# Surau
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{{short description|Place of worship for Muslims in Asia}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2026}}
{{Infobox building
| name = Surau
| image = Surau Gadang Syekh Burhanuddin 2020 07.jpg
| image_alt =
| image_caption = A traditional surau in [Padang Pariaman](/source/Padang_Pariaman_Regency), West Sumatra, Indonesia
| former_names =
| alternate_names =
| status =
| building_type = [Religious building](/source/Mosque_architecture_in_Indonesia)
| architectural_style = {{hlist|[Indonesian](/source/Architecture_of_Indonesia)|[Malay](/source/Malay_architecture)}}
| location_town =
| location_country = {{hlist|[West Sumatra](/source/West_Sumatra) (initially)|[Malaysia](/source/Malaysia)|[Singapore](/source/Singapore)|[Thailand](/source/Thailand)}}
}}
A '''surau''' ([Jawi](/source/Jawi_script): {{Lang|ms-arab|سوراو}}) is an Islamic assembly building, originating in [West Sumatra](/source/West_Sumatra) and later becoming common and institutionalised in [Malaysia](/source/Malaysia), and found throughout [Singapore](/source/Singapore) and [Thailand](/source/Thailand). Adapted from pre-Islamic assembly buildings, surau serve a similar purpose as a [mosque](/source/mosque) and are used for the [prayers](/source/Salah) as well as religious classes and as a local public space. A typical surau is located in a village or town and is built either in an architectural style native to the locality or in typical [Islamic style](/source/Islamic_architecture).
In contemporary times, the word ''surau'' is also synonymous with [musalla](/source/musalla) and refers to prayer rooms in public facilities.
==History==
[[File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Een moskee bij Fort de Kock TMnr 10016669.jpg|thumb|left|[Bingkudu Mosque](/source/Bingkudu_Mosque), an archetypal [Minangkabawi](/source/Minangkabau_people) mosque, with its multi-tiered, curving form and exaggerated roof height]]
Surau originated in [West Sumatra](/source/West_Sumatra) amongst the [Minangkabau people](/source/Minangkabau_people) around 1356 as a place of worship for [Hindus](/source/Hindus) and [Buddhists](/source/Buddhists), both of which were majority religions at the time.[{{cite web|url=http://repository.uin-malang.ac.id/97/1/01%20Pendidikan%20Surau%20sdh.pdf|title=Melacak Akar Sejarah Pendidikan Surau: Asal-Usul, Karakteristik, Materi dan Literatur Keagamaan|language=id|trans-title=Tracing the Historical Roots of Surau Education: Origins, Characteristics, Materials and Religious Literature}}][{{Cite journal|title=Sistem Pendidikan Surau: Karakteristic, Isi dan Literatur Keagamaan|last=Fikri|first=Zainal A.|date=December 2012|journal=At-Ta'dib|issue=2|volume=17|pages=255–263|language=id|trans-title=Surau Education System: Characteristics, Content and Religious Literature}}][{{Cite journal|title=The origin of the Malay Surau|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/41503204|journal=Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society|date=1956|issn=2304-7550|pages=179–181|volume=29|issue=1 (173)|first=R. A.