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Jamek Mosque

3°8′56.06″N 101°41′45.46″E / 3.1489056°N 101.6959611°E / 3.1489056; 101.6959611

مسجد جامع سلطان عبدالصمد
Sultan Abdul Samad Jamek Mosque
Masjid Jamek Sultan Abdul Samad (Malay)
Jamek Mosque, also known as Friday Mosque, is recognised as the oldest Islamic place of worship in Kuala Lumpur
Map
Religion
AffiliationIslam
LeadershipImam(s): Ustaz Haji Yahya Mahyuddin bin Datuk Haji Utoh Said (2017–present)
Location
LocationJalan Mountbatten, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
AdministrationKuala Lumpur Islamic Council
Architecture
Architect(s)Arthur Benison Hubback
StyleIslamic, Moorish, Mughal
Completed1909
Specifications
Capacity1,000 worshipers[1]
Minaret(s)2

Jamek Mosque, officially Sultan Abdul Samad Jamek Mosque (Malay: Masjid Jamek Sultan Abdul Samad) is one of the oldest mosques in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.[2] It is located at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak rivers and may be accessed via Jalan Tun Perak. The mosque was designed by British architect and soldier Arthur Benison Hubback, and built in 1909. It was the principal mosque of Kuala Lumpur until the construction of the national mosque Masjid Negara in 1965.

The name "Jamek" is the Malay equivalent of the Arabic word jāmiʿ (جامع) meaning a place where people congregate to worship.[3] It is also referred to as "Friday Mosque" by the locals.[4]

History

Masjid Jamek in 1935

The mosque was built on the location of an old Malay burial place at the confluence of Klang and Gombak River and named Jamek Mosque.[5][6] A couple of mosques previously existed in the Java Street and Malay Street area serving the Malay communities, but Jamek Mosque was the first large mosque to be built in Kuala Lumpur. The architect was Arthur Benison Hubback who designed the mosque in the Indo-Saracenic style, loosely reflecting Indian Muslim Mughal architectural style.[7]

The foundation stone of the mosque was laid by the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sir Alaeddin Sulaiman Shah on 23 March 1908, and the Sultan officially opened the mosque on 23 December 1909.[8][9] The construction of the mosque cost $32,625, funded in part by the Malay community with contribution from the British colonial government.[3] Masjid Jamek served as Kuala Lumpur's main mosque until the national mosque, Masjid Negara, was built in 1965.

The mosque has since been expanded with extensions built, and the addition of a roof over the originally open-air forecourt.[10] The mosque was refurbished in 1984 and the minaret nearest the river was underpinned as it was already sloping. One of the domes of the mosque collapsed in 1993 due to heavy rain, but has since been repaired.[8]

On 23 June 2017, the mosque was renamed Sultan Abdul Samad Jamek Mosque by Selangor's Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah after his ancestor — the fourth Sultan of Selangor Sultan Abdul Samad — as the mosque was originally built on land that was part of the state of Selangor.[1]

Features

Original part (left) and extension (right) of Jamek mosque exhibiting differently coloured bricks.

The design of the mosque has been described as a Moorish, Indo-Saracenic or Mughal architecture.[11] A. B Hubback also designed a number of buildings in similar style, such as the Kuala Lumpur railway station and the Ubudiah Mosque in Kuala Kangsar. The mosque has 2 main minarets among other smaller ones; the pattern of pink and white banding of the minarets, formed of brick and plaster, has been described as "blood and bandage".[10][12] The mosque has 3 domes, the largest of which reached 21.3 metres (70 ft) in height. The prayer hall is located beneath the domes.[3]

Access

The mosque lends its name to the Masjid Jamek LRT station located just outside the mosque compound. The station is among Kuala Lumpur's busiest metro interchanges, being served by the Kelana Jaya Line, Sri Petaling Line and Ampang Line. The station is located between Chinatown and Little India; Dataran Merdeka is also nearby.

