Web repost translation

Muslim Travel Guide Singapore 2026: Mosques, Hidden Prayer Rooms and Muslim Visitor Route (Part 2)



This side of the road shows the back of the mosque. The mosque has a very restrained design, using solid, low-saturation colors for the main structure. The large building behind the prayer hall is likely office space.

Inside the mosque, there are two prayer rooms, one in the front and one in the back, separated by several doors. Push open the door and you are in the inner prayer hall. There were two elderly men inside at the time, and one of them really looked a bit like Modi. They are all from Gujarat, so their strengths and regional traits are linked. It is not surprising that they look a bit alike.



Push open the door and you are in the inner prayer hall. There were two elderly men inside at the time, and one of them really looked a bit like Modi. After all, they are both Gujarati, and appearance is related to geography, so it is not strange that they look a bit alike.

There is a long flag on each side of the mihrab, one red and one green. Other mosques do not have these kinds of flags, so let us zoom in to see what is written on them. The content on both flags is basically the same. From top to bottom, it is written: Allah, Muhammad (the Prophet himself), Ali (the fourth Caliph), Fatimah (the Prophet's daughter and Ali's wife), Hasan (the eldest son of Ali and Fatimah), and Husayn (the second son of Ali and Fatimah). The red banner adds an exclamation word, 'Ya', before each name. There is similar content on the wall as well. Since I did not see any specific differences between how Shia and Sunni Muslims perform namaz during this visit to a Shia mosque, I decided to go to Iran to see for myself. That is how the later trip to Iran came about. Friends who are interested can check out my travel notes on Iranian mosques in my official WeChat account.

6. The prayer room (surau) at Singapore General Hospital (SGH).

After seeing so many mosques, let us now take a look at a prayer room. What is the difference between a prayer room and a mosque? The size of the space is secondary; indeed, generally speaking, a prayer room is smaller than a mosque. But some mosques are actually very small. From what I have seen, prayer rooms usually do not have permanent staff. People come here to pray in a group they organized themselves, or they pray alone and then leave. It is not like a mosque where there are permanent staff to call the adhan and lead the five daily prayers. Another difference is that prayer rooms are usually much simpler than mosques and lack necessary facilities. Mosques have toilets, a room for minor ablution (wudu), and a room for major ablution (ghusl). As for prayer rooms, some have toilets and an area for minor ablution. Some only have a few water taps. The prayer room I am going to talk about next is actually quite large, so you will see the difference between it and a mosque. First of all, it looks very plain, with no minaret and no sign on the door. To passersby, this place just looks like a small shed. When you enter the prayer room, there is actually a small courtyard inside. The courtyard has long tables and benches, as well as free tea. People who come to pray can sit on the benches to rest for a while and drink some water. You have to drink water in this Singapore weather. I usually do not drink much water, but I drink two bottles of mineral water a day since coming to Singapore. Inside the prayer room, I saw medical staff from the hospital coming to pray, and I even met a Singapore police officer here once. This prayer room is quite large, even bigger than some small mosques. There are many straw mats (liangxi) in the prayer room porch. When it gets crowded, people spread them out to use as prayer rugs. This shows that many people come here for Friday congregational prayers. The prayer schedule inside the room is electronic, but it might be broken because it is not showing the times. So now they are using this manual prayer schedule, where the times can be adjusted by hand.

7. The prayer room at Marina One

Marina One is a shopping mall in the CBD area near the Singapore waterfront. According to the map, there is a prayer room in this underground mall. I spent a long time looking for it on my first visit and even asked an Indian security guard at the nearby parking lot where the prayer room was. The security guard was very kind and pointed me in the right direction. The prayer room is on the B2 level, which is the first floor down. You can see the Singapore landmark, Marina Bay Sands, from the mall entrance. After going down, follow the path and you will see a round window. It looks like a laundry shop decorated to look like a washing machine. The prayer room is right next to this laundry shop. The prayer room is easy to find because it is marked with a dome and a star and crescent symbol. Open this door and you will see a small door on both the left and the right. Men go to the left and women to the right to pray separately. The prayer room is right through the door. The facilities for wudu (ablution) are very basic and only cover the essential parts, so you should still use a nearby restroom stall for a full wash. A prayer room is just what it sounds like: a small room where you can perform namaz. The facilities inside are simple, so there is no mihrab and no podium. There is no pulpit (minbar). However, this prayer room has an unexpectedly large number of books. The back is filled with all kinds of books, and there are even missionary materials. It is normal to see these in a mosque since tourists visit, but since only Muslims come to the prayer room, why are there missionary materials here? Once you leave the prayer room, this mall is no different from any other mall in Singapore. It mainly has restaurants, therapy centers, supermarkets, and similar shops. That is all for this episode, as we only covered these few places. We will continue with the rest next time.



There is a long flag on each side of the mihrab, one red and one green. Other mosques do not have these kinds of flags, so let us zoom in to see what is written on them. The content on both flags is basically the same. From top to bottom, it is written: Allah, Muhammad (the Prophet himself), Ali (the fourth Caliph), Fatimah (the Prophet's daughter and Ali's wife), Hasan (the eldest son of Ali and Fatimah), and Husayn (the second son of Ali and Fatimah). The red banner adds an exclamation word, 'Ya', before each name. There is similar content on the wall as well. Since I did not see any specific differences between how Shia and Sunni Muslims perform namaz during this visit to a Shia mosque, I decided to go to Iran to see for myself. That is how the later trip to Iran came about. Friends who are interested can check out my travel notes on Iranian mosques in my official WeChat account.

6. The prayer room (surau) at Singapore General Hospital (SGH).

After seeing so many mosques, let us now take a look at a prayer room. What is the difference between a prayer room and a mosque? The size of the space is secondary; indeed, generally speaking, a prayer room is smaller than a mosque. But some mosques are actually very small. From what I have seen, prayer rooms usually do not have permanent staff. People come here to pray in a group they organized themselves, or they pray alone and then leave. It is not like a mosque where there are permanent staff to call the adhan and lead the five daily prayers. Another difference is that prayer rooms are usually much simpler than mosques and lack necessary facilities. Mosques have toilets, a room for minor ablution (wudu), and a room for major ablution (ghusl). As for prayer rooms, some have toilets and an area for minor ablution. Some only have a few water taps. The prayer room I am going to talk about next is actually quite large, so you will see the difference between it and a mosque. First of all, it looks very plain, with no minaret and no sign on the door. To passersby, this place just looks like a small shed. When you enter the prayer room, there is actually a small courtyard inside. The courtyard has long tables and benches, as well as free tea. People who come to pray can sit on the benches to rest for a while and drink some water. You have to drink water in this Singapore weather. I usually do not drink much water, but I drink two bottles of mineral water a day since coming to Singapore. Inside the prayer room, I saw medical staff from the hospital coming to pray, and I even met a Singapore police officer here once. This prayer room is quite large, even bigger than some small mosques. There are many straw mats (liangxi) in the prayer room porch. When it gets crowded, people spread them out to use as prayer rugs. This shows that many people come here for Friday congregational prayers. The prayer schedule inside the room is electronic, but it might be broken because it is not showing the times. So now they are using this manual prayer schedule, where the times can be adjusted by hand.

7. The prayer room at Marina One

Marina One is a shopping mall in the CBD area near the Singapore waterfront. According to the map, there is a prayer room in this underground mall. I spent a long time looking for it on my first visit and even asked an Indian security guard at the nearby parking lot where the prayer room was. The security guard was very kind and pointed me in the right direction. The prayer room is on the B2 level, which is the first floor down. You can see the Singapore landmark, Marina Bay Sands, from the mall entrance. After going down, follow the path and you will see a round window. It looks like a laundry shop decorated to look like a washing machine. The prayer room is right next to this laundry shop. The prayer room is easy to find because it is marked with a dome and a star and crescent symbol. Open this door and you will see a small door on both the left and the right. Men go to the left and women to the right to pray separately. The prayer room is right through the door. The facilities for wudu (ablution) are very basic and only cover the essential parts, so you should still use a nearby restroom stall for a full wash. A prayer room is just what it sounds like: a small room where you can perform namaz. The facilities inside are simple, so there is no mihrab and no podium. There is no pulpit (minbar). However, this prayer room has an unexpectedly large number of books. The back is filled with all kinds of books, and there are even missionary materials. It is normal to see these in a mosque since tourists visit, but since only Muslims come to the prayer room, why are there missionary materials here? Once you leave the prayer room, this mall is no different from any other mall in Singapore. It mainly has restaurants, therapy centers, supermarkets, and similar shops. That is all for this episode, as we only covered these few places. We will continue with the rest next time.



There is similar content on the wall as well. Since I did not see any specific differences between how Shia and Sunni Muslims perform namaz during this visit to a Shia mosque, I decided to go to Iran to see for myself. That is how the later trip to Iran came about. Friends who are interested can check out my travel notes on Iranian mosques in my official WeChat account.

6. The prayer room (surau) at Singapore General Hospital (SGH).

We have seen so many mosques already, so now let us look at the prayer. view all

Reposted from the web

Summary: This Japan Muslim travel guide uses the author's 2024 field observations and online checks to discuss mosques, Muslims, and halal travel in Japan. It keeps the original evidence path, travel notes, and local Muslim life context.

I put this article together using what I saw with my own eyes while traveling in Japan, along with information I easily found on YouTube, Google Maps, the Google Play Store, and Google Search.

On top of that, information from domestic AI software was a big help to me.

There are a lot of pictures later on, so keep an eye on your data usage. Writing this was hard work, and I am sharing it purely out of passion, so I hope you will give it a like to encourage me.

I went to Japan in early May 2024. Before I left, I had already read several articles claiming things like "there are no Muslims in Japan" or "there are no mosques in Japan."

When I read those articles, I had big doubts about whether they were true.

Once I actually stepped onto Japanese soil, I realized those claims were very one-sided.



First, let's see if the local area is really like some videos and articles say, where there is only one mosque in all of Japan.



Just in downtown Tokyo, if you search using the keyword "mosque," a lot of red dots pop up on the map.

This is basically the distribution map of mosques in Tokyo.

Because some small prayer rooms do not show up on the map, the reality is that there are even more places to pray than what you see.

I knew there were mosques in Japan before I went, and it is not like what some articles say about there being only one or two in the whole country.

I really did not expect there to be so many.

I visited the largest one, which is right in Yoyogi.

It is not just a mosque, but also a Turkish cultural center with a small museum next door.

There is a supermarket on the first floor that specializes in halal food.

Nearby, there are also classrooms where Muslim children learn basic religious knowledge.





The interior view of Yoyogi Mosque.

Later, I went to the Japan Islamic Cultural Center in Gotanda, which looks much simpler, as space is very expensive in a big city.

The prayer hall is upstairs, and the cafeteria is downstairs.





I remember an article I read before saying that Japan bans the sale of any Islamic books.

But on the fourth day of my trip, on the way to the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, I passed a fairly large bookstore.

I felt like going in for a look, and this was the first large or medium-sized bookstore I entered in Japan.

As it turned out, I saw this on the shelf for religious books:



The books marked inside the green circles are about Islam.

Of course, there are definitely more books on Buddhism by comparison.

Now let's use the internet to check if the Japanese government really stops people from learning about Islam.

We open the Google Play Store and search using the Japanese word for Islam, "isurāmu," to see if Japanese people can read e-books on the topic.





These are all things that ordinary Japanese citizens can buy easily, and many are even free.

Don't want to read? No problem, there are videos to watch on YouTube.

There are local Japanese Muslim scholars who explain Islamic knowledge on YouTube:





After that, I set off for Shizuoka City to see Mount Fuji, where there are usually fewer Muslims in smaller cities like this.

I searched and, sure enough, there is only one mosque there.



However, the Shizuoka Mosque is quite large and has a wide open space.

If you search for "eid" (the Arabic word for festivals, specifically referring to Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha) plus "Shizuoka" on YouTube, you can see videos of the Eid celebrations filmed there.



Next, I went to Osaka and Kyoto. Osaka is also a big city, so it has a few more mosques.

Back home, I only heard that Tokyo had mosques and that there was one in Kobe.

To my surprise, I found that other cities actually have quite a few mosques too.



Kyoto has fewer mosques, which makes sense since the city is full of traditional houses and Buddhist temples.

Even so, there are still mosques there.



Before heading back to China, I returned to Tokyo on a Friday.

That was when I visited the Islamic cultural exchange center I mentioned earlier.

As is the custom, the imam gives a speech on Fridays.

The imam gives his speech in Japanese first, then explains it briefly in English.

Some might worry that Imam Sato speaks difficult Japanese-style English, but honestly, it sounds quite smooth.

Why use English?

Because most of the Muslims attending namaz in Japan are foreigners.

There are foreign workers here, as well as foreign tourists like me whose Japanese isn't very good.

Are there any native Japanese Muslims?

Of course there are, but native Japanese Muslims only make up a small portion.

So if you only speak in Japanese, many people won't understand.

I met several Japanese Muslims at the time.

I stared at them, wondering: is there any difference between them and ordinary Japanese people on the street?

If you met them on the road, I bet no one would guess they are Muslims:



Except for one person from Indonesia, everyone in this photo is a native Japanese Muslim.

Finally, I went to the Yoyogi Mosque one more time.

I happened to catch a young Japanese man and woman officially converting to Islam in front of an imam.

As I mentioned before, that mosque is a Turkish cultural center funded by the Turkish government.

There is an imam who only speaks Turkish and does not speak Japanese.

He had an interpreter next to him to help pass on his message.

I watched two young people finish their conversion ceremony right there.

There was also an older imam who seemed to be fluent in both Turkish and Japanese.

He is likely the one in charge of the Friday Jumu'ah sermon at Yoyogi Mosque.

I bought a round-trip ticket, and I chose Tokyo Narita Airport as my departure point.

So, I had to go back to Narita Airport in the end.



There are two prayer rooms set up at the check-in area of Narita Airport.

These prayer rooms are not just for Muslims, but we can take a look at the facilities inside.



At the entrance, there is a place to perform wudu before prayer, with a small stool and even tissues provided.



Inside, there are movable tables, chairs, and carpets, which make it much easier for Muslims to pray.

Actually, all the information mentioned above can be verified.

Most people traveling to Japan probably would not think to visit a mosque at all.

But if you have ever stepped into a convenience store, you have surely seen many brown-skinned young men, right?

Most of them come from Bangladesh.



Bangladesh is a South Asian country and also a nation with a large population.

It has very close historical ties with India and Pakistan.

So, what is the mainstream religion in Bangladesh? I looked it up using DeepSeek:



Japan currently faces a very serious aging population problem, and the labor market is in urgent need of workers from various countries.

When it comes to hiring, they really do not have much room to be picky.

Therefore, it is unrealistic to completely shut out Muslim labor.

Moreover, Japan is a major tourism destination that welcomes a massive number of foreign visitors every year.

Turning away all Muslim tourists is clearly not possible.

The number of mosques in Japan is actually quite high now.

This is especially notable considering Japan's first mosque was not built until 1935.

In less than a hundred years, the number has grown significantly; you can count the red dots on the map yourself.

Keep in mind that the entire city of Shanghai only has seven mosques, including the Songjiang Mosque and the Jinshan Mosque.

Besides Tokyo and Osaka, Nagoya is the only other major city in Japan worth mentioning.

Let's look at the general distribution and number of mosques in Nagoya.



Now, let me show you what the mosques in Nagoya look like.



Google Maps has real-life photos where you can click the arrows to see different angles.

As you can see, this mosque is actually a converted small building of the type people build themselves in Japan.

After looking at the big cities, let's check out a more remote part of Japan—Hokkaido.



In my mind, this place is always covered in snow and has a very cold climate.

Yet even in a place like this, there are already mosques.

Let's take a look at a mosque in Sapporo, Hokkaido.



I have seen Hokkaido, the northernmost part of Japan, but what about the Ryukyu Islands, which are far south and quite a distance from the mainland?

This place used to be the Ryukyu Kingdom, and it still keeps its very distinct character today.



There are very few mosques here, but the population is small and the area is tiny anyway.

On a map, the Okinawa Islands look like just a few small dots, almost invisible.



You can compare them: the circle above shows Kyushu Island, and the oval below shows the main island of Okinawa.

One look at the comparison shows that Okinawa is really, really small.

It is such a small place, and it is much further from the Japanese mainland than Japan is from Jeju Island in South Korea.

Even so, there is still a mosque there.

That is enough about the mosque for now, so let us look at the next part:

Japan bans all Arabic language education, and Japanese educational institutions are not allowed to teach Arabic.

Is this claim reliable? Let us look into it together.

Waseda University is probably one of the most familiar Japanese universities to Chinese people.

Haruki Murakami is a graduate of this school.

This university offers courses in Middle Eastern and Islamic studies.

Here is the proof, a screenshot from their official website.





A simple translation of the English inside the red box is:

In short, students can study Arabic here during their undergraduate years.

They also have the chance to learn other Middle Eastern languages, such as Persian and Turkish.

Now we understand that Japanese universities do teach Arabic.

Let's see what other universities are doing.

Kyoto University also has a center for Islamic area studies, as shown in the image below:



Let's look at another one, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies:



This is a higher education institution that specializes in foreign languages, and it has an Arabic major.

Let's look at the official website's brief introduction to this major.



Here is a simple translation of the key points (I was too lazy to translate it myself, so I just threw it at an AI).



What about Japan's top university, the University of Tokyo (also known as Todai)?



Todai also has an Islamic studies department. Let's look at the summary:



The text in the red box basically says: To help researchers accurately understand Islamic civilization, Todai teaches them relevant languages, including Arabic.

After checking the information myself, I found that the claim that "no educational institution in Japan offers Arabic education" simply doesn't hold up.

I have also seen a claim elsewhere that Japan has no halal restaurants and that you cannot buy halal food at all.

Is that true? Let's search and see.





I searched in Tokyo again. I searched twice, and the results were slightly different each time.

