We’ve been a little quiet lately but promise to ‘come out from behind the curtains’ soon, just as Berty, Al-Musafir’s resident cat and very reluctant mascot has done here (she would rather be sleeping).

Stay tuned.

We’ve been working hard on the Al-Musafir App and have come up with ideas we think you’ll love.

We don’t want you to take our word for it though. We want you to be involved in the development process from the very beginning.

So if you are a smartphone user and traveller and want to join us on this shared journey to make the Al-Musafir App awesome, register at http://awesome.al-musafir.com to become a pre-development test user.

We’re looking for a limited number of pre-development test users. We promise you an exciting start to the Al-Musafir App along with first peek into how the Al-Musafir App is shaping up, so be quick to register and don’t miss out!

Thanks and peace!

There’s the Blue Mosque in Turkey and then there’s the Tanjung Bungah Floating Mosque. Both are beautiful mosques with the latter a lesser known one but unique in its own right.

The Tanjung Bungah Floating Mosque is situated in the northern suburb of Tanjung Bungah, Penang, a small island in north-east of peninsular Malaysia. Although the name suggests that the mosque is floating, it is actually built on steel pilings driven into the seabed approximately 50 metres from shore so it appears to float on the sea when the tide is high.

The mosque was built to replace the old mosque near it which was too small for the increasing congregation due to the population growth in Tanjung Bungah. It was completed in early 2005 at a cost of approximately USD5 million and can accommodate a congregation of 1,500 at any one time. Architecturally, it is inspired by West Asian architecture with Turkish influences throughout.

The mosque has become a very popular tourist attraction with foreign tourists from among others, Korea, Japan and Europe having visited the mosque. Locally, the mosque receives many interstate visitors and recently, even students from an international school as part of an inter-faith educational field trip.

All are welcome to the mosque with simple tours conducted free of charge. Visitors are required to be properly attired i.e. longs for both men and women with the additional requirement that women cover their heads with a scarf. The mosque also provides robes, scarves and sarongs if you’re not properly attired. Insider tip: ask the person giving you the tour if you can go to the top of the mosque’s sole minaret which stands 7 storeys high for a breathtaking view of the sea and surrounding hills. We’ve been told that some tourists have been allowed to do that.

Not to be missed!

Address: Jalan Tanjung Bungah, 11200 Penang
Phone: +60 4 899 0838
Hours: If you’re there just for the tour, we recommend going between 10am – 1pm or 2.30pm to 4.30pm daily to avoid the times when the congregation observes their prayers. Approach the person at the front desk.

Not quite floating – low tide exposes the pilings on which the mosque is built.

Main entrance to the mosque.

Underneath the dome in the mosque.

Inside the mosque.

The imam leads the prayer at the front.

Several areas around the mosque like this look out to sea.

View of the other side of the mosque.

Everyone would know that the Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia performed by Muslims globally during a specific time of the year (in the Islamic month of Zulhijjah to be exact) but not everyone would know what the Umrah is. For the benefit of our non-Muslim readers in particular, the Umrah is the lesser known pilgrimage to Mecca that may be performed at anytime of the year. While it is a religious duty for every able-bodied and financially capable Muslim to perform the Hajj at least once in his or her lifetime, the Umrah is not obligatory but highly encouraged. The Umrah includes some of the rituals of the Hajj but there are fewer of them so it tends to be less demanding. In addition to performing the rituals, Muslims also take the opportunity to visit sites of Islamic historical significance including those in Madinah, the city where the early Muslim community (Ummah in Arabic) developed under the leadership of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Unto Him).

There’s so much more to the Umrah and Hajj but we leave you to search more on the subject should you be inclined. For now, here are some photographs taken by friends of Al-Musafir who were there recently performing the Umrah.

>1.5 billion Muslims, no matter where they are, face towards the Ka’aba located in the centre of the Grand Mosque in Mecca when performing their prayers in a display of unity to worship Allah (one God).

Lots of construction going on now to expand the capacity of the Grand Mosque of Mecca.

Masjid Quba is known to be the first mosque ever built.

Inside Masjid Al-Nabawi (The Prophet’s Mosque) in Madinah.

Prophet Muhammad’s (Peace Be Unto Him) final resting place is underneath the green dome.

Another view from inside Masjid Al-Nabawi.

One of the massive doors of Masjid Al-Nabawi.

Masjid Al-Nabawi as seen from the inside out. Large umbrellas outside retract at night.

One of many minarets at Masjid Al-Nabawi. Outside, huge umbrellas provide shade for worshippers during the day.

Masjid Al-Nabawi at dusk. Notice that the large umbrellas that provide shade during the day are retracted.

LoveOn Cafe is just about the strangest name we’ve come across of any cafe. It is also likely the only Halal cafe in Australia, for now at least. Whilst the coffees in cafes around Australia are perfectly fine to drink but the food almost always is not Halal. Here’s a place where you can actually have coffee and eat the food too. Tasty, generous portions of typical cafe fare (some not so typical like the Banglar Promise – capati & dhal curry) and even better coffee. Reasonably priced too. Can’t ask for more.

By the time we finished our meal, we didn’t get to try the baked goods because we were so full. Fig and dark chocolate muffins, orange and chocolate slices, and mango and passion fruit cupcakes among others. Next time then.

We got a chance to chat with owner and passionate barista Rashed Kabir who told us that his vision was to not only dish out great coffee and food but make it accessible to everyone including Muslims who would normally not be able to enjoy cafe food. Looks like he has succeeded and we thank him for that.

Address: 39 Gladstone Road, Mile End 5031, South Australia
Phone: +61 8 8234 5395
Hours: 7am – 5:00pm daily except Tuesday

Rustic and inviting interior.

Poached eggs and smoked salmon on rye.

Chicken croissant.

Garlic & parsley chips.

Latte would have looked better if I didn’t spill it 🙂