Dubai: This 128-year-old mosque in Al Shindagha still hosts daily prayers

Khaleej Times

26-03-2025

Nestled in a corner of the traditional Shindagha neighbourhood, there is a small mosque, named Al Shuyookh Mosque, with thatched roof and veranda. The unassuming structure has a plaque outside which commemorates its year of construction as 1897. For the last 128 years, prayers have been offered here without interruption.
'This mosque was founded by Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum bin Hasher Al Maktoum, the grandfather of our current ruler,' said Ebrahim Musaliar, who has been the imam of the mosque for over three decades now. 'It is believed to be one of the first mosques ever built in the area and to ever have the Friday congregation prayers.'
Sheikh Saeed took over the rule of Dubai in 1912 after the death of his father and ruled the territory until his death in 1958, making him the longest-serving ruler of the emirate. Since the time he assumed charge as the imam of the mosque, Ebrahim has heard numerous stories from older Emirati worshippers about the erstwhile Dubai Ruler and his commitment to his people.
'In those days, there were no pipes so people had to manually bring water to the ablution area,' he said. 'Many old-timers have told me that Sheikh Saeed used to wake up well before the morning Fajr prayers and personally draw water from the well to fill the ablution tubs so that people coming to pray would not have any difficulties. He must have been around 19 years when the mosque was built.'
Imam Ebrahim added that Sheikh Saeed had made abra services free during the Friday congregation prayers at the time. 'Since it was the only mosque in the vicinity offering Jummah prayers, a lot of people from Deira would also come here,' he said. 'To make it easy for people, Sheikh Saeed instructed that the abra journey be free for those coming to pray. So, for a few hours on Friday, anyone could cross the creek to pray and return to their workplaces without paying anything.'
A chance arrival
An Indian expat, imam Ebrahim was accompanying an entrepreneur on his way to perform the Umrah pilgrimage when he arrived in Dubai for the first time in 1990. Prior to that, he had spent years teaching youngsters about religion and giving spiritual talks in his hometown.
'When we stopped in Dubai, several of my students came to see me,' the octogenarian recalled. 'One of them said that the Awqaaf was conducting exams to recruit imams for mosques in Dubai. I was here only for a day so my student immediately called a taxi and took me to the Awqaf office where a 'mudeer' conducted an oral exam for me. He asked me to continue my journey to do Umrah and that my work visa would be sent home.'
A few months later, he arrived in Dubai to take up a job as an imam and was assigned to this historically significant mosque. In 2022, when Golden Visa was announced for mosque imams, Ebrahim was one of the first ones to get it.
'It has been a matter of great honour for me to be able to lead prayers here,' he said. 'I have had the good fortune of leading Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum as well as Saudi's King Salman in prayers at various points during my tenure.'
Even though there are over six other masjids in the area, imam Ebrahim and the Al Shuyookh Mosque play a pivotal role in the lives of community. During the month of Ramadan over 400 people join in for iftar every day here. 'Before iftar, I pray for everyone there,' he said. 'Some people come and ask me for specific duas. I include it all in my prayers. Many say that they keep coming back for the community feeling that this masjid and its iftar offers.'