|last=Kern |jstor=41503204 }}] Amongst the [Batak](/source/Batak) people, the term "surau" was used to describe a wooden house that was used for ancestor worship, similar to a miniature temple.[{{Cite journal|title=Surau Aur: Patani Oldest Mosque|url=https://www.persee.fr/doc/arch_0044-8613_1992_num_43_1_2808|journal=Archipel|date=1992|pages=89–112|volume=43|issue=1|doi=10.3406/arch.1992.2808|first=Wayne|last=Bougas}}] When the [Islamic religion](/source/Islam) spread to West Sumatra, surau became a place for Muslims to perform their [five daily prayers](/source/Salah), akin to a mosque.[{{Cite journal |last1=Lukito |first1=Yulia Nurliani |last2=Iskandar |first2=Hakimullah Arif |date=2019 |editor-last=Wismadi |editor-first=A. |editor2-last=Agustiananda |editor2-first=P.A.P. |editor3-last=Fauziah |editor3-first=M. |editor4-last=Kushari |editor4-first=B. |editor5-last=Nurmiyanto |editor5-first=A. |editor6-last=Fajri |editor6-first=J.A. |title=Architecture of Surau and Its Role in Minangkabau Society: the Case of Surau Lubuak Bauak Nagari Batipuah Baruah, West Sumatra |url=https://www.matec-conferences.org/10.1051/matecconf/201928003003 |journal=MATEC Web of Conferences |volume=280 |pages=03003 |doi=10.1051/matecconf/201928003003 |issn=2261-236X|doi-access=free }}]
During the [Padri Wars](/source/Padri_Wars) of the 19th century, the reformist Padris, who were influenced by the [Wahhabis](/source/Wahhabism) of [Najd](/source/Najd), condemned the building of surau as places of idolatry and even burned many of them.[Muhammad, Rajab (2019). ''Perang Padri di Sumatra Barat (1803–1838)'' (in Indonesian). Balai Pustaka. [https://www.pustaka.uniraya.ac.id/index.php?subject=%22Bank%22&search=Search ISBN 978-602-481-232-4].] This was mainly due to the fact that many surau were Sufi institutions.[{{Cite book |last=Ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab |url=https://www.kalamullah.com/Books/Kitab%20at-Tawheed%20Explained.pdf |title=Kitāb al-Tawḥīd Explained |publisher=International Islamic Publishing House |year=1998 |isbn=9960672573 |editor-last=Strauch |editor-first=Sameh |location=[Riyadh, Saudi Arabia](/source/Riyadh%2C_Saudi_Arabia)}}] These events, along with the introduction of secular schools by the [Dutch colonial government](/source/Dutch_colonial_empire) in 1870 and opposition from Muslim modernists led to the decline of surau in Indonesia.[{{Cite journal|url=https://download.ssrn.com/13/10/18/ssrn_id2342393_code1071040.pdf?response-content-disposition=inline&X-Amz-Security-Token=IQoJb3JpZ2luX2VjEKD%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2FwEaCXVzLWVhc3QtMSJGMEQCIFNv6bzU73ysU%2FpL677BkCokbzTvWx1l4gN2gqbByQ3VAiAkSMqDa4OhVilvcxShM62E%2F6X0pWwDdlFgOJUEQ3pqUCq%2BBQhoEAQaDDMwODQ3NTMwMTI1NyIM%2B28ZGKdHP3MIaxAlKpsFi%2Bd6ryEsogJom%2FCKSglzXa7fGY92lU1lngf1FIAuSLu1BaULR7uSV7HT61gmmWXG%2Fe3TGIb9CyzBJOPYgZ4BAXl4qHYOBPh59X6d0epsb3ciQv%2Bw93z0hrmmQE3KwSlQOjTyGighqBcfeuLMCzJW6YiHee9JwRJ20ButFJHXBjhCaZWURwj0zNB7PWs4Y%2Fu%2F1IPs8kZA9OdZbJaWaQ1tnkdr%2FnpisW0yZqpvUVdLXPI4KV51wbnUXozORi%2Bq6QLYdZSqEuTDW58tL3z2jOBLbuwNB8YGtJaqlVbcd4ImjWsxLesG%2BdTreiRCn%2FmaAz7bfO844vYPSoxEWVMY7t%2B%2BPUpL3%2BfbbgX3tu67NzlzJFU%2F0XOuc5QLYrGkFI6rB9J%2F1SWfVV1eMj6jYdQGtiTR%2BYAAVGlZIJmgUElPc1u%