Reposted from the web

Summary: Best Halal Food in Beijing: Muslim-Friendly Restaurants and Hui Muslim Street Food Map (Issue 57) is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: Here is the information for the restaurants I visited this time:. The account keeps its focus on Beijing Halal Food, Muslim Travel, Middle Eastern Food while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.

Here is the information for the restaurants I visited this time:

1. Wanhe Beef

2. Manpengxuan

3. Love Yourself Halal Skewer Hot Pot

4. Xiting Xiuse, Xiangyun Town Branch

5. Flame & Feast Pakistani Steak

6. Yilan Liyuan Handmade Burgers

7. Laikebi Happy Pizza

8. Xiangyu Homestay Halal Restaurant

1. Wanhe Halal Beef



This beef hot pot restaurant is on Longfusi Food Street. They use beef from Zhangye, Gansu. The shop is 2,000 square meters, has many private rooms, and offers good service. They mainly sell beef.



The beef set meal I bought online was only 200 yuan. Two people couldn't even finish it. The meat quality is really good.



This is the sea cucumber (liaoshen) included in the set, along with plenty of vegetables and noodles as the staple food.





You can choose a single-person small pot to try different soup bases. I like this pickled cabbage (suancai) soup base. You can mix your own dipping sauce. I like to make mine with a spicy and sour Yunnan flavor.



Address: 3rd Floor, Building A, Nanfang, No. 1 Longfusi Qianjie, Dongcheng District.

2. Manpengxuan



This is a new high-end halal restaurant under the Nanmen Shuanrou brand, located on the 4th floor of the North Area of the China World Mall.



The authentic Nanmen Shuanrou brand is the one at the Temple of Heaven; all other Nanmen restaurants are just copycats trying to ride on their popularity. There is also a Nanmen Xiaoguan in the China World Mall, which is another brand under Nanmen that serves Beijing-style stir-fry at affordable prices.



The restaurant has a beautiful layout and a spacious interior, making Manpengxuan a great choice for business dinners.



Remember to park in the North Area and take the North 2 elevator to the 4th floor, or you might get lost.



They serve complimentary pickled vegetables before the meal, and they all taste quite good.



When the server talked about the chef's knife skills, they mentioned a dish called celery with phoenix tail in sauce (laozhi fengwei xiqin). I was curious, so I ordered it. The celery arrived without the sauce poured over it; it looked beautiful and tasted very crisp and tender.



They serve fusion cuisine, mainly Beijing and Cantonese dishes. I specifically chose a Cantonese dish called lotus leaf and dried tangerine peel Zhanjiang chicken (hexiang chenpi zhanjiang ji), which comes with the chicken already deboned.



This dish is called dried scallop and shrimp with fresh bean curd skin and apple loofah (yaozhu xiagan xianfuzhu zhu pingguo sigua). The name lists all the ingredients. It is very light, the server helped us portion it out, and you can even get refills on the soup.



I ordered the crispy skin roast chicken. I originally wanted the crispy squab, but a large group had already finished all of them that day. The skin on this roast chicken was just as crispy.



For the threadfin salted fish and eggplant claypot (mayou xianyu qiezi bao), the salted fish was indeed a bit salty.



The appetizing kale and bamboo shoots (kaiwei jielan sun) is a savory dish. The kale was cut into a shape that made it hard to pick up with chopsticks, but the server was very thoughtful and said they would improve the presentation.



The manager gave us some complimentary Beijing-style desserts, including pea flour cake (wandou gao) and aiwowo (steamed rice flour cakes with sweet filling). They were small and bite-sized.

3. Love Yourself Halal Skewer Hot Pot



A new skewer hot pot restaurant serving Guizhou sour soup has opened near the residential area of Daxing Airport.



The warm reminder at the entrance shows the owner is very thoughtful. While waiting for a table, I chatted with the owner and learned he is from Chengdu.



Skewers are 0.8 yuan each. After eating, they count the sticks to settle the bill. You can buy a group-buying set, and the average cost per person is under 70 yuan.



You still have to wait in line on weekend nights. The place is small, with fewer than ten tables inside.



Although the owner recommended the spicy clear oil hot pot, I specifically chose the Guizhou sour soup hot pot.



They have a huge variety of skewers, and they are already seasoned, so they taste great even without dipping sauce.



Address: 2nd Floor, Building 1, Kangtai Street, Yufa Town, Daxing District.

4. Xiting Xiuse (Xiangyun Town Branch).



The Xiting Xiuse branch in Shunyi's Xiangyun Town is their largest and most luxurious store in Beijing.



The restaurant has two floors, and there is an open-air garden at the entrance on the first floor. It is very pleasant to sit in the courtyard during the summer.



The second floor has several private rooms, each with a different style, and there is even a dedicated room for smoking cigars.



The large private rooms can hold thirty to forty people, making them perfect for parties and birthday banquets.



It is also a great experience to stop by for coffee and afternoon tea. This is one of the more authentic Turkish restaurants, and the colors of their dishes are a feast for the eyes.



Address: Shop 107, Building 11, North District, COFCO Xiangyun Town, Antai Street, Shunyi District.

5. Flame & Feast Pakistani Steak



A newly opened Pakistani steakhouse in Shunyi. Their signature dish is grilled steak, and they also sell burgers and fried chicken.



The small shop has two floors. The newly renovated environment is very clean, and the service is quite warm.



I found a portrait of a pharaoh hanging in the bathroom, which carries a bit of metaphor for our Pakistani friends.



This is French-style fried chicken with a sweet and salty flavor, but I still prefer salty fried chicken.



The burger is also quite ordinary; this place's burger is not as good as the ones on Niujie.



However, their steak tastes good. Because the price is cheap, it feels quite a bargain to get this quality of steak. The waiter asked how I wanted it cooked, and I like it medium-well. I suggest you only eat the steak when you come here.

Address: Yixin Jiayuan, Shengli Subdistrict, Shunyi District.

6. Yilan Liyuan Handmade Burgers



The Yilan Liyuan Beef and Mutton Shop on Niujie added a new window to sell handmade burgers. The owner's son returned from studying in the United States and wanted to bring authentic American burgers to Beijing using their own beef.





This is the handsome guy, cooking in person with the meat patties fried on the spot. They currently only have two types of burgers, divided into single and double layers. The young man's skills are good. The shape and style of this burger are basically the same as what I ate in the United States, even the wrapping paper is the same.



7. Laikebi Happy Pizza



Laikebi is an old shop that has reopened. I ate at their shop near the China University of Political Science and Law before 2018. At that time, the owner was still single and from Yunnan. This year, the owner reopened the shop and married a Uyghur wife. We happened to run into them when we arrived at the shop.



It is a pity that this shop will close at the end of the month. International students used to visit often, but now there are far fewer students in the area, making it hard to keep the business going.



Their dishes offer great value for money. I was deeply impressed when I visited in 2018. We had four people this time and ordered a four-person set meal for only 200 yuan. We actually couldn't finish it because it was just too affordable.



