Masjid Bencoolen
| Bencoolen Mosque | |
|---|---|
 The Bencoolen Mosque in 2026. | |
.svg.png)  Location in Singapore | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Sunni Islam |
| Location | |
| Location | 51 Bencoolen Street, Singapore 189630 |
| Country | Singapore |
| Coordinates | 1°17′57″N 103°51′01″E / 1.2991477°N 103.8503782°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Mosque |
| Style | Islamic architecture |
| Established | 1825 |
| Completed | 1828 (Original) 2004 (First reconstruction) 2023 (Second reconstruction) |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 1,200 |
| Dome | 1 |
The Bencoolen Mosque (Malay: Masjid Bencoolen; Jawi: مسجد بنکولين, Tamil: பென்கூலன் பள்ளிவாசல், romanized: Peṉkūlaṉ Paḷḷivācal; also spelled as Masjid Bengkali, or Bengkali Mosque) alternatively known as the Hanafi Mosque, is a congregational mosque located along Bencoolen Street between Rochor and Bras Basah, Singapore. It was built in the 1820s by Indian Muslim immigrants from Bengkulu. The present-day mosque is a 2004 reconstruction and is integrated with the Somerset Bencoolen hotel that is owned by Ascott International, a subsidiary of CapitaLand. It is also the current headquarters for the Tablighi Jama'at, an Islamic missionary group.
History
The original mosque, Masjid Bengkali, was an attap structure that was built in stages, between the years 1825 and 1828 by Indian Muslim workers from Bengkulu that had been resettled in colonial Singapore by British authorities.[1][2][3] In 1845, Syed Omar Aljunied, a prominent merchant from the Aljunied family, demolished the attap structure and rebuilt it from the ground up as a purely brick structure.[2][3] In 1906, the mosque became known as the Hanafi Mosque and catered to adherents of the Hanafi school of Sunni Islam.[4] After 1968, the Bencoolen Mosque fell under the purview of the Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS), which took over the endowment and management of all mosques in the country.[5] The mosque was also permitted to host the Friday prayer and the Eid prayers.[6][7] The land the mosque stood on was an endowment that later became known as the Wakaff Bencoolen, in a similar fashion to the Wakaff Kassim at Masjid Kassim.[8]
In the 1980s, the Bencoolen Mosque stood in the way of redevelopment plans for Bencoolen Street and Bras Basah. Hence, the MUIS planned to rebuild the mosque as part of a commercial complex, with said complex being a form of income for the mosque.[9][10][11] Construction on the new mosque was ultimately completed on 31 March 2004, with the new $4 million mosque being the centrepiece of a new mixed-use complex, the Somerset Bencoolen.[12][13] Ownership of Somerset Bencoolen was later transferred to Ascott International, a subsidiary of local franchisee CapitaLand, while the mosque itself remained under the purview of the MUIS within the Wakaff Bencoolen territory.[14] The Bencoolen Mosque became the official headquarters of the Tablighi Jama'at in 2018 after the closure of their former headquarters, the Angullia Mosque at Serangoon Road.[15]
In early 2020, the Bencoolen Mosque was closed down to undergo an extensive reconstruction at a cost of $4 million, with a soft reopening on 5 January 2023.[16][17] The mosque was the fully reopened on the first day of the month of March in the same year.[18] The reconstructed mosque had a capacity of approximately 1,200 worshippers, with the addition of a new youth corner and a kitchen.[18][19][20]
Significance
The significance of the Bencoolen Mosque is upheld amongst Indian Muslims in the country who consider it to be a heritage site since its founding in the 1820s.[21][22] The mosque is also one of three mosques in the country that caters to the adherents of the Hanafi school of Sunni Islam; the other two being Masjid Abdul Gaffoor and Masjid Angullia.[23][24] This is due to the fact that the doctrine of Hanafism is prominent amongst Muslims from the subcontinent. The Tablighi Jama'at, an Islamic revivalist and missionary movement, uses this mosque as their headquarters with permission from the MUIS, with members conducting annual journeys to propagate the Islamic religion both locally and overseas.[15][25]
Transportation
The mosque is directly accessible from both the Bencoolen MRT station and the Bras Basah MRT station.
