Masjid Taha

Masjid Taha
Interactive map of Masjid Taha
Singapore 1°19′10″N 103°56′32″E / 1.3193572°N 103.9422002°E / 1.3193572; 103.9422002
TypeCultural centre
LocationOnan Road, Geylang, Singapore
History
Built1984
Site notes
Architectural style
Modern architecture
Governing bodyHousing and Development Board

Masjid Taha (Jawi: مسجد طه) is an Ahmadi religious centre located along Onan Road in Geylang, Singapore. Built in 1985, it is the only place of worship for the Ahmadiyya Jama'at in the country. It features a musalla, library, multi-purpose halls and an Ahmadi heritage hub.

History

Masjid Taha was built in 1984 along Onan Road as a religious centre for the Ahmadiyya Jama'at, a religious minority in Singapore.[1][2][3] It was situated on the site of an earlier surau that has been built in the 1930s and thrived under Japanese patronage during World War II.[4] The usage of the word "Masjid" in the name of the building gained controversy and negative feedback from Islamic scholars in the country, especially Syed Isa Semait, who was then serving as the country's sole mufti.[1][5][6] Despite pressure from the Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS) to change the name of the building, the management of Masjid Taha refused and did not comply with the multiple threats against them.[1][2][6] Islamic educational groups, such as Perdaus, distributed brochures and delivered lessons and sermons forbidding Muslims from going to Masjid Taha in 1986, claiming that the Ahmadiyya were a "deviant" sect.[3][4][7] Despite opposition from both the Islamic council and local agencies, it remained a popular centre amongst members of the Ahmadiyya, hosting open house events for members of the public to learn more about the Ahmadiyya Jama'at and their founder, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad.[3][8][9]

In 2015, an exhibition of different translations and mushaf of the Qur'an was held at the Ahmadi heritage hub of Masjid Taha.[10]

Architecture

Masjid Taha is a rectangular building, with a predominately white colour scheme and a green dome, all built in a contemporary architectural style.[11] It has two stories and contains a musalla for prayer, a library with Islamic books, a multi-purpose hall, as well as an Ahmadi heritage hub with exhibits of the history of the Ahmadiyya Jama'at.[12] Although it resembles a mosque, it is not intended to be a mosque, but rather, an Ahmadi religious centre, similar to how the Abou Ben Adhem Shrine Mosque in Missouri is not a mosque but an auditorium hall for the Shriners fraternity.[5][8]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Ahmadiah namakan bangunan ini masjid" [This building was named as a mosque by the Ahmadiah]. Berita Harian (in Malay). 21 March 1985. p. 3. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
  2. 1 2 "Usaha-usaha digerak untuk sekat masjid Qadiani" [Efforts are being made to block the mosque of Qadiani]. Berita Harian (in Malay). 6 May 1984. p. 1. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 Hussein, Zakir (29 July 2005). "Narrow escape in Jakarta for 14 Ahmadiyya members from S'pore". The Straits Times. p. 10. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
  4. 1 2 Tschannen, R.A. (4 July 2021). "History of Ahmadiyya in Singapore". The Muslim Times. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
  5. 1 2 "Langkah desak Qadiani turunkan papan tanda" [Qadianis urge to take down signboards]. Berita Harian (in Malay). 24 April 1985. p. 3. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
  6. 1 2 "Mufti saran ubah nama Masjid Taha" [Mufti suggests changing the name of Taha Mosque]. Berita Harian (in Malay). 22 May 1993. p. 1. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
  7. ↑ "Perdaus saran usaha perangi Qadiani" [Perdaus suggests efforts to combat Qadiani]. Berita Harian (in Malay). 6 March 1986. p. 3. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
  8. 1 2 "Masalah mengganggu agama lain" [The problem of disturbing other religions]. Berita Harian (in Malay). 23 February 1986. p. 5. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
  9. ↑ "Highlighting Islamic teachings". The New Paper. 3 June 2015. p. 22. Retrieved 25 May 2026.
  10. ↑ "The Holy Qur'an Exhibition". The New Paper. 3 June 2015. p. 21. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
  11. ↑ "Masjid Taha". AroundUs. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
  12. ↑ Yong, Nicholas (2 May 2017). "Behind the belief: The Ahmadis of Singapore". Yahoo! News. Retrieved 25 July 2026.


This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.