Their pizza and grilled meat rice are both delicious. They are excellent among halal Western-style fast food in Beijing.



I don't know if there will be another chance to eat at such an affordable Western restaurant in the future. I hope the owner can get back on his feet.









Maybe when you see this message, the shop will already be closed, so let's just leave this as a memory.

8. Xiangyu Homestay Halal Restaurant



A new halal farmhouse inn has opened in Huairou. There are now at least three halal homestays in the area, and this one is not far from the Mutianyu Great Wall.



The setting here is quite nice, with a small bridge and flowing water at the entrance.



We booked our meal in advance. The owner is a Hui Muslim from Tongzhou and is a great cook.





Since we had children with us, I specifically asked the owner to use less salt and keep the flavors light. Otherwise, following the traditional taste of Tongzhou Hui Muslims, the dishes would definitely be salty.



The food here is generally home-style. I suggest sticking to traditional Beijing dishes to be safe and avoid disappointment. Don't order the Sichuan dishes; after all, a chef is always more comfortable cooking the food from their own hometown.











When you come to Huairou, you must eat the grilled rainbow trout (hongzunyu). Rainbow trout is a cold-water fish with tender meat and few bones.





The spicy chicken (lazi ji) in the photo above and the boiled beef (shuizhu niurou) in the photo below are not recommended as they are not the chef's specialty. Everything else is fine. There were 10 of us, and it cost 50 per person.







Address: Lianhuachi Village, Yanqi Town, Huairou District.

End of article.

— Author: Yahya —

Author of the bestseller 'Guide to Avoiding Insurance Pitfalls'.

Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) member.

IMA International Insurance Expert.

Scan the QR code below to add the author on WeChat.



Previous posts:

To find other halal food in Beijing, please check the links to previous posts. Closed restaurants are noted. The content is as follows:

[Beijing Halal Dining Guide (including the most complete list of foreign restaurants)] (Part 1) (Note: Baodu Wai is closed, Yangji Beef Pie is closed, Halal Spicy Hot Pot is closed, Yuanxie Shuanrou Restaurant is closed, Dafengshou Fish Restaurant is closed, Hongliushu Roasted Lamb Scorpion is closed, Weidao Xinjiang Restaurant is closed, Shashi Castle Restaurant is closed, Badang Restaurant is closed, Bakeli Caspian Western Restaurant is closed, Sukhothai Thai-Malaysian Restaurant is closed, Cheese Molecule Pizza is closed);

[Beijing Halal Dining Guide (including the most complete list of foreign restaurants)] (Part 2) (Note: 1001 Nights Blue Harbor branch is closed, Haitian Yise Chinese Restaurant is closed, Changying Seafood BBQ is closed);

[Beijing Halal Dining Guide (including the most complete list of foreign restaurants)] (Part 3) (Note: Changji Zhizi BBQ is closed, Yiding Shandouji Private Kitchen is closed);

Beijing Halal Dining Guide (Part 4) (Note: Features soybean paste noodles (zhajiangmian) and Yunnan cuisine. Xuezhan Big Plate Chicken is closed, Islam Lan Hot Pot is closed, Xingyuege Muslim Restaurant is closed);

Beijing Halal Dining Guide (Part 5) (Note: Features Yunnan cuisine and Shanxian lamb soup (yangtang))

Beijing Halal Dining Guide (Part 6) (Note: Features Chongqing hot pot. Moroccan Restaurant is closed, Yijinglan Restaurant is closed, Weidao Seafood Restaurant is closed, Lao Ma Lamb Scorpion Potstickers has been renamed Xiaohailuo Seafood BBQ);

Beijing Halal Dining Guide (Part 7) (Note: Features Turkish kebab. Chinese tea house is closed, Yijinyuan is closed, Laoduiyuan is closed);

Beijing Halal Dining Guide (Part 8) (Features soup dumplings (guantangbao). Fangchengshun Shuanrou is closed, Father's New Style Western Region Cuisine is closed);

Beijing Halal Dining Guide (Part 9) (Note: Features ox head feast. Qinghai Hot Pot is closed, Halimei Kitchen is closed, Meisi Coffee is closed, Yilaobaiwei Dipping Sauce Hot Pot has been renamed Huaxiding New Style Halal Hot Pot);

Beijing Halal Dining Guide (Part 10) (Note: Features Huainan beef soup, Western fast food, pita bread soaked in soup (paomo), octopus balls (takoyaki), and Yunnan cuisine);

Beijing Halal Dining Guide (Part 11) (Note: Features Sichuan-style hot pot, spicy dry pot (mala xiangguo), seafood buffet, and Henan pan-fried buns (shuijianbao));

Beijing Halal Dining Guide (Part 12) (Note: Features Henan braised noodles (huimian) and spicy soup (hulatang). Erjie Diguo Stew is closed, HI HELLO Western-style iron plate rice is closed);

Beijing Halal Food Map (Part 13) (Note: Features Huaiyang cuisine and Jingdong meat pie);

Beijing Halal Food Map (Part 14) (Note: Features beef tendon hot pot and Palestinian restaurant. Japanese restaurant Hecai Shidang is closed);

Beijing Halal Food Map (15) (Note: Features Hohhot halal cuisine and Indian-Pakistani buffet)

Beijing Halal Food Map (16) (Note: Features Xiaolou Restaurant)

Beijing Halal Food Map (17) (Note: Manshuo Eel Rice is closed; Lao Yinchuan is closed)

Beijing Halal Food Map (18) (Note: Features Tanli broth lamb hot pot; Xu Yiwan Braised Noodles is closed)

Beijing Halal Food Map (19) (Note: Rumi's Secret is closed)

Beijing Halal Food Map (20) (Note: Ji'anzhai Crab Roe Noodles is closed)

Beijing Halal Food Map (21) (Note: Features Samarkand (Hamai'erhan))

Beijing Halal Food Map (22) (Note: Features Xunji and Lanjiushiqi)

Beijing Halal Food Map (23) (Note: Features Turkish Qubbe Restaurant)

Beijing Halal Food Map (24) (Note: Features Niububi; Longxianghui is closed)

Beijing Halal Food Map (25) (Note: Anhui board noodles and crayfish are closed)

Beijing Halal Food Map (26) (Note: Chongqing chicken pot is closed)

Beijing Halal Food Map (27) (Note: Features Syrian Cafe)

Beijing Halal Food Map (28) (Note: Features Qiqihar barbecue)

Beijing Halal Food Map (29) (Note: Features Huainan beef soup and Henan spicy soup; Chongqing hot pot restaurant is)

Beijing Halal Food Map (30) (Note: Featuring Ma Family steamed dumplings (shaomai), Taiba Shawarma, and Jinyunxuan Lanzhou beef noodles)

Beijing Halal Food Map (31) (Note: Featuring Lianghuo Lanzhou twisted fried dough barbecue (fanhua shaokao) and Henan Xiefeng steamed bun shop)

