Surau Al-Firdaus

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Surau Al-Firdaus
The surau of Kampong Lor Buangkok.jpg
The main facade of the surau which faces the path from the entrance of the village.
Religion
Affiliation Sunni Islam
Location
Location23E Lor Buangkok, Singapore 547578
Country Singapore
Singapore location map (main island).svg
Red pog.svg
Location in Singapore
Geographic coordinates 1°23′03″N103°52′43″E / 1.3840961°N 103.8786731°E / 1.3840961; 103.8786731
Architecture
Type surau
Style Malay architecture
Date established1960s
Completed1967 (present structure 1999)
Capacity800 worshippers

Surau Al-Firdaus is a surau located in the last surviving village of Singapore, Kampong Lorong Buangkok. It was built in 1967 as an accessible place of worship for the Muslim villagers and now serves as an Islamic centre open to the public.

Contents

Etymology

The name of the surau, "Al-Firdaus" is an Arabic word which means "The Paradise." In Islamic belief, Al-Firdaus is the best level of Heaven due to it being the closest to God out of all hundred levels, hence making it the highest. [1] [2]

History

The residents of Kampong Lorong Buangkok established a site for the surau in the 1960s for the Muslim villagers. [3] [4] With funding from donations, the surau was eventually completed by 1967. [4] Between 1970 and 1980, the surau would be plagued by constant floods along with rest of the village it was situated in. [4] [5] The surau was later rebuilt in 1999 to accommodate more worshippers. [3] [4]

A kentong, a kind of Malay drum that is used to call people to prayer, found inside the surau. Kentong drum in Surau Lor Buangkok.jpg
A kentong, a kind of Malay drum that is used to call people to prayer, found inside the surau.

Despite originally being built for the Muslim villagers, the surau is also used by people who do not live in the village. [3] [4]

It was also one of two spaces for congregational prayer that remained open during the COVID-19 pandemic while all the mosques had to be shut down, the other being the Surau Ghim Moh at Buona Vista. [6] The obligatory five daily prayers in the surau are led by the village headman, while optional prayers like the Eid prayers are also held at the surau. [7] [8]

Architecture

The surau is built in a traditional Malay architectural style. [9] As is the case with most other houses in the village, the surau is a wooden building topped with a zinc roof which is corrugated and slanted to drain rainfall. [3] [9] On the top of the roof, a metal crescent-and-star emblem is attached. [10] A wooden fence stands around the entrance doorway. [10]

Accessibility

Surau Al-Firdaus is located in the centre of Kampong Lorong Buangkok, with the nearest bus stops to the area being "Ch. of St. Vincent De Paul" and "Bef Gerald Dr" while the nearest MRT station to the area is the Buangkok MRT station on the North–East line. [11]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Lange, Christian (2016). Paradise and Hell in Islamic Traditions. Cambridge United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. ISBN   978-0-521-50637-3.
  2. ↑ Rustomji, Nerina (2009). The Garden and the Fire: Heaven and Hell in Islamic Culture. Columbia University Press. ISBN   978-0-231-14085-0 . Retrieved 25 December 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Surau Al-Firdaus Lorong Buangkok". www.roots.gov.sg. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Anuar, Nur Hazimah (13 August 2022). "Harapan cucu pengasas Surau Kampung Lorong Buangkok agar ia dapat dikekalkan" [Grandson of founder of Kampung Lorong Buangkok Surau hopes it can be maintained]. BERITA Mediacorp. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  5. ↑ Huiwen, Ng (8 October 2017). "One day in Buangkok". The Straits Times. pp. 8–9.
  6. ↑ Agost, Nurulkhasanah (13 March 2020). "Masjid persendirian, MMO turut tiadakan solat Jumaat" [Private mosques, MMO also cancel Friday prayers]. BERITA Mediacorp. Retrieved 22 July 2025. Bagaimanapun premisnya masih dibuka seperti biasa bagi sesiapa yang ingin menunaikan solat fardu... Surau-surau itu adalah Surau Ghim Moh dan juga Surau Al-Firdaus yang terletak di Kampung Lorong Buangkok.[However, the premises are still open as usual for anyone who wishes to perform obligatory prayers... The suraus are the Ghim Moh Surau and the Al-Firdaus Surau located in Kampung Lorong Buangkok.]
  7. ↑ Fang, Joyce (17 March 2004). "Floods and family fights... Kampung head tackles it all (in between his two jobs)". The Straits Times. p. 2.
  8. ↑ "List of mosques, suraus and places for the Eid prayer". Berita Harian. 31 July 1981. p. 9.
  9. 1 2 Dahlan, Ahmad; Faozan, Akhmad; Alfalisyado; Aprianto, Naerul Edwin Kiky; Voak, Adam (2024). "Social Cohesion of Kampong Lorong Buangkok: Community Amidst Singaporean Industrialization". International Journal of Religion. 5 (7): 237–247. doi: 10.61707/22xy3c45 .
  10. 1 2 "Surau Alfirdaus Lorong Buang Kok [2]". Singapore National Library Board. Retrieved 22 July 2025. The mosque is a wooden structure with zinc roof. On top of the roof is the star and crescent emblem that represents Islam. A sign is hung outside which reads, "Surau Alfir Daus Lorong Buang Kok", which denotes the village's mosque that is named Alfirdaus. There is a shoe rack outside the door.
  11. ↑ "Surau Al-Firdaus @ Kampung Lorong Buangkok (Mosque) - 23F Lorong Buang Kok (S)547709". www.streetdirectory.com. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
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