I also found some restaurants on the "Japan Muslim Service Network" that you can find on Google.

I took a few screenshots, and here is a simple translation:





You can find halal versions of both international flavors and traditional Japanese cuisine.

You might be curious about what the symbol in the red circle means.

I looked it up, and it means the shop has a prayer room.

My earlier analysis was right: just searching for a mosque will make you miss many of these small prayer rooms inside shops.

So, there are likely even more places to pray than what we can see. view all

Reposted from the web

Summary: This Singapore Muslim travel guide is a full route through the city's mosques and hidden prayer rooms. It keeps the original table of contents, site-by-site order, mosque names, prayer-room details, and Muslim visitor notes.

Table of Contents:

1. Sultan Mosque

2. Malabar Mosque

3. Al-Abrar Mosque

4. Angullia Mosque

5. Burhani Mosque, the only Shia mosque in Singapore (Masjid Al Burhani)

6. Prayer room at Singapore General Hospital

7. Prayer room at Marina One shopping mall

(Content below to be updated)

8. Jamae Mosque, which features minarets in a South Indian style.

9. The South Indian gongbei of Singapore, Nagore Dargah.

10. Al-Abrar Mosque.

11. Underground Mosque.

12. Omar Kampong Melaka Mosque, the oldest mosque in Singapore.

13. Al-Amin Mosque.

14. Temenggong Mosque.

15. Sentosa prayer room.

16. Singapore Islamic Centre Mosque.

17. Islamic Religious Council of Singapore.

18. Tomb of Habib Nuh (Habib Nuh Lingmu)

19. Haji Muhammad Salleh Mosque

20. Hajjah Fatimah Mosque

21. Changi Airport Prayer Room

1. Sultan Mosque

I took a taxi from Changi Airport, and the driver was an elderly Chinese gentleman. We mostly spoke in English. He could speak Mandarin, but he kept switching back to English out of habit. After getting off at Bugis, I realized it was very close to Arab Street, less than a five-minute walk away. It was December, and the street wasn't as hot as I had imagined. The buildings along the street looked very clean, and they often had one or two floors in the middle left open for planting trees.

There is a large mosque on Arab Street, which is likely the most famous mosque in Singapore. Many people visiting Singapore make sure to stop by this mosque. This mosque is called Sultan Mosque. The main prayer hall has two golden domes that look very bold and eye-catching.



What you see from this side of the road is actually the mihrab area of the mosque; you have to enter through the small alley on the side to reach the main entrance. There are many halal restaurants and souvenir shops in that alley, showing that there are a lot of tourists here. Following this path leads you to the front gate of the mosque. There is a special tourist route starting from the front gate that lets you enter the main prayer hall for a visit.



The space inside the mosque is very large. The ceiling of the main prayer hall is very high. It was likely built this way to help with heat dissipation since keeping the room warm is not a concern.



The second floor seems to be the women's prayer area, so I did not go up there.

Let me show you the mosque's mihrab niche and minbar pulpit. They are crafted beautifully with both calligraphy and floral patterns, giving them a strong Southeast Asian feel. If you want to see more details, you can check out the post I shared previously about the Sultan Mosque. This mosque is one of the older ones in Singapore. It started as a simple place of worship built by the Sultan of Johor in 1824 for local Muslims, and it was later expanded to its current size. The current building uses Indo-Saracenic style, which you can also see in India and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I will share more related content with you in the future.

2. Malabar Mosque

This mosque is very close to the Sultan Mosque, just a few steps away. It is right by the side of the road and very easy to spot, so you will definitely see it when you pass by. Founded in 1963, Malabar Mosque is a mosque for the Malabar Muslim community, though Muslims from other backgrounds are of course welcome to pray there too. There is an information board near the entrance that explains the history of the mosque and shows old photos taken in 1960. Looking at the old photos, the Malabar Mosque did not have its blue tiles back then. The word Malabar comes from a Muslim community in the Kerala state of southern India. Many people know there are many Muslims in northern India, but there are actually many in southern India as well. Muslims in Kerala existed even before the establishment of northern Indian Muslim regimes like the Delhi Sultanate, which later became the Mughal Empire. On the outer wall of the mosque, you can see a commemorative plaque with gold-rimmed tiles stating that this is a mosque for the Malabar Muslim community, officially opened by Yusof bin Ishak. This Yusof was the first president of Singapore, and his portrait is the one printed on Singaporean banknotes today. Let us take a look inside the mosque. This mosque is much smaller than the Sultan Mosque we just visited, and the interior is much simpler. However, the basic layout of the prayer hall is similar, and there is also a women's prayer area upstairs. Judging by their features and skin tone, most people coming here to pray look like they are of South Asian descent.

3. Al-Abrar Mosque

Abdul Gafoor Mosque is located in the Little India neighborhood of Singapore. Many Indian people live in this area, which has a South Indian-style Hindu mosque as well as other religious buildings, such as this mosque. Of course, the local term for it is mosque (huijiaotang). This mosque is colored white and green, and you can see a sun design wrapping around a star and crescent in the center of the main gate lintel. The sun has 25 rays, and if you look closely, each ray is actually the name of a prophet. There are 25 prophets mentioned in the Quran, including Adam (Adan), Noah (Nuh), Abraham (Ibrahim), Moses (Musa), Jesus (Isa), and Muhammad. The prayer hall is not large, but it is very delicate, and the pillars are shaped like matcha-flavored twisted dough sticks (mahua). Also, the central courtyard allows light to reach the basement. There is a prayer area underground as well. Take a look, the pillars in the basement also have this twisted dough stick shape.



Let me show you the mosque's mihrab niche and minbar pulpit. It is beautifully made, featuring not just calligraphy but also floral patterns, giving it a real Southeast Asian feel. If you want to see more details, check out my previous post about the Sultan Mosque. This mosque is one of the older ones in Singapore. The Sultan of Johor first built a simple place of worship here in 1824 for local Muslims to use, and it was later expanded to its current size. The current building uses Indo-Saracenic style. You can see similar mosques in India and in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I will share more updates with you later.

2. Malabar Mosque

This mosque is very close to the Sultan Mosque. It is just a few steps away and sits right by the road, so it is very easy to spot. I am sure you will see it if you pass by. The Malabar Mosque was established in 1963. It is a mosque for the Malabar Muslim community, but Muslims from other ethnic groups are of course welcome to pray there too. There is an information board near the entrance where you can learn about the history of the mosque. You can also see a photo taken in 1960, which shows that the Malabar Mosque did not have its blue tiles back then. The word Malabar comes from a Muslim ethnic group in the state of Kerala in southern India. Many people know that there are many Muslims in North India, but there are actually many in South India as well. The Muslims of Kerala existed even before North Indian Muslim regimes like the Delhi Sultanate (and later the Mughal Empire) were established. On the outer wall of the mosque, you can still see a commemorative plaque edged with gold tiles. It states that this is a mosque for the Malabar Muslim community, officially opened by Yusof bin Ishak. This Yusof was Singapore's first president, and he is the person featured on current Singaporean banknotes. Let's look inside the mosque. It is much smaller than the Sultan Mosque we just visited, and the interior is quite a bit simpler. However, the basic layout of the prayer hall is similar, with the upstairs area also reserved for women. Judging by their features and skin tone, most of the people coming to this mosque for namaz appear to be from South Asia.

3. Al-Abrar Mosque

Abdul Gafoor Mosque is in Singapore's Little India neighborhood. Many Indian people live in this area, which is home to a South Indian-style Hindu mosque as well as buildings for other religions, such as this mosque. Of course, the local term used here is mosque (huijiaotang). The mosque is painted in white and green, and in the center of the main gate's lintel, you can see a sun design surrounding a star and crescent. The sun has 25 rays. If you look closely, each ray represents the name of a prophet. There are 25 prophets mentioned in the Quran, including Adam (Adan), Noah (Nuha), Abraham (Ibrahim), Moses (Musa), Jesus (Isa), and Muhammad. The prayer hall is small but very delicate, and the pillars look just like matcha-flavored twisted dough sticks (mahua). The central courtyard also lets light shine down into the basement. There is a prayer area underground as well. Notice that the basement pillars also have this twisted rope design.





If you want to see more details, check out my previous post about the Sultan Mosque. This mosque is one of the older ones in Singapore. The Sultan of Johor first built a simple place of worship here in 1824 for local Muslims to use, and it was later expanded to its current size. The current building uses Indo-Saracenic style. You can see similar mosques in India and in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I will share more updates with you later.

2. Malabar Mosque

This mosque is very close to the Sultan Mosque. It is just a few steps away and sits right by the road, so it is very easy to spot. I am sure you will see it if you pass by. The Malabar Mosque was established in 1963. It is a mosque for the Malabar Muslim community, but Muslims from other ethnic groups are of course welcome to pray there too. There is an information board near the entrance where you can learn about the history of the mosque. You can also see a photo taken in 1960, which shows that the Malabar Mosque did not have its blue tiles back then. The word Malabar comes from a Muslim ethnic group in the state of Kerala in southern India. Many people know that there are many Muslims in North India, but there are actually many in South India as well. The Muslims of Kerala existed even before North Indian Muslim regimes like the Delhi Sultanate (and later the Mughal Empire) were established. On the outer wall of the mosque, you can still see a commemorative plaque edged with gold tiles. It states that this is a mosque for the Malabar Muslim community, officially opened by Yusof bin Ishak. This Yusof was Singapore's first president, and he is the person featured on current Singaporean banknotes. Let's look inside the mosque. It is much smaller than the Sultan Mosque we just visited, and the interior is quite a bit simpler. However, the basic layout of the prayer hall is similar, with the upstairs area also reserved for women. Judging by their features and skin tone, most of the people coming to this mosque for namaz appear to be from South Asia.

3. Al-Abrar Mosque

Abdul Gafoor Mosque is in Singapore's Little India neighborhood. Many Indian people live in this area, which is home to a South Indian-style Hindu mosque as well as buildings for other religions, such as this mosque. Of course, the local term used here is mosque (huijiaotang). The mosque is painted in white and green, and in the center of the main gate's lintel, you can see a sun design surrounding a star and crescent. The sun has 25 rays. If you look closely, each ray represents the name of a prophet. There are 25 prophets mentioned in the Quran, including Adam (Adan), Noah (Nuha), Abraham (Ibrahim), Moses (Musa), Jesus (Isa), and Muhammad. The prayer hall is small but very delicate, and the pillars look just like matcha-flavored twisted dough sticks (mahua). The central courtyard also lets light shine down into the basement. There is a prayer area underground as well. Notice that the basement pillars also have this twisted rope design.



There is an information board near the entrance where you can learn about the history of the mosque. You can also see a photo taken in 1960, which shows that the Malabar Mosque did not have its blue tiles back then. The word Malabar comes from a Muslim ethnic group in the state of Kerala in southern India. Many people know that there are many Muslims in North India, but there are actually many in South India as well. The Muslims of Kerala existed even before North Indian Muslim regimes like the Delhi Sultanate (and later the Mughal Empire) were established. On the outer wall of the mosque, you can still see a commemorative plaque edged with gold tiles. It states that this is a mosque for the Malabar Muslim community, officially opened by Yusof bin Ishak. This Yusof was Singapore's first president, and he is the person featured on current Singaporean banknotes. Let's look inside the mosque. It is much smaller than the Sultan Mosque we just visited, and the interior is quite a bit simpler. However, the basic layout of the prayer hall is similar, with the upstairs area also reserved for women. Judging by their features and skin tone, most of the people coming to this mosque for namaz appear to be from South Asia.

3. Al-Abrar Mosque

Abdul Gafoor Mosque is in Singapore's Little India neighborhood. Many Indian people live in this area, which is home to a South Indian-style Hindu mosque as well as buildings for other religions, such as this mosque. Of course, the local term used here is mosque (huijiaotang). The mosque is painted in white and green, and in the center of the main gate's lintel, you can see a sun design surrounding a star and crescent. The sun has 25 rays. If you look closely, each ray represents the name of a prophet. There are 25 prophets mentioned in the Quran, including Adam (Adan), Noah (Nuha), Abraham (Ibrahim), Moses (Musa), Jesus (Isa), and Muhammad. The prayer hall is small but very delicate, and the pillars look just like matcha-flavored twisted dough sticks (mahua). The central courtyard also lets light shine down into the basement. There is a prayer area underground as well. Notice that the basement pillars also have this twisted rope design.



On the outer wall of the mosque, you can still see a commemorative plaque edged with gold tiles. It states that this is a mosque for the Malabar Muslim community, officially opened by Yusof bin Ishak. This Yusof was Singapore's first president, and he is the person featured on current Singaporean banknotes.

Let's look inside the mosque. It is much smaller than the Sultan Mosque we just visited, and the interior is quite a bit simpler. However, the basic layout of the prayer hall is similar, with the upstairs area also reserved for women. Judging by their features and skin tone, most of the people coming to this mosque for namaz appear to be from South Asia.

3. Al-Abrar Mosque

Abdul Gafoor Mosque is in Singapore's Little India neighborhood. Many Indian people live in this area, which is home to a South Indian-style Hindu mosque as well as buildings for other religions, such as this mosque. Of course, the local term used here is mosque (huijiaotang). The mosque is painted in white and green, and in the center of the main gate's lintel, you can see a sun design surrounding a star and crescent. The sun has 25 rays. If you look closely, each ray represents the name of a prophet. There are 25 prophets mentioned in the Quran, including Adam (Adan), Noah (Nuha), Abraham (Ibrahim), Moses (Musa), Jesus (Isa), and Muhammad. The prayer hall is small but very delicate, and the pillars look just like matcha-flavored twisted dough sticks (mahua). The central courtyard also lets light shine down into the basement. There is a prayer area underground as well. Notice that the basement pillars also have this twisted rope design.



Let's look inside the mosque. It is much smaller than the Sultan Mosque we just visited, and the interior is quite a bit simpler. However, the basic layout of the prayer hall is similar, with the upstairs area also reserved for women. Judging by their features and skin tone, most of the people coming to this mosque for namaz appear to be from South Asia.

3. Al-Abrar Mosque

Abdul Gafoor Mosque is in Singapore's Little India neighborhood. Many Indian people live in this area, which is home to a South Indian-style Hindu mosque as well as buildings for other religions, such as this mosque. Of course, the local term used here is mosque (huijiaotang). The mosque is painted in white and green, and in the center of the main gate's lintel, you can see a sun design surrounding a star and crescent. The sun has 25 rays. If you look closely, each ray represents the name of a prophet. There are 25 prophets mentioned in the Quran, including Adam (Adan), Noah (Nuha), Abraham (Ibrahim), Moses (Musa), Jesus (Isa), and Muhammad. The prayer hall is small but very delicate, and the pillars look just like matcha-flavored twisted dough sticks (mahua). The central courtyard also lets light shine down into the basement. There is a prayer area underground as well. Notice that the basement pillars also have this twisted rope design.



3. Al-Abrar Mosque

Abdul Gafoor Mosque is in Singapore's Little India neighborhood. Many Indian people live in this area, which is home to a South Indian-style Hindu mosque as well as buildings for other religions, such as this mosque. Of course, the local term used here is mosque (huijiaotang).

The mosque is painted in white and green, and in the center of the main gate's lintel, you can see a sun design surrounding a star and crescent. The sun has 25 rays. If you look closely, each ray represents the name of a prophet. There are 25 prophets mentioned in the Quran, including Adam (Adan), Noah (Nuha), Abraham (Ibrahim), Moses (Musa), Jesus (Isa), and Muhammad. The prayer hall is small but very delicate, and the pillars look just like matcha-flavored twisted dough sticks (mahua). The central courtyard also lets light shine down into the basement. There is a prayer area underground as well. Notice that the basement pillars also have this twisted rope design.



The mosque is painted in white and green, and in the center of the main gate's lintel, you can see a sun design surrounding a star and crescent. The sun has 25 rays. If you look closely, each ray represents the name of a prophet. There are 25 prophets mentioned in the Quran, including Adam (Adan), Noah (Nuha), Abraham (Ibrahim), Moses (Musa), Jesus (Isa), and Muhammad.

The prayer hall is small but very delicate, and the pillars look just like matcha-flavored twisted dough sticks (mahua). The central courtyard also lets light shine down into the basement. There is a prayer area underground as well. Notice that the basement pillars also have this twisted rope design.



The prayer hall is small but very delicate, and the pillars look just like matcha-flavored twisted dough sticks (mahua). The central courtyard also lets light shine down into the basement. There is a prayer area underground as well. Notice that the basement pillars also have this twisted rope design.



Beyond its unique architecture, a highlight of this mosque is that it was founded by an Indian. Inside the mosque, you will find Arabic, the universal language of Islam, English for tourists, and also Tamil. This is a South Indian language, primarily spoken in the state of Tamil Nadu in southern India. The Singapore MRT also uses this language for announcements, usually as the final language played. The picture below shows the prayer times in Tamil displayed on a screen inside the prayer hall. The surprises at this small mosque do not end there; it even has a small museum. The guide is an older Tamil Indian man who works at the mosque. He speaks Tamil, a language with a very fast speaking pace. Because of this, he also speaks English at a very high speed. The mosque houses fragments of handwritten Quran manuscripts and a Chinese translation of the Quran by Mr. Ma Jian. On the wall, there is an interactive display of the 99 Names of Allah. The front features Arabic calligraphy of the names, and the back shows the English translation. Interested friends can search my homepage for the post about Abdul Gafoor Mosque.