Beijing Halal Food Map (32) (Note: Featuring Mulu Malaysian Restaurant and Hongxiaolu Chongqing hot pot)

Beijing Halal Food Map (33) (Note: Featuring Chicken Tender Master (Jiliu Daren) and Jingyi Farmhouse)

Beijing Halal Food Map (34) (Note: Featuring Yuejing Japanese buffet and Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications Ethnic Restaurant snail rice noodles (luosifen))

Beijing Halal Food Map (35)

(Note: Featuring Xunji Qingnian Road Courtyard)

Beijing Halal Food Map (36) (Note: Featuring Samosa Pakistani buffet)

Beijing Halal Food Map (37) (Note: Featuring Shixiang Japanese barbecue buffet)

Beijing Halal Food Map (Issue 38) (Note: Featuring Achuiji Stinky Fried Skewers)

Beijing Halal Food Map (Issue 39)

Beijing Halal Food Map (40)

Summary of specialty halal restaurants in Beijing by district

Beijing Halal Food Map (Issue 41)

Beijing Halal Food Map (Issue 42)

Beijing Halal Food Map (Issue 43)

Beijing Halal Food Map (Issue 44)

Beijing Halal Food Map (Issue 45)

Beijing Halal Food Map (Issue 46)

Beijing Halal Food Map (Issue 47)

Beijing Halal Food Map (Issue 48)

2024 Must-Eat Beijing Style Halal Restaurants List

Beijing Halal Food Map (Issue 49)

Beijing Halal Food Map (Issue 50)

Beijing Halal Food Map (51)

Beijing Halal Food Map (Issue 52)

Beijing Halal Food Map (Issue 53)

Beijing Halal Food Map (Issue 54)

Beijing Halal Food Map (55)

Beijing Halal Food Map (Issue 56) view all

Reposted from the web

Summary: China Mosque Travel Guide: Hui Muslim Plaques, Couplets and Islamic Calligraphy (101-150) is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: Tian Rui was a Hui Muslim from Taiyuan, Shanxi. He was the son of Tian Yongtong, a military jinshi scholar from the 28th year of the Qianlong reign. The account keeps its focus on Forbidden City, Islamic Art, Persian Culture while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.

101. 'Think No Evil' (siwuxie) plaque at Hexia Mosque in Huai'an.

An auspicious day in the first month of autumn, the 10th year of the Daoguang reign.

Inscribed by Tian Rui, Prefect of Huai'an.

Tian Rui was a Hui Muslim from Taiyuan, Shanxi. He was the son of Tian Yongtong, a military jinshi scholar from the 28th year of the Qianlong reign. He served as Prefect of Huai'an and Yangzhou and wrote a poetry collection called 'Yigai Pavilion Poetry Drafts' (Yigaiting Shichao).



102. Plaque in Arabic, Persian, and Xiao'erjing script at Yancheng Mosque.

Completed on an auspicious day in the eighth lunar month, the 17th year of the Republic of China.

Respectfully erected by Abdullah Yang Lüji.



103. 'Mosque' (Qingzhensi) plaque at Gaoyou Mosque.

Respectfully inscribed by Jingxiu, Magistrate of the Zhili Department of Gaoyou.

Rebuilt in the middle of winter, the 2nd year of the Tongzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty.



104. 'Utmost Sincerity Never Ceases' (zhichengwuxi) plaque at Xianhe Mosque in Yangzhou.

An auspicious day in the middle of summer, the Wuyin year, the 4th year of the Guangxu reign of the Great Qing Dynasty.

Respectfully erected by Zhu Huaisen, a nominated provincial commander-in-chief and regional commander of the Huai-Yang garrison, who held the title of Shangyong Baturu.



105. 'The Holy Religion is Entirely True' (shengjiaoquanzhen) plaque at Xianhe Mosque in Yangzhou.

An auspicious day in the spring month, the Dingchou year, the 3rd year of the Guangxu reign.

Inscribed by Zhu Huaijun, a guerrilla commander of the Qianshan Battalion in Anhui, who held the rank of provincial commander-in-chief and was in charge of the New Army of the Liangjiang Governor-General.



106. Xianhe Mosque in Yangzhou: 'Obey the decree of heaven and follow the holy word'

Early summer, the year of Xinhai in the Qianlong reign

Respectfully erected by the Sanwei Hall of the Muslim community



107. Xianhe Mosque in Yangzhou: 'Heaven is close at hand'

The tenth month of the Dingyou year (the 42nd year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty)

Calligraphy by Yang Enpei



108. Jingjue Mosque in Nanjing: 'Only pure, only one'

An auspicious day in the first month of summer, the Gengyin year, the 16th year of the Guangxu reign of the Great Qing Dynasty

Commander of the Jiujiang Garrison in Jiangxi



109. Jingjue Mosque in Nanjing: 'Rectify the heart and be sincere'

June, the 11th year of the Republic of China

Respectfully erected by the president and members of the Nanjing Islamic Association



110. Nanmen Mosque in Liuhe, Nanjing

Cherish purity and walk in cleanliness as if in the afterlife

Return to the truth and simplicity just like this

An auspicious day in the tenth lunar month, the 10th year of the Republic of China

Wang Jianli of Gengdu Hall



111. Mosque (qingzhensi) at Zhuzhen Mosque in Nanjing

Erected in the seventh lunar month of the Xinchou year of the Guangxu reign

Built by Zhu Dun



112. "Pivot of My Way" at the tomb of Liu Zhi in Nanjing

Mid-summer of the Xinchou year (27th year of the Guangxu reign)

Written by Jin Pengshou of Jiangning



113. "A Model for Posterity" at the tomb of Liu Zhi in Nanjing

Reprinted by the public in the Dingwei year (33rd year of the Guangxu reign)

Respectfully written by Liu Dekun of Jingjue Mosque



114. Arabic plaque at the ancient mosque in Songjiang, Shanghai

Restored by Zhang Yunsheng in the Xinwei year

Rebuilt Qingshen Mosque

An auspicious day in the fifth lunar month of the Yiwei year of the Jiajing reign of the Great Ming Dynasty

The stele was erected in the Yiwei year of the Ming Jiajing reign (1535). The restoration by Zhang Yunsheng took place in a Xinwei year. It is confirmed that there is no 'Xinwei' year in the Jiajing era. Therefore, the renovation of the mosque likely took place in the sixth year of the Zhengde era (1511).

The inscription refers to the mosque as 'Qingshen Mosque,' which is a unique occurrence.



115. Ancient Mosque in Songjiang, Shanghai

Purity brings clarity, focus on pure cultivation to show a pure heart, and directly explore the origin of pure majesty.

Truth is without falsehood, nurture a true nature and cultivate true learning, only by returning to the root can one find true sincerity.

An auspicious day in the eighth lunar month of the Jia-Chen year, the 24th year of the Daoguang era.

