Al Rahim Mosque also known as Masjid Al Rahim - Islamic centre of worship in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) built by Malaysian and Indonesian communities since the year 1885. Within the premises of the mosque there are many halal food stalls, which also offer Vietnamese food like the Pho with cheap price. There is sizeable Muslim families and communities working, doing business and living around this mosque. (www.halaltrip.com>mosque-details)
It is not its size of Al Rahim Mosque, that sets this holy site apart from other mosques spread across in HCMC & other regions of Vietnam. This mosque, more so than any other is in the heart of commercial district and stands not only as a beacon of Islamic faith, but also as a true testament to what can be achieved through cultural understanding, all levels of business relationships and international social networkings.
It is representative of Islam in a new age, displaying a faith open to communication and cooperation in the modern world. This mosque is an ancient edifice, with a centuries-long history mired in struggle and strife. Al Rahim Mosque is the product of the collaboration between the Government of Vietnam with the Malaysian and Indonesian Muslim communities, who funded its contruction as a gift to the Vietnamese Muslim population in HCMC. (www.muslimtravelvietnam.com>saigon)
I am amazed to observe this mosque made it a point to incorporate not just Islamic architectural traditions but also Vietnamese influences as well, and kept the environment in mind to bring out the Mosque's beauty through maximisation of sunlight & elevation of the earth. I can say that Al Rahim Mosque was built with the expectation of recognising Vietnam's great history in forging a genuinely pluralistic national consciousness which can become the basis of unity & understanding of socialism ideology with Islamic teachings for peaceful co-existence.
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