Mumbai: Perhaps there is no mosque in the suburbs of Mumbai that compares to its grandeur. The blue dome and the single minaret can be seen from afar Jame El Shams Mosque to me Mira Road It stands out among the apartment buildings. Today, recent renovations including gold leaf work on the columns and walls, a modern azan sound system, and soothing lights collectively enhance the mosque’s beauty.
The iconic mosque can’t get enough of modern tools and looks better in a more sacred time. With the holy month of Ramadan starting on Sunday, worshipers (it can accommodate about 5,000 people at a time) at Al Shams Mosque can easily feel and appreciate the change.
As you enter the mosque building through its massive main door of Burmese teak (20 by 15 feet), the courtyard floor is cool and shaded by Ferrari leaves above. “The leaves reflect heat, keeping the stone floor cooler than when exposed to the summer sun. The goal is to provide maximum comfort to the faithful. Visiting the mosque should not be boring and monotonous. Muzaffar Hussain, managing director of Jameh Shams Mosque and former MLC, said,” It should be an enjoyable experience.” Founded by Hussein’s father Syed Nizar Hussain (He is credited with establishing a modern Islamic colony Naya Nagar On Mira Road) in 1979, the mosque’s cornerstone laying ceremony was attended by many distinguished guests including senior clerics Maulana Syed Hamid AshrafMaulana Zahiruddin Khan, Maulana Hamid Faqih, Maulana Syed Athar Ali and Maulana Muhammad Hanif Azmi. It was and still is the largest mosque in the suburbs. “I am happy that the Nizar Hussain family has made tremendous efforts to maintain the huge mosque and improve the facilities,” says Athar Ali.
Hussain has always been concerned about the quality of the call to prayer, which is spoken in mosques in India. I’ve always wanted the sun’s azan to sound like the azan of the Prophet’s Mosque in Mecca and Medina. My mosque’s muezzins have been trained for months to call out the call to prayer and it is gentle, comfortable and does not shock the ears,” Hussain explains as he shows us the instruments in a corner room of the mosque.
Al-Hussein was also in pain to see worshipers on Fridays, Eids, and Bakirid fall on the roads. “It really bothered me. In addition to disturbing others, congregations were sometimes also held on unclean roads and even over gutters. Now we have two congregations on Fridays and holidays. If one of them misses the first congregation he can join the second congregation after half an hour in the sanctuary.” “This arrangement solved the problem of overflow. Our volunteers ensure that no one performs prayer on the road here,” said mosque supervisor Akmal Syed. Aside from decorating the columns and walls with 99 names of God and the Prophet Muhammad, the renovation also included the installation of air conditioning and carpeting on the first floor. Dozens of ceiling fans are still working, but the air conditioners on the ground and first floors provide welcome relief from the sweltering heat.
As the month of piety and prayer begins, this huge mosque on Mira Road awaits a rush of rouz (fasting) to the usual five prayers plus Tarawih, the special namaz that is offered at night exclusively for Ramzan.
The iconic mosque can’t get enough of modern tools and looks better in a more sacred time. With the holy month of Ramadan starting on Sunday, worshipers (it can accommodate about 5,000 people at a time) at Al Shams Mosque can easily feel and appreciate the change.
As you enter the mosque building through its massive main door of Burmese teak (20 by 15 feet), the courtyard floor is cool and shaded by Ferrari leaves above. “The leaves reflect heat, keeping the stone floor cooler than when exposed to the summer sun. The goal is to provide maximum comfort to the faithful. Visiting the mosque should not be boring and monotonous. Muzaffar Hussain, managing director of Jameh Shams Mosque and former MLC, said,” It should be an enjoyable experience.” Founded by Hussein’s father Syed Nizar Hussain (He is credited with establishing a modern Islamic colony Naya Nagar On Mira Road) in 1979, the mosque’s cornerstone laying ceremony was attended by many distinguished guests including senior clerics Maulana Syed Hamid AshrafMaulana Zahiruddin Khan, Maulana Hamid Faqih, Maulana Syed Athar Ali and Maulana Muhammad Hanif Azmi. It was and still is the largest mosque in the suburbs. “I am happy that the Nizar Hussain family has made tremendous efforts to maintain the huge mosque and improve the facilities,” says Athar Ali.
Hussain has always been concerned about the quality of the call to prayer, which is spoken in mosques in India. I’ve always wanted the sun’s azan to sound like the azan of the Prophet’s Mosque in Mecca and Medina. My mosque’s muezzins have been trained for months to call out the call to prayer and it is gentle, comfortable and does not shock the ears,” Hussain explains as he shows us the instruments in a corner room of the mosque.
Al-Hussein was also in pain to see worshipers on Fridays, Eids, and Bakirid fall on the roads. “It really bothered me. In addition to disturbing others, congregations were sometimes also held on unclean roads and even over gutters. Now we have two congregations on Fridays and holidays. If one of them misses the first congregation he can join the second congregation after half an hour in the sanctuary.” “This arrangement solved the problem of overflow. Our volunteers ensure that no one performs prayer on the road here,” said mosque supervisor Akmal Syed. Aside from decorating the columns and walls with 99 names of God and the Prophet Muhammad, the renovation also included the installation of air conditioning and carpeting on the first floor. Dozens of ceiling fans are still working, but the air conditioners on the ground and first floors provide welcome relief from the sweltering heat.
As the month of piety and prayer begins, this huge mosque on Mira Road awaits a rush of rouz (fasting) to the usual five prayers plus Tarawih, the special namaz that is offered at night exclusively for Ramzan.
“Web fanatic. Travel scholar. Certified music evangelist. Coffee expert. Unapologetic internet guru. Beer nerd.”
