Al-Azhar Great Mosque

Last updated
Al-Azhar Great Mosque
Masjid Agung Al-Azhar
Masjid Agung Al-Azhar 2021.jpg
Masjid Agung Al-Azhar in 2021
Religion
Affiliation Islam
OwnershipAl-Azhar Islamic Dormitory School Foundation (Yayasan Pesantren Islam Al-Azhar)
Location
Location Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta, Indonesia
Geographic coordinates 6°14′07″S106°47′58″E / 6.2351614°S 106.7993264°E / -6.2351614; 106.7993264 Coordinates: 6°14′07″S106°47′58″E / 6.2351614°S 106.7993264°E / -6.2351614; 106.7993264
Architecture
Architect(s) Friedrich Silaban
TypeMosque
Style Middle East
GroundbreakingNovember 19, 1953
Completed1958
Specifications
Capacity10,000 [1]
Dome(s)1
Minaret(s)1
Site area43.755 M2
Website
Masjid Agung Jakarta

Al-Azhar Great Mosque (Indonesian : Masjid Agung Al-Azhar) is a mosque located in Jalan Sisingamangaraja, Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta. The mosque was constructed between 1953 and 1958. It was originally known simply as Mesjid Agung (Great Mosque). It was Jakarta's largest mosque when it was built until it was surpassed by the Istiqlal Mosque which was completed in 1978. Al-Azhar mosque and the mosque complex is best known for its educational works.

Contents

History

Al Azhar Great Mosque. COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM De Al-Azhar moskee in Kebajoran Baru TMnr 20018508.jpg
Al Azhar Great Mosque.

The idea for a building of a mosque and a school in Kebayoran Baru was initiated by 14 people from the Masyumi Party. Under the recommendation of Syamsudin, Indonesian Ministry of Social Affairs at that time, the 14 figures founded the Islamic Dormitory School Foundation (Yayasan Pesantren Islam or YPI) on April 7, 1952. The Ministry of Religious Affairs had provided a limited start-up fund for the construction of a mosque and a school, while the mayor of Jakarta donated a 4 hectares of land in the new suburb of Kebayoran Baru. [2] Under the advice of Hamka - an Indonesian ulama and political activist - it was suggested that a mosque was built first before the school, "but with plenty of office space and meeting rooms so that while the school building is still under construction, the mosque can initiate a full round activities, including classes." [2] With the society established, construction of the mosque commenced on November 19, 1953. The mosque was completed in 1958 and officially inaugurated as Masjid Agung Kebayoran or Kebayoran Great Mosque. [3] At the time of its completion it was the largest mosque in Jakarta.

The Great Mosque became the Al-Azhar Great Mosque following the suggestion of the Grand Imam of al-Azhar Mahmud Shaltut, who made an official visit to the Jakarta in 1960. [4] Shaltut also recognized Hamka as the Imam Besar ("Chief Imam") of the Al-Azhar Great Mosque. For Hamka, his new role as an imam reflected his disaffection with the wayward drift of Indonesian life and his growing alarm for Islam in a society that was shadowed by Communism. To help Islam "survive" under this culture, in Hamka views Muslims needed to be more knowledgeable, and so Al-Azhar Great Mosque would become a centre of Muslims modern revival and a center for dakwah (propagation of faith). [5] During the 1965-1966 crisis following the 30 September Movement, Al-Azhar Great Mosque became the centre of anti-communist campaign among the Muslims. [6]

In 1967, a kindergarten was established in the Al-Azhar Mosque complex. The educational works of the Al-Azhar finally culminates with the establishment of the nearby Al-Azhar University Indonesia in 2000. [3]

Al-Azhar Great Mosque was made a Jakarta heritage site and a national cultural heritage on August 19, 1993.

Building

Al-Azhar Great Mosque is topped with a white onion dome, following the architecture of mosque in the Middle East. It has one minaret.

