Masjid Al-Istiqamah

Al-Istiqamah Mosque
The Al-Istiqamah Mosque in 2006
Religion
AffiliationSunni Islam
Location
Location2 Serangoon North Ave. 2, Singapore 555876
CountrySingapore
Location in Singapore
Coordinates1°22′10″N 103°52′32″E / 1.3693388°N 103.8755775°E / 1.3693388; 103.8755775
Architecture
StyleModern architecture with elements from Nusantara, Middle Eastern and Mauritian architecture
Completed1999
Capacity3,300

The Al-Istiqamah Mosque (Malay: Masjid Al-Istiqamah), known locally as Masjid Al-Istiqamah, is a mosque in Serangoon, Singapore which was completed in 1999. It is located in the estate of Serangoon North, at the corner of Yio Chu Kang Road and Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3; the front entrance is located along Serangoon North Avenue 2.[1]

Etymology

As one of the mosques built under the Mosque Building & Mendaki Fund scheme headed by Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS),[1][2] it is named after virtuous qualities as a continuation from Masjid Al-Khair (The Good). Initially, the name "As-Sobr" (The Patient) was suggested for this mosque, but after consultation with a few local Islamic scholars, the name "Al-Istiqamah" (The Constant) was ultimately chosen.[1][2]

History

Masjid Al-Istiqamah is the second mosque to be built under Phase 3 of the Mosque Building & Mendaki Fund scheme headed by MUIS.[2]

The plot for the mosque building was bought on 12 August 1992 with the fund raising arm of the Mosque Building Committee formed in June 1995.[2] The cost of building the mosque was estimated at around $5 million.[1][2]

Construction of the mosque began in September 1997.[1] On 11 June 1999, Masjid Al-Istiqamah was declared a waqf (an inalienable, charitable property), becoming officially accessible to Muslim members of the public.[3] The purchase of land and construction of the mosque cost an estimated $7 million in total.[3]

On 17 June 2000, Masjid Al-Istiqamah held an opening ceremony which was attended by Mohamad Maidin Packer Mohd, then-Member of Parliament (MP) for Marine Parade Group Representation Constituency (GRC).[4]

2025 pork parcel incident

On 24 September 2025, Masjid Al-Istiqamah was evacuated after the Singapore Police Force was informed of a "suspicious parcel" at its premises. Specialists from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) did not find hazardous materials during checks of the mosque; however, a staff member was transported to Sengkang General Hospital for breathlessness.[5]

Normal operations resumed the following day, with Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs, visiting the mosque and joining the congregation for pre-dawn prayers.[6] During a press conference on the same day, K. Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Coordinating Minister for National Security, said that the parcel contained a type of meat, which initially "[appeared] to be pork". He called the action of sending the parcel "inflammatory" and "playing with fire".[7] That day, Bill Tan Keng Hwee, a 61-year-old Chinese man, was arrested on suspicion of sending a parcel of pork, which is haram (prohibited in Islam), to Masjid Al-Istiqamah; preliminary investigations traced several similar cases at other mosques to him.[8]

On 27 September, the police confirmed that Tan had been arrested.[8] He was named and charged in court on the same day with deliberately intending to wound the racial feelings of a person, an offence under Singaporean law punishable by a fine and/or up to three years of imprisonment.[9]

Architecture

Architect firm James Yip and Partners designed the mosque.[1]

The three-storeyed mosque[1] with a combination of designs from the Nusantara, Middle East and Mauritius can cater to a maximum of 3,300 worshippers at any one time.[10] Its convertible concept enables the optimisation of space and multiple functionalities of the rooms.[10]

The building is divided into two general areas, via the i'tikaf section occupying the 'front' portion, and the multi-purpose section making up the 'rear'. The i'tikaf area which is roofed by solid timber can accommodate about 480, 330 and 270 worshippers on levels one, two and three respectively.

  • The mosque in February 2025 during the upgrading works
  • The large digital clock indicating prayer times is mounted on a wall in front of the entrance of the prayer hall
  • The ablution room within the mosque, for the male worshippers
  • An old grandfather clock in the main prayer hall. The name of the donor of the clock, Haji Rahim bin Baba, is imprinted on the glass, and the donation is dated to 1987 (1408 in the Islamic calendar)
  • The garden in the mosque courtyard
  • Facade of the mosque facing Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3

Transportation

The nearest MRT station to the mosque is the Kovan MRT station, while various bus services lead to the mosque.[11]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Kerja pembinaan al-Istiqamah bermula bulan ini". Berita Harian (in Malay). 10 September 1997. p. 2. Retrieved 20 April 2023 – via NewspaperSG.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Al-Istiqamah perlu lagi $100,000". Berita Harian (in Malay). 13 June 1997. p. 17. Retrieved 20 April 2023 – via NewspaperSG.
  3. ^ a b "Masjid Al-Istiqamah diwakafkan semalam". Berita Harian. 12 June 1999. p. 12.
  4. ^ "Bentuk pusat latihan pengurusan". Berita Minggu. 18 June 2000. p. 2.
  5. ^ "Al-Istiqamah Mosque in Serangoon North evacuated after suspicious parcel delivered to its premises". The Straits Times. 24 September 2025. Archived from the original on 26 September 2025. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
  6. ^ "Al-Istiqamah Mosque operating as usual after parcel event; warded worker doing well: Faishal Ibrahim". The Straits Times. 25 September 2025. Archived from the original on 27 September 2025. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
  7. ^ "Meat which 'appears to be pork' found in parcel sent to mosque in Serangoon, says Shanmugam". CNA. 25 September 2025. Archived from the original on 27 September 2025. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
  8. ^ a b "Man arrested for suspected involvement in sending parcel containing pork to Al-Istiqamah Mosque". The Straits Times. 27 September 2025. Archived from the original on 27 September 2025. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
  9. ^ "Man charged over parcel incident at Al-Istiqamah Mosque in Serangoon North". The Straits Times. 27 September 2025. Archived from the original on 28 September 2025. Retrieved 28 September 2025.
  10. ^ a b "Masjid al-Istiqamah guna ruang secara kreatif". Berita Harian. 6 March 1999. p. 2.
  11. ^ "Muis | Al-Istiqamah". www.muis.gov.sg. Retrieved 2025-02-05.
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