Renovated in the ninth lunar month of the Ding-Mao year, the sixth year of the Tongzhi era, by Li Lügan, a follower of the faith from Jinchang, and his son Yaokui.

Inscribed by Ma Fujing, a presented scholar (jinshi), imperial guard, acting commander of the left battalion of the Jiangnan military, and garrison commander of the Ninghou battalion.





116. 'Ancient Faith from the Beginning' at the Ancient Mosque in Songjiang, Shanghai

Ding-Mao year.

Calligraphy by Ma Songting.

Ma Songting (1895–1992) is known alongside Wang Jingzhai, Ha Decheng, and Da Pusheng as one of the four great modern imams of China.



117. Mosque in Lishui, Zhejiang

Sincere and respectful, the Way is rooted in the middle, encompassing all things.

Silent and scentless, the ritual originates from the two energies that permeate the three realms.

An auspicious day in the autumn of the Bingxu year, the 12th year of the Guangxu reign.

Erected by Ma Huanzhang, the imam (zhangjiao) from Western Sichuan.



118. The Yongzheng Imperial Edict at the Lishui Mosque in Zhejiang.

An auspicious day in the middle of the second month of autumn in the Bingxu year, the 12th year of the Guangxu reign of the Great Qing.

Respectfully supervised and erected by the mosque's imam, Ma Huanzhang.



119. Donation plaque at the Lishui Mosque in Zhejiang.

Auspiciously erected in the seventh month of the Xinhai year, the third year of the Xuantong reign.



120. The 'Ten Thousand Differences, One Origin' plaque at the Qingjing Mosque in Quanzhou.

The first month of the Wuyin year, the 23rd year of the Jiaqing reign of the Qing dynasty.

The Land Forces Command of Fujian Province.

Respectfully erected by Ma Jianji, the Zhangzhou Garrison Commander.

Ma Jianji was a Hui Muslim from Sichuan. While serving in Fujian during the Jiaqing reign, he renovated the Qingjing Mosque and the Lingshan Sacred Tomb, and carved an inscription on the Wind-Moving Rock at Lingshan.



121. The 'Recognize the Oneness of Allah' plaque at the Qingjing Mosque in Quanzhou.

Respectfully presented in the eighth month of the 11th year of the Republic of China.

Written by Tang Kesan, Superintendent of the Xiamen Customs, after ritual washing.



122. The 'Three Fears and Four Admonitions' plaque at the Qingjing Mosque in Quanzhou.

An auspicious day in the latter part of the sixth month of the thirteenth year of the Republic of China.

Second-class Golden Grain Medal recipient, Intendant of the Jinan Circuit in Shandong, and former Superintendent of the Xiamen Customs, Tang Kesan respectfully wrote this.

The original plaque was destroyed between the 1960s and 1970s; this is a replica.



123. Fuzhou Mosque, 'Promoting the Holy Teachings'.

An auspicious day in the tenth month of the tenth year of the Republic of China.

Respectfully erected by Tang Kesan, Superintendent of Xiamen Customs.

After Tang Kesan became the Superintendent of Xiamen Customs in 1919, he worked hard to revive the faith in Fujian. He donated significant funds to the Fuzhou Mosque, Xiamen Mosque, and Quanzhou Qingjing Mosque. He also encouraged the descendants of local Fujian scripture readers to return to the faith and serve in the mosques.



124. Zhaoqing West Mosque, 'Always Remember the Lord's Grace'.

An auspicious day in mid-summer of the Wuxu year of the Daoguang reign.

Respectfully carved by Li Xianyang, acting Lieutenant Colonel of the Guangdong and Guangxi Governor's Front Battalion.



125. Zhaoqing West Mosque.

Why look for visible signs when in the five daily prayers, one feels as if Allah is truly present?

Do not say the traditions are distant, for within the thirty volumes of the Quran, the true teachings are found.

An auspicious day in the lucky month of the Jiaxu year of the Jiaqing reign.

Respectfully written by Vice Commander Liu Hu after washing his hands.



126. Zhaoqing East Mosque, 'The Only One'.

An auspicious day in the first month of autumn in the Yiwei year of the Qianlong reign.



127. Huaisheng Mosque in Guangzhou: 'The Emperor's Grace Lasts Forever'.

An auspicious day in the second month of the Wuyin year of the Kangxi reign.

Respectfully written by Gai Rixin, an imperial guard appointed by the Emperor, who was granted the status of Jinshi and promoted by one rank.



128. Huaisheng Mosque in Guangzhou: 'Rectify the Heart and Be Sincere'.

An auspicious day in the second month of the Wuyin year of the Kangxi reign.

Respectfully written by Tie Fanjin, a Jinshi degree holder and bachelor of the Hanlin Academy.



129. Huaisheng Mosque in Guangzhou: 'Great Mercy for the Whole World'.

An auspicious day in the second month of spring in the Wuyin year of the Kangxi reign.

Erected by Yang Guolin, a director of the Guangdong Department of the Ministry of Revenue, who was promoted by three ranks.



130. Huaisheng Mosque in Guangzhou: 'Utmost Sincerity Never Ceases'.

An auspicious day in the first month of autumn in the Xinchou year, the 60th year of the Kangxi reign of the Great Qing Dynasty.

Respectfully erected by Yan Guangwu, a deputy commander in charge of the Guangdong Chunjiang, Kaiping, Nafu, and Enping regions, who was awarded one merit record.



131. Huaisheng Mosque in Guangzhou: 'Follow the Past and Inspire the Future'.

Erected on an auspicious day in the first month of summer in the Jiaxu year, the 19th year of the Qianlong reign.

Respectfully inscribed by Li Xianxiang, an imperial guard and commander-in-chief of the Guizhou military, who served as the acting deputy commander of the Pingyuan garrison.



132. Huaisheng Mosque in Guangzhou: "Sharing in Allah's Blessings"

An auspicious day in the first month of winter, 26th year of the Daoguang reign.

Erected by the committee members together.



133. Huaisheng Mosque in Guangzhou: "Abundant Blessings from the Lord"

An auspicious day in the second month of spring, 6th year of the Tongzhi reign, year of Dingmao.

Erected by Bao Yingxiong, acting Guangzhou Brigade Commander, holding the rank of Assistant Brigade Commander and awarded the peacock feather.



134. Huaisheng Mosque in Guangzhou: "Grace Shines Upon All"

An auspicious day in the second month of winter, 26th year of the Guangxu reign, year of Gengzi.

Erected by Yang Shu, acting Guangdong Circuit Intendant for Gaozhou and Lianzhou, holding a second-rank button and awarded the peacock feather, and Yang Xun, a defense officer of the Plain Red Banner Han Army, holding a fourth-rank button and awarded the peacock feather.



135. Huaisheng Mosque in Guangzhou: "Merciful Clouds and Nourishing Rain"

An auspicious day in the middle of the first month of summer, 31st year of the Guangxu reign, year of Yisi.