Al-Azhar Great Mosque was established not just as a mosque but also as a center of social activities and dakwah . It was among the first "modern" mosques of Indonesia in which a mosque building is completed with modern facilities such as an Islamic library, a lecture and a seminar hall, a health clinic, classes for both religious and secular subject, and dormitories.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Al-Azhar University</span> University in Cairo, Egypt

The Al-Azhar University is a public university in Cairo, Egypt. Associated with Al-Azhar Al-Sharif in Islamic Cairo, it is Egypt's oldest degree-granting university and is renowned as the most prestigious university for Islamic learning. In addition to higher education, Al-Azhar oversees a national network of schools with approximately two million students. As of 1996, over 4,000 teaching institutes in Egypt were affiliated with the university.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Istiqlal Mosque, Jakarta</span> Largest mosque in Indonesia

Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia is the largest mosque in Southeast Asia and the sixth largest mosque in the world in terms of worshipper capacity. Built to commemorate Indonesian independence, this national mosque of Indonesia was named "Istiqlal", an Arabic word for "independence". The mosque was opened to the public on 22 February 1978. Within Jakarta, the mosque is positioned next to Merdeka Square and the Jakarta Cathedral and also of the Immanuel Church.

Islamic religious leaders have traditionally been people who, as part of the clerisy, mosque, or government, performed a prominent role within their community or nation. However, in the modern contexts of Muslim minorities in non-Muslim countries as well as secularised Muslim states like Turkey, and Bangladesh, the religious leadership may take a variety of non-formal shapes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mahmud Shaltut</span>

Sheikh Mahmoud Shaltut was an Egyptian figure best known for his attempts in Islamic reform. A disciple of Mohammad Abduh’s school of thought, Shaltut rose to prominence as Grand Imam of Al-Azhar during the Nasser years from 1958 until his death in 1963.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kebayoran Baru</span> District in Jakarta, Indonesia

Kebayoran Baru is a district of South Jakarta, Indonesia. The name of the district was derived from an area which was developed in the post-war period as a new suburb town of Jakarta, Kebayoran Baru. Kebayoran Baru was the last residential area to be developed by the Dutch colonial administration. The urban planning was laid in a concept of the Garden city movement, consisting of a well-planned residential area, a shopping center, and a business district, supported with civic facilities e.g. schools, places of worship, hospitals, and parks. Many important governmental institutions are located in Kebayoran Baru, such as the Indonesia Stock Exchange building, the ASEAN Secretariat building, the Criminal Investigation Agency of the National Police, and the City Hall of South Jakarta. Sudirman Central Business District is also located in Kebayoran Baru sub-district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hamka</span> Indonesian journalist and activist (1908-1981)

Abdul Malik Karim Amrullah, better known by his pen name Hamka was an Indonesian ʿālim, philosopher, writer, lecturer, politician and journalist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Jakarta</span> Timeline of Jakartas history

Jakarta is Indonesia's capital and largest city. Located on an estuary of the Ciliwung River, on the northwestern part of Java, the area has long sustained human settlement. Historical evidence from Jakarta dates back to the 4th century CE, when it was a Hindu settlement and port. The city has been sequentially claimed by the Indianized kingdom of Tarumanegara, the Hindu Kingdom of Sunda, the Muslim Sultanate of Banten, and by Dutch, Japanese and Indonesian administrations. The Dutch East Indies built up the area before it was taken during World War II by the Empire of Japan and finally became independent as part of Indonesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Mosque of Central Java</span> Mosque in Indonesia

The Great Mosque of Central Java is a mosque in the city of Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia.

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Jakarta, Indonesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ganting Grand Mosque</span> Mosque in Indonesia

The Ganting Grand Mosque is a Sunni mosque located in Ganting, Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. Construction began in 1805, making it the oldest in Padang and one of the oldest in Indonesia. It is a Cultural Property of Indonesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Mosque of Banten</span> Mosque in Indonesia

Great Mosque of Banten is a historic mosque in Old Banten, 10 km north of Serang, Indonesia. The 16th-century mosque was one of the few surviving remnants of what used to be the port city of Banten, the most prosperous trading center in the Indonesian archipelago after the fall of Demak Sultanate in mid-16th century.

