Standing immediately beside the Prime Minister's Office Complex (Kompleks Jabatan Perdana Menteri) along the grand boulevard of Jalan Perdana Menteri in Mukim Berakas A, the strategic gateway linking Brunei International Airport with downtown Bandar Seri Begawan, Ash-Shaliheen Mosque (Malay: Masjid Ash-Shaliheen) rises like a serene oasis of Marrakech and Granada in the heart of equatorial Borneo. Whereas Brunei's two world-famous royal sanctuaries, the Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque and the Jame' Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque, captivate the eye with monumental 24-karat gold-gilded domes inspired by Mughal and Ottoman imperial traditions, Ash-Shaliheen Mosque stands apart as the only Islamic sanctuary in the Sultanate of Brunei conceived entirely in the classical Moroccan (Maghrebi) and Andalusian architectural tradition.
Completed and opened for worship in June 2012 under the direction of Professor Abdel-Wahed El-Wakil, the foremost contemporary champion of traditional Islamic architecture and laureate of the 2009 Richard H. Driehaus Prize, this intimate sanctuary accommodating approximately 1,000 worshippers enchants visitors with its warm desert-rose sandstone walls, cool turquoise-glazed ribbed dome, square Maghrebi minaret, tens of thousands of hand-cut Moroccan zellij mosaic tiles, lacy muqarnas gypsum vaults, and an open marble courtyard sheltered by motorized retractable shading umbrellas.
IThe Quranic Meaning of Ash-Shaliheen (The Righteous) and Sacred Governance Beside the Prime Minister's Office
In Arabic philology and Islamic theology, the name Masjid Ash-Shaliheen (also transliterated as As-Salihin) derives from the plural noun Al-Salihin, which translates to The Righteous, the Pious, and the Virtuous Servants of God. This profound concept appears repeatedly in the supplications (du'a) of the Prophets recorded in the Holy Qur'an. Most notably, in Surah Ash-Shu'ara (Chapter 26, verse 83), Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) prays: "Rabbi hab li hukman wa alhiqni bis-salihin" (My Lord, grant me wisdom and join me with the righteous). Similarly, in Surah Yusuf (Chapter 12, verse 101), Prophet Yusuf (Joseph) concludes his life's gratitude with the plea: "Cause me to die as a Muslim in submission to You, and join me with the righteous (As-Salihin)".
Moreover, during each of the five daily obligatory prayers (Salah), every Muslim sitting in the Tashahhud posture recites the universal salutation of peace: "Assalamu alayna wa ala ibadillahis-salihin" (Peace be upon us and upon all the righteous servants of Allah). Naming the sanctuary built immediately beside the Prime Minister's Office Complex (Kompleks Jabatan Perdana Menteri) as Ash-Shaliheen carries a deliberate moral and spiritual reminder: statecraft, executive authority, and public administration attain true legitimacy and blessing only when civil servants and leaders strive to walk among the Salihin through honesty, justice, humility, and devotion to the Almighty.
Like Brunei's grand royal sanctuaries, Ash-Shaliheen Mosque follows mainstream Sunni Islam within the Shafi'i school of jurisprudence (Madhhab Shafi'i) and Ash'ari creed. Yet while the royal state mosques impress the eye with towering golden domes and capacities of 3,000 to 5,000 worshippers, Ash-Shaliheen was conceived on a more intimate, human-scaled proportion accommodating approximately 1,000 worshippers. Its architectural atmosphere emphasizes inward serenity, filtered natural daylight, and the tactile warmth of North African and Andalusian sacred craftsmanship.
In strict observance of Islamic aniconism, the interior of the mosque contains no figurative depictions of humans or living creatures. Instead, