Masjid Hajjah Rahimabi Kebun Limau
| Masjid Hajjah Rahimabi Kebun Limau | |
|---|---|
Aerial view of the mosque. | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Sunni Islam |
| Location | |
| Location | 76 Kim Keat Road, Singapore 328835 |
| Country | Singapore |
Location in Singapore | |
| Coordinates | 1°19′34″N 103°51′17″E / 1.3261163°N 103.8547991°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Mosque |
| Style | Ottoman architecture |
| Completed | 1959 (Surau) 1974 (Mosque) 1984 (Current structure) |
| Specifications | |
| Dome | 1 |
| Minaret | 1 |
Masjid Hajjah Rahimabi Kebun Limau, formerly called Masjid Kebun Limau, is a mosque located in the Whampoa neighbourhood within Balestier, Singapore. Originating as a surau that was built in 1959, the surau was rebuilt into a mosque in 1974, while the present-day structure is a 1984 reconstruction. The mosque derives the first part of its name from Hajjah Rahima Bee, who funded the latest reconstruction of the mosque; while the second part of its name is derived from the area the mosque is built in, which was formerly near a lime plantation ("kebun limau").
History
The original structure at the site was a surau, built in 1959 to serve the Muslims working at the nearby lime plantation, known as kebun limau ("lime plantation").[1][2] Then in 1974, the surau was rebuilt into a full-fledged mosque.[1][2] The mosque would be overcrowded during the Friday prayers as well as festive prayers such as during Eid al-Adha, hence in 1977 the mosque committee made attempts to expand the spaces for prayers in the mosque.[3] Due to these issues, the Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura announced that Masjid Kebun Limau would be reconstructed completely to increase its capacity and serve more worshippers.[4]
In 1976, Hajjah Rahima Bee, a philanthropist from the Angullia family donated a large sum of money in memory of her late daughter, which massively helped to fund the mosque's reconstruction.[5] The donation was also made to continue her family's legacy of building mosques; her grandfather had built the Masjid Angullia at Little India, while her father had built Masjid Al-Falah at Somerset.[6] The rebuilt mosque was completed in 1984, although it was unable to host religious classes at the time due to its insufficient funds.[1][2]
Due to being situated a street opposite the NKF Centre, the mosque has often collaborated with the National Kidney Foundation Singapore to spread awareness on kidney diseases and dialysis.[7]
Architecture
The mosque is built on the riverbank of the Whampoa River. The interior of the mosque has batik-inspired decorative elements, such as carvings around the mihrab and minbar in the main prayer hall, as well as calligraphic murals.[8] The exterior of the mosque is inspired by traditional Islamic architecture, especially from the Ottoman era, but with a modern spin on it.[2] A large blue dome tops the main prayer hall, while an edge of the building is flanked by a minaret.[1][2]
Gallery
Interior
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Entrance to the main prayer hall
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Inside the main prayer hall
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Ditto
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Minbar and mihrab
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A woven engraving of the Āyat al-Kursī ("Throne Verse") displayed outside the main prayer hall.
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The place for the male worshippers to take their wudhu.
See also
References
- ^ a b c d "Masjid Hajjah Rahimabi Kebun Limau, Balestier Heritage Trail". Roots. Retrieved 2026-01-21.
- ^ a b c d e "Masjid Kita: Hajjah Rahimabi Kebun Limau" [Our Mosque: Hajjah Rahimabi Kebun Limau]. Berita Harian. 1 December 2006. p. 8.
- ^ "Usaha-usaha sedang dibuat untuk meluaskan Masjid Kebun Limau" [Efforts are being made to expand the Kebun Limau Mosque]. Berita Harian. 5 December 1977. p. 6.
- ^ "Masjid Kebun Limau akan dibina semula" [Kebun Limau Mosque to be completely rebuilt]. Berita Harian. 12 November 1978. p. 8.
- ^ "Akhirnya ceracak pertama ditanam" [Finally, the first roots have been planted]. Berita Harian. 28 July 1983. p. 3.
- ^ "The Angullia Heritage in Singapore". Heritage Walk @ Masjid Angullia.
- ^ "Masjid Hajjah Rahimabi jalin kerjasama dengan NKF" [Hajjah Rahimabi Mosque cooperates with NKF]. Berita Harian. 13 July 2012. p. 10.
- ^ Hamid, Abdulghani (23 April 1987). "Ukiran di masjid jalinkan seni tulis dengan corak dekoratif" [Carvings at mosque intertwine calligraphy with patterns]. Berita Harian. p. 7.