Surau
Place of worship for Muslims in Asia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.
Malay Peninsula:
| Surau | |
|---|---|
A traditional surau in Padang Pariaman, West Sumatra, Indonesia | |
| General information | |
| Type | Religious building |
| Architectural style | |
| Location | West Sumatra (originally) Malay Peninsula: |
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
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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]