4. Angullia Mosque

Angullia Mosque was built by the Angullia family, a family that has also built mosques in Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and India. They come from Gujarat, India, which is Modi's hometown. Their family is good at business, so they travel everywhere to trade. This Nagore Dargah Mosque (Anguliya Mosque) is the one they built in Singapore. The color scheme reminds people of the red sandstone often used in Indian architecture. The prayer area inside the mosque has two floors, and the second floor is about half the length of the first. There is a small transparent dome above the mihrab that lets light in. I found a Quran translated into Bengali in the mosque. Bangladesh is also a Muslim country, where over 90 percent of the population is Muslim. Bengali uses the Bengali script. Seeing this Brahmic script used for the Quran really reminded me of the scriptures of another religion. The presence of a Bengali Quran in the mosque shows that many Bengali people come here to pray. The mosque's courtyard is very small, but they still managed to set up an exhibition area. It displays meaningful items used by the mosque in the past, such as bricks from when the old mosque was built and pots used for cooking porridge. They did not waste the mosque's outer walls either. They posted a brief introduction to the Anguliya family on the walls, along with photos of mosques their family built in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and other places. (I didn't expect to see that they even have them in the Philippines.)

5. Burhani Mosque (the only Shia mosque in Singapore)

At the Abdul Gafoor Mosque mentioned earlier, a Tamil guide told me that Singapore has a Shia mosque. I was immediately interested because I had never been to a Shia mosque in my life. I used to think you could only see Shia mosques in Iran or Iraq, so I was surprised to find one in Singapore. On second thought, it makes sense. Thailand has Shia Muslims, and since Singapore is a global crossroads, it is not strange to find them here too. There is an information board behind the mosque. It says this mosque was built by merchants from Gujarat, India. That is right, Gujarati merchants again. This side of the road shows the back of the mosque. The mosque has a very restrained design, using solid, low-saturation colors for the main structure. The large building behind the prayer hall is likely office space. Inside the mosque, there are two prayer rooms, one in the front and one in the back, separated by several doors. Push open the door and you are in the inner prayer hall. There were two elderly men inside at the time, and one of them really looked a bit like Modi. After all, they are both Gujarati, and appearance is related to geography, so it is not strange that they look a bit alike. There is a long flag on each side of the mihrab, one red and one green. Other mosques do not have these kinds of flags, so let us zoom in to see what is written on them. The content on both flags is basically the same. From top to bottom, it is written: Allah, Muhammad (the Prophet himself), Ali (the fourth Caliph), Fatimah (the Prophet's daughter and Ali's wife), Hasan (the eldest son of Ali and Fatimah), and Husayn (the second son of Ali and Fatimah). The red banner adds an exclamation word, 'Ya', before each name. There is similar content on the wall as well. Since I did not see any specific differences between how Shia and Sunni Muslims perform namaz during this visit to a Shia mosque, I decided to go to Iran to see for myself. That is how the later trip to Iran came about. Friends who are interested can check out my travel notes on Iranian mosques in my official WeChat account.

6. The prayer room (surau) at Singapore General Hospital (SGH).

After seeing so many mosques, let us now take a look at a prayer room. What is the difference between a prayer room and a mosque? The size of the space is secondary; indeed, generally speaking, a prayer room is smaller than a mosque. But some mosques are actually very small. From what I have seen, prayer rooms usually do not have permanent staff. People come here to pray in a group they organized themselves, or they pray alone and then leave. It is not like a mosque where there are permanent staff to call the adhan and lead the five daily prayers. Another difference is that prayer rooms are usually much simpler than mosques and lack necessary facilities. Mosques have toilets, a room for minor ablution (wudu), and a room for major ablution (ghusl). As for prayer rooms, some have toilets and an area for minor ablution. Some only have a few water taps. The prayer room I am going to talk about next is actually quite large, so you will see the difference between it and a mosque. First of all, it looks very plain, with no minaret and no sign on the door. To passersby, this place just looks like a small shed. When you enter the prayer room, there is actually a small courtyard inside. The courtyard has long tables and benches, as well as free tea. People who come to pray can sit on the benches to rest for a while and drink some water. You have to drink water in this Singapore weather. I usually do not drink much water, but I drink two bottles of mineral water a day since coming to Singapore. Inside the prayer room, I saw medical staff from the hospital coming to pray, and I even met a Singapore police officer here once. This prayer room is quite large, even bigger than some small mosques. There are many straw mats (liangxi) in the prayer room porch. When it gets crowded, people spread them out to use as prayer rugs. This shows that many people come here for Friday congregational prayers. The prayer schedule inside the room is electronic, but it might be broken because it is not showing the times. So now they are using this manual prayer schedule, where the times can be adjusted by hand.

7. The prayer room at Marina One

Marina One is a shopping mall in the CBD area near the Singapore waterfront. According to the map, there is a prayer room in this underground mall. I spent a long time looking for it on my first visit and even asked an Indian security guard at the nearby parking lot where the prayer room was. The security guard was very kind and pointed me in the right direction. The prayer room is on the B2 level, which is the first floor down. You can see the Singapore landmark, Marina Bay Sands, from the mall entrance. After going down, follow the path and you will see a round window. It looks like a laundry shop decorated to look like a washing machine. The prayer room is right next to this laundry shop. The prayer room is easy to find because it is marked with a dome and a star and crescent symbol. Open this door and you will see a small door on both the left and the right. Men go to the left and women to the right to pray separately. The prayer room is right through the door. The facilities for wudu (ablution) are very basic and only cover the essential parts, so you should still use a nearby restroom stall for a full wash. A prayer room is just what it sounds like: a small room where you can perform namaz. The facilities inside are simple, so there is no mihrab and no podium. There is no minbar chair. However, this prayer room has an unexpectedly large number of books. The back is filled with all kinds of books, and there are even missionary materials. It is normal to see these in a mosque since tourists visit, but since only Muslims come to the prayer room, why are there missionary materials here? Once you leave the prayer room, this mall is no different from any other mall in Singapore. It mainly has restaurants, therapy centers, supermarkets, and similar shops. That is all for this episode, as we only covered these few places. We will continue with the rest next time.



The surprises at this small mosque do not end there; it even has a small museum. The guide is an older Tamil Indian man who works at the mosque. He speaks Tamil, a language with a very fast speaking pace. Because of this, he also speaks English at a very high speed.

The mosque houses fragments of handwritten Quran manuscripts and a Chinese translation of the Quran by Mr. Ma Jian. On the wall, there is an interactive display of the 99 Names of Allah. The front features Arabic calligraphy of the names, and the back shows the English translation. Interested friends can search my homepage for the post about Abdul Gafoor Mosque.

4. Angullia Mosque

Angullia Mosque was built by the Angullia family, a family that has also built mosques in Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and India. They come from Gujarat, India, which is Modi's hometown. Their family is good at business, so they travel everywhere to trade. This Nagore Dargah Mosque (Anguliya Mosque) is the one they built in Singapore. The color scheme reminds people of the red sandstone often used in Indian architecture.

The prayer area inside the mosque has two floors, and the second floor is about half the length of the first. There is a small transparent dome above the mihrab that lets light in. I found a Quran translated into Bengali in the mosque. Bangladesh is also a Muslim country, where over 90 percent of the population is Muslim. Bengali uses the Bengali script. Seeing this Brahmic script used for the Quran really reminded me of the scriptures of another religion. The presence of a Bengali Quran in the mosque shows that many Bengali people come here to pray. The mosque's courtyard is very small, but they still managed to set up an exhibition area. It displays meaningful items used by the mosque in the past, such as bricks from when the old mosque was built and pots used for cooking porridge. They did not waste the mosque's outer walls either. They posted a brief introduction to the Anguliya family on the walls, along with photos of mosques their family built in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and other places. (I didn't expect to see that they even have them in the Philippines.)

5. Burhani Mosque (the only Shia mosque in Singapore)

At the Abdul Gafoor Mosque mentioned earlier, a Tamil guide told me that Singapore has a Shia mosque. I was immediately interested because I had never been to a Shia mosque in my life. I used to think you could only see Shia mosques in Iran or Iraq, so I was surprised to find one in Singapore. On second thought, it makes sense. Thailand has Shia Muslims, and since Singapore is a global crossroads, it is not strange to find them here too. There is an information board behind the mosque. It says this mosque was built by merchants from Gujarat, India. That is right, Gujarati merchants again. This side of the road shows the back of the mosque. The mosque has a very restrained design, using solid, low-saturation colors for the main structure. The large building behind the prayer hall is likely office space. Inside the mosque, there are two prayer rooms, one in the front and one in the back, separated by several doors. Push open the door and you are in the inner prayer hall. There were two elderly men inside at the time, and one of them really looked a bit like Modi. After all, they are both Gujarati, and appearance is related to geography, so it is not strange that they look a bit alike. There is a long flag on each side of the mihrab, one red and one green. Other mosques do not have these kinds of flags, so let us zoom in to see what is written on them. The content on both flags is basically the same. From top to bottom, it is written: Allah, Muhammad (the Prophet himself), Ali (the fourth Caliph), Fatimah (the Prophet's daughter and Ali's wife), Hasan (the eldest son of Ali and Fatimah), and Husayn (the second son of Ali and Fatimah). The red banner adds an exclamation word, 'Ya', before each name. There is similar content on the wall as well. Since I did not see any specific differences between how Shia and Sunni Muslims perform namaz during this visit to a Shia mosque, I decided to go to Iran to see for myself. That is how the later trip to Iran came about. Friends who are interested can check out my travel notes on Iranian mosques in my official WeChat account.

6. The prayer room (surau) at Singapore General Hospital (SGH).

After seeing so many mosques, let us now take a look at a prayer room. What is the difference between a prayer room and a mosque? The size of the space is secondary; indeed, generally speaking, a prayer room is smaller than a mosque. But some mosques are actually very small. From what I have seen, prayer rooms usually do not have permanent staff. People come here to pray in a group they organized themselves, or they pray alone and then leave. It is not like a mosque where there are permanent staff to call the adhan and lead the five daily prayers. Another difference is that prayer rooms are usually much simpler than mosques and lack necessary facilities. Mosques have toilets, a room for minor ablution (wudu), and a room for major ablution (ghusl). As for prayer rooms, some have toilets and an area for minor ablution. Some only have a few water taps. The prayer room I am going to talk about next is actually quite large, so you will see the difference between it and a mosque. First of all, it looks very plain, with no minaret and no sign on the door. To passersby, this place just looks like a small shed. When you enter the prayer room, there is actually a small courtyard inside. The courtyard has long tables and benches, as well as free tea. People who come to pray can sit on the benches to rest for a while and drink some water. You have to drink water in this Singapore weather. I usually do not drink much water, but I drink two bottles of mineral water a day since coming to Singapore. Inside the prayer room, I saw medical staff from the hospital coming to pray, and I even met a Singapore police officer here once. This prayer room is quite large, even bigger than some small mosques. There are many straw mats (liangxi) in the prayer room porch. When it gets crowded, people spread them out to use as prayer rugs. This shows that many people come here for Friday congregational prayers. The prayer schedule inside the room is electronic, but it might be broken because it is not showing the times. So now they are using this manual prayer schedule, where the times can be adjusted by hand.

7. The prayer room at Marina One

Marina One is a shopping mall in the CBD area near the Singapore waterfront. According to the map, there is a prayer room in this underground mall. I spent a long time looking for it on my first visit and even asked an Indian security guard at the nearby parking lot where the prayer room was. The security guard was very kind and pointed me in the right direction. The prayer room is on the B2 level, which is the first floor down. You can see the Singapore landmark, Marina Bay Sands, from the mall entrance. After going down, follow the path and you will see a round window. It looks like a laundry shop decorated to look like a washing machine. The prayer room is right next to this laundry shop. The prayer room is easy to find because it is marked with a dome and a star and crescent symbol. Open this door and you will see a small door on both the left and the right. Men go to the left and women to the right to pray separately. The prayer room is right through the door. The facilities for wudu (ablution) are very basic and only cover the essential parts, so you should still use a nearby restroom stall for a full wash. A prayer room is just what it sounds like: a small room where you can perform namaz. The facilities inside are simple, so there is no mihrab and no podium. There is no pulpit (minbar). However, this prayer room has an unexpectedly large number of books. The back is filled with all kinds of books, and there are even missionary materials. It is normal to see these in a mosque since tourists visit, but since only Muslims come to the prayer room, why are there missionary materials here? Once you leave the prayer room, this mall is no different from any other mall in Singapore. It mainly has restaurants, therapy centers, supermarkets, and similar shops. That is all for this episode, as we only covered these few places. We will continue with the rest next time.



The mosque houses fragments of handwritten Quran manuscripts and a Chinese translation of the Quran by Mr. Ma Jian. On the wall, there is an interactive display of the 99 Names of Allah. The front features Arabic calligraphy of the names, and the back shows the English translation. Interested friends can search my homepage for the post about Abdul Gafoor Mosque.

4. Angullia Mosque

Angullia Mosque was built by the Angullia family, a family that has also built mosques in Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and India. They come from Gujarat, India, which is Modi's hometown. Their family is good at business, so they travel everywhere to trade. This Nagore Dargah Mosque (Anguliya Mosque) is the one they built in Singapore. The color scheme reminds people of the red sandstone often used in Indian architecture.

The prayer area inside the mosque has two floors, and the second floor is about half the length of the first. There is a small transparent dome above the mihrab that lets light in. I found a Quran translated into Bengali in the mosque. Bangladesh is also a Muslim country, where over 90 percent of the population is Muslim. Bengali uses the Bengali script. Seeing this Brahmic script used for the Quran really reminded me of the scriptures of another religion. The presence of a Bengali Quran in the mosque shows that many Bengali people come here to pray. The mosque's courtyard is very small, but they still managed to set up an exhibition area. It displays meaningful items used by the mosque in the past, such as bricks from when the old mosque was built and pots used for cooking porridge. They did not waste the mosque's outer walls either. They posted a brief introduction to the Anguliya family on the walls, along with photos of mosques their family built in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and other places. (I didn't expect to see that they even have them in the Philippines.)

5. Burhani Mosque (the only Shia mosque in Singapore)

At the Abdul Gafoor Mosque mentioned earlier, a Tamil guide told me that Singapore has a Shia mosque. I was immediately interested because I had never been to a Shia mosque in my life. I used to think you could only see Shia mosques in Iran or Iraq, so I was surprised to find one in Singapore. On second thought, it makes sense. Thailand has Shia Muslims, and since Singapore is a global crossroads, it is not strange to find them here too. There is an information board behind the mosque. It says this mosque was built by merchants from Gujarat, India. That is right, Gujarati merchants again. This side of the road shows the back of the mosque. The mosque has a very restrained design, using solid, low-saturation colors for the main structure. The large building behind the prayer hall is likely office space. Inside the mosque, there are two prayer rooms, one in the front and one in the back, separated by several doors. Push open the door and you are in the inner prayer hall. There were two elderly men inside at the time, and one of them really looked a bit like Modi. After all, they are both Gujarati, and appearance is related to geography, so it is not strange that they look a bit alike. There is a long flag on each side of the mihrab, one red and one green. Other mosques do not have these kinds of flags, so let us zoom in to see what is written on them. The content on both flags is basically the same. From top to bottom, it is written: Allah, Muhammad (the Prophet himself), Ali (the fourth Caliph), Fatimah (the Prophet's daughter and Ali's wife), Hasan (the eldest son of Ali and Fatimah), and Husayn (the second son of Ali and Fatimah). The red banner adds an exclamation word, 'Ya', before each name. There is similar content on the wall as well. Since I did not see any specific differences between how Shia and Sunni Muslims perform namaz during this visit to a Shia mosque, I decided to go to Iran to see for myself. That is how the later trip to Iran came about. Friends who are interested can check out my travel notes on Iranian mosques in my official WeChat account.

6. The prayer room (surau) at Singapore General Hospital (SGH).

After seeing so many mosques, let us now take a look at a prayer room. What is the difference between a prayer room and a mosque? The size of the space is secondary; indeed, generally speaking, a prayer room is smaller than a mosque. But some mosques are actually very small. From what I have seen, prayer rooms usually do not have permanent staff. People come here to pray in a group they organized themselves, or they pray alone and then leave. It is not like a mosque where there are permanent staff to call the adhan and lead the five daily prayers. Another difference is that prayer rooms are usually much simpler than mosques and lack necessary facilities. Mosques have toilets, a room for minor ablution (wudu), and a room for major ablution (ghusl). As for prayer rooms, some have toilets and an area for minor ablution. Some only have a few water taps. The prayer room I am going to talk about next is actually quite large, so you will see the difference between it and a mosque. First of all, it looks very plain, with no minaret and no sign on the door. To passersby, this place just looks like a small shed. When you enter the prayer room, there is actually a small courtyard inside. The courtyard has long tables and benches, as well as free tea. People who come to pray can sit on the benches to rest for a while and drink some water. You have to drink water in this Singapore weather. I usually do not drink much water, but I drink two bottles of mineral water a day since coming to Singapore. Inside the prayer room, I saw medical staff from the hospital coming to pray, and I even met a Singapore police officer here once. This prayer room is quite large, even bigger than some small mosques. There are many straw mats (liangxi) in the prayer room porch. When it gets crowded, people spread them out to use as prayer rugs. This shows that many people come here for Friday congregational prayers. The prayer schedule inside the room is electronic, but it might be broken because it is not showing the times. So now they are using this manual prayer schedule, where the times can be adjusted by hand.

7. The prayer room at Marina One

Marina One is a shopping mall in the CBD area near the Singapore waterfront. According to the map, there is a prayer room in this underground mall. I spent a long time looking for it on my first visit and even asked an Indian security guard at the nearby parking lot where the prayer room was. The security guard was very kind and pointed me in the right direction. The prayer room is on the B2 level, which is the first floor down. You can see the Singapore landmark, Marina Bay Sands, from the mall entrance. After going down, follow the path and you will see a round window. It looks like a laundry shop decorated to look like a washing machine. The prayer room is right next to this laundry shop. The prayer room is easy to find because it is marked with a dome and a star and crescent symbol. Open this door and you will see a small door on both the left and the right. Men go to the left and women to the right to pray separately. The prayer room is right through the door. The facilities for wudu (ablution) are very basic and only cover the essential parts, so you should still use a nearby restroom stall for a full wash. A prayer room is just what it sounds like: a small room where you can perform namaz. The facilities inside are simple, so there is no mihrab and no podium. There is no pulpit (minbar). However, this prayer room has an unexpectedly large number of books. The back is filled with all kinds of books, and there are even missionary materials. It is normal to see these in a mosque since tourists visit, but since only Muslims come to the prayer room, why are there missionary materials here? Once you leave the prayer room, this mall looks just like any other mall in Singapore. It mostly has restaurants, therapy centers, and supermarkets. That is all for this episode, as we only covered these few places. We will continue with the rest next time.



