Masjid Al-Istighfar

The name of the mosque, Al-Istighfar, is an Arabic word that means repentance to God. The concept of Istighfar was held in extreme importance by the earlier Muslims, including Islamic scholars of the Hanbali school.

Plans for a mosque in the Pasir Ris neighbourhood had been drawn up in early 1990, while the name for the mosque was officially chosen in 1996.^[1] The location of the mosque, a grass field at the junction of a defunct road and 3 Pasir Ris Drive, was revealed in 1997.^[2] The project was also placed under the Mosque Building Fund initiative, along with the Masjid Al-Istiqamah in northern Serangoon.^[1][2][3] The mosque was eventually completed on 16 July 1999 and opened its doors to the public on the same day, hosting its first Friday prayer as well.^[4][5] During the SARS epidemic, the mosque handed out flyers and pamphlets detailing information about the virus, to help educate the public and prevent misinformation.^[6]

In 2004, the mosque collected $35,000 for donations to the families of victims of the 2003 Bam earthquake that struck Kerman, Iran.^[7] Following this, the mosque donated $20,000 in 2005 to help renovate a surau in the village of Meulaboh in West Aceh, Indonesia.^[8]

The mosque was closed down in 2020 as part of a nationwide mosque closure during the COVID-19 outbreak.^[9] It was reopened after the pandemic in 2021 and continued to function as per normal towards the end of the Circuit Breaker period. In April 2026, a temporary extension to the mosque was set up in the field opposite it, due to a request for more prayer spaces in the Pasir Ris area.^[10][11]

The mosque has an eclectic architectural style, combining modern elements with elements of traditional Islamic styles, including Ottoman and Mamluk forms.^[12] Its overall appearance was inspired by the Sultanahmet Mosque in Istanbul.^[13] The mosque's predominately blue-and-white coloured exterior and bulbous dome helps in making it a well-known place in the Northern Region.^[12]

The main building has four levels, with the ground level being the main prayer hall. The second level overlooks the main hall and contains the prayer hall for females.^[14][15] The blue, bulbous, ribbed dome of the mosque sits on a circle drum situated directly on top of the main prayer hall, with the ceiling fan attached to a bar from the underside of the dome.^[14][15] Ancillary rooms inside the mosque including the staff office, on the first level, as well as a series of classrooms on the second to fourth levels that comprise the madrasa segment.^[14][15]

A minaret with an octagonal shape flanks the main prayer hall, topped with a smaller dome. Lattice work lines the exterior of the minaret.^[12] At the entrance of the mosque are a set of benches for pedestrians and members of the public to rest. Next to these benches is a water cooler, which dispenses free drinking water as part of the nationwide "Water for All" initiative.^[16]

• 
  A closeup of the mosque's minaret.
• 
  The underside of the mosque's dome.
• 
  Interior of the mosque.

Masjid al-Istighfar is accessible via bus services 5, 6, and 89, which lead directly to a bus top behind the mosque and connect the mosque to the Pasir Ris MRT station as well as the neighborhoods of Loyang, Punggol, Sengkang, and Changi.^[17] The mosque mainly serves the residents of Pasir Ris and Loyang.^[18]

• Islam in Singapore
• List of mosques in Singapore