Respectfully dedicated to celebrate the joy of Imam Ma.

Offered by the officials, gentry, elders, and committee members of the Lighthouse Mosque (Guangta Si).

Calligraphy by Yang Zeng.



136. Huaisheng Mosque in Guangzhou: "Carrying Forward the Past and Opening Up the Future"

National Day, 35th year of the Republic of China.

Erected respectfully by the first committee members and all the followers of the faith.



137. The 'Holy Path to the South' plaque at Huaisheng Mosque in Guangzhou.

Erected on an auspicious day in the winter of the 20th year of the Republic of China.

The venerable Sahaba Waqqas followed the Prophet's command to spread the faith in China. He left his mark in Guangzhou and built a tower that has stood for over a thousand years. All of us Muslims follow the ancient traditions and uphold the great principles of the Quran. We truly carry this path in the south and will never forget it for as long as we live.

Respectfully inscribed by Yang Mengling of Panyu, along with his sons Youfang, Guifang, Qunfang, Shifang, Yinfang, Lianfang, Qifang, and his grandsons Bingyi, Bingchang, Bingren, Bingshu, Bingquan, Bingtao, and Bingjun.



138. The 'Boundless Grace Bestowed' plaque at Huaisheng Mosque in Guangzhou.

An auspicious day in the first month of winter in the Dingwei year of the Guangxu reign.

Respectfully erected by follower Yuan Hongmo, his younger brother Hongquan, and his son Changzhen.



139. Arabic plaque at the Ancient Tomb of the Worthies in Guangzhou.

The second month of autumn in the first year of the Xuantong reign.

The members of the Tongxie Hall at Huaisheng Mosque.



140. Arabic plaque at the Ancient Tomb of the Worthies in Guangzhou.

An auspicious day in the first month of winter in the Gengxu year of the second year of the Xuantong reign.

Erected together by the members of the Guangta Heyi Hall.



141. 'Guard Our Pure Truth' plaque at the Ancient Tomb of the Worthies in Guangzhou.

An auspicious day in June, the fourth year of the Republic of China.

Since our ancestors from the West (Wanheshi) arrived in the East over a thousand years ago, we have followed our religious rules and never dared to break them. Recently, some young people have misunderstood the idea of freedom of belief, and their marriages and diets have started to ignore our religious rules. I fear that people's hearts are worsening and our holy faith is fading away. I have carefully chosen these four characters to write on the plaque as a reminder to our community. I hope everyone carefully follows the teachings of the scriptures and respects the examples set by our ancestors. If we do this, we will not be sinners against our people, and our faith will be fortunate.

Respectfully inscribed by Cai Chunheng from Wanbei, Major General of the Army, Director of the Guangdong Water Police Department, and recipient of the Third Class Order of the Golden Grain.



142. The plaque 'Zhengjue Xizong' at the Ancient Tomb of the Worthies in Guangzhou.

An auspicious day in the first month of summer, the tenth year of the Jiaqing reign (Yichou year).

Erected by Xu Wenmo, a hereditary brave official with the title of Admiral, Jiyong Baturu, and Commander of the land and water forces in the Gao, Lian, and Luo regions of Guangdong, who has received military honors twenty-two times.



143. The plaque 'Chanyang Shilai' at the Ancient Tomb of the Worthies in Guangzhou.

An auspicious day in March, the second year of the Republic of China.

Respectfully erected by Ma Bonian and others.

Respectfully written by Ma Yongkuan.



144. The plaque 'Kaitian Gujiao' at the Ancient Tomb of the Worthies in Guangzhou.

The first ten days of the second month of spring, the Jiazi year of the Republic of China.

Respectfully erected by the humble members of the faith.



145. The Ancient Tomb of the Worthies in Guangzhou, with the inscription 'The Law Extends to the Origin of Wonders' (Fa Chui Yuan Miao).

The sixth lunar month of the Xinsi year in the Guangxu reign.

Respectfully erected by Sha Jing of Qingyu Hall.



146. The Ancient Tomb of the Worthies in Guangzhou.

He was the first to spread the scriptures, a sign of returning to the truth, encompassing the profound meanings of the 140 ancient volumes.

He personally received the teachings to transform and educate, with great achievements and noble virtues, following in the footsteps of the 124,000 past saints.

Respectfully inscribed by Zhang Cheng, the Imperial-appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Youjiang Town in Guangxi, after ritual purification.

An auspicious day in the second month of spring in the Jisi year of the Jiaqing reign.





148. The Ancient Tomb of the Worthies in Guangzhou, with the inscription 'Looking Up to High Virtue' (Gao Feng Yang Zhi).

Respectfully erected on the Winter Solstice of the first year of the Yongzheng reign.



148. The Ancient Tomb of the Worthies in Guangzhou.

He spread the holy teachings in the southern lands, passed down through generations, strictly following the 30 volumes of sacred instructions.

He established a virtuous reputation in eastern Guangdong, standing tall and independent, admired by all for thousands of years as a model.

Built in the summer of the Jiawu year of the Guangxu reign.

Respectfully inscribed by Cai Jinzhang, the Imperial-granted Commander-in-Chief of the Guangdong Land Forces, titled Kengsenge Batulu.

149. The Ancient Tomb of the Worthies in Guangzhou, with the inscription 'Looking Afar to the Long Journey' (Chang Zhan Yuan Xing).

An auspicious day in the first month of autumn, in the Yiwei year of the Guangxu reign.

Respectfully erected by Xu Yingzhong, head of the Huaisheng Mosque, together with Ma Shikui of the Diegan Hall and others.



150. Ancient Tombs of the Worthies in Guangzhou.

Receiving the holy teachings in the West, the spiritual lineage has been passed down for fifty generations.

Upholding the heavenly scriptures in the East, the tradition remains for thousands of years.

An auspicious day in the second month of spring, in the Bingyin year, the eleventh year of the Jiaqing reign.

Respectfully written and composed by Hu Changqing from Guilin, a presented scholar (jinshi) by imperial decree, former bachelor of the Hanlin Academy, and official of the first rank.



Appreciating plaques and couplets from the faith (1-50 pieces).

Appreciating mosque plaques and couplets (51-100 pieces) view all

Reposted from the web

Summary: China Mosque Travel Guide: Hui Muslim Plaques, Couplets and Islamic Calligraphy (51-100) is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: Tian Yongtong was a Hui Muslim general from Taiyuan, Shanxi. He became a military Jinshi scholar in the 28th year of the Qianlong reign and rose to the rank of Commander-in-Chief of Jiangnan. The account keeps its focus on Mosque Travel, Islamic Heritage, Muslim Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.

51. The plaque 'Principles Rooted in Confucianism' (Li Guan Ru Zong) at Taiyuan Mosque.

Erected on a lucky day in the tenth month of the Yichou year, the tenth year of the Jiaqing reign.

