Surau

Surau
A traditional surau in Padang Pariaman, West Sumatra, Indonesia
General information
TypeReligious building
Architectural style
LocationWest Sumatra (originally)
Malay Peninsula:

A surau is an Islamic assembly building, originating in West Sumatra and later found throughout the Malay Peninsula as well as in Thailand. Adapted from pre-Islamic assembly buildings, surau serve a similar purpose as a mosque and are used for the prayers as well as religious classes. A typical surau is located in a village or town and is built in an architectural style native to the locality.

In contemporary times, the word surau is synonymous with musalla and refers to prayer rooms in commercial spaces and educational institutions.

History

Surau originated in West Sumatra amongst the Minangkabau people around 1356 as a place of worship for Hindus and Buddhists, both of which were majority religions at the time.[1][2][3] Amongst the Batak people, the term "surau" was used to describe a wooden house that was used for ancestor worship, similar to a miniature temple.[1][2][4] When the Islamic religion spread to West Sumatra, surau became a place for Muslims to perform their five daily prayers, akin to a mosque.[1][2][4] Surau eventually spread to the Malay Peninsula.[3][4] They also became known as places for exclusively male education, a trait that faded after the introduction of modern schools.[5]

During the Padri Wars of the 19th century, the reformist Padris, who were influenced by the Wahhabis of Najd, condemned the building of surau as places of idolatry and even burned many of them.[6] This was mainly due to the fact that many surau were Sufi institutions.[3][7] These events, along with the introduction of secular schools by the Dutch colonial government in 1870 and opposition from Muslim modernists led to the decline of surau.[8]

In contemporary times, surau became synonymous with musalla and were used to describe prayer rooms in shopping malls, petrol stations, hospitals, and schools.[1][2] There has been a revival of surau usage among the Minangkabau.[5]

Outside West Sumatra

Malaysia

Surau are common in Malaysia, with a presence mainly in towns and villages. They are popular amongst Muslim students, who use them to perform iʿtikāf. As in West Sumatra, "surau" is synonymous with musalla.[9]

In 2024, Malaysia introduced the concept of "mobile surau", consisting of converted buses that provide increased access to prayer spaces during occasions where typical surau are not available.[10][11]

Singapore

Surau have been present in Singapore since colonial times. Surau Al-Firdaus, located in Kampong Lorong Buangkok, the last surviving kampung in the country, remains active and is used daily.[12] A surau is also present within the grounds of the Singapore General Hospital.[13]

With the advance of urbanisation, surau have either been demolished or turned into mosques. The latter category includes Masjid Wak Tanjong, Masjid Kampong Delta, and Masjid Hajjah Rahimabi Kebun Limau.[14][15][16] A ruined surau stands at the entrance of the Keramat Bukit Kasita cemetery and is now used as a residence for the volunteer caretaker.[17]

Thailand

Surau are common in Pattani province of Thailand, due to it being a former Malay kingdom.[2] One such place is Surau Aur, which is built from wood and resembles a small Buddhist temple. It is considered the oldest existing Islamic institution in Thailand.[4]

Architectural style

Typical surau in West Sumatra are built in the Minangkabau style of Rumah Gadang.[4][5] A common feature is their peaked, multi-tiered pyramidal roof, which are adapted from Buddhist and Hindu temples.[5] The roofs were made of fiber or wood until the 1950s, when zinc was introduced.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Melacak Akar Sejarah Pendidikan Surau: Asal-Usul, Karakteristik, Materi dan Literatur Keagamaan" [Tracing the Historical Roots of Surau Education: Origins, Characteristics, Materials and Religious Literature] (PDF) (in Indonesian).
  2. ^ a b c d e Fikri, Zainal A. (December 2012). "Sistem Pendidikan Surau: Karakteristic, Isi dan Literatur Keagamaan" [Surau Education System: Characteristics, Content and Religious Literature]. At-Ta'dib (in Indonesian). 17 (2): 255–263.
  3. ^ a b c Kern, R. A. (1956). "The origin of the Malay Surau". Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. 29 (1 (173)): 179–181. ISSN 2304-7550. JSTOR 41503204.
  4. ^ a b c d e Bougas, Wayne (1992). "Surau Aur: Patani Oldest Mosque". Archipel. 43 (1): 89–112. doi:10.3406/arch.1992.2808.
  5. ^ a b c d e Lukito, Yulia Nurliani; Iskandar, Hakimullah Arif (2019). Wismadi, A.; Agustiananda, P.A.P.; Fauziah, M.; Kushari, B.; Nurmiyanto, A.; Fajri, J.A. (eds.). "Architecture of Surau and Its Role in Minangkabau Society: the Case of Surau Lubuak Bauak Nagari Batipuah Baruah, West Sumatra". MATEC Web of Conferences. 280: 03003. doi:10.1051/matecconf/201928003003. ISSN 2261-236X.
  6. ^ Muhammad, Rajab (2019). Perang Padri di Sumatra Barat (1803-1838) (in Indonesian). Balai Pustaka. ISBN 978-602-481-232-4.
  7. ^ Ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab (1998). Strauch, Sameh (ed.). Kitāb al-Tawḥīd Explained (PDF). Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: International Islamic Publishing House. ISBN 9960672573.
  8. ^ Steiner, Kerstin (2011). "Madrasah in Singapore: Tradition and modernity in religious education" (PDF). Intellectual Discourse. 19: 41–70 – via IIUM Press.
  9. ^ Rizal, Shah (2019). "The Accessibility of Mosque and Surau in Malls as Micro Mosque in the City Centre". International Graduate Conference of Built Environment & Surveying: 171–175.
  10. ^ "Surau bergerak, kemudahan dakwah di jalanan" [Mobile surau, facilitating da'wah on the streets]. Portal Berita RTM (in Malay). 7 March 2024. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
  11. ^ "Syarikat diseru wakaf surau bergerak – Zahid" [Companies urged to move surau waqf – Zahid]. Buletin TV3 (in Malay). 1 March 2024. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
  12. ^ "Surau Al-Firdaus Lorong Buangkok". roots.gov.sg. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
  13. ^ "Singapore General Hospital – Housemen's Canteen | Singapore | Musollah.com". musollah.com. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
  14. ^ "The Wak Tanjong Legacy: From a Bugis merchant's vision in 1873 to Singapore's most innovative mosque community". Masjid Wak Tanjong. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
  15. ^ "Kampong Delta Mosque at Delta Avenue, circa 1994". National Library Board of Singapore. Retrieved 28 January 2026. The original surau (prayer house) was built, and completed in February 1962. It was named "Surau Kampong Delta", and officially declared open by Haji Ya'acob Mohammed on 1 July 1962.
  16. ^ "Masjid Hajjah Rahimabi Kebun Limau". roots.gov.sg. Retrieved 28 January 2026. The origins of this mosque date back to 1959 when Muslim residents of the surrounding area requested for land to build a surau ("prayer hall"). After the community was granted this plot of land in 1961, each Muslim family in the area contributed $20 to build Surau Kebun Limau, which opened in 1964. The surau was upgraded and renamed Masjid Kebun Limau in 1974.
  17. ^ Njoto, Hélène; Sevea, Terenjit (2019). "Bukit Kasita: A Burial Ground of Rajas and Site of Architectural Heritage". NSC Highlights (11): 8–13.
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