Kowloon Masjid and Islamic Centre or Kowloon Mosque and Islamic Centre (Chinese: 九龍清真寺暨伊斯蘭中心) is one of the four principal mosques in Hong Kong. Located in Kowloon at the corner of Nathan Road and Haiphong Road next to Kowloon Park, the Mosque is currently the largest Islamic house of worship in the city. The Mosque holds prayers daily and is capable of accommodating up to approximately 2000 people.
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The Kowloon Masjid and Islamic Centre was first established in 1896, on the site where the Tsim Sha Tsui Police Station now stands. It was originally intended to serve the Indian Muslim troops of the British army stationed at nearby Whitfield Barracks, now the site of the adjacent Kowloon Park. In the late 1970s, the building suffered structural defects due to the underground construction carried out for the Mass Transit Railway. With the compensation given by Mass Transit Railway Corporation and donations from Muslims, a new Mosque was built in 1984 on the present site at 105 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, to replace the old one.
The mosque, designed by architect I.M. Kadri, represents the unique identity of the Muslim community in Hong Kong. Decorated and elaborate, the traditional Muslim architecture of the mosque distinguished itself from the rational and modern architecture of the nearby commercial buildings. The most prominent features of the building are the four 11m high minarets which mark the corners of the upper terrace and the extensive use of white marble on both the paving and the façade.
In addition to three prayer halls and a community hall, there is a medical clinic and a library. The main prayer hall on the first floor can accommodate 1,000 people. A smaller, women's prayer hall is on the upper floor and is surrounded by a terrace. This upper hall is surmounted by a dome 5m in diameter and 9m in height.
Chief Imam Hong Kong Mufti Muhammad Arshad has been serving as Imam and Khateeb of this Masjid since 2001. He also teaches the Arabic language course, and delivers the Friday sermons in Urdu, English, and Arabic. He is also responsible for the issuance of fatāwā and Quranic Maktabs.
Maulana Qari Muhammad Tayaib Qasmi is an Islamic scholar who has lived in Hong Kong since 1989. He served as a Chief Imam and Khateeb of Kowloon Mosque and Islamic Centre, Hong Kong. He has invited many prominent Islamic scholars to Hong Kong from different part of the world, among them Makki sahib, Abdul Majeed Nadeem Shah sahib, and Imam-e-Kabba. He is currently running seven large Islamic Centres throughout Hong Kong, giving free after-school Quranic education to over 1,500 students including adult students and boys and girls, who study full time in local schools in Hong Kong.
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