Imams and Muadhins of Jamek Mosque

Imams

  • Chief of Imams Sultan Abdul Samad Jamek Mosque :
    • Ustaz Hj. Muhammad bin Awang Besar (1976–1995)
    • Ustaz Ahmad Tarmizi bin Abdul Razak
    • Ustaz Mohd Saiful Azhar (2010)
    • Ustaz Mohd Faisal bin Tan Mutallib (2010–Nov 2017)
    • Ustaz Haji Yahya Mahyuddin bin Datuk Haji Utoh Said (Dec 2017–May 2023))
    • Ustaz Haji Ahmad Rosidi bin Mohmad (Jun 2023–present)
  • Imams:
    • Ustaz Late Hj. Abdul Halim bin Yatim (1994–12 December 2018)
    • Ustaz Mohd Zamri bin Shafie (2004–2013)
    • Ustaz Mohd Hisyam bin Azman (2012–2013)
    • Ustaz Mohd Syukri bin Ismail (2012–31 December 2019)
    • Ustaz Ahmad Nizzam bin Rasali (2014–present)
    • Ustaz Ahmad Firdaus bin Nordin (2013–2014)
    • Ustaz Abdul Razak bin Ismail (Feb 2015–2016)
    • Ustaz Muhammad Farhan bin Nasharuddin (Feb 2015–present)
    • Ustaz Muhammad Adeeb bin Nasharuddin (November 2017–present)
    • Ustaz Luqman Bin Abdul Majid (1 Feb 2020–present)

Chief Of Muadhins  :

  • Ustaz Mohd Izwan bin Sharif (Until Nov 2014)
  • Ustaz Nor Azaruddin bin Ahmad (2014 - now)
  • Ustaz Azli bin Ibrahim (2019 - now)

Muadhins :

  • Ustaz Mohd Al-Shahqafi (2011-2012)
  • Ustaz Mohd Syukri bin Ismail (December 2011-July 2012)
  • Ustaz Muhammad Hafiz bin Mohd Arif (Since July 2012 – present)
  • Ustaz Mohd Farhan bin Nasharuddin (Since Jun 2013-Jan 2015)
  • Ustaz Mohd Raizal (2013-2014)
  • Ustaz Ahmad Sayuti bin Ismail (Since Feb 2015-2016)
  • Ustaz Haji Syed Hasri bin Syed Omar Al-Habsyi (Jan-December 2017)
  • Ustaz Zulfadli bin Jaafar (2018-now)
  • Ustaz Azmarul Husnika (Since November 2017 – present)

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Qishin Tariq (23 June 2017). "KL's oldest mosque renamed Masjid Jamek Sultan Abdul Samad". The Star. Archived from the original on 21 June 2020.
  2. ^ "Jamek Mosque". Tourism Malaysia. Archived from the original on 25 May 2014. Retrieved 25 May 2014.
  3. ^ a b c "Masjid Jamek, a beautiful mosque surrounded by the city". Malaysia Travel Guide. Archived from the original on 19 November 2017. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  4. ^ "Masjid Jamek: Friday Mosque". History Asia. Archived from the original on 3 August 2017. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  5. ^ J.M. Gullick (2000). A History of Kuala Lumpur 1856-1939. The Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. p. 164.
  6. ^ Bavani M (13 April 2016). "Rock-solid proof of 200-year-old graves". The Star. Archived from the original on 1 April 2017.
  7. ^ Malaysian Institute of Architects (2007). Architectural Heritage: Kuala Lumpur - Pre-Merdeka. Pertubuhan Akitek Malaysia.
  8. ^ a b Lam Seng Fatt (15 October 2011). Insider's Kuala Lumpur (3rd Edn): Is No Ordinary Travel Guide. Open Your Eyes to the Soul of the City (3rd Revised ed.). Marshall Cavendish International Asia Pte Ltd. pp. 38–39. ISBN 978-981-4435-39-0.
  9. ^ "Masjid warga kota". Utusan Malaysia. 27 February 2013. Archived from the original on 21 August 2016. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  10. ^ a b Audrey Southgate; Gregory Byrne Bracken (15 January 2014). A Walking Tour Kuala Lumpur (2nd ed.). Marshall Cavendish Editions. ISBN 978-981-4516-94-5.
  11. ^ Malaysian Institute of Architects (2007). Architectural Heritage: Kuala Lumpur - Pre-Merdeka. Pertubuhan Akitek Malaysia. p. 20.
  12. ^ "Hubback Walk". Museum Volunteers, JMM. 22 June 2014.