See also
References
- ↑ Kiew, Jeanell (14 May 2019). "194-year-old Masjid Bencoolen to undergo $4 million renovation". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
- 1 2 Edwards, Norman; Keys, Peter (1988). Singapore: A Guide to Buildings, Streets, Places. Times Books International. pp. 270–271. ISBN 9789971652319.
- 1 2 Yeoh, Brenda; Savage, V.R. (2013). Singapore Street Names: A Study of Toponymics (3rd ed.). Marshall Cavendish Editions. p. 36. ISBN 9789814484749.
- ↑ Tajuddeen, Imran (2023). "Forgotten Histories: A Look at Four Lost Kampongs". MUSE SG. 16 (1): 52.
- ↑ Zakaria, Faizah (2013). "Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura". National Library Board. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
- ↑ "Jadual sembahyang H-Raya Idul Adha" [Timings for H-Raya Eid al-Adha prayers]. Berita Harian (in Malay). 6 October 1981. p. 3. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
- ↑ "Sembahyang Hari Raya di merata Singapura" [Eid prayers across Singapore]. Berita Harian (in Malay). 21 July 1982. p. 8. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
- ↑ Ghouse, A.A. (18 March 2001). "Wakaf Bencoolen akan raih $2j setahun" [Wakaff Bencoolen to raise $2mil a year]. Berita Harian (in Malay). p. 1. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
- ↑ "MUIS plans to build hostel". The Straits Times. 26 October 1999. p. 35. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
- ↑ Andriane, Siti (18 March 2001). "Mosque site to blend old and new uses". The Straits Times. p. 4. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
- ↑ "Masjid baru Bencoolen" [New Bencoolen mosque]. Berita Harian (in Malay). 18 August 1987. p. 3. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
- ↑ "Projek wakaf kediaman, komersial Bencoolen siap" [Bencoolen residential, commercial waqf projects completed]. Berita Harian (in Malay). 6 May 2004. p. 1. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
- ↑ "Projek wakaf Masjid Bencoolen berpotensi jadi pusat Islam" [Bencoolen Mosque waqf project has potential to become an Islamic centre]. Berita Harian (in Malay). 19 May 2004. p. 7. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
- ↑ "Bencoolen Development". Warees Investments. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
- 1 2 Woods, Orlando (2023). "Framing the Muslim subject, contesting the secular citizen: Tablighi Jamaat and the (trans)nationalization of Islam in Singapore". Global Networks. 23 (3): 599–615. doi:10.1111/glob.12402. ISSN 1471-0374.
- ↑ Rafiq, H.M. (6 January 2023). "First phase reopening of Masjid Bencoolen". MUIS Media Release. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
- ↑ "Masjid Bencoolen dibuka secara berperingkat, dibuka penuh Mac-April ini" [Bencoolen Mosque to open in stages, fully open this March-April]. Berita MediaCorp (in Malay). 6 January 2023. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
- 1 2 Azwan, Izwandi (1 March 2004). "Masjid Bencoolen dibuka semula dengan ruang solat lebih besar" [Bencoolen Mosque reopens with larger prayer space]. Berita Harian Online (in Malay). Retrieved 19 August 2026.
- ↑ Centre for Singapore Tamil Culture (2025). "Masjid Bencoolen". National Library Board. Retrieved 19 August 2006.
- ↑ Krishnasamy, Janarthanan (19 May 2026). "Bencoolen Mosque gets new kitchen for Ramadan". Tabla Online. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
- ↑ "Indian Mosques of Singapore". Tabla. 21 July 2017. pp. 12–13. Retrieved 17 August 2026.
- ↑ Rujok, Pandi (27 September 1993). "MUIS ambil perhatian masjid-masjid India-Islam" [MUIS draws attention to Indian-Islamic mosques]. Berita Harian (in Malay). p. 10. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
- ↑ Hussain, Zakir (2016). A Mosque in the Area: Social Life around Singapore's Masjids. Ethos Books.
- ↑ Hassan, Riaz (2018). "Singapore's Muslim Community: A Moral Voice?". The Singapore Ethnic Mosaic: Many Cultures, One People. World Scientific Publishing.
- ↑ Esoof, N.D. (24 February 2012). "Tabligh Jamaat ajak Muslim lebih fahami agama Islam" [Tabligh Jamaat invites Muslims to be more understanding of the Islamic religion]. Berita Harian (in Malay). p. 1. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
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