ARCHITECTURE, GOD AND THE COMMON MAN : MASJID BA'ALAWI IN PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

Masjid Ba’alawi by some means quietly stands out as one of the finest examples of a mosque which is intrinsically associated with the social relationships of its congregation. As humble and utilitarian as its architecture may be, its developments, spatial organisation and personally-inducted diminutive elements discloses a heritage which may portray it as an exemplar of a diverse and culturally-rich community. The developments of Masjid Ba’alawi for over more than half a century also demonstrate the synergy within the community in the mosque. At every corner and gap in the mosque is an array of exhibits from the Islamic world ranging from Arabic, Indonesian to Chinese – the mosque is also a museum of Islamic culture and heritage. The role of a mosque extends from a mere house of prayer to a place for communal activity. Here exists a unique community where individuals collectively feel attached to the mosque that they have also contributed and laboured for the mosque which as a whole and over time resulted as a spontaneous myriad of elements that shaped the aesthetics of the mosque. These elements appear suspicious and somewhat inconsistent with other parts of the mosque, thus appearing to tell a story behind its spontaneity in manifestation. Additions made to the mosque did not hide its original features and structures, therefore allowing us to trace its beginning. Can we then identify the uniqueness of this community by this personal induction in what Rudofsky may describe as a communal enterprise ? Can the efforts of the common peoples be rendered as Architecture?