Surau Ghim Moh Holds Islamic Classes Every Tuesday & Wednesday & It’s Been This Way Since 1978
Ghim Moh residents may be familiar with this Surau – aka a small place of worship for Muslims – underneath a HDB block.
But did you know that it existed since 1978 and is the oldest tarawih space in Singapore?
Recently, a video showing the facilities at the Surau went viral with over 1,800 shares at the time of writing. You can watch the video in full here.
Well-furnished safe space for prayers at void deck
Right off the back, Surau Ghim Moh looks well furnished, with laminated flooring and wooden railings.
As the videographer journeys deeper into the surau, we see two separated praying areas — one for males and the other for females.
In both praying areas, prayer mats that point towards Mecca – which Muslims pray towards – are laid out on the floor.
There are also plastic chairs at the back for those unable to kneel, and a fan to keep the space well-ventilated.
Though not shown in the video, there’s also a wudhu area that allows devotees to ‘cleanse’ themselves before prayer.
Began back in 1978, as nearest mosque was 30 min away
Surau Ghim Moh may look well-equipped today, but that wasn’t the case back when it started in 1978.
According to Our Musollah, a photography project dedicated to documenting Muslim prayer space in Singapore, the Surau only had bare essentials back when it first started 41 years ago.
The Surau is open all year round, and visitors are free to use the space at any time of the day.
They also have religious classes every Tuesday and Wednesday and hold Islamic events outside the Ramadan month.
Founded by HDB residents who moved there
By the way, it is also the oldest tarawih space in Singapore where Muslims can perform their additional prayers during the month of Ramadan.
The surau was first started by Mr Khamin and Mr Basar when they first moved to the area.
The surau allows Muslims staying around the area to perform their prayers without having to travel great distances. The nearest mosque is apparently a 30-minute journey by public transport.
More inclusive Singapore heartlands
It’s heartening to see a public space being converted to accommodate the community’s needs.
Muslim residents and Singaporeans alike, will definitely appreciate how inclusive this particular Ghim Moh HDB heartland space has become over the years.
Featured image from Facebook.