Respectfully written by Tian Yongtong, a palace guard who earned the title of Jinshi scholar and served as the Brigade General of Nanyang, Henan.

Renovated by his great-great-grandson Zhenjing in the 31st year of the Republic of China.

Tian Yongtong was a Hui Muslim general from Taiyuan, Shanxi. He became a military Jinshi scholar in the 28th year of the Qianlong reign and rose to the rank of Commander-in-Chief of Jiangnan.



52. The plaque 'Extremely Brilliant' (Ji Gao Ming) at Taiyuan Mosque.

Respectfully presented by Zhang Jinglie from Yunnan, a palace guard and assistant regional commander in charge of the eastern route of Shanxi and the southern defense of Taiyuan city.

A lucky day in the ninth month of the Xinmao year, the 36th year of the Qianlong reign of the Great Qing Dynasty.



53. The plaque 'The Way is Known in Greatness' (Dao Jian Zhi Hong) at Taiyuan Mosque.

Reprinted by Chongde Lu in the eighth month of the seventh year of the Tongzhi reign.

Shao Yong.

Shao Yong was a philosopher and expert on the I Ching during the Northern Song Dynasty.



54. The plaque 'Only Virtue is Supported' (Wei De Shi Fu) at Taiyuan Mosque.

Respectfully erected by Duo Ding, a Juren scholar from the Dingmao year of the Qianlong reign and an instructor in Wanquan County.

Renovated by his clansman Chi in the eleventh month of the Dingwei year of the Daoguang reign.



55. The plaque 'The Teaching Exalts the True One' (Jiao Long Zhen Yi) at Taiyuan Mosque.

Respectfully inscribed by Ha Panfeng, Imperial Guard, Commander-in-Chief of Datong, Shanxi, appointed by imperial decree, with three recorded merits.

An auspicious day in the sixth lunar month of the 46th year of the Qianlong reign of the Great Qing Dynasty (1781).

Ha Panfeng was from Suning County, Hebei, and became a military jinshi scholar in the 16th year of the Qianlong reign.



56. Taiyuan Mosque: "Heaven's Mirror is Here"

Erected by Tian Qiao, a successful candidate in the imperial examinations during the Wanshou Guisi year.

An auspicious day in the early tenth lunar month of the Jihai year of the Kangxi reign.



57. Taiyuan Mosque: "The Most Holy, Past and Present"

An auspicious day in the fifth lunar month of the Renchen year of the Daoguang reign.

Erected by Tian Shifa, a candidate for the position of Zhili Prefecture assistant magistrate.



58. Taiyuan Mosque: "Return to the Truth"

Erected by Tian Zongzhou, a jinshi scholar, serving as a captain in the Right Battalion of the Henan-Hebei Garrison and acting commander of the Left Battalion.

An auspicious day in the third month of autumn in the Xinyou year, the 6th year of the Jiaqing reign of the Great Qing Dynasty (1801).

59. Taiyuan Mosque: "Tranquility"

Li Guifang, Imperial Guard and Commander-in-Chief of Gaozhou, Guangdong, with a rank increase of three levels.

His son, a successful candidate in the Xinwei year imperial examinations and a lieutenant at Shahe Camp.

His grandson, Panlin, a military graduate of the Renzi year and a lieutenant at Lengquan Pass, waiting for promotion to major.

Imperial-bestowed Zhaowu General, hereditary Cloud Cavalry Lieutenant, and additional Grace Cavalry Lieutenant Pan Long.

Wuwu-year military graduate, commander of Zhuhu Fort, and expectant garrison commander Pan Feng.

A lucky day in the ninth lunar month of the Bingwu year of the Daoguang reign.

Respectfully erected by his great-grandson, a local government student (yixiangsheng) named He Ming.



60. Taiyuan Mosque: 'All things return to the truth'.

Erected in the eighth lunar month of the second year of the Guangxu reign of the Great Qing Dynasty.

Respectfully erected by the imperial-titled Zhenwu General Tian Shixing, along with his son Weirong and grandsons Shaoshu, Shaoyi, and Shaoli.



61. Taiyuan Mosque: 'The body is in the same place as others'.

Seal of Huang Daozhou.

Huang Daozhou was a famous scholar, calligrapher, and painter at the end of the Ming Dynasty.



62. Taiyuan Mosque: 'Universal now, unique later'.

Respectfully erected by Li Hechun, a successful candidate in the Shuntian Bingzi provincial examination and magistrate of Tianzhen County, Datong Prefecture.

A lucky day in the eleventh lunar month of the Jihai year, the nineteenth year of the Daoguang reign of the Great Qing Dynasty.



63. Taiyuan Mosque: 'The great potter of all things'.

Erected by Tian Li, a presented scholar (jinshi) who was specially appointed as a military official (dusi) at the Yulin City garrison in the Shaanxi Yanjing region, with a two-grade promotion and two recorded merits.

Erected on a lucky day in the autumn, the ninth lunar month of the Yichou year, the tenth year of the Qianlong reign.



64. Taiyuan Mosque's "Ancient Religion from the Beginning of Heaven"

Jin Guozheng, Regional Commander and Assistant Commissioner-in-Chief in charge of Taiyuan, Shanxi and other areas

An auspicious day in the second month of autumn, the Yiwei year of the Kangxi reign

Jin Guozheng was from Tongxin, Ningxia. He was a famous Hui Muslim general during the Qing Dynasty. During the Kangxi reign, he served as the Regional Commander of Datong, Shanxi, the Regional Commander of Taiyuan Prefecture, and the Provincial Commander of Guyuan.



65. Taiyuan Mosque's "The Sound of Chanting Cannot Reach the Depth of Feeling"

Erected by Li Ximo in the tenth year of the Xianfeng reign

Calligraphy by Fang Xiaoru

Fang Xiaoru was a famous scholar, writer, and thinker of the Ming Dynasty.



66. Datong Mosque's "Ten Thousand Transformations Bow to the Truth"

An auspicious day in the eighth month, the Guihai year of the Qianlong reign of the Great Qing



67. Duolun Middle Mosque, Inner Mongolia

Do not be greedy for this life, only for the afterlife; let the way of heaven and the way of man return to the true religion

Strictly keep to the righteous path, avoid what is improper, let the heart be happy and the body be at peace, and recognize the One

Respectfully presented in the eighth month of the twenty-fourth year of the Jiaqing reign



68. Duolun Middle Mosque, Inner Mongolia's "Blessings Protect the One Truth"

An auspicious day in the fifth month of the ninth year of the Xianfeng reign of the Great Qing

Respectfully inscribed by Zheng Kuishi, Imperial Commissioner overseeing Ningguo military affairs, Commander-in-Chief of Zhejiang Province, supervisor of all land and naval garrisons, and holder of the title Jianwei General, Shalama Gai Batulu.