2Fij18I%2BDbYxGli2VHtypAk7L7QqFg7%2Fe1q6Yc89oOVkGCZKyF1HRQufgsyJQyWCg3Ns40AeP3hy6BItNeYiVJdM%2B8RIsd3lGKU8wXqGkWsg6zSOerBee3T1ey%2FQZodA5%2Fixku2IsKHiJ8IyuV0srPDhKgbX7%2FNKW5rUiT63vSwSOIt6kty5dtU1JIr5qbL%2FVy3MH4B3k8KgyUvJfc9plvA5UwtJjkmrPP%2BZYQnMokw3OthvqgnCbqxULrmXYNDuGrI2KX2EIfLv33njW7P28y9BN1S1dGAZ%2B6HKYNEQbfJUoeBEV7IN2bc5INCDWAIqZAmjae66kbDMTS0SvvxYCLfZInsGQ1AbgxnH9DRa3EHWD2rxm8xZcsK7%2FZuyA3hdSvElou%2Bcb5pF%2B3FyDNQhmdHrlvH6zhPe1V7Y2Wlj6ej7DNw2IOCOhy65wLnPdgMCponYBNmB3NnuvvEnIbRzDp8ObLBjqyAYWvmqq8cz8VC3Bg%2FigWZddxMux5JStUifGddjNmwanYjEw0Fk7sXN7mcQvSejtUDxjikM57fUXy1Gy1lJsICn2DXphCRdzG9RxHEI106PRLxiD02CD6IME8EHFT3cD%2FDeIiG69Kix62mb%2Fk%2BJVW%2FwXtAkiY%2Bu4pLM3Hi3mLfqn28572ZpxztVYy4cuqjoq9tE1D%2BrgCWqtOAC%2B2732bGGmqGrO%2FuUhV%2BeidBapBBfbcyA4%3D&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Date=20260128T080358Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=300&X-Amz-Credential=ASIAUPUUPRWE6UKMUB6F%2F20260128%2Fus-east-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Signature=b64d1eab8bbcd6d6490bb9f4b1c47d92603a3cec651cc6f313dc27f26f5d7827&abstractId=2342393|title=Madrasah in Singapore: Tradition and modernity in religious education|last=Steiner|first=Kerstin|date=2011|journal=Intellectual Discourse|volume=19|pages=41–70|via=IIUM Press}}]
In Indonesian contemporary times, surau became synonymous with [musalla](/source/musalla) and were used to describe prayer rooms in shopping malls, petrol stations, hospitals, and schools.[{{Cite web |title=Sistem Pengurusan Masjid |url=https://e-masjid.jais.gov.my/dashboard/listsurau |access-date=29 March 2026 |website=e-masjid.jais.gov.my |language=ms |trans-title=Mosque Management System}}] with a presence mainly in towns and villages, but still common and widespread within cities as subclasses to mosques.
They are popular amongst Muslims, who use them to perform [iʿtikāf](/source/i%CA%BFtik%C4%81f). As in West Sumatra, "surau" can also be synonymous with musalla within the context of public facilities.[{{Cite journal |last=Rizal |first=Shah |date=2019 |title=The Accessibility of Mosque and Surau in Malls as Micro Mosque in the City Centre |journal=International Graduate Conference of Built Environment & Surveying |pages=171–175}}]
[[File:Kuala Lumpur Malaysia Victoria-Institution-01.jpg|thumb|A surau in [Kuala Lumpur](/source/Kuala_Lumpur), built in an [Ottoman architecture](/source/Ottoman_architecture)al style]]
In 2024, Malaysia introduced the concept of "mobile surau", consisting of converted buses that provide increased access to prayer spaces during occasions where typical surau are not available.[{{Cite web |date=7 March 2024 |title=Surau bergerak, kemudahan dakwah di jalanan |url=https://berita.rtm.gov.my/senarai-berita-laporan-khas/pakej-berita/senarai-artikel/surau-bergerak-kemudahan-dakwah-di-jalanan/ |access-date=28 January 2026 |website=Portal Berita RTM |language=ms|trans-title=Mobile surau, facilitating da'wah on the streets}}][{{Cite web |last= |date=1 March 2024 |title=Syarikat diseru wakaf surau bergerak – Zahid |url=https://www.buletintv3.my/nasional/syarikat-diseru-wakaf-surau-bergerak-zahid/ |access-date=28 January 2026 |website=Buletin TV3 |language=ms|trans-title=Companies urged to move surau waqf – Zahid}}]
