plate of briyani, eating with our hands (or rather struggling).

The atmosphere there is to the most simple, no glitters, no make up on the mosque. Just what I saw as the authentic and very warm and welcoming Malay atmosphere.

The first time I went to Khalid Mosque, I was hanging out with a German (non muslim) friend. We were walking aroung without really knowing where we were heading to. It was prayer time and we bumped into this mosque so I entered to pray. And I remember wishing that we came accross one of the many big and very modern Mosques in Singapore as this building is the “face” of Islam for a non-believer. Today I feel like we could hardly find a better reflection of the Islamic brotherhood and generosity.

Keep it up ! Keep it simple !

AMOSQUEADAY #21: AN-NUR MOSQUE

# HISTORY:

Located in the North part of the island, An-Nur is more than just a landmark in Woodlands. The masjid has created a name for its outreach programme and grassroots activities through its Qaryah (outreach) initiatives. It is also one of the masjids, which provide strong support for the kidney donation campaign. Built in 1980 under the Mosque Building fund, An-Nur can accommodate up to 2800 worshippers. There are madrasah and kindergarten classes offered at the masjid to children of the neighbouring estate.  Last updated 4 years ago

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# TARAWEEH:

One great thing:

To me, this mosque exudes light of knowledge and Islam’s peacefulness.

May be because the first time I went there, I was attending a Mufti Menk’s lecture.

Maybe because I am unconsciously influenced by the Mosque name An-Nur.

Maybe because the architect did a great great job (what I am convinced of) by letting light going out from to Mosque to enlighten the outside walls and world.

Light is such a common name in Singapore: Light of religion (Nurul Dinie), Light of Guidance (NurulHuda), Light (Nurun) and so on so forth. I guess this have to do with the local spitirual culture that Sufism impregnates or pervades. This aspect of the culture I observe may also explain the habit of making duaas (invocations) between each and every prayer of the day.

Anyway, here is a very beautiful verse full of wisdom that I would like to share with you as well as the thoughts of Tariq Ramadan, a very well known Swiss speaker in the West, Professor on Islamology at Oxford University, UK:

“Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The example of His light is like a niche within which is a lamp, the lamp is within glass, the glass as if it were a pearly [white] star lit from [the oil of] a blessed olive tree, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil would almost glow even if untouched by fire. Light upon light. Allah guides to His light whom He wills. And Allah presents examples for the people, and Allah is Knowing of all things.”

Sourat An-Nur – Chapter The Light (24)

Ayah 35 – Sign 35

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Tariq Ramadan’s comments on the verse, extracted from De l’Islam:

Deep in our heart, in the heart of our being/self, into the microcosm within us, there is a yearning that induces us to seek the Transcendent, to seek spirituality. A yearning that IS, and that we feel even before our consciousness speaks about it. The Islamic tradition reflects this dimension by Light, An-Nur, a vital breath that enlivens human beings through time and is confirmed by the holy or sacred history, this light which is actually a revelation before the Revelations. God, through the ages, sends a Revelation that comes to meet and strengthen this inner breath. Then meet two lights, the Light of the Message that comes to meet and arouse this inner breath. The Light of the first privacy comes to meet the privacy of the consciousness of the heart. In the Muslim view, the reason comes to confirm and sustain what the faith first asserted, the process is in this opposite direction: faith is the first spark and the Reason enriches it.

AMOSQUEADAY #20: AHMAD IBRAHIM MOSQUE

# HISTORY:

Ahmad Ibrahim Mosque was built in 1955 and sits on a Temporary Occupation License (TOL) land ! Singapore has a very particular way of managing lands…

It was then known as Surau Nee Soon Jalan Ulu Seletar and its first Imam was Imam Hj Katsir. In 1959, Encik Ahmad Ibrahim, Member of Parliament for Sembawang Nee Soon and Labour Minister, helped upgrade and improve the facilities of the surau. In 1961, the surau was upgraded to the status of a Masjid to meet the growing number of Muslims in the area. In a vote for a change of name for the Masjid, the name of Encik Ahmad Ibrahim was chosen to recognise his contributions to the Masjid. The first Friday prayers was held soon after in that year. Over the years, various other improvements were added to the Masjid, enhancing its capacity to around 1,000 congregators.

You would particularly appreciate the green lands (and the children play station) beside the mosque.

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# TARAWEEH:

One great thing:

Another one-floor mosque, always as causy and nice !

Having said that, let us focus on something I have noticed in many -many- mosques so far:

In a huge majority of the mosques I have visited so far, you would find a big Big Ben clock in the prayer room, facing the worshipper in prayers. I have been wondering, what is the point in putting it there ?

Are we concerned about worshippers wanting to check the time for their next appoitment when they have a meeting with God ? If we assume worshippers may need to check the time only when they are not in prayer, will it harm them to turn back to the wall behind them toward the clock ? I think the “effort” is worth it as it prevents from catching the worshippers attention through the clock.

And besides concentration, the clock reminds us of this world. It reminds of the here&now life, of the constraint of time and of immediate issues. However, prayer is a link to the Hereafter through the communication with God (Salat comes from the same root as Itisalat = communication in Arabic), the eternity of it and the ultimate Goal.

In Mekkah, they just constructed a huge hotel with a big Big Ben right in front of the Haram. Hence, a huge clock faces you while you try to dedicate your time to God, without counting it. Because love does not count the cost…