Building friendlier mosques
from The Star 22nd July 07
Architecture Inside Out
By Mohamad Tajuddin Mohamad Rasdi
Mosques should be open, welcoming structures not fenced-off, isolated places with compounds full of cars.
I DON’T mean to imply, with this headline, that Islam, the Muslim community or the institution of the mosque is unfriendly. But even the very best of intentions can go awry because knowledge in “building language” is inadequate.
Looking through the eyes of an architectural academic who has trained in Environmental-Behavioural Studies (more popularly called Architectural Psychology), I find that most Malaysian mosques are “unfriendly” architecturally, not only to non-Muslims but also to Muslims themselves. I would like to recommend several design strategies that would open up the mosque to the community.
(Most of these ideas are abstracted and adapted from Prof Tajuddin’s books, The Mosque As a Community Development Centre, published by Penerbit UTM in 1998 and Peranan dan Rekabentuk Masjid Sebagai Pusat Pembangunan Masyarakat, published by Penerbit UTM in 1999.)
The first strategy is to look at the size or scale of the mosque. The prevailing attitude is that the bigger the mosque is, the grander it makes Islam seem. I feel that such an attitude treats the mosque more as a product of “temple architecture” then as a community centre.
If the mosque is to nurture the brotherhood of Islam, then it has to be small enough to create chances for people to get to know one another. Considering modern housing estates, I surmise about 1,000 congregants to be the maximum. One favourite argument against this idea is that the more mosques there are, the more friction one would create among Muslims. This has yet to be proven academically.
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Don’t fence them in: The fountains and planters, along with the lack of a fence, make the National Mosque approachable and friendly.
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Many mosques in Malaysia nowadays sit in isolated sites, usually with four streets surrounding them, which effectively cuts off the mosque from society. And siting mosques on hills may be a romantic gesture but it would make walking difficult, especially for the very young, the very old and the disabled.
On the subject of walking, it is better to site mosques within a five- to 10-minute walk rather than a five- to 10-minute drive from communities, as this would save energy and lessen air pollution. Walking would also create more friendly opportunities to greet neighbours of all races and religions rather than being stuck in the isolating environment of a vehicle.
To me the most divisive and unfriendly architectural element of the mosque is undoubtedly the fence! Two of the country’s oldest mosques, the Kampung Laut and Kampung Tuan mosques, had no fencing. The former, in Kelantan, is thought to have been built between 300 and 500 years ago while Kampung Tuan in Terengganu was built in the 19th century.
I have always wondered what the rationale for the fence is in modern day mosques. Is it because Muslims want to follow the example of the first mosque, which had a fence around the compound? Well, that fence was there because the Prophet’s mosque was also His house – a fence is quite normal for a house. Furthermore, the Prophet was in hostile territory; and one could also argue that the fence was shelter against the hot and dusty desert winds.
Some also say the fence was there to keep dogs out as they are considered unclean animals. Yet, in the traditions of the Prophet, it was recorded that sheep came and went in the mosque compound; and there was a prostitute who the Prophet said pleased Allah by giving water to a dog.
Thus, who or what is the fence trying to keep out? Non-Muslims? Well, then, how can the mosque perform its role as a dakwah (educational) centre to explain Islam to others?
Malaysia’s National Mosque is a wonderful building, and one reason is that it does not have a fence.
So there are two architectural options here: get rid of the fence entirely or disguise it.
If I were designing a mosque for a particular community, I would firstly move the front fence 3m to 6m inwards from the lot boundary to “give up” some of the mosque land for the whole community to use. Outdoor seating could be placed there or a bus stop, even a small playground.
I would pave this area with the same material used in the inner mosque compound so that it is obvious that the land belongs to the mosque and that the mosque is generous enough to give something to the community. I think such a gesture could be called an “architectural dakwah”.
Next, I would replace the metal and masonry fencing with nice planter boxes with wide seating slabs topping them. I would zigzag the “fence” and not make it a straight line; this would create pocket spaces for seating, plantings or a small goreng pisang stall. I would make sure the plants in the boxes grew no taller than 1.5m so passersby can see into the compound.
Alternatively, I would place serambi-like (verandah) structures or wakaf (small huts) as the perimeter “fence”. Thus, the whole mosque would be physically fenced but psychologically and socially more open.
The mosque compound should not be filled with parking lots. Cars should be parked elsewhere, not near the main front or side entrances. The mosque compound should be free of cars and filled with seating, playground facilities and proper lighting to create a laman-serambi, or a compound-verandah. There would then be more people than cars in the compound, creating a sense of friendliness rather than isolated arrogance.
Finally, the mass of the mosque should be broken up into several smaller masses linked by covered walkways. This would ensure the mosque will not appear too big or monumental but will look more humble, thus communicating an air of informality. Also, breaking up the mass makes it easier to cross-ventilate and cool the interiors as well as light them naturally, thus making lowering energy use and mosques more environmentally friendly.
The mosque should not be a temple built to please Allah, as He does not need such gestures. The mosque should be a place that facilitates worship and encourages love among Muslims while inviting non-Muslims to share in the spirit of tolerance and brotherhood of man.