The prayer area inside the mosque has two floors, and the second floor is about half the length of the first. There is a small transparent dome above the mihrab that lets light in.

I found a Quran translated into Bengali in the mosque. Bangladesh is also a Muslim country, where over 90 percent of the population is Muslim. Bengali uses the Bengali script. Seeing this Brahmic script used for the Quran really reminded me of the scriptures of another religion. The presence of a Bengali Quran in the mosque shows that many Bengali people come here to pray. The mosque's courtyard is very small, but they still managed to set up an exhibition area. It displays meaningful items used by the mosque in the past, such as bricks from when the old mosque was built and pots used for cooking porridge. They did not waste the mosque's outer walls either. They posted a brief introduction to the Anguliya family on the walls, along with photos of mosques their family built in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and other places. (I didn't expect to see that they even have them in the Philippines.)

5. Burhani Mosque (the only Shia mosque in Singapore)

At the Abdul Gafoor Mosque mentioned earlier, a Tamil guide told me that Singapore has a Shia mosque. I was immediately interested because I had never been to a Shia mosque in my life. I used to think you could only see Shia mosques in Iran or Iraq, so I was surprised to find one in Singapore. On second thought, it makes sense. Thailand has Shia Muslims, and since Singapore is a global crossroads, it is not strange to find them here too. There is an information board behind the mosque. It says this mosque was built by merchants from Gujarat, India. That is right, Gujarati merchants again. This side of the road shows the back of the mosque. The mosque has a very restrained design, using solid, low-saturation colors for the main structure. The large building behind the prayer hall is likely office space. Inside the mosque, there are two prayer rooms, one in the front and one in the back, separated by several doors. Push open the door and you are in the inner prayer hall. There were two elderly men inside at the time, and one of them really looked a bit like Modi. After all, they are both Gujarati, and appearance is related to geography, so it is not strange that they look a bit alike. There is a long flag on each side of the mihrab, one red and one green. Other mosques do not have these kinds of flags, so let us zoom in to see what is written on them. The content on both flags is basically the same. From top to bottom, it is written: Allah, Muhammad (the Prophet himself), Ali (the fourth Caliph), Fatimah (the Prophet's daughter and Ali's wife), Hasan (the eldest son of Ali and Fatimah), and Husayn (the second son of Ali and Fatimah). The red banner adds an exclamation word, 'Ya', before each name. There is similar content on the wall as well. Since I did not see any specific differences between how Shia and Sunni Muslims perform namaz during this visit to a Shia mosque, I decided to go to Iran to see for myself. That is how the later trip to Iran came about. Friends who are interested can check out my travel notes on Iranian mosques in my official WeChat account.

6. The prayer room (surau) at Singapore General Hospital (SGH).

After seeing so many mosques, let us now take a look at a prayer room. What is the difference between a prayer room and a mosque? The size of the space is secondary; indeed, generally speaking, a prayer room is smaller than a mosque. But some mosques are actually very small. From what I have seen, prayer rooms usually do not have permanent staff. People come here to pray in a group they organized themselves, or they pray alone and then leave. It is not like a mosque where there are permanent staff to call the adhan and lead the five daily prayers. Another difference is that prayer rooms are usually much simpler than mosques and lack necessary facilities. Mosques have toilets, a room for minor ablution (wudu), and a room for major ablution (ghusl). As for prayer rooms, some have toilets and an area for minor ablution. Some only have a few water taps. The prayer room I am going to talk about next is actually quite large, so you will see the difference between it and a mosque. First of all, it looks very plain, with no minaret and no sign on the door. To passersby, this place just looks like a small shed. When you enter the prayer room, there is actually a small courtyard inside. The courtyard has long tables and benches, as well as free tea. People who come to pray can sit on the benches to rest for a while and drink some water. You have to drink water in this Singapore weather. I usually do not drink much water, but I drink two bottles of mineral water a day since coming to Singapore. Inside the prayer room, I saw medical staff from the hospital coming to pray, and I even met a Singapore police officer here once. This prayer room is quite large, even bigger than some small mosques. There are many straw mats (liangxi) in the prayer room porch. When it gets crowded, people spread them out to use as prayer rugs. This shows that many people come here for Friday congregational prayers. The prayer schedule inside the room is electronic, but it might be broken because it is not showing the times. So now they are using this manual prayer schedule, where the times can be adjusted by hand.

7. The prayer room at Marina One

Marina One is a shopping mall in the CBD area near the Singapore waterfront. According to the map, there is a prayer room in this underground mall. I spent a long time looking for it on my first visit and even asked an Indian security guard at the nearby parking lot where the prayer room was. The security guard was very kind and pointed me in the right direction. The prayer room is on the B2 level, which is the first floor down. You can see the Singapore landmark, Marina Bay Sands, from the mall entrance. After going down, follow the path and you will see a round window. It looks like a laundry shop decorated to look like a washing machine. The prayer room is right next to this laundry shop. The prayer room is easy to find because it is marked with a dome and a star and crescent symbol. Open this door and you will see a small door on both the left and the right. Men go to the left and women to the right to pray separately. The prayer room is right through the door. The facilities for wudu (ablution) are very basic and only cover the essential parts, so you should still use a nearby restroom stall for a full wash. A prayer room is just what it sounds like: a small room where you can perform namaz. The facilities inside are simple, so there is no mihrab and no podium. There is no pulpit (minbar). However, this prayer room has an unexpectedly large number of books. The back is filled with all kinds of books, and there are even missionary materials. It is normal to see these in a mosque since tourists visit, but since only Muslims come to the prayer room, why are there missionary materials here? Once you leave the prayer room, this mall is no different from any other mall in Singapore. It mainly has restaurants, therapy centers, supermarkets, and similar shops. That is all for this episode, as we only covered these few places. We will continue with the rest next time.





The mosque's courtyard is very small, but they still managed to set up an exhibition area. It displays meaningful items used by the mosque in the past, such as bricks from when the old mosque was built and pots used for cooking porridge. They did not waste the mosque's outer walls either. They posted a brief introduction to the Anguliya family on the walls, along with photos of mosques their family built in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and other places. (I didn't expect to see that they even have them in the Philippines.)

5. Burhani Mosque (the only Shia mosque in Singapore)

At the Abdul Gafoor Mosque mentioned earlier, a Tamil guide told me that Singapore has a Shia mosque. I was immediately interested because I had never been to a Shia mosque in my life. I used to think you could only see Shia mosques in Iran or Iraq, so I was surprised to find one in Singapore. On second thought, it makes sense. Thailand has Shia Muslims, and since Singapore is a global crossroads, it is not strange to find them here too. There is an information board behind the mosque. It says this mosque was built by merchants from Gujarat, India. That is right, Gujarati merchants again. This side of the road shows the back of the mosque. The mosque has a very restrained design, using solid, low-saturation colors for the main structure. The large building behind the prayer hall is likely office space. Inside the mosque, there are two prayer rooms, one in the front and one in the back, separated by several doors. Push open the door and you are in the inner prayer hall. There were two elderly men inside at the time, and one of them really looked a bit like Modi. After all, they are both Gujarati, and appearance is related to geography, so it is not strange that they look a bit alike. There is a long flag on each side of the mihrab, one red and one green. Other mosques do not have these kinds of flags, so let us zoom in to see what is written on them. The content on both flags is basically the same. From top to bottom, it is written: Allah, Muhammad (the Prophet himself), Ali (the fourth Caliph), Fatimah (the Prophet's daughter and Ali's wife), Hasan (the eldest son of Ali and Fatimah), and Husayn (the second son of Ali and Fatimah). The red banner adds an exclamation word, 'Ya', before each name. There is similar content on the wall as well. Since I did not see any specific differences between how Shia and Sunni Muslims perform namaz during this visit to a Shia mosque, I decided to go to Iran to see for myself. That is how the later trip to Iran came about. Friends who are interested can check out my travel notes on Iranian mosques in my official WeChat account.

6. The prayer room (surau) at Singapore General Hospital (SGH).

After seeing so many mosques, let us now take a look at a prayer room. What is the difference between a prayer room and a mosque? The size of the space is secondary; indeed, generally speaking, a prayer room is smaller than a mosque. But some mosques are actually very small. From what I have seen, prayer rooms usually do not have permanent staff. People come here to pray in a group they organized themselves, or they pray alone and then leave. It is not like a mosque where there are permanent staff to call the adhan and lead the five daily prayers. Another difference is that prayer rooms are usually much simpler than mosques and lack necessary facilities. Mosques have toilets, a room for minor ablution (wudu), and a room for major ablution (ghusl). As for prayer rooms, some have toilets and an area for minor ablution. Some only have a few water taps. The prayer room I am going to talk about next is actually quite large, so you will see the difference between it and a mosque. First of all, it looks very plain, with no minaret and no sign on the door. To passersby, this place just looks like a small shed. When you enter the prayer room, there is actually a small courtyard inside. The courtyard has long tables and benches, as well as free tea. People who come to pray can sit on the benches to rest for a while and drink some water. You have to drink water in this Singapore weather. I usually do not drink much water, but I drink two bottles of mineral water a day since coming to Singapore. Inside the prayer room, I saw medical staff from the hospital coming to pray, and I even met a Singapore police officer here once. This prayer room is quite large, even bigger than some small mosques. There are many straw mats (liangxi) in the prayer room porch. When it gets crowded, people spread them out to use as prayer rugs. This shows that many people come here for Friday congregational prayers. The prayer schedule inside the room is electronic, but it might be broken because it is not showing the times. So now they are using this manual prayer schedule, where the times can be adjusted by hand.

7. The prayer room at Marina One

Marina One is a shopping mall in the CBD area near the Singapore waterfront. According to the map, there is a prayer room in this underground mall. I spent a long time looking for it on my first visit and even asked an Indian security guard at the nearby parking lot where the prayer room was. The security guard was very kind and pointed me in the right direction. The prayer room is on the B2 level, which is the first floor down. You can see the Singapore landmark, Marina Bay Sands, from the mall entrance. After going down, follow the path and you will see a round window. It looks like a laundry shop decorated to look like a washing machine. The prayer room is right next to this laundry shop. The prayer room is easy to find because it is marked with a dome and a star and crescent symbol. Open this door and you will see a small door on both the left and the right. Men go to the left and women to the right to pray separately. The prayer room is right through the door. The facilities for wudu (ablution) are very basic and only cover the essential parts, so you should still use a nearby restroom stall for a full wash. A prayer room is just what it sounds like: a small room where you can perform namaz. The facilities inside are simple, so there is no mihrab and no podium. There is no pulpit (minbar). However, this prayer room has an unexpectedly large number of books. The back is filled with all kinds of books, and there are even missionary materials. It is normal to see these in a mosque since tourists visit, but since only Muslims come to the prayer room, why are there missionary materials here? Once you leave the prayer room, this mall is no different from any other mall in Singapore. It mainly has restaurants, therapy centers, supermarkets, and similar shops. That is all for this episode, as we only covered these few places. We will continue with the rest next time.



(I didn't expect to see that they even have them in the Philippines.)

5. Burhani Mosque (the only Shia mosque in Singapore)

At the Abdul Gafoor Mosque mentioned earlier, a Tamil guide told me that Singapore has a Shia mosque. I was immediately interested because I had never been to a Shia mosque in my life. I used to think you could only see Shia mosques in Iran or Iraq, so I was surprised to find one in Singapore. On second thought, it makes sense. Thailand has Shia Muslims, and since Singapore is a global crossroads, it is not strange to find them here too.

There is an information board behind the mosque. It says this mosque was built by merchants from Gujarat, India. That is right, Gujarati merchants again.

This side of the road shows the back of the mosque. The mosque has a very restrained design, using solid, low-saturation colors for the main structure. The large building behind the prayer hall is likely office space. Inside the mosque, there are two prayer rooms, one in the front and one in the back, separated by several doors. Push open the door and you are in the inner prayer hall. There were two elderly men inside at the time, and one of them really looked a bit like Modi. After all, they are both Gujarati, and appearance is related to geography, so it is not strange that they look a bit alike. There is a long flag on each side of the mihrab, one red and one green. Other mosques do not have these kinds of flags, so let us zoom in to see what is written on them. The content on both flags is basically the same. From top to bottom, it is written: Allah, Muhammad (the Prophet himself), Ali (the fourth Caliph), Fatimah (the Prophet's daughter and Ali's wife), Hasan (the eldest son of Ali and Fatimah), and Husayn (the second son of Ali and Fatimah). The red banner adds an exclamation word, 'Ya', before each name. There is similar content on the wall as well. Since I did not see any specific differences between how Shia and Sunni Muslims perform namaz during this visit to a Shia mosque, I decided to go to Iran to see for myself. That is how the later trip to Iran came about. Friends who are interested can check out my travel notes on Iranian mosques in my official WeChat account.

6. The prayer room (surau) at Singapore General Hospital (SGH).

After seeing so many mosques, let us now take a look at a prayer room. What is the difference between a prayer room and a mosque? The size of the space is secondary; indeed, generally speaking, a prayer room is smaller than a mosque. But some mosques are actually very small. From what I have seen, prayer rooms usually do not have permanent staff. People come here to pray in a group they organized themselves, or they pray alone and then leave. It is not like a mosque where there are permanent staff to call the adhan and lead the five daily prayers. Another difference is that prayer rooms are usually much simpler than mosques and lack necessary facilities. Mosques have toilets, a room for minor ablution (wudu), and a room for major ablution (ghusl). As for prayer rooms, some have toilets and an area for minor ablution. Some only have a few water taps. The prayer room I am going to talk about next is actually quite large, so you will see the difference between it and a mosque. First of all, it looks very plain, with no minaret and no sign on the door. To passersby, this place just looks like a small shed. When you enter the prayer room, there is actually a small courtyard inside. The courtyard has long tables and benches, as well as free tea. People who come to pray can sit on the benches to rest for a while and drink some water. You have to drink water in this Singapore weather. I usually do not drink much water, but I drink two bottles of mineral water a day since coming to Singapore. Inside the prayer room, I saw medical staff from the hospital coming to pray, and I even met a Singapore police officer here once. This prayer room is quite large, even bigger than some small mosques. There are many straw mats (liangxi) in the prayer room porch. When it gets crowded, people spread them out to use as prayer rugs. This shows that many people come here for Friday congregational prayers. The prayer schedule inside the room is electronic, but it might be broken because it is not showing the times. So now they are using this manual prayer schedule, where the times can be adjusted by hand.

7. The prayer room at Marina One

Marina One is a shopping mall in the CBD area near the Singapore waterfront. According to the map, there is a prayer room in this underground mall. I spent a long time looking for it on my first visit and even asked an Indian security guard at the nearby parking lot where the prayer room was. The security guard was very kind and pointed me in the right direction. The prayer room is on the B2 level, which is the first floor down. You can see the Singapore landmark, Marina Bay Sands, from the mall entrance. After going down, follow the path and you will see a round window. It looks like a laundry shop decorated to look like a washing machine. The prayer room is right next to this laundry shop. The prayer room is easy to find because it is marked with a dome and a star and crescent symbol. Open this door and you will see a small door on both the left and the right. Men go to the left and women to the right to pray separately. The prayer room is right th view all

Reposted from the web

Summary: This Singapore Muslim travel guide visits Temenggong Mosque and its complex ties to Malaysia. It keeps the source route, mosque setting, heritage notes, and Malay historical context in the same order.

This mosque is called the Temenggong Mosque, and it is not far from the Malay-style mosque I visited last time. This mosque has deep, complex ties to Malaysia.

The most unique thing about this mosque is that even though it is in Singapore, the land and sovereignty still belong to the Sultan of Johor, Malaysia. That is why two flags fly at the entrance of the prayer hall: the Singapore national flag and the flag of the Malaysian state of Johor.

This mosque was reportedly once the audience hall of the Temenggong's palace before it was converted into a mosque.

The mosque is a single-story octagonal building, as you can see in picture six.













There is a large fan in the center that spins constantly to keep the prayer hall just barely cool.

Under the fan is a small incense burner (picture seven). This is my first time seeing an incense burner placed in the middle of a main prayer hall.



The mosque's porch is pure white, and the doors have shutters to help with heat dissipation. Singapore does not need to worry about keeping warm or protecting against the cold at all. That is why the area for performing wudu (small ablution) is outdoors. Of course, the area for performing ghusl (major ablution) is still indoors.

Right next to the mosque is a museum with a sign that says Johor Royal Museum, but unfortunately, it was not open when I visited. I did see the Muslim cemetery behind the mosque, which seems to be on the same plot of land as the museum.

As I mentioned, this mosque is near Sentosa Island, so I headed straight there after leaving. In the next post, I will show you the prayer room on Sentosa Island. view all

Reposted from the web

Summary: This Singapore Muslim travel guide visits Nagore Dargah, described as a South Indian-style Sufi shrine or gongbei. It keeps the source comparison with Jamae Mosque, local Muslim heritage, and site observations.

Singapore has more than just the South Indian-style mosque (Jamae Mosque) we introduced last time; it also has this South Indian-style shrine (Nagore Dargah).

This shrine is right next to Thian Hock Keng Temple and is easy to find. It has been turned into the Indian Muslim Heritage Centre. You need to register before entering, and admission is free. Actually, there were never any graves inside, which I find quite strange. If a shrine has no grave, can it still be called a shrine?

Of course, they call it a dargah, which is the term used in South India for a shrine.

So, where is the real grave?

