February 01, 2006
By Lucille Davie
WITH its tall, elegant minaret and copper dome, Masjidur Rahmah lends an air of the East to Emmarentia.
The Masjidur Rahmah, an interesting contrast in architecture in the suburb
Finished in beautifully laid, pale beige face bricks, the mosque – named Masjidur Rahmah, meaning the mosque of mercy or compassion – has been open for five months.
It can accommodate 900 people and is invariably full on Fridays, says Rashid Malek, member of the mosque working committee and secretary of the Greenside Muslim Association. The overflow is accommodated in the adjoining madressa or school.
People come from the surrounding suburbs of Greenside, Rosebank, Auckland Park, Parkview and Victory Park, but also further afield like Randburg. Gauteng MEC for safety and security Firoz Cachalia and judge Ismail Hussein are also worshippers at the mosque.
"The mosque has bonded the community together," says Ahmed Omar, another member of the working committee. "It is the focal point of the community."
Malek says he is pleasantly surprised at the cross-section of Muslims attending. "The demographics have changed - Muslims from the Arab world, European countries and Africa are coming to the mosque."
The Emmarentia mosque is the first to appear in the northern suburbs, although there is one in the north eastern suburb of Marlboro Gardens.
Until now mosques have been confined to the former apartheid-designated areas where Muslims have always lived: Mayfair, Riverlea, Fordsburg, west of the city, Judith's Paarl in the east, and Lenasia, 40 kilometres south of the city.
Muslims have moved into Emmarentia and surrounding suburbs because they now have a choice of where they can live, and because these suburbs are very central - close to the city, universities and schools, and offices in Sandton and Rosebank. The schools in these suburbs are very good, says Malek.
The mosque, on the corner of Barry Hertzog Avenue and Ingalele Road, is an imposing building. The beautiful exterior is continued inside, where pale grey Italian marble and the treble-volume ceilings create a sense of elegance and space. "We are happy with the light and air in the building," says Malek.
Above the main prayer area is the impressive dome, giving the space a soaring grandeur. Further back the roof consists of transparent sheeting, allowing light to stream in. A balcony divides the large room, allowing interesting views out the windows, which line both sides of the mosque, and down on to the carpeted floors.
The architect, Saber Bham, who has designed mosques around Joburg and in Malawi and Zambia, says he tried to create a mosque that was different and "not imported from Saudi Arabia or India". He says the irregular shape of the site presented a challenge.
Initially there was opposition from the local residents to the building of the mosque. Objections were based on two issues: parking and traffic; and the noise from azaan, the call to prayer that rings out five times a day from the minarets of mosques.
The azaan issue was easily solved: every home has a transmitter and receives the call from the mosque via their transmitters.
Malek says that the community is very aware of traffic congestion, especially for the Friday night service, and readily reprimand those who park across driveways when they are late for the service. Parking for several dozen cars does exist on the site.
The original house on the site was bought in 1995 by the Muslim community and was used as a mosque for several years. Construction on the mosque began in 2003 once the rezoning of the site was confirmed, a process which took around three years.
The imam lives in another house on the site. It too was bought by the community.
The madressa, alongside the mosque, accommodates over a hundred children and has eight teachers.
Malek has lived in Emmarentia since 1993. Since moving in he has established the Emmarentia Traders' Association and served on the Emmarentia Residents' Association. He is also a member of the Marks Park Sports Club and is active on school committees. He sees himself and members of his community as caring, concerned members of the Emmarentia community.
He says the community is happy with the mosque – and so are estate agents. "They use the mosque as a selling point for Emmarentia."
There is a possibility that other mosques may be built in Northcliff as well as in Auckland Park, says Malek.
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