The Mubarak Mosque ( nl, Mobarakmoskee) in

The Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of ...

is the first purpose-built

mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...

in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

. Its foundation stone was laid by Sir Muhammad Zafarullah Khan on 20 May 1955 who later inaugurated the

on 9 December 1955.

History

The

Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Ahmadiyya (, ), officially the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community or the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at (AMJ, ar, الجماعة الإسلامية الأحمدية, al-Jamāʿah al-Islāmīyah al-Aḥmadīyah; ur, , translit=Jamā'at Aḥmadiyyah Musl ...

came to the Netherlands in 1947 and Qudrat-Ullah Hafiz was the first missionary.

Architecture

The mosque was designed by Frits Beck. In July 1963, two small gold-plated minaret-turrets rising 2 metres above the building were built after approval was granted in February 1963.

Vandalism

On the morning of 8 August 1987, the mosque was almost burnt down by someone who presented themselves as a "

Sunni Muslim Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word ''Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagree ...

". The individual claimed that the mosque did not preach "true Islam" and that he felt that "something had to be done". After the fire, the mosque had dilapidated appearance and was in need of renovation.

Renovation

The community leaders approached an Ahmadi architect, Abdul Rashid from London, as he had been designing mosques for many Ahmadiyya missions around the world without charge. The

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

gave a permit on 22 February 1995 and construction began by a group of volunteers on 29 May 1996 when the foundation stone for renovation and enlargement was laid by the fourth caliph of the community,

Mirza Tahir Ahmad Mirza Tahir Ahmad ( ur, ) (18 December 1928 – 19 April 2003) was the Ahmadiyya Caliphate, fourth caliph ( ar, خليفة المسيح الرابع, ''khalīfatul masīh al-rābi'') and the head of the worldwide Ahmadiyya, Ahmadiyya Communi ...

. The extension officially opened on 30 October 1998. Construction of the minaret started early 2005 and was officially opened on 9 December 2005. On 3 June 2006

Queen Beatrix Beatrix (Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard, ; born 31 January 1938) is a member of the Dutch royal house who reigned as Queen of the Netherlands from 1980 until her abdication in 2013. Beatrix is the eldest daughter of Queen Juliana and her husband ...

of the Netherlands had visited the Mobarak Mosque to commemorate the building's 50th anniversary.

References

{{Mosques in the Netherlands Mosques completed in 1955 20th-century mosques Ahmadiyya mosques in the Netherlands Buildings and structures in The Hague 1955 establishments in the Netherlands 20th-century religious buildings and structures in the Netherlands

History

Architecture

Vandalism

Renovation

See also

References