Zheng Kuishi was a famous general in the late Qing Dynasty and a Hui Muslim from Wanquan, Zhangjiakou, Hebei. He fought the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and the Nian Army for many years. He was the first to break through Luzhou and was wounded over twenty times in Huaiyuan, nearly losing his life, which earned him great praise from the imperial court. When Zheng Kuishi inscribed the plaque for Duolun in the ninth year of the Xianfeng reign, he was serving as the Zhejiang Commander-in-Chief and overseeing Ningguo military affairs, which was the highest rank of his career. In a memorial to the throne, Li Hongzhang highly praised Zheng Kuishi, saying he was "hardworking, resolute, and peerlessly brave... he was the first to face the enemy's sharp edge, braving death, and was severely wounded eight or nine times. His body was covered in scars, and among all the famous generals north and south of the Yangtze River at the time, everyone considered Kuishi the best."



69. "Ancient Islamic Teachings" (Qingzhen Gujiao) at the Middle Mosque (Zhongsi) in Duolun, Inner Mongolia.

Respectfully presented by Song Rui, specially appointed Commander of the Duolun Garrison and recipient of the imperial peacock feather.

An auspicious day in the sixth lunar month of the Yi-Hai year, the first year of the Guangxu reign of the Great Qing Dynasty.



70. "Benevolent Wind Spreads Everywhere" (Renfeng Pubei) at the Middle Mosque (Zhongsi) in Duolun, Inner Mongolia.

Presented by Lord Zhu Dezheng, holder of the fourth-rank title and peacock feather, acting administrator of the Duolun Nuo'er Civil Administration Office.

Respectfully presented by Hui Muslim community leaders Shan Yunxing, village elder Ma Wanxing, and others in the first month of summer, the thirty-first year of the Guangxu reign of the Great Qing Dynasty.



71. "Universal Mercy for the Present World" (Puci Jinshi) at the Middle Mosque (Zhongsi) in Duolun, Inner Mongolia.

An auspicious day in the seventh lunar month of the eighth year of the Republic of China.

Managed by the public.



72. "Unique Mercy for the Future World" (Duci Houshi) at the Middle Mosque (Zhongsi) in Duolun, Inner Mongolia.

An auspicious day in the seventh lunar month of the eighth year of the Republic of China.

Managed by the public.



73. Inner Mongolia Chasuqi Mosque (Chasuqi Si)

An auspicious day in the 47th year of the Qianlong reign of the Great Qing Dynasty



74. Baotou Great Mosque (Baotou Dasi) plaque "Guqiu"

An auspicious day in the third lunar month of the Jiawu year of the Daoguang reign of the Great Qing Dynasty

Inscribed by community leaders Wang Daxing and Bai Kede



75. Baotou Great Mosque plaque "Xianyang Zhengjiao"

An auspicious day in the eighth month of the second year of the Republic of China

Respectfully inscribed by Ma Fuxiang, Altay Garrison Commander, Army Lieutenant General, and Commander of the Gansu Zhaowu Patrol and Ningxia forces



76. Kaifeng Zhuxian Town North Mosque plaque "Zhenyi Huanzhen"

Inscribed by Yulu, First Rank official, Minister of War, Censor-in-Chief of the Left, and Viceroy of Huguang

Erected by Wu Dengshun and Yu Qinghe on an auspicious day in the first month of winter in the Wuzi year of the Guangxu reign



77. Kaifeng Zhuxian Town North Mosque plaque "Zhijiao Zhenyuan"

Inscribed by Zhu Yulu, Imperial Scholar and Governor of Henan

Erected on an auspicious day in the Dinghai year of the 30th year of the Qianlong reign



78. Kaifeng Zhuxian Town North Mosque plaque "Keshou Qingzhen"

Erected on an auspicious day in the first ten days of spring in the first year of the Xianfeng reign by the Zhu Town community.

Respectfully inscribed by Sha Lütai, a candidate for county magistrate in Henan.



79. The 'Knowing Before the Rain' plaque at the North Mosque in Zhuxian Town, Kaifeng.

Bestowed by imperial decree in the summer of the 50th year of the Qianlong reign of the Great Qing Dynasty.

Inscribed by Ji Yun, Grand Academician of the Hanlin Academy.

Re-inscribed by Niu Guangfu, Honorary Dean of the Kaifeng Calligraphy and Painting Academy.

Re-erected in the ninth lunar month of 1988.

The original plaque was destroyed after 1966. Legend has it that in the summer of the 50th year of the Qianlong reign (1785), Emperor Qianlong toured the south with Ji Xiaolan. On their return, they stayed at the North Mosque in Zhuxian Town. It was a hot, sunny day in the seventh lunar month. When Emperor Qianlong left, the mosque's Imam Sai gave Ji Xiaolan a bamboo hat, a fox-fur coat, and rain gear. Ji Xiaolan did not understand why, but Imam Sai said they would surely be useful. As Emperor Qianlong’s party traveled north by boat along the grain transport canal, they had gone only about 20 li when a fierce storm broke out with thunder and rain. The temperature dropped suddenly, and Ji Xiaolan quickly draped the fox-fur coat the Imam had given him over the Emperor. Ji Xiaolan made a special trip back to the North Mosque in Zhuxian Town to ask Imam Sai how he had predicted the storm. The Imam said, 'Last night there was a lunar halo, and today the base of the stone pillar behind the mosque gate was damp. A lunar halo means wind, and damp stone bases mean rain. With both, there was bound to be heavy rain and hail.' After hearing this, Ji Xiaolan wrote the four large characters 'Knowing Before the Rain' (weiyu xianzhi), which were later made into a plaque and hung on the mosque gate.



80. The 'Shanyitang Mosque' in Kaifeng.

The second month of spring in the ninth year of the Guangxu reign.



81. Zhengzhou North Mosque: 'Blessings for All People'.

The virtuous governance of Imam (ahong) Mu of Yatang.

Inscribed by Ye Xiangmei.

An auspicious day in the eighth lunar month of the twenty-third year of the Republic of China.

The local community set up this plaque for Imam Mu Wenxiu. Legend says Imam Mu was invited to Yangqiaotan Township near the Yellow River in the northern suburbs of Zhengzhou to offer dua for rain and end a drought. After his dua, a soaking rain fell, providing enough water to end the drought. Imam Mu and others walked there under the hot sun and returned in the rain. The people were very grateful and presented this plaque to show their appreciation.



82. Zhengzhou North Mosque: 'The True Faith Flourishes'.

Presented by Yang Qizhen, Imperial Commissioner for Taiwan Military Affairs, First Rank Official, Minister-ranked Fujian Naval Admiral, and Hereditary Cloud-riding Lieutenant (yunqiwei) Peiling Abatur.

Presented by Hami Prince Hedile, Imperial Guard, permitted to ride a horse in the Forbidden City, recipient of the Imperial Yellow Jacket and the three-eyed peacock feather.

Presented by Yang Lianzhen, Commander of the Ten Fujian Battalions, expectant Brigade General (canjiang), recipient of the peacock feather, and three-time record holder for merit.