It is in Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu, South India (Image 13). It was built to honor the Sufi saint Shahul Hamid. That shrine is very grand and has many white towers.



























Inside the museum, you can see many old items from that time and some information about early Indian Muslim immigrants.

Walking straight from the entrance, you can see a symbolic tomb chamber. The walls inside the chamber feature photos, paintings, and models of that Nagore Dargah in Tamil Nadu. If I have the chance in the future, I really want to go to South India to see that place.

There is a detail in the tomb chamber that interests me: the small wall niches on the left and right (Image 16). These niches were used to hold candles or oil lamps for lighting.







This design is very common in India, so it is quite a distinct Indian feature.

Tourists from all over the world keep coming into the museum. I remember last time, a Korean tourist asked the Indian staff member about the ethnic composition of Muslims in Singapore. The Indian staff member explained that Malays are Muslims and there are also Indian Muslims.

I don't quite remember exactly what was said.

This time, I ran into two Singaporean Chinese asking a similar question to a Malay person nearby. The Malay person replied that there are also Muslims among Indians.

I guess everyone assumes Indians have a single faith, but while most Indians are Hindu, there are actually many Muslims. Besides that, India also has long-standing Christian communities, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, and so on.

The manager here told me there is no place to pray, but I can go to a nearby mosque for namaz. This mosque does not refer to the Jamae Mosque, but the closer Al-Abrar Mosque. So, in the next post, I will take you to see this Al-Abrar Mosque. view all

Reposted from the web

Summary: This Muslim travel guide follows the Tehran bazaar near Golestan Palace and Imam Khomeini Mosque. It preserves the Friday closure scene, bazaar food, mosque courtyard, wudu area, library, and the author's on-site notes.

There are many bazaars near Golestan Palace. Friday is a public holiday in Iran, so only one mosque in Tehran stays open, while the rest are closed. Only a few shops inside the bazaar are open.

The market feels like a ghost town on Friday, but as soon as Friday passes, it quickly becomes lively, crowded with pedestrians and porters shoulder to shoulder.

Bazaars almost always have domes, and you can enjoy their orderly beauty just by looking up. (Photo 1)



After walking for a while, my guide told me he knew a good place that mainly sells wraps with potato, chicken, or beef fillings. I like potatoes, so of course I chose the potato one. The guide chose the beef one. The wrap included mashed boiled eggs, and the potatoes were very tasty.

The shop is very narrow and crowded. (Photo 5, Photo 6)











Then, I am not sure how we got there, but we walked into a mosque. The area outside was cramped and narrow, and I really did not expect such a large mosque square in the middle.

This is the Imam Khomeini Mosque. The main hall (Image 7) looks like a larger version of the Id Kah Mosque in Xinjiang, as if they were built from the same blueprint. There is a water basin in the middle of the mosque square with taps along the edge for performing wudu. (Image 9)







At the other end of the square are two minarets with a clock tower in the middle. (Image 10)



On one side of the square, there is a library covered in many mirrors that shine brightly. (Image 11, Image 12) It looks just like the Tomb of the King of Lights in Iraq that I saw online.





The library also holds copies of the Quran (Image 13) in other languages, including French, English, Russian, and Armenian. There were a few staff members inside. When my guide told them I was from China, they gave me a tile ornament and a copy of the Quran.



The staff said they were happy to meet me and welcomed me to Iran. To be polite, I also told them they were welcome to visit China. The staff also asked if China accepts international students from countries like Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan, and which university majors in China are the best.

I am answering based on the information I have encountered within the country. It seems like many foreigners come here to study medicine, and I actually know international students from Pakistan, Turkey, and Yemen who are studying in Lanzhou and Chengdu.

After leaving the mosque, I returned to the bazaar. I looked up and saw the sunlight hitting the dome at an angle, perfectly revealing the shape of a crescent moon. view all

Reposted from the web

Summary: This Iran Muslim travel guide records the author's real travel experiences in Tehran and Qom. It preserves the local interactions, mosque-related context, street observations, and the peaceful moments before later gunfire described in the source.

Friends who follow me probably know that I went to Iran at the beginning of December last year, where I interacted with the local people. With the current outbreak of war in Iran, I am reminded of those things I saw and experienced.

1. Iranian taxi drivers

After landing at Imam Khomeini International Airport in Iran, I got into Uncle Hosseini's taxi and started my journey to downtown Tehran. The international airport is quite far from downtown Tehran, and the trip took us a full hour and a half. Along the way, Uncle Hosseini and I kept chatting using a translation app. Communicating with a translation app is actually a bit troublesome, but the uncle was very enthusiastic and didn't mind me talking so much, so we chatted the whole way.

It is strange to say, but the first person I had a deep conversation with in Iran turned out to be a staunch patriot. After entering the city, although the exterior walls of the buildings looked poorly maintained, the streets were brightly lit and full of life. The uncle asked me if it was my first time in Iran, and if I realized after arriving that it was nothing like what the outside world portrays. I guess the uncle meant that the outside world always claims Iran's economy is stagnant and people's livelihoods are depressed, but looking at the street scene before me, Tehran is not as bad as people say. Actually, in my opinion, Tehran, including the international airport I just left, looks quite old and is not much better than how it is described by the outside world. But from the uncle's words, it is easy to see that he sincerely loves his country.

He then talked about international relations. He said he really dislikes Israel and Western countries, and he believes China and Russia are good friends to Iran. I saw this for myself later on. My Iranian tour guide pointed at a bus on the road and told me that Iran imported a batch of buses from China. I also saw a large Xiaomi store (Xiaomi Zhijia) in a modern shopping mall in Iran. I occasionally saw our domestic new energy vehicles on the road too. The guide showed me photos on his phone of himself with some Chinese trade representatives, which shows that our country and Iran have a decent relationship, at least in terms of trade.

I later asked him if Iran was really going to move its capital. He said every government talks about moving the capital, but it involves too many people, so it is impossible to actually move. We reached the destination, and I said goodbye to the uncle.



(A view of Tehran streets taken through the window of Uncle Hosseini's taxi. In front is a poster of an Iranian athlete winning a championship, and behind it is an anti-Israel propaganda poster.)

2. My tour guide is a conservative liberal.

Unlike the driver, Uncle Hosseini, my local Iranian tour guide is quite against the current system. On the first day I met him, we passed a government building. He looked at the well-dressed people going in and out and said to me, 'Look at these people. They sit in their offices all day, nice and warm, drinking coffee, and they finish work without doing a single thing.'

That night, he complained to me that the government was truly incompetent, as the price of a pair of shoes had gone up ten times over the years. I was a bit puzzled at the time. But thinking about it now, could it be that U. S. blockades and sanctions are why Iran cannot buy cheap raw materials, and therefore cannot make cheap shoes?

Even this tour guide, who hates the current situation, told me he was scared. He is afraid that the U. S. might actually attack. He said he is not afraid of Israel, but he is truly afraid of U. S. military power.

His fear is actually quite normal, because missiles only identify thermal imaging, and U. S. missiles cannot tell which Iranians support the regime and which ones support overthrowing the government. So when war comes, the fear of a foreign enemy will likely push conservative liberals like the tour guide into the arms of the Iranian authoritarian government.

(The tour guide is using his Samsung phone to check the exchange rate between the Chinese yuan and the Iranian rial for me, worried that I might lose money if I exchange too little.)



(The tour guide is using his Samsung phone to check the exchange rate between the Chinese yuan and the Iranian rial for me, worried that I might lose money if I exchange too little.)

3. Enthusiastic people

I actually stand out quite a bit walking on the streets of Iran. I have the typical look of a yellow-skinned person, with single eyelids and straight black hair. Maybe it is because things are valued when they are rare, but the people here are especially warm to me and take the initiative to greet me. More than once on the road, people came up to me and said, "Welcome to Iran."

Once, while I was visiting a mosque, I suddenly became the center of attention. Namaz had just ended, and they started sharing hot black tea in the mosque. I got a cup too. One person called his family or friends right there, excitedly telling them he had met a Chinese person today. Everyone gathered around and curiously asked me all sorts of questions. One young man spoke good English and said he had studied in the United States. He even offered to be my tour guide. But I was leaving Tehran for Qom soon, so I politely declined his kind offer.



(After namaz, the mosque started handing out hot black tea with sugar cubes. It tasted pretty good.)

4. The kind ticket agent

Iran is currently under sanctions and cannot use bank cards from other countries, so tourists like us have to bring US dollar cash in advance and exchange it locally in Iran. For those few days, I was always walking around with big bundles of cash on me. Once, when I went to the manual ticket booth at the subway station, the ticket agent saw that my bag zipper was open and a stack of cash was clearly visible on top. She was so worried that she quickly reached over and shoved the stack of cash to the very bottom of my bag under some other items.

She was reminding me to watch out for pickpockets in the train car. She was truly very kind. I have remembered this kind gesture ever since.



(For Iranian subway tickets, you scan a code to enter through the gate, but there are no gates when you leave, so you just walk out.)

5. Free french fries

Years ago, I saw an avant-garde building in Iran on the 'Youth Architecture' WeChat architecture post, and it happened to be in Tehran. I decided to go see it, but after searching for it by name, I realized I had gone to the wrong place. It was lunchtime, so I went to a nearby restaurant and ordered some french fries. I saw another diner nearby and thought he must know where the building was. I felt a bit shy about just asking him directly, so I grabbed a can of Coca-Cola from the restaurant's drink cooler and handed it to him. After thanking me, he stared at the picture I showed him for a long time, trying to sound out the words on the building, but he couldn't find the answer in the end. He left after he finished his meal, and I was just about done with mine too. When I went to pay, the clerk told me that the person who drank my cola had already paid my bill. I guess I got a free meal of french fries out of it too.



(An ordinary street scene in Tehran)

6. The Rose Bread Uncle

I met this uncle who sells rose-filled bread after I finished visiting Azadi Tower. Azadi Tower is surrounded by a large roundabout with an incredible amount of traffic, making it hard to cross the street and just as hard to get back. I was stuck on the side of the road for a long time, and it felt just like being back in Vietnam.

An old man carrying a large rose-filled flatbread (rose bing) saw me, and since he was heading across the street too, he waved for me to join him. He grabbed my arm and led me with long strides right into the traffic, and before I knew it, I was on the other side of the road. I really admire these locals from the bottom of my heart.

The uncle then asked if I was going to the subway station. I was indeed planning to take the subway to a bus station in Tehran to catch a bus to Qom. So, I walked with him toward the subway station. He handed me the rose-filled flatbread (bing) he was holding so I would have something to eat on the road. Along the way, he showed me his contacts on his phone. I think I saw a photo of him with former Iranian President Rouhani, along with many others who looked like high-ranking officials or people in military uniforms. Who exactly is this man?

Regardless of his background, I decided to ask him for directions to the bus station. When he heard me ask about the bus station, he patted my shoulder and then his own chest, using body language to tell me not to worry. He then stayed with me on the bus until we were a few stops away from the station. Before getting off, he made sure to point out which stop I was at and exactly where I needed to get off. He was truly very kind, much like the other Iranians I had met before. My impression of Iranian people was set right then.



(A standard ID photo of Azadi Tower.) Actually, there is an underground passage to Azadi Square from other places, but it was already closed when I went, probably because it was too late.

7. I lost my phone, and my feelings are complicated.

It was the day I left Qom, and the hotel front desk helped me call a taxi using a ride-hailing app. Once I got in, I felt something was wrong. The driver had a shifty look in his eyes that made me feel very uncomfortable. After I got out of the car, I suddenly realized my spare phone was missing. I remembered then that when I was getting out, the driver deliberately threw his bag onto the passenger seat. I was wondering at the time why he had to throw his bag on the passenger seat instead of putting it somewhere else. Looking back, he must have been using the bag to cover my phone, which had slid onto the seat. I tried to look for him, but he was long gone with my phone without a trace.

I had no choice but to take another car to the airport with a heavy heart, and there were other passengers in the car. I was the only Asian person in the car, and the other passengers and the driver started to get curious about me. They asked if I liked Iran. I said I liked it, but because I had just lost my phone, I really could not bring myself to like Iran at that moment. Still, I decided to give it a try and used a translation app to ask the driver and other passengers for help. The moment they received my request for help, they immediately took action and started calling the hotel where I stayed to see if they could find that taxi driver through the front desk. I did not know whether to laugh or cry, and my feelings were a mess. On one hand, I was very upset because my backup phone was stolen, and it had very important things on it. On the other hand, I felt a bit comforted because these strangers were so eager to help me.



(A street in Qom, where I lost my phone.)

Postscript: In the end, I never got that phone back. I have been back home for two or three months now. After I returned, large-scale protests broke out there, and later Iran got caught up in conflict with the United States and Israel. If I wanted to go back to Iran now, it would probably be impossible. I wonder if those kind-hearted Iranians are doing well today and if they are still living in peace. view all

Reposted from the web

Summary: This Singapore Muslim travel guide continues the city route through underground mosques, local prayer spaces, and a self-service zakat machine. It preserves the source's guide structure, site order, and local Muslim life details.

In this issue:

8. Jamae Mosque, which features minarets in a South Indian style.

9. The South Indian gongbei of Singapore, Nagore Dargah.

10. Al-Abrar Mosque.

11. Underground Mosque.

12. Omar Kampong Melaka Mosque, the oldest mosque in Singapore.

13. Al-Amin Mosque.

14. Temenggong Mosque.

15. Sentosa prayer room.

16. Singapore Islamic Centre Mosque.

17. Islamic Religious Council of Singapore.

To be updated:

18. Tomb of Habib Nuh (Habib Nuh Lingmu)

19. Haji Muhammad Salleh Mosque

20. Hajjah Fatimah Mosque

21. Changi Airport Prayer Room

Main text starts:

8. Jamae Mosque

I find this Jamae Mosque very special. Everyone knows what North Indian mosques look like. The Badshahi Mosque in Pakistan, the Jama Masjid in Delhi, and even the Taj Mahal are all classic examples of North Indian mosque architecture.

These mosques are very famous and pop up on your feed all the time, but I bet you haven't seen many of the lesser-known South Indian mosques.

Look at its minaret; it is square. If you made this tower wider and added bright colors, it would look just like a South Indian Hindu temple.

I think this style of tower has a lot of local character.



Jamae Mosque, the Buddha Tooth Relic Mosque, and a Hindu mosque are all on the same street.

This mosque welcomes visitors and has a dedicated tourist area. There are many information boards there to explain the basics to visitors.



The mosque's minaret is in a South Indian style, but the prayer hall area instantly brings back memories of the South Seas. The doors and windows especially have a strong colonial-era South Seas feel.



Inside the prayer hall, the mihrab and the minbar are very simple.

This mosque was established by Tamil people from South India, so there is also Tamil script inside the prayer hall.



As I left, I noticed there were actually steps by the minaret. It seems at least the entrance area can be climbed.



9. South Indian gongbei, Nagore Dargah

The actual Nagore Dargah is in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, which is the ancestral home of the Tamil people.

To me, the Tamil people are a bit like the people from Fujian in our country.

Tamil Nadu is in southeastern India, facing the island of Sri Lanka across the sea.

People from Fujian are also on the southeast coast of China, with Taiwan island just across the strait.

Tamil people like to go to sea to do business, and so do Fujian people, running businesses all over the world.

Back to the topic, the Nagore Dargah in Tamil Nadu is a real gongbei, containing the graves of Muslim saints.

But this Nagore Dargah in Singapore is empty and only has a symbolic tomb.

This was my first time seeing something like this. I went inside and asked the manager where the tomb was. He said the tomb is back home in India. I was shocked!

This Dargah (a term used in South India for a gongbei) also has a South Indian style with a square tower.

It is no longer a religious site but has been turned into a museum. It displays many items used by the older generation of Indian immigrants who came to Singapore.

At the very back of the main hall, you can see a symbolic tomb chamber.

So, my trip was not a waste after all.

I think the highlight of the tomb chamber is the oil lamp placed in the small wall niche.

These niches are very common in India and are used to hold oil lamps for lighting.

On the wall of the tomb chamber hangs a photo of the Nagore Dargah in India. Looking at it, the place covers a very large area.

I really want to go to India to see it in person, but it is a pity that India is very strict with Chinese citizens right now, and tourist visas are hard to get.



10. Al-Abrar Mosque.

When I visited the Nagore Dargah, I asked the manager if there was a place to perform namaz. He told me that everyone goes to a nearby mosque for namaz now.

The mosque he mentioned is the Al-Abrar Mosque located on this same street.

There is an inner hall inside the prayer hall of this mosque.

Directly above the inner hall, there is a piece of blue glass with the opening chapter of the Quran written on it.

The fan-shaped stained glass on the mosque's doors and windows is also very cute.



At the very back of the main hall, you can see a symbolic tomb chamber.

So, my trip was not a waste after all.

I think the highlight of the tomb chamber is the oil lamp placed in the small wall niche.

These niches are very common in India and are used to hold oil lamps for lighting.

On the wall of the tomb chamber hangs a photo of the Nagore Dargah in India. Looking at it, the place covers a very large area.

I really want to go to India to see it in person, but it is a pity that India is very strict with Chinese citizens right now, and tourist visas are hard to get.



At the very back of the main hall, you can see a symbolic tomb chamber.

So, my trip was not a waste after all.

I think the highlight of the tomb chamber is the oil lamp placed in the small wall niche.

These niches are very common in India and are used to hold oil lamps for lighting.

On the wall of the tomb chamber hangs a photo of the Nagore Dargah in India. Looking at it, the place covers a very large area.

I really want to go to India to see it in person, but it is a pity that India is very strict with Chinese citizens right now, and tourist visas are hard to get.



I think the highlight of the tomb chamber is the oil lamp placed in the small wall niche.

These niches are very common in India and are used to hold oil lamps for lighting.

On the wall of the tomb chamber hangs a photo of the Nagore Dargah in India. Looking at it, the place covers a very large area.

I really want to go to India to see it in person, but it is a pity that India is very strict with Chinese citizens right now, and tourist visas are hard to get.



