User:Nurul Afiqah Suwandi/sandbox

Introduction

Masjid Moulana Mohamed Ali is the only mosque in Singapore to be built underground today. In 1953 and 1955, three leaders of the Indian Muslim community purhchase shophouses along Market street to provide a convenient place of worship for fellow Muslims working in the central business district. In the early 1980s, the Market Street area was earmarked for urban redevelopment. UOB wanted the land and offered a space under their building as compensation. There was initially some disquiet among the Muslim community owing to the underground location. However, it was felt that maintaining a place of worship for the community in the city was more important. Hence, upon negotiations, agreement in 1982 with United Overseas Bank was reached. UOB had acquired the surrounding land and the mosque was to be built in the bank’s future premises.

Timeline

1953

A pair of double-storey shophouses along 16 and 18 market street were purchased in 1953 and 1955 by three prominent Muslim men as they saw the need to have a place of worship in the CBD.

1970

CBD expanded rapidly, resulting in many properties being acquired for development.

1982

In 1982, after negotiations, the Market Street shophouses were exchanged for the mosque’s current location, which was in the basement of UOB Plaza. There was initially disquiet among the Muslim community.

1995

The underground mosque was eventually opened in 1995. At that time, the mosque had a capacity for 350 people.

2013

Mosque was closed for renovation works. It closed last October for the $1.3 million upgrade. (https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/moulana-mohamed-ali-mosque-reopens-at-raffles-place)

2015

Reopened in 2015 with a more spacious prayer hall fully equipped with air-conditioning. According to MUIs, the mosque’s current capacity stands at 800 congregants. Activities in the mosque include daily and Friday prayers, as well as religious lectures on an ad-hoc basis.

Implications of moving mosque underground

-	Changes to architecture typology The typology of the mosque has deviated from the usual square typology because of the irregular plan of the UOB building.

-	Poor connection to exterior (indication of mosque) Indications of the mosque being underground are not obvious, silencing its presence in the area. Entrances are merely highlighted by signages and are not always very obvious. First timers, such as tourists in the area may find it hard to get into the mosque.

Is national development more important than religious rights?

The idea of the mosque being underground has been greatly romanticized and coined as ‘cool’ and ‘unique’ in Singapore. However, moving the mosque underground poses a huge statement. National development can be seen to have been prioritised over the religious rights of the community. The issue is not with the fact that Muslims have to pray underground. In fact, Muslims are allowed to pray anywhere on this earth.

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The (whole) earth has been made a mosque (or a place of prayer) and a means of purification for me, so wherever a man of my ummah may be when the time for prayer comes, let him pray.”

The argument here is that having a 63m tall building sit on a mosque, which is the House of God (an ascription of honor or idafat tashrif) is disrespectful. Hence, sanctity of the mosque has been purposely disregarded.

Masjid Moulana Mohd Ali is also one of the few and earliest Indian muslim mosques. This act of moving mosque underground seems to overlook the contributions of the Chettiars (Indian muslims who came to Singapore) and also contributed to the country’s economy in the past.