An auspicious day on the first day of the first lunar month in the twenty-first year of the Guangxu reign of the Great Qing Dynasty.

Yang Qizhen was a Hui Muslim from Huainan, Anhui, and a patriotic general in the late Qing Dynasty. In 1885, he led his troops to fight against French warships. He became the Admiral of the Fujian Navy in 1892 and built a mosque in Xiamen. In 1895, he passed through Zhengzhou and wrote a plaque for the North Mosque (Beidasi).



83. The 'His Majesty Has No Equal' plaque at the Zhengzhou North Mosque.

Inscribed by Ma Fuxiang, specially appointed Army General, General Xiangwu, and Military Governor of Suiyuan.

A lucky day in the middle of the seventh lunar month, the 13th year of the Republic of China.



84. Arabic plaque at the Zhengzhou North Mosque.

A lucky day in the sixth lunar month, the 14th year of the Qianlong reign of the Great Qing Dynasty.

Erected by Ai Zhijing, a follower of the Islamic faith.



85. The 'Truth Discusses the Three Worlds' plaque at the Zhengzhou North Mosque.

The 13th year of the Guangxu reign.

The World of Truth (the unseen world), the World of Form (the material world, the present life), and the World of Reality (the afterlife) are unified and inseparable. The World of Truth explores the origin of creation, the World of Form is the material reality we see, and the afterlife explores our future destination.



86. The 'Mosque' plaque at the Taicheng Mosque in Tai'an.

Erected on a day in the first lunar month of the Jiwei year, the Wanli reign of the Great Ming Dynasty.



87. Arabic plaque at the Zhenjiao Mosque in Qingzhou.

In the 12th year of the Yongzheng reign of the Great Qing Dynasty.

Rebuilt in the Jiayin year during the month of Qin.



88. Jinan North Mosque: 'Recognize the Oneness of Allah'.

Respectfully erected in the eighth month of the eleventh year of the Republic of China.

Written by Tang Kesan, Superintendent of the Xiamen Customs, after ritual washing.



89. Jinan North Mosque: 'Three Fears and Four Admonitions'.

An auspicious day in the latter part of the sixth month of the thirteenth year of the Republic of China.

Respectfully written by Tang Kesan, holder of the Second Class Order of the Golden Grain, former Daoyin of the Jinan Circuit in Shandong, and former Superintendent of the Xiamen Customs.

Tang Kesan was a Hui Muslim from Zoucheng, Shandong. He was a famous social activist during the Republic of China era. He served as the Shandong negotiator for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, director of the Shandong Epidemic Prevention Office, Superintendent of the Xiamen Customs, director of the Shandong Provincial Road Administration, and Daoyin of the Jinan West Circuit. He served as principal of Chengda Normal School, founded the 'Yuehua' magazine, helped establish the Chinese Islamic Progress Association, and organized and led the Hui Muslim movement to resist Japan and save the nation. He made great contributions to the faith.



90. Jinan Nanguan Mosque: 'Mosque'.

Built and renovated in the eighth year of the Xianfeng reign.



91. Linqing North Mosque: 'Sincere Intentions and Upright Heart'.

Erected by Li Ying, a nominated and appointed brave Baturu (a title of honor) of the Dengzhou General Military Office.

An auspicious day in the middle winter month of the Yiyou year, the eleventh year of the Guangxu reign.



92. Linqing North Mosque: 'The Proper Order of Human Relationships'.

An auspicious day in the first month of autumn in the Dingji year, the second year of the Qianlong reign of the Great Qing Dynasty.

Yang Jing, the Vice Regional Commander of Linqing and surrounding areas.



93. Linqing North Mosque, the "Pure and True Mosque" (Qingzhen Libaisi).

The first month of spring in the Jiajing year of Jiazi.



94. Linqing East Mosque, the "Mosque" (Libaisi).

Built in the second month of spring in the Yiyou year, the first year of the Chenghua reign.

Renovated on an auspicious day in the last month of summer in the Wanli year of Guiwei.

Renovated on an auspicious day in the second month of summer in the Shunzhi year of Jiwei.



95. Liaocheng East Mosque, "Benefits Shared Equally" (Lize Junzhan).

An auspicious day in the second month of spring in the Gengwu year of the Jiaqing reign of the Great Qing.

Disciples from Shanxi and Hebei.



96. Wuhu Mosque, "Ancient Faith That Opened the Heavens" (Kaitian Gujiao).

An auspicious day in the twenty-third year of the Republic of China.

Respectfully presented by fellow Muslims.



97. Xi'an Huajue Lane Great Mosque, "Encompassing the Universe" (Baoluo Yuzhou).

Respectfully erected by Sha Diankui, the imperial-appointed Blue Feather-wearing Major of the Shaanxi Governor's Left Battalion.

Written by Shi Zhongyu of Pinyang during the middle ten days of the sixth month of summer in the Daoguang year of Gengzi.



98. The Imperial Mosque (Chici Libaisi) at Huajue Lane in Xi'an.

Calligraphy by Dong Qichang, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites.

Erected on an auspicious day in the first month of summer in the Tianqi era.

Dong Qichang was a calligrapher and painter during the Ming Dynasty.



99. The plaque 'Lineage from the Holy Land' (Pai Yan Tian Fang) at the Huajue Lane Mosque in Xi'an.

The Imperial Seal of Empress Dowager Cixi.

Legend says that when the Eight-Nation Alliance invaded in 1900, Empress Dowager Cixi and Emperor Guangxu fled to Xi'an. On the day they returned to the capital the following year, she wrote the inscription for this famous mosque. Tang Mianzhu, the former provincial judge, handled the delivery. The streets were packed with people watching the plaque being delivered, making it a very lively event.



100. The Huajue Lane Mosque in Xi'an.

The spider web remained intact, and the pigeons called out.

The message reached the warhorse, and the deer was released again.

Mid-Autumn Festival, the year of Guimao in the Guangxu reign.

Calligraphy by Wenti, a former compiler at the Hanlin Academy and Prefect of Kaifeng, Henan.

The Prophet was pursued by the Quraish tribe and hid in the Cave of Thawr with Abu Bakr.

The enemies reached the cave entrance and saw the spider web was unbroken.

They thought no one was inside and left.

The pursuers were still suspicious and threw stones to test the cave, causing two turtledoves (hu ge) to fly out.

The enemy saw the birds were not startled, so they were sure no one was there and the threat of war disappeared.

Companions of the Prophet, warhorses delivering messages, battles, and treaties.

A non-believer caught a live deer and said to the Prophet, If you can make this deer speak, I will convert. The Prophet guaranteed the deer would be released to nurse its young and promised it would return. The deer returned on time.

The non-believer was amazed and converted to the faith.

Wenti was from the Manchu Plain Yellow Banner, of the Guwalgiya clan, and a calligrapher in the late Qing Dynasty.





Appreciating plaques and couplets from the faith (1-50 pieces). view all

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

Reposted from the web

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