On the wall of the tomb chamber hangs a photo of the Nagore Dargah in India. Looking at it, the place covers a very large area.

I really want to go to India to see it in person, but it is a pity that India is very strict with Chinese citizens right now, and tourist visas are hard to get.



10. Al-Abrar Mosque.

When I visited the Nagore Dargah, I asked the manager if there was a place to perform namaz. He told me that everyone goes to a nearby mosque for namaz now.

The mosque he mentioned is the Al-Abrar Mosque located on this same street.

There is an inner hall inside the prayer hall of this mosque.

Directly above the inner hall, there is a piece of blue glass with the opening chapter of the Quran written on it.

The fan-shaped stained glass on the mosque's doors and windows is also very cute.



There is an inner hall inside the prayer hall of this mosque.



Directly above the inner hall, there is a piece of blue glass with the opening chapter of the Quran written on it.

The fan-shaped stained glass on the mosque's doors and windows is also very cute.







Just before leaving, I noticed a machine at the mosque entrance with the word Zakat written on it.

Zakat is the mandatory charity for Muslims. I was surprised to see a self-service Zakat machine here in Singapore, where you can pay using a bank card. The funds are managed by the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore.

This is the first time I have ever seen this way of paying.

11. Underground Mosque.



A self-service Zakat machine is novel enough, but even more surprising is Singapore's underground mosque.

This mosque is located in the basement of the UOB Plaza 1 building in Singapore.

At the time, the bank wanted this land, which had shops owned by the mosque. The mosque and the bank reached an agreement where the mosque traded its shop space for part of the bank's basement.

That is how this underground mosque came to be.

A brief introduction to the mosque is on the wall by the stairs leading down to the basement.

To be honest, the mosque is easy to find. Just follow your GPS to the UOB building and you will see the entrance.

There is a sign for the mosque near the entrance.

Be careful not to go to the wrong one, as this mosque has two entrances: one for men and one for women.

I almost went to the wrong one the first time I visited.

The men's entrance is on the side closer to the pier.

When I went a second time, they had added a white canopy to the men's entrance.

The mosque is quite spacious, much bigger than I imagined.

It has all the necessary facilities, though it does not have a minaret.

Inside, there are restrooms and a place for wudu.

There is an office for the imam.

To the left and right of the mihrab niche are the opening chapter of the Quran and its English translation.

That is right, just like at the Al-Abrar Mosque mentioned above, it is also the opening chapter.

The opening chapter is very important. Everyone who performs namaz must know how to recite it because it is used in every prayer.

Singapore's mosques really feel modern. First, in the prayer hall of the Sultan Mosque, there are two full rows of LCD screens looping information about hadith and upcoming lectures.

Then, there are the self-service zakat machines seen at the Al-Abrar Mosque and the Al-Falah Mosque on Orchard Road.

Now, I have found a heart defibrillator in the underground mosque, used to save patients who have sudden heart attacks.

12. Omar Kampong Melaka Mosque, the oldest mosque in Singapore.

Next, I will introduce the earliest mosque built in Singapore.

This mosque was built in 1820 by a Middle Eastern merchant named Syed Omar.

In 1820, twenty years later, the First Opium War would break out in China.

This shows how late this part of Singapore was developed.

The family members of this Sayyid Omar are buried right next to the minaret.

You can still see the graveyard when you visit the tower today.

At first, I thought this mosque might be exaggerating about being the oldest.

Sultan Mosque, Temenggong Mosque, and Jamae Mosque are also quite old.

But once I went inside, I saw it was built in 1820, which is indeed a few years earlier than Jamae Mosque, built in 1826.

You can see the mosque is built with solid materials. Even though you do not need thick walls in such a hot place, the railings and wall thickness show this building was not thrown together.

The imam at the mosque is very young, and he seems even younger than me.

He looks like he is in his early twenties.

When he found out I was a tourist, he gave me his contact information and told me to reach out if I had any trouble.

When I went to the mosque a second time, the imam had changed, but it was still a young man.

I do not know where the first imam went.

There are some long tables and chairs in the front courtyard of the mosque, and there is a vending machine nearby that sells halal boxed meals.

There is also a microwave nearby.

You can buy food, heat it up in the mosque, and eat it there, which is quite convenient.

13. Al-Amin Mosque.

We have introduced many South Indian-style mosques built by Indians, but I think the core of the Muslim population in Singapore is still the Malay community.

The Al-Amin Mosque I am about to introduce is a Malaysian-style mosque.

This type of roof has a very Southeast Asian feel, and you have probably seen similar buildings in other Southeast Asian countries.

The minaret also looks like this:

Take the elevator to the second floor to reach the prayer hall, which looks very cool and well-ventilated.

Sitting inside, you do not feel hot at all.

On the first floor of this mosque, I found a sign with writing that looks like Arabic.

But if you look closely, it is actually not Arabic.

It has a few letters that do not exist in Arabic, with two extra dots compared to Arabic letters.

Given the Malay style of the mosque, this must be Jawi script, which uses Arabic letters plus some extra characters to write the Malay language.

The sign says this mosque officially opened on May 1, 1991.

Not far from this mosque is another one called the Temenggong Mosque.

14. Temenggong Mosque.

The Temenggong Mosque was originally the reception hall for the Sultan of Johor, but it was later turned into a mosque. In fact, the mosque still belongs to the Sultan of Johor in Malaysia today.

In that case, does this count as a piece of Malaysian territory inside Singapore?

One thing worth seeing at this mosque is the two flags flying in front of the prayer hall, one of which is the Singapore national flag. view all

Reposted from the web

Summary: This Singapore Muslim travel guide gathers the route covering Habib Noh Shrine, Haji Mohamed Salleh Mosque, Singapore Islamic Centre, and Changi Airport prayer rooms. It keeps the original checklist and image order intact.

In this issue:

18. Habib Noh Shrine

19. Haji Muhammad Salleh Mosque

20. Hajjah Fatimah Mosque

21. Changi Airport Prayer Room

Main text:

18. Habib Noh Shrine

Habib Noh is the local Singaporean transliteration. If we follow our naming habits back home, it is usually translated as Habib Nuh. Habib means beloved, and Nuh is the Prophet Noah. Nuh is a very common name in the Muslim world.

The domed building in the picture below is his shrine. This mosque actually started as a small prayer room built next to the shrine by Habib Nuh's friend, Haji Muhammad Salleh. It was later expanded into the mosque you see today.



When I visited at the end of last year, the shrine was undergoing renovations and was closed to the public. That is why I only visited the mosque back then and could not make it up to the tomb. I went back this time and the renovations were finally finished, so I could go up. To get up there, you have to climb a flight of stairs, and there is a front hall at the top. I met an elderly volunteer on duty there who told me that the person buried in the tomb, Habib Noh, was a descendant of the Prophet. He also urged me to look up his history. After looking it up, I learned that this wise man grew up in Penang, Malaysia, before moving to Singapore to settle down. His family roots were in Yemen, and he was born on a ship heading to Penang. He often used to go to Mount Palmer—the small hill where he is buried now—to meditate and perform namaz.

People say that after he passed away, they tried to bury him in a regular cemetery, but they could not move his body no matter what they did. Then, someone remembered him saying during his life that he wanted to be buried on Mount Palmer. They tried moving him there, and that is how they finally succeeded in burying him. As for this story, everyone can decide for themselves what to make of it.



Because the tomb is built on top of the hill, you have to climb a very long flight of stairs to reach it. After entering the tomb chamber, I found a spot and sat down cross-legged. People around me were kneeling, whispering duas, and then raising their hands to make dua to Allah.





Behind the tomb chamber is another grave covered by a metal grid, where Habib Nuh's cousin, Habib Abdul Rahman, is buried. He was Singapore's first kadi, which is an Islamic judge.



19. Haji Muhammad Salleh Mosque

This mosque is connected to the tomb chamber because it started as a prayer room next to the grave, built by a friend of Habib Nuh. The prayer room was expanded later to reach its current size. Let me show you what the inside of the main prayer hall looks like.



The main hall is not very big, but it is small and beautiful with a simple, modest style that does not look cheap at all. The pillars in the hall are mostly pure white, but the tops are decorated with gold, adding a touch of elegance to the room.

Although the ceiling is low, the designer used an open design so you can see the wooden beams. This design keeps the ceiling from feeling heavy, because if the room were already low and had a solid ceiling, it would feel very cramped.



The top of the mihrab niche is covered in simple mosaic tiles. The colors are muted and the patterns are basic, so it looks quite pleasant and does not distract from the rest of the room. A staff stands on the pulpit. The khutbah staff here in Singapore is different from the ones back home in China, where we usually use a smooth, dried branch that keeps the original shape of the wood. In Singapore, it is a straight metal staff with a metal ball attached to the top.



On the inner wall to the right of the niche hangs a small model of the door of the Kaaba (Mecca's House of God). I have seen this kind of model before in the gift shop of the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, so this style seems quite popular in mosques across Singapore and Malaysia.



Do you remember those steps leading up to the tomb (gongbei)? Looking up the steps, you can see the mosque's striking red roof.



20. Hajjah Fatimah Mosque

A wealthy lady donated the money to build this mosque. Her name was Hajjah Fatimah, and she was of Malay descent. A sign at the mosque entrance says it was built between 1845 and 1846, and the site was originally Hajjah Fatimah's own home. Hajjah Fatimah was a very wealthy Malay woman whose hometown was Malacca, Malaysia. You can see from this how close the connection is between Singapore and Malaysia. Just like the Temenggong Mosque we talked about before, that land still belongs to the state of Johor in Malaysia. Back to the story, in the late 1830s, this generous lady donated her property to build this mosque.



The first time I went there, it was almost nine o'clock at night, and Google Maps said it closed at nine. When I arrived, it didn't look like they were planning to close, so I wondered if Google Maps could be wrong. But after I finished my wudu and got ready to go in, the main hall was already locked. Well, they were polite enough to wait until I finished my namaz outside before they locked the courtyard gate.

I decided to go back the next day to see what the inside of the main hall looked like.



The most unique feature of this mosque is its minaret. Because it was designed by a British architect, the minaret has a Western style. Looking at it from a distance, I almost mistook it for a Christian church.



I came back here again the next morning. I found several groups of children sitting inside and outside the main hall, with about ten kids in each circle. A teacher led each group, teaching them to recite the Quran.







After finishing my namaz inside, I rushed to the airport because you really need to get there early for flights. I discovered that some flights actually stop boarding an hour early, which really caused me a lot of trouble. Isn't it usually half an hour before? I had about an hour left when I arrived at Changi Airport, and I told myself I would definitely make it. I did not expect my flight to close its counter exactly one hour early. The money for my plane ticket just went down the drain.

21. Prayer rooms at Singapore Changi Airport

Every terminal at Singapore Changi Airport actually has its own dedicated prayer room.

This time, I will show you the prayer room in Terminal 2 (T2) of Singapore Changi Airport. This place is very easy to find because the signs are clear, saying "dua room" in English with the Chinese and Japanese characters for dua room next to it.



The prayer rooms are separated for men and women. There is a sensor at the entrance, so you just wave your hand in front of it and the door opens automatically.



In the entryway of the prayer room, there are small stools for changing shoes and a shoe cabinet.





I have visited prayer rooms at Muscat Airport in Oman, Imam Khomeini Airport in Tehran, Iran, Qatar Airport, and Narita Airport in Japan. Compared to the airports in Middle Eastern countries, the prayer rooms at Singapore Airport are quite simple and have almost no decorations, much like the ones in Japan.





Next to the prayer area, there are various prayer supplies available, such as prayer caps, the Quran, perfume, and the sarong skirts worn by our Malay brothers.

Writing this, I have basically shared all the mosques I have visited in Singapore. I say "basically" because there is another mosque on Orchard Road located on the ground floor of an office building. It is decorated like a grand banquet hall, but unfortunately, I did not keep any photos of it. So, I did not include it this time. There is also the Darussalam Mosque. It was under construction when I visited, so I did not get any good photos and decided not to post about it yet.

Thank you all for your continued support. I will continue to update my travelogues about visiting mosques in other countries on this public platform. Please stay tuned. view all

Reposted from the web

Summary: This Iran Muslim travel guide explains what the author saw inside a Shia mosque and how namaz practice differs in that setting. It preserves the source comparison, prayer etiquette notes, and mosque observations.

To start, the Shia branch is not the same as the so-called "three-lift" (santai) practice we are familiar with in China. Please do not assume that just because Shia Muslims also lift their hands multiple times, they are practicing "three-lift."

The "three-lift" we talk about is actually a Sunni practice. People just follow different schools of jurisprudence, which is why the number of times they lift their hands during namaz differs.

According to my guide, before the Iran-Iraq War started, a group of Shia Iraqis fled to Iran to escape persecution by the Saddam government. Decades later, they have established themselves in Tehran, and as Arabs, they have also learned Persian.

You can find them in the bazaar near Golestan Palace. One Iraqi man opened a restaurant here and even gives free tea to passersby. (Photo 1)



In November, the temperature difference between day and night in Iran is large. As soon as the sun sets, cold wind blows down your neck, and I woke up the next day with a cold. After drinking the owner's free hot tea, I felt much warmer.

There is a mosque nearby that the Iraqi community often visits, and I went inside with my guide. There was still some time before namaz, so I looked around the mosque.

I noticed that the green and blue colors common in the Islamic world were not prominent in the interior decorations here; instead, black and red stood out more.

I also found many lamps inside the main hall. These lamps come in sets of forty and are called forty lamps (forty deng) (Figure 7 and Figure 8 show different styles of these lamps). This is something unique to Shia mosques.















Namaz time started, and I noticed that the Shia way of praying is quite different from the Sunni way.

Difference 1: They do not cross their arms while standing; instead, they keep their hands at their sides.

Difference 2: In the second rak'ah, after reciting the opening chapter and other verses while standing, they do not bow immediately. Instead, they raise their hands to pray (what the Northwest Muslim community calls making dua). This difference is very obvious and surprised me a bit. They only bow after finishing the dua.

Difference 3: They place a small brick at the spot where they prostrate and rest their foreheads on it. (Figure 10 and Figure 11).







Difference 4: They also raise their hands before bowing in the first rak'ah, raise them again before rising from bowing to prostrate, and raise them once more after the first prostration. The second rak'ah is the same, except they raise their hands twice after the first prostration.

Difference 5: To end the namaz, Sunni Muslims turn their heads to the right and then the left to say the salam. Shia Muslims say the salam only once without turning their heads, and then they raise their hands three times.

The debate in China over whether to raise hands once or three times is mainly due to the different legal positions held by various schools of thought within Sunni Islam. Compared to the way Shia Muslims perform namaz, I do not see much difference whether they raise their hands once or three times.

Finally, let me show you the back of the main hall in this small mosque, where photos of two generations of Ayatollahs are posted. One looks very serious; that is Khomeini. The other is smiling and wearing glasses; that is Khamenei.

The calligraphy decorations inside the mosque are mostly red characters on a black background, which makes a strong visual impact. After namaz ended, an old man took a microphone and said a few words in Persian. I could not understand him, so I walked out with the tour guide.

As we left, I saw a woman wearing a headscarf sitting on the steps at the exit, covering her face with her hands. On the way, the guide told me that the old man was saying the woman at the door was facing some difficulties and that everyone could show kindness by donating to her. Only then did I suddenly understand. view all

Reposted from the web

Summary: This Oman Muslim travel guide visits an Ibadi mosque and asks how Ibadi Muslim namaz differs from other Muslim practices. It keeps the travel route, Muscat transfer, mosque visit, and worship observations intact.

The title plays on Khomeini's famous line: neither East nor West, only Islam. When I booked my flight from Lanzhou to Tehran, I found I had to transfer in Beijing and then transfer again to a place called Muscat. Muscat?

I had never heard of it. I didn't pay much attention at the time, just assuming it was somewhere in Central Asia. I checked before leaving Beijing and found it is the capital of Oman, a Gulf country in the Middle East.































I have always been interested in religion. When I saw Oman, my first thought was to see an Ibadi mosque, which is different from Sunni and independent of Shia, and to see how Ibadi Muslims perform namaz. And how it differs from other branches.

But my time in Oman was tight on my first visit, so I didn't have a chance to go to a local mosque to see how the locals pray.

I asked locals at the airport how their way of praying differed from other places, but I only got the answer that Oman has both Ibadi and Sunni Muslims. That didn't answer my question at all, and it certainly wasn't the answer I wanted.

Luckily, I would pass through Oman again on my way back from Iran, so I took that opportunity to explore.

Muscat, the capital of Oman, has a landmark building. Tourists visiting Oman rarely miss a trip to the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque. I went in, performed wudu, and entered the prayer hall. I was immediately stunned by the massive scale of the space inside.

This is the mosque with the largest indoor space I have ever visited, bar none. Children will definitely love running around here. Besides me, the only other visitors inside the hall were two people from either India or Pakistan.

There was also a group of Kazakhstani people sitting in a circle, listening quietly to an elder speaking. there was a family from Ningxia. I asked the South Asian elder in front of me if the way Ibadhi Muslims pray here is any different from the Sunni way. The elder replied:

1. During prayer, Ibadi Muslims just stand with their arms at their sides, not folded or crossed.

2. After finishing their prayer, Ibadi Muslims only turn to the right to say the salam, not to the left.

When it comes to prayer, the difference is not that big. Compared to the Shia prayer methods I saw in Iran before, the difference is very, very small. I have written about Shia prayer methods before, so if you are interested, you can check my homepage.

Soon, an imam dressed in typical Omani style walked out from the mihrab. Just as the old man said, they kept their hands hanging down at their sides during namaz instead of folding their arms. They also did not turn their heads to the left after finishing the namaz.

After the namaz, I walked around the courtyard. The floor was mopped very clean. Although the surrounding buildings had a simple design, they were built with solid materials and had plenty of details, so they did not look plain at all. There was also a garden outside the courtyard.

