Masjid Al-Istighfar is a mosque located in Pasir Ris, Singapore. Built in 1999, it is well-known in the country's Northern Region for its majorly blue-and-white exterior and bulbous dome. The mosque is also a landmark of the wider Pasir Ris neighbourhood, serving congregants from both there and Loyang.
Etymology 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.
History 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. The location of the mosque, a grass field at the junction of a defunct road and 3 Pasir Ris Drive, was revealed in 1997. The project was also placed under the Mosque Building Fund initiative, along with the Masjid Al-Istiqamah in northern Serangoon. 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. During the SARS epidemic, the mosque handed out flyers and pamphlets detailing information about the virus, to help educate the public and prevent misinformation.
In 2004, the mosque collected $35,000 for donations to the families of victims of the 2003 Bam earthquake that struck Kerman, Iran. Following this, the mosque donated $20,000 in 2005 to help renovate a surau in the village of Meulaboh in West Aceh, Indonesia.
The mosque was closed down in 2020 as part of a nationwide mosque closure during the COVID-19 outbreak. 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.
Architecture The mosque has an eclectic architectural style, combining modern elements with elements of traditional Islamic styles, including Ottoman and Mamluk forms. Its overall appearance was inspired by the Sultanahmet Mosque in Istanbul. The mosque's predominately blue-and-white coloured exterior and bulbous dome helps in making it a well-known place in the Northern Region.
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. 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. 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.
A minaret with an octagonal shape flanks the main prayer hall, topped with a smaller dome. Lattice work lines the exterior of the minaret. 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.
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Transportation 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. The mosque mainly serves the residents of Pasir Ris and Loyang.
See also Islam in Singapore List of mosques in Singapore
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