Hawzah News Agency- According to mosque committee member Mohd Norhisham Mohd Abdul Kadir, this is a way for them to spread the peaceful teachings of Islam so that non-Muslims can understand the religion better.
“We don’t want people to misunderstand us so our doors are always open to everyone, for them to better understand Islam and the beauty of our religion'', he said.
He said it is a way to promote harmony among the communities in the heritage city while also encouraging better understanding among different religious groups and cultures. It is why we have a signboard that welcomes non-Muslims to visit our mosque.
He said the mosque is open to visitors as long as it is not during prayer times and visitors are only required to dress appropriately if they want to enter.
Traditional ‘kampung’ houses within the mosque compound remain today and the mosque committee is planning to restore the one vacant house and turn it into an Islamic religious school.
It is one of the earliest mosques in Penang and formed an important part of the island’s Islamic history.
The area surrounding the mosque used to be known as the Malay town, and was called the ‘mini Mecca’ in the 19th century when Muslim scholars and pilgrims used to stop there on their way to Mecca for the Haj.
It was a hub for Muslims to gather and it was also a centre of Islamic education that attracted students and religious teachers from across the region.
The mosque also played an important role in spreading Islamic teachings and culture even as Penang grew into a major trading port.
The mosque features unique architectural styles such as a weather vane on top of its minaret to show the direction of the wind.
At that time, the minaret of the mosque stood tall above the houses and served as a beacon for ships.
Source: Yahoo News
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