Walking here reminded me of the large white mosque in the UAE that I saw online. I should visit the UAE if I get the chance later. view all

Reposted from the web

Summary: This Singapore Muslim travel guide visits Haja Fatimah Mosque, known in the source for its Western-style minaret. It keeps the author's Lion City mosque-series context, mosque details, and historic prayer-hall notes.

This mosque is the last one in my Lion City mosque exploration series. After this update, I will write some summary articles. I hope you all support them.

The most striking feature of this mosque is the style of its minaret, which looks different from the ones I usually see. It clearly borrows from Western architecture. At first glance, I really thought it was a Christian church.

There is an information board at the entrance of the mosque. It says it was built between 1845 and 1846. The site was originally the home of a person named Hajjah Fatimah. Hajjah Fatimah was a wealthy Malay woman from Malacca, Malaysia.

You can see from this that the connection between Singapore and Malaysia is truly very close. The previous Temenggong Mosque in Singapore is actually territory of the state of Johor, Malaysia.

Back to the main topic, in the late 1830s, this generous lady donated her property to build this mosque.

The designer of the mosque was a British architect whose name is no longer known. It is no wonder the mosque's minaret looks a lot like a church steeple.

One day after visiting the area near the Flower Dome, I came to this mosque. It was late, past nine o'clock, but the mosque gate was still open. Google Maps shows that this mosque closes at nine o'clock. I was wondering why the mosque was still open after nine o'clock; it seemed like Google Maps was wrong.

But after I finished my wudu, the prayer hall actually closed. I had to leave feeling disappointed and decided to come back the next morning to take photos of the prayer hall. It was not far from where I was staying anyway. I returned the next day and got the photos of the inside of the prayer hall just as I wanted.

A Quran study class was being held in the main hall, where a teacher was teaching children how to recite the Quran. There were also some outside the hall.

As I put my shoes on to leave, I noticed the floor tiles (Figure 11) were actually quite special; each color block was a separate piece, and the whole pattern had to be pieced together to form the design.























I remember seeing these kinds of tiles only in some old Western-style hotels.

The last photo is what I saw that night at the community activity center next to the mosque. Many people inside were playing badminton or tennis, and the entrance was decorated with colorful lights and a sign that said Selamat Hari Raya, which is Malay for Happy Eid al-Fitr. view all

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Summary: This Singapore Muslim travel guide focuses on the mosque inside the Singapore Islamic Centre. It preserves the three-floor layout, open interior view, prayer-hall details, and council-complex context.

In this issue, we focus on the mosque. It has three floors, and the space between the second and third floors is open, so you can look straight up to the third floor from the ground floor. I visited on a Friday, and the ground floor was already full, so I had to go up to the second floor.

The second floor was also quite crowded, with people lining up to perform wudu.

There was no room left on the carpet, so people started laying out straw mats (caoxi) (Image 5) to use as prayer rugs.











The craziest thing happened near the end of the prayer when I saw a man walking toward me who looked exactly like Lee Hsien Loong. He looked so much like him that I couldn't help but stare.

Another thing worth mentioning is the restroom. The toilets (Image 11) have grab bars installed next to them to help elderly people stand up and sit down, which is very thoughtful.













I went down to the ground floor to take some photos, then sat for a while on a bench near the elevator. Students from the Islamic seminary (jingxueyuan) (Image 13), wearing their uniforms, had finished their prayers and were getting ready for class.





They looked to be about twelve or thirteen years old.

Finally, I went to the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore next to the mosque. There is a small museum on the ground floor, but what kind of exhibits are inside? We will reveal that in the next issue. view all

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Summary: This Singapore Muslim travel guide visits the exhibition area inside the Islamic Religious Council building in the Singapore Islamic Centre complex. It keeps the source notes on the building, displays, and community context.

Inside the Singapore Islamic Centre complex, one building houses the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore. There is an exhibition area on the first floor. However, this exhibition area is actually not open to the public. I explained my purpose to the person in charge after I went in, and they made an exception for me to visit for a few minutes.

The exhibition mainly features items used by Singaporean Muslims in their religious life.

For example, look at the wooden object hanging in the first picture.



This piece of wood is called a beduk. For instance, during Ramadan, when it is time to break the fast, the mosque will strike the beduk to remind everyone. They also strike the beduk on Jumu'ah to call people to prayer. These are common in Malaysia, and you can still see them in some mosques in Singapore today.

If I have the chance to visit Singapore again, I will show you all one.

The belt-like item in the second picture is actually similar to a name tag.



It is an identification badge worn by pilgrims from Singapore during Hajj. The vests issued to Chinese pilgrims feature the Chinese flag and the word China, which serve the same purpose.

The photo in image three shows a mufti named Said, who is focused on using the compass above to find the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca.



Since they were building the Mosque of the Faithful (Qianxinzhe Qingzhensi) at the time, they had to determine the direction of the Kaaba before construction began.

The object in image four looks like a sundial, but it is not for telling time; it is used with a compass to pinpoint the exact direction of the Kaaba in Mecca.



The photos in the image five exhibit record major events in the history of Islam in Singapore by year, such as the founding of the Mosque of the Faithful and the election of the first official president of the Islamic Religious Council.



Images six and seven





show Islamic books published in Singapore over the years in Tamil (a South Indian language from the Dravidian family), Malay, and English. view all

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Summary: This Singapore Muslim travel guide turns from Habib Noh Shrine to Haji Mohamed Salleh Mosque itself. It keeps the mosque layout, prayer-hall notes, hillside setting, and source sequence unchanged.

Last time we focused on the tomb (gongbei) on the small hill next to the mosque. This time, let's look at the mosque itself. This mosque started as a small prayer room next to a tomb. It was later expanded to its current size.

The prayer hall is not very large, but it is small and beautiful. The interior decoration is simple and plain, but it is definitely not crude. The pillars inside are mostly pure white, but the tops are accented with a touch of gold, adding a bit of elegance to the hall.

The ceiling (Image 3) is low, but it has an open design that shows the wooden structure. This keeps the ceiling from feeling heavy, as a solid ceiling in such a low room would make people feel cramped.







The top of the mihrab (Image 5) is covered in simple mosaic tiles. The colors are muted and the design is simple, so it does not look too flashy or distract from the space.





A staff stands on the pulpit. The khutbah staff here in Singapore is different from the ones in China, where they are usually smooth, dry branches that keep the original shape of the wood. The one here in Singapore is a straight metal staff with a metal sphere on top.

On the right side inside the niche, there is a miniature model of the door of the Kaaba in Mecca (Image 6). I have seen this type of model in the shop at the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, so it seems popular in mosques across Singapore and Malaysia.



Copies of the Quran (Image 7) are neatly stacked on the pillars in the prayer hall. In some mosques, the books are placed a bit randomly and come in different styles.



I think the mosque management intentionally bought many copies of the Quran with the same covers to keep the interior looking tidy. Someone is specifically in charge of organizing them, making sure books with the same covers are kept together.

Let's look outside the prayer hall. Some guides mention a library here (Figure 10), which likely refers to a reading corner behind the prayer hall.







This small mosque also has an accessible elevator. I only noticed it while looking through my photos, even though I visited twice and never saw it.

According to the sign (Figure 11), the second floor has a small meeting room, a women's prayer area, restrooms, and an administrative office.



Climb the long steps up the nearby hill to see the roof of the mosque's prayer hall (Figure 12, Figure 13). The Malay-style building features this kind of sloped roof. view all

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Summary: This Singapore Muslim travel guide visits Habib Noh Shrine beside Haji Mohamed Salleh Mosque. It preserves the route, the 1788-1866 date note, the gongbei tomb description, and the local Muslim heritage details.

To get here, set your navigation for Haji Muhammad Salleh Mosque. The mosque sits next to a small hill where a Muslim sage named Habib Noh (1788–1866) is buried. The building with the dome is his tomb (gongbei).

Haji Muhammad Salleh, a friend of Habib Noh, originally built a prayer room next to the tomb, which was later expanded into this mosque.

I visited at the end of last year, but the tomb was closed for renovations. So, I only visited the mosque and did not go up to the tomb. This time, the renovations were finished, so I could go up.

You have to climb a flight of stairs to reach the tomb's front hall. An elderly volunteer who guards the tomb told me that Habib Noh was a descendant of the Prophet and suggested I look up more information about him.

It turns out this sage grew up in Penang, Malaysia, before moving to Singapore. His family was from Yemen, and he was born on a ship heading to Penang. He often spent time meditating on Palmer Hill, the same small hill where he is buried today.

People say that after he passed away, they tried to move his body to a cemetery, but they could not move him at all. At this point, someone remembered he had said before he died that he wanted to be buried on the hills of Parma. Only then were they able to bury him successfully. Everyone can form their own opinion on this story.

We can enter the tomb chamber by taking the long stairs shown in picture three.







Once inside the tomb chamber, I sat cross-legged. The people around me knelt, whispered prayers, and then raised their hands to make dua.

Behind the tomb chamber is another grave covered by a metal grid, where Habib Nuh's cousin, Habib Abdul Rahman, is buried. He was the first kadi (Islamic judge) of Singapore.

We returned to the mosque, where some introductory religious books were displayed at the entrance (picture nine); judging by the covers, the one on the left likely teaches how to perform wudu before namaz.













The book on the right features an elephant and a meteorite on the cover, so it is likely about the story of the Elephant in the Quran, making it a book of Quranic stories.

The mosque at the foot of the hill has a distinct Southeast Asian style with a clearly visible roof structure, similar to the huts built by the Malay people. It seems like living in a house like this would be very cool.

Inside the mihrab niche, there is also a miniature model of the door to the Kaaba in Mecca (Figure 14).











This place is very close to the busy areas of Singapore, so I usually head over to the Flower Dome after visiting here. view all

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Summary: This Singapore Sentosa prayer room guide follows the author after leaving Temenggong Mosque and entering the resort area. It keeps the aquarium, beach, cable-car context, and practical Muslim visitor notes intact.

After leaving the Temenggong Mosque, I headed toward the Sentosa area. Sentosa has an aquarium, beaches, restaurants, and a cable car, making it a great spot for leisure and fun. Google Maps shows there is a prayer room here, right by the light rail station.

In Singapore, they call this light rail the MRT, which is the same term they use in Taiwan.

The prayer room is right below the Beach Station. There are water taps next to it, so you can wash your feet after playing in the sand.

The prayer room is divided for men and women, with the men's side on the right. I took off my shoes on the bench by the door and opened it. The lights and fans turned on automatically. The prayer room was very clean. Keeping it that way depends entirely on the people who come to pray, and I couldn't help but admire how high the standards of the people here are.

There is an arrow on the floor of the prayer room pointing toward the Kaaba in Mecca (Figure 8). By the entrance, there is a rack (Figure 9) with prayer mats hanging on it. You lay one on the floor when you use it and are expected to hang it back up when you are finished.



















During my first visit, I met a local Malay Singaporean and an African man who lives and does business in the United States. His English accent was still different from that of Black Americans. We chatted for a while and then said goodbye.

When I came here a second time, I met two more Malay people and a Muslim from sub-Saharan Africa who greeted me. It was quite a coincidence to run into Malay and African people both times.

After namaz ended, it was time for me to head back to the hotel to sleep. I took the light rail to leave Sentosa Island and got ready to travel quite far the next day to attend the Friday congregational prayer. I will post an update on the Friday prayer scene soon. view all

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Summary: This Singapore Muslim travel guide explains the author's visit to an underground mosque and why such a mosque exists in the city. It preserves the personal opening, site details, and hidden prayer-space context from the source.

When I hear about underground mosques, I immediately think of a magazine I read as a kid. It talked about a country in Central Asia during the Soviet era where people dug a hole in the ground and propped it up with a few wooden beams to escape religious suppression.

People would sneak inside to perform namaz. But this mosque in Singapore is different. The mosque owned property in the business district. After signing an agreement with United Overseas Bank (UOB), both sides decided the mosque would trade its above-ground property for part of the space on the first basement level of the UOB building to use as a mosque.

The brief history of the mosque (Image 7) shows a bit of pride, saying that I probably haven't seen many mosques built underground.















After visiting the South Indian gongbei, Thian Hock Keng Mosque, and Al-Abrar Mosque, I walked toward Boat Quay. Before long, I saw the entrance to the underground mosque (Image 1). Honestly, it looks a bit like a subway entrance or an underground parking garage for an apartment complex.

But there is a sign for the mosque next to it, so it is not easy to mistake.

The first time I went there, I almost walked straight into the entrance for the women's prayer hall. That is because this mosque has separate entrances for men and women. The entrance on Boat Quay leads to the men's prayer hall, and the entrance on Chulia Street leads to the women's prayer hall.

I went to the men's prayer hall. After walking down the stairs, there is a place to perform wudu in the entryway, and there are also restrooms. Performing wudu is very convenient.

After finishing wudu and entering the prayer hall, I found that the space is actually quite large and can hold a lot of people. The facilities are complete, and the interior decor is simple and elegant, making the space look clean and tidy.

The front wall features the first chapter of the Quran, known as the Opening (Al-Fatiha). Interestingly, the wall of the Al-Abrar Mosque I visited last time also displayed this same chapter.

The prayer hall is well air-conditioned and even equipped with a defibrillator (Image 12) to help patients suffering from cardiac arrest. This is the first time I have seen a mosque equipped with a heart defibrillator.











Once you leave, you are right at Boat Quay, where you can enjoy the waterfront view. Across the river is the Asian Civilisations Museum, which has a floor dedicated to religious exhibits, including a separate section for Islam.

I took photos of this last time, but unfortunately, they were lost. I wanted to take them again, but parts of the museum are currently under renovation, so the Islamic exhibit is temporarily closed. I will have to wait for another chance to show it to you all. view all

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Summary: This Singapore mosque guide visits Al-Abrar Mosque near Thian Hock Keng and the Telok Ayer area. It keeps the source notes on Chulia Tamil Muslims, Southeast Asian trade, mosque history, and local street context.

The Chulia are Tamil Muslims who do business in Southeast Asia. They have built mosques not only in Singapore but also in Malaysia and Myanmar. The Jamae Mosque in Singapore that I posted about before was also built by the Chulia.

The Al-Abrar Mosque I am introducing today was also built by the Chulia. This mosque is on the same street as the South Indian shrine (gongbei) Nagore Dargah that I introduced last time, as well as the Thian Hock Keng Mosque, which represents traditional Chinese beliefs.

It is just a few steps away from the Nagore Dargah.

The entrance still features three languages: Arabic on the main gate, English on the right, and Tamil on the left. To the left of the porch, there is an entrance to the women's prayer area.

When I entered the mosque, the first thing I noticed was that the prayer hall has an inner sanctuary (Figure 5). I first turned left to the ablution room to perform wudu, then went to the inner sanctuary in the center of the prayer hall.











The inner sanctuary is built in two levels, and the windows on the second level let in light to brighten the interior.

In the center of the inner sanctuary, you can see blue glass with scripture (Figure 13). The scripture is the first chapter of the Quran, Al-Fatiha.

















After leaving the inner sanctuary, you can see a notice board, which also serves as a lost and found. When I came here last time, the notice board was full of watches. Worshippers had left their watches in the mosque, and the ones found were placed on the board.

Besides the traditional donation boxes, I also saw a self-service zakat machine. Muslims do not have to use cash to pay zakat; they can also use the machine to send money to the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore.

Next time, I will take you to see a rare underground mosque. That is right, Singapore has a mosque built underground. Why did people build it there? We will reveal the answer next time. view all

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Summary: This Singapore Muslim travel guide visits Jamae Mosque and its South Indian style. It preserves the author's Chinatown-area observations, mosque design notes, and Tamil Muslim heritage context.

My phone died just as I was about to finish this last time. When I turned it back on, all my data was gone, otherwise I would have posted this part a long time ago. I went to Singapore again a while ago and visited the same places as before. Let me tell you about this South Indian-style mosque built by South Indian Muslims.

Mosque minarets come in many styles. You have seen plenty of other styles, but this South Indian style is quite rare.



































You can basically only see them in southern India, but since there are South Indian Muslim immigrants in Singapore, we can see one in a popular tourist spot here. This Jamae Mosque is actually on the same street as Singapore's famous Buddha Tooth Relic Mosque and Museum.

When you visit the Buddha Tooth Relic Mosque and Museum, you can also see a Hindu mosque and a South Indian-style mosque nearby.

Back to the main topic, the mosque's porch is right under the square minaret of the Jamae Mosque. Walk straight through the porch to find the visitor entrance. Once inside, you can see the interior of the prayer hall. The area without carpets is for visitors. Here, you can see display boards with basic Islamic knowledge, as well as the mosque's fan-shaped doors and windows and thick pillars, which have a distinct Nanyang style.

I performed wudu in the wudu room, which is a large pavilion, and then entered the prayer hall. I saw the front of the hall. On the left is Tamil, a language from southern India. Most Tamil people are Hindu, but some are Muslim.

In the middle is Arabic, and on the right is English. The side texts are translations of the Arabic scripture in the middle, which is from the Quran, Chapter 13, Verse 28. There are also the 99 Names of Allah around the prayer hall.

Leaving the mosque, I saw the Shahada in English at the porch. Across the street are many Chinese shops and a place called Mohamed Ali Lane. I am not sure of the story behind that name.

That is all for this mosque. Next time, I will take you to see the gongbei nearby. Stay tuned. view all

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Summary: This Singapore prayer room guide visits the Muslim prayer space inside Marina One in the Central Business District. It keeps the mall setting, restaurant and supermarket context, musalla details, and travel notes intact.

There is a shopping mall in Singapore's Central Business District called Marina One. It mostly has restaurants, supermarkets, and therapy centers. The mall has a prayer room for Muslim guests to perform namaz.

It was my first time here and I spent a long time looking for it. I even ended up in the parking lot, and only found the right place after an Indian security guard helped me. Actually, it is quite easy to find. Go down the escalator, turn right into the mall, and you will see the prayer room at a glance.

