===Singapore===
[[File:Surau Al-Firdaus in Kampong Lorong Buangkok.jpg|thumb|[Surau Al-Firdaus](/source/Surau_Al-Firdaus), built in 1967]]
Surau have been present in Singapore since [colonial times](/source/Colony_of_Singapore). [Surau Al-Firdaus](/source/Surau_Al-Firdaus), located in [Kampong Lorong Buangkok](/source/Kampong_Lorong_Buangkok), the last surviving ''[kampung](/source/kampung)'' in the country, remains active and is used daily.[{{Cite web |title=Surau Al-Firdaus Lorong Buangkok |url=https://www.roots.gov.sg/places/places-landing/Places/surveyed-sites/Surau-Al-Firdaus-Lorong-Buangkok |access-date=28 January 2026 |website=roots.gov.sg}}] A surau is also present within the grounds of the [Singapore General Hospital](/source/Singapore_General_Hospital).[{{Cite web |title=Singapore General Hospital – Housemen's Canteen {{!}} Singapore {{!}} Musollah.com |url=https://musollah.com/musollah/170 |access-date=28 January 2026 |website=musollah.com}}]
With the advance of urbanisation, surau have either been demolished or turned into mosques. The latter category includes [Masjid Wak Tanjong](/source/Masjid_Wak_Tanjong), [Masjid Kampong Delta](/source/Kampong_Delta_Mosque), and [Masjid Hajjah Rahimabi Kebun Limau](/source/Masjid_Hajjah_Rahimabi_Kebun_Limau).[{{Cite web |title=The Wak Tanjong Legacy: From a Bugis merchant's vision in 1873 to Singapore's most innovative mosque community |url=https://about.waktanjong.org/about |access-date=28 January 2026 |website=Masjid Wak Tanjong}}][{{Cite web |title=Kampong Delta Mosque at Delta Avenue, circa 1994 |url=https://www.nlb.gov.sg/main/image-detail?cmsuuid=2cad192d-286a-4ef6-b5fa-9f63d68b55ea |access-date=28 January 2026 |website=National Library Board of Singapore |quote=The original surau (prayer house) was built, and completed in February 1962. It was named "Surau Kampong Delta", and officially declared open by Haji Ya'acob Mohammed on 1 July 1962.}}][{{Cite web |title=Masjid Hajjah Rahimabi Kebun Limau |url=https://www.roots.gov.sg/places/places-landing/Places/landmarks/balestier-heritage-trail-faith-film-and-food/Masjid-Hajjah-Rahimabi-Kebun-Limau |access-date=28 January 2026 |website=roots.gov.sg |quote=The origins of this mosque date back to 1959 when Muslim residents of the surrounding area requested for land to build a surau ("prayer hall"). After the community was granted this plot of land in 1961, each Muslim family in the area contributed $20 to build Surau Kebun Limau, which opened in 1964. The surau was upgraded and renamed Masjid Kebun Limau in 1974.}}] A ruined surau stands at the entrance of the [Keramat Bukit Kasita](/source/Keramat_Bukit_Kasita) cemetery and is now used as a residence for the volunteer caretaker.[{{Cite journal |last1=Njoto |first1=Hélène |last2=Sevea |first2=Terenjit |date=2019 |title=Bukit Kasita: A Burial Ground of Rajas and Site of Architectural Heritage |url=https://hal.science/hal-04925853 |journal=NSC Highlights |issue=11 |pages=8–13}}]
===Thailand===
Surau are common in [Pattani province](/source/Pattani_province) of Thailand, due to it being a former Malay kingdom.