| Surau | |
|---|---|
 A traditional surau inPadang Pariaman, West Sumatra, Indonesia | |
| General information | |
| Type | Religious building |
| Architectural style | |
| Location | West Sumatra (originally) Malay Peninsula: |
Asurau is an Islamic assembly building, originating inWest Sumatra and later found throughout theMalay Peninsula as well as inThailand. Adapted from pre-Islamic assembly buildings, surau serve a similar purpose as amosque and are used for theprayers 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 wordsurau is synonymous withmusalla and refers to prayer rooms in commercial spaces and educational institutions.
Surau originated inWest Sumatra amongst theMinangkabau people around 1356 as a place of worship forHindus andBuddhists, both of which were majority religions at the time.[1][2][3] Amongst theBatak 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 theIslamic religion spread to West Sumatra, surau became a place for Muslims to perform theirfive daily prayers, akin to a mosque.[1][2][4] Surau eventually spread to theMalay 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 thePadri Wars of the 19th century, the reformist Padris, who were influenced by theWahhabis ofNajd, 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 theDutch colonial government in 1870 and opposition from Muslim modernists led to the decline of surau.[8]
In contemporary times, surau became synonymous withmusalla 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]
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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 performiʿtikāf. 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]
Surau have been present in Singapore sincecolonial times.Surau Al-Firdaus, located inKampong Lorong Buangkok, the last survivingkampung in the country, remains active and is used daily.[12] A surau is also present within the grounds of theSingapore General Hospital.[13]
With the advance of urbanisation, surau have either been demolished or turned into mosques. The latter category includesMasjid Wak Tanjong,Masjid Kampong Delta, andMasjid Hajjah Rahimabi Kebun Limau.[14][15][16] A ruined surau stands at the entrance of theKeramat Bukit Kasita cemetery and is now used as a residence for the volunteer caretaker.[17]
Surau are common inPattani 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]
Typical surau in West Sumatra are built in the Minangkabau style ofRumah 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 offiber or wood until the 1950s, whenzinc was introduced.[5]
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.
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.
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