<i>Patung Pemuda Membangun</i> Statue in Jakarta, Indonesia

Patung Pemuda Membangun is a statue located at the southern end of Jalan Jenderal Sudirman, Jakarta, Indonesia. The statue marks the entrance to Kebayoran Baru subdistrict in South Jakarta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jami Kampung Baru Inpak Mosque</span> Mosque in Indonesia

Masjid Jami Kampung Baru Inpak, also known as Masjid Kampung Baru or Bandengan Mosque is one of the oldest mosques in Jakarta, Indonesia. It is located at Jalan Bandengan Selatan, Pekojan, Tambora, Jakarta, close to Masjid Al-Anshor. It is one of the mosques that was built by the Muslim merchants from India, who used to travel and live in Batavia. The mosque has been designated as a cultural heritage by the provincial government of DKI Jakarta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islam in West Sumatra</span>

Islam is the most adhered religion in West Sumatra, a province of Indonesia, embraced by 97.42% of the whole population. The Muslim population increases to 99.6% if it excludes the Mentawai Islands, where the majority of the non-Muslim (Protestant) West Sumatrans reside. Denomination among Islam in West Sumatra is predominantly Sunni Islam, and there is a small Shia Islamic pocket within the coastal city of Pariaman. Minangkabau people, indigenous to West Sumatra and comprise 88% of the West Sumatran population today, have historically played an important role within the Muslim community in Indonesia. Up until today the region is considered one of the strongholds of Islam in Indonesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mosque architecture in Indonesia</span> Complex of multiple built objects

Mosque architecture in Indonesia refers to the architectural traditions of mosques built in the archipelago of Indonesia. Initial forms of the mosque, for example, were predominantly built in the vernacular Indonesian architectural style mixed with Hindu, Buddhist or Chinese architectural elements, and notably didn't equip orthodox form of Islamic architectural elements such as dome and minaret. Vernacular architectural style varies depending on the island and region.

<i>Al-Munir</i>

Al-Munir was an Islamic magazine, written in Arabic-Malay, published in Padang from 1911 until 1915. Inaugurated by the initiative of Abdullah Ahmad in early April 1911, Al-Munir was listed as the first Islamic mass media in Indonesia. The magazine was often associated with Al-Imam magazine published under the direction of Sheikh Tahir Jalaluddin in Singapore during 1906-1909. In addition to Abdullah Ahmad, several religious figures such as Abdul Karim Amrullah, Muhammad Thaib Umar and Sutan Muhammad Salim were recorded in the ranks of the editorial board.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ASEAN MRT station</span> MRT station in Jakarta, Indonesia

ASEAN Station is a rapid transit station on the North-South Line of the Jakarta MRT in Jakarta, Indonesia. Located on Jl. Sisingamangaraja XII in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta, it is the last elevated station on the MRT. It is located between Senayan and Blok M BCA stations, and has the station code SSM. It is connected to the TransJakarta bus rapid transit at the CSW-ASEAN TOD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Al-Istiqlal Great Mosque, Murung Raya</span> Mosque in Indonesia

Al-Istiqlal Great Mosque, Murung Raya is the largest mosque in the entire Murung Raya Regency, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. This great mosque is located on Jendral Sudirman Street, in the district of Murung, Murung Raya Regency. This great mosque is one of the most popular icons of Murung Raya Regency.

References

  1. AGUNG AL-AZHAR. SIMAS. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
  2. 1 2 Rush 2016, p. 126.
  3. 1 2 Merrillees 2015, p. 129.
  4. Rush 2016, p. 127.
  5. Rush 2016, p. 128.
  6. "Al Azhar, Masjid". Ensiklopedi Jakarta (in Indonesian). Dinas Komunikasi, Informatika dan Kehumasan Pemprov DKI Jakarta. 2010. Archived from the original on November 9, 2016. Retrieved November 9, 2016.

Further reading