There is a round window right next to the prayer room, so it is easy to spot.

The sign for the prayer room is a simple drawing of a mosque dome with a star and crescent symbol. Push the door open and you will see two doors, one on the left and one on the right. It has been a while since Eid al-Fitr (Kai Zhai Jie), but the decorations are still up.

The door on the right is for women, and the one on the left is for men. I pushed open the men's prayer room and found a shoe cabinet and a simple washing area to perform wudu. There is a restroom near the prayer room, so it is very convenient to perform wudu.

On top of the shoe cabinet, there are perfumes, prayer caps, and a mirror. It is quite thoughtful. I entered the prayer room and found it very clean. Everyone is quite disciplined, and the environment is well-maintained. It is quite spacious inside and can hold many people.

The prayer room is simply furnished. It is just a basic place for namaz, so there are no decorations, no minbar, and no mihrab. There are some simple decorations on the wall, along with a prayer schedule. You can see this in the various airport prayer rooms I have shared before.

Let's look back at the book corner at the back of the prayer room. There are many books, including a booklet that is a selection of the Quran translated into Malay. Some books are free to take. These are actually prepared as dawah materials.

I found Chinese books among the dawah materials. One was produced by the Muslim Converts Association of Singapore. I did not know Singapore had such an organization. I will definitely go visit them if I have the chance next time. view all

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Summary: This Singapore Muslim travel guide revisits Sultan Mosque, one of the city's best-known mosque landmarks. It keeps the author's update note, mosque visit details, and historic prayer-hall context from the original article.

I have posted about this place before, but this is an update to my previous content.

In Chinese, both the African country Sudan (which has a flag that looks like Palestine's) and the Islamic royal title Sultan are transliterated using the same two characters, 'Sudan'.









Although Sudan is a Muslim-majority country, Sudan and sultan are actually two different words. Would it be better to use a different character for the latter when transliterating?

The Sultan in Sultan Mosque has no direct connection to the country of Sudan thousands of miles away; this Sultan refers to the Sultan of Johor, whose name was Tengku Hussein.

In 1819, British colonial official Stamford Raffles landed in Singapore and signed a treaty with the local ruler Temenggong Abdul Rahman and Sultan Hussein of Johor. In exchange for an annual payment and the allocation of the Kampong Glam area, the British were granted permission to establish a base on the island.

Following this, a large number of Muslims from the Malay Archipelago moved here to follow the Sultan and the Temenggong. Between 1824 and 1826, Sultan Tengku Hussein built a mosque within the palace grounds with funding from the British. As Singapore became a center for Islamic commerce and culture, the old mosque gradually became too small to meet the needs of the community.

In 1924, the authorities approved the reconstruction of the mosque on the original site, and the new building was completed in 1928. Sultan Mosque has remained largely unchanged since then and was designated a Singapore national monument in 1975.

When I visited this mosque, I found they had set visiting hours for tourists and even seemed to have people there to explain things. I didn't follow the tourist route, though. I went straight to the ablution room (wudu room) and then into the prayer hall.

The prayer hall has a high ceiling, which makes sense for a tropical area to help with cooling. It is different from our hometown in the Northwest, where buildings need to keep the cold out. I feel like the mosques in the Northwest usually have very cramped, low ceilings.

I also noticed this place is clearly well-funded. There is a row of LCD TVs playing lectures and announcements for upcoming public events on a loop. Big fans were blowing hard, but they only pushed around hot air. It was already the end of the year, yet it was still so hot.

I actually saw another mosque in Singapore called the Temenggong Mosque, which is connected to the person who founded this one. I didn't have time to visit it, though. I will take you all to see it next time I am in Singapore. view all

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Summary: This Muscat airport prayer room guide records a visit while leaving Oman for Iran. It keeps the author's question about Ibadi Muslim prayer practice, the prayer-room setting, and the transit details unchanged.

When I left Oman for Iran, I visited the prayer room here for the first time. I wanted to see if the way Ibadi Muslims pray is any different. Unfortunately, I did not see it then.



















Later, when I left Iran and returned to Oman, I went to the Grand Mosque in Muscat, the capital of Oman, and saw how Ibadi Muslims pray.

Unlike Sunni Muslims, Ibadi Muslims pray like this:

1. During prayer, Ibadi Muslims just stand with their arms at their sides, not folded or crossed.

2. After finishing their prayer, Ibadi Muslims only turn to the right to say the salam, not to the left.

These are the only two small differences. You could say they are only slightly different from Sunni Muslims who follow the Hanafi school.

I left Oman to head home and went to Muscat airport again. This time I was in a different terminal, and the prayer room was different too. It was much larger, bigger than some small mosques.

This airport is quite nice. You can always smell a faint, pleasant scent because they have incense burners placed everywhere. view all

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Summary: This Qatar Doha Airport prayer room guide follows the author's return journey after Iran and Oman. It preserves the ticketing route, airport transit context, prayer-room visit, and Muslim traveler details from the source.

I left Iran and returned to Oman. After a short stay in Oman, I started my journey back home. When I bought my flight home in Oman, I found out I had to transfer in Qatar. I slept for a night on a lounge chair at Doha Airport in Qatar. After I woke up, I went to the prayer room here.

Let me show you what it looks like inside. I have been to prayer rooms in other airports, including those in Oman, Singapore, Malaysia, and Iran, but the prayer room at Doha Airport in Qatar has the largest area for wudu (small ablution) I have ever seen.



















When I entered the prayer room, the decor felt very simple, but it did not look cheap at all; the materials and design were clearly well thought out. Someone was praying in the room at the time, and there was also an old man wearing a felt cap (jianbing mao).

I remembered that my friend from Kashmir, who is now studying for his PhD in Japan, also gave me a hat like that. It is also interesting that this type of hat has appeared on ancient Greek statues.

The prayer room also had a schedule for the five daily prayers, which you can see in many Islamic places of worship. The calendar also shows the Islamic year 1447, which starts from the year the Prophet migrated from Mecca to Medina (July 16, 622 AD).

Actually, the whole airport has several prayer rooms. I ran into more than one just by walking around.

I also visited other parts of the airport, took photos of the big bear, looked at the cars, and even tried the airport light rail. In the end, I made it back home smoothly. With this, my trip has come to an end. I went to Vietnam, Singapore, the Maldives, and Malaysia.

Soon after, I went to Iran via Oman and transited through Qatar to return home. It is a pity that many videos and photos are missing. I will just have to wait until my next trip abroad to take more. view all

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Summary: This Oman Muslim travel guide follows a transfer through Muscat and a mosque visit during a short city stay. It keeps the author's route from Beijing, overnight stop, mosque observations, and local worship details in source order.

I left Beijing and transferred at Muscat International Airport in Oman. My flight left the next day, so I slept in Muscat city before having to rush off again. I had almost no chance to see Oman, only catching a few glimpses from a taxi.

I spent a few days in Iran, and when I returned, I had more time, so I finally got a chance to see a mosque in Oman.

I paid in cash and booked the room in person, so I don't remember what the place was called. I only remember that it was a Friday. The sun was shining, and many people came to the mosque because Friday is the day for congregational prayer. The prayer hall was full, so people stood out in the courtyard.

From what I saw, the prayer line included not only locals dressed in Omani style, but also many Indians and Pakistanis. They belong to different sects, as most Omanis are Ibadi. This is a sect independent of both the Shia and Sunni branches.

The Indians and Pakistanis are mostly Sunni, with a small number of Shia.

Before going to Iran, I noticed there were a lot of South Asians in Oman. I wanted to find some local specialties around my hotel, but there were none. It was all Indian restaurants—South Indian, North Indian—or Western fast-food joints. Do Omanis not open their own restaurants?

I finished by going to a restaurant called Istanbul to have some Turkish food, but the place was packed with Indian people. It is not that I dislike Indian food, but I have already eaten so much of it in other countries that I wanted a change.

Since I arrived at the mosque, I decided to go inside and take a look. I waited until there were fewer people and then went inside. It was truly beautiful, and its style, color scheme, and craftsmanship were completely different from the mosques in Iran.

On the walls, besides the small stained-glass windows, I also found the entire Quran carved into the surface (photos 11 and 12). We actually have this back home in China, too; the Great Mosque of Xi'an on Huajue Lane, located inside the Muslim Quarter (Huimin Jie), has Quranic wood carvings in its prayer hall.

























The mosque gate has signs in Arabic, English, and Hindi (photo 14), which shows just how many Indians work and do business here.





After the namaz ended, a young Indian man got busy again, handing out supermarket sale flyers to the people who had been praying. view all

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Summary: This Singapore Changi Airport prayer room guide focuses on the Terminal 2 Muslim prayer space. It preserves the airport setting, clear prayer-room signs, male and female rooms, and the author's transit notes.

Singapore Changi Airport is an international hub. It is more than just an airport; it is the first stop for people visiting Singapore. The airport's Jewel Changi commercial complex features a spectacular indoor waterfall that pours down from the roof all the way to the basement. It is a magnificent sight.

Travelers can also ride the free light rail (skytrain) that passes by the waterfall while moving between the airport terminals.

All four terminals at Singapore Changi Airport have a prayer room. Today, I am introducing the prayer room in Terminal 2 (T2).

This place is easy to find because the signs are very clear (Image 2). They say 'dua room' in English, with the Chinese and Japanese characters for dua room next to them.





The prayer room is divided into separate areas for men and women (Image 3). There is a sensor at the door; just wave your hand in front of it, and the door opens automatically.



The entryway of the prayer room has a bench for changing shoes (Image 4) and a shoe cabinet (Image 5).





I have visited prayer rooms at Muscat Airport in Oman, Imam Khomeini Airport in Tehran, Iran, the airport in Qatar, and Narita Airport in Japan. Compared to the prayer rooms in Middle Eastern airports, the one at Singapore's airport is quite simple. It has almost no decorations, much like the one in Japan.

The prayer room already has carpet, and various prayer mats are neatly laid out on top of it (Image 7).





While praying, I noticed that the people around me included both travelers and airport staff.

After finishing my prayer, I noticed a cabinet on the left. Inside, there were not only spare prayer mats but also a type of traditional Malay and Indonesian cloth (Image 9). Malay and Indonesian people use this long cloth to wrap around their lower bodies like a skirt when they pray. I once saw this kind of cloth in Qingdao, where I met an Indonesian friend who gave me one.





The cabinet also held various religious books, perfume (using perfume is a practice of the Prophet, which is worth following), and prayer caps. This seems to be a standard feature for prayer rooms in Singapore.

I visited Singapore shortly after Eid al-Fitr, so the decorations were still up in the subway stations, the airport, and all around the city. Even though the holiday had passed, I could still feel a bit of the festive spirit.

I noticed this especially when I left Singapore for Changi Airport.

The decorations in the check-in hall were mostly shaped like lanterns (fanous) and square rice cakes wrapped in palm leaves (ketupat). The displays also featured many fresh flowers and plants, along with a greeting card. Here is a simple translation of the text:

Changi Airport commemorates the holy month of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, which began on March 21 this year. During Ramadan, people fast, reflect on themselves, and give to charity.

The arrival of Eid al-Fitr (Malay: Hari Raya Aidilfitri) marks the end of Ramadan. People start the Eid al-Fitr celebration with a prayer of gratitude, then gather with family, friends, and neighbors.

The decorations are inspired by Eid al-Fitr traditions. Changi Airport wishes all Muslims a blessed Ramadan and a happy Eid al-Fitr!

In a few days, I will share a summary of the mosques, shrines (gongbei), and prayer rooms I visited in Singapore. Stay tuned view all

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Summary: This Singapore Muslim travel guide visits the mosque described as the oldest mosque in Singapore, located around Kampong Malacca and built in 1820. It keeps the history, location, and mosque observations from the original account.

This place is not far from the underground mosque I mentioned last time. Located in the Kampong Malacca area of Singapore, it was built in 1820 and is the oldest mosque in Singapore. It is older than other early mosques, such as the South Indian-style Jamae Mosque, which I shared before and was built in 1826.

That is a few years later than this mosque.

Back to the main topic, the roof of this oldest mosque in Singapore (Picture 1) looks very much like a traditional Malay hut.



After entering, you can see the renovation plaque on the back of the prayer hall (Picture 2). The mosque was first built in 1820 and finished its renovation in 1984.



The founder of this mosque was named Syed Omar, and he was an Arab merchant.

Today, members of his family are buried in the tomb next to the mosque's minaret (Picture 4).





Let's look at the mosque's notice board. It says in English, Malay, Bengali, and Tamil that staying overnight without permission is prohibited (Picture 6).





This shows that the people who visit this mosque the most are Malays, Tamils, and Bengalis.

Entering the prayer hall, I feel the architectural style is very beautiful, and the door frames tilt toward the ceiling (Picture 8, Picture 9).







I remember seeing this kind of design in some old Western castles. When I came here last time, I remember the Malay imam was very young and polite. I asked him if he was the imam, and he said the imam was busy these two days, so he was filling in.

He also asked if I had encountered any trouble in Singapore and told me I could contact him anytime if I had any problems.

When I visited again this time, the imam was still very young, but it was not the same person as last time.

After the namaz ended, I went to the courtyard to take a look. There were long benches and tables set up (Photo 14), and next to the tables was a vending machine (Photo 15) selling various types of instant food.













Many of the instant foods in convenience stores here in Singapore have halal labels, so it is quite convenient to find a meal.

There is a microwave (Photo 16) nearby, so you can heat up what you buy and sit at the table to eat.



In the next article, I will take you to continue exploring mosques in Singapore. See you then. view all

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Summary: This Muslim travel guide visits Al-Amin Mosque in Singapore and its Malay-style design. It preserves the source notes on the main building, minaret, prayer hall, and local mosque atmosphere.

Al-Amin Mosque is built in a Malay style, with both the main building and the minaret showing distinct Malay features.

Near the elevator shaft of the mosque, there is a sign written in Jawi script (Figure 3).







At first, I thought it was Arabic, but looking closely, I saw some letters that do not exist in the Arabic alphabet. It is reasonable to conclude that this is Jawi, which uses Arabic letters to write the Malay language, fitting for a Malay-style mosque.

I took the elevator to the second floor and found a small garden (Figure 7). There is a tea dispenser nearby, and the tea tastes similar to Assam milk tea.









Sitting on a chair in the garden to have a drink helped me recover from the fatigue of my journey. When I entered the prayer hall and got ready to take photos, the elderly caretaker saw me holding my phone and turned on the lights so I could get a clearer shot.

I took photos twice, and both times, the man turned on the lights as soon as he saw me.

As you can see, the roof of this main hall looks like a shed, and there is an upper level that serves as a prayer area, likely for women.

The mihrab is quite unique because it is transparent (Figure 17), allowing you to see the lush rainforest on the mountain outside.





















There really is a small hill behind this mosque. It seems Singaporeans have plenty of places to go for weekend outings and camping.

Walking out of the mosque, you can see a poster across the street (Image 18). It says Happy Eid al-Fitr in Malay. Singapore has many electoral districts, and the person on the poster is the representative for the district where this mosque is located. Judging by the name, they appear to be Chinese.



When I last visited Singapore, the Indian festival of Diwali had just ended. Officials from different ethnic groups wore traditional Indian clothing on posters to wish the Indian community a happy Diwali.

In the next article, I will take you to see the Temenggong Mosque in Singapore. Who exactly was Temenggong? Why is there a mosque named after him? I will reveal the answer in the next article. view all

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Summary: This Singapore prayer room guide visits the small Muslim prayer space at Singapore General Hospital. It keeps the author's walking route, hospital setting, prayer-room layout, and practical travel observations intact.

My favorite place in Singapore is actually this small prayer room. It was not far from where I was staying, just a short walk away.

This prayer room is next to a parking lot at the Singapore General Hospital. It is a small courtyard with tables and chairs, free tea to drink, and a place to perform wudu (ablution). There is a canopy set up in the yard. Singapore has strong sun and plenty of rain, so the canopy helps provide shade and shelter.









































Deep inside the courtyard is a small room, which is where the prayers take place. There are four pillars in the middle of the room, and prayer beads (tasbih) hang from them. On the front wall, there is a mihrab (prayer niche) and a minbar (pulpit). A curtain on the left side marks the women's prayer area.

The walls are decorated with calligraphy and a clock. Prayer beads also hang on the windows, and there is a book corner to the front right. This small room is a perfect example of being small but complete.

Looking at the book corner, there are quite a few books. I found a small book with a sci-fi cover. It was in Malay, which I cannot read, but it had a lenticular bookmark tucked inside. It showed English and Chinese when viewed from different angles. I do not know who left it there, but it was quite cute.

Outside the window, there is a prayer time schedule. The digital LCD clock might be broken, so they are using this old manual one instead. The clock has a picture of a minaret on it. There are also various straw mats under the corridor. When there are too many people and the room is full, you can spread the mats in the courtyard to pray.

Walking out of the room, there is a restroom on the right, along with a second place to perform wudu. Walk further inside and you will find the women's ablution room.

I guess the people who come here for namaz are mostly families of patients and neighbors living nearby. When I arrived, I saw medical staff performing namaz. The last time I was here, I saw a police officer from Singapore performing namaz.

Leaving the small courtyard, there is a little slope on the right where you can stand and see a jackfruit growing on a tree. The prayer room is just a simple little shed. Many people come and go in the courtyard, and every now and then, little birds fly in and leaves drift down.

This small prayer room is a bit messy, but it feels full of life, and I like it very much. view all

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Summary: This Iran Muslim travel guide focuses on the Fatima Masumeh Shrine Mosque complex in Qom. It keeps the original notes on its minarets, dome, scale, Shia setting, and visual mosque aesthetics without changing the source meaning.

The Fatima Masumeh Shrine (Fatima Lingmu Qingzhensi) is the largest building complex in Qom. You can see its towering minarets and massive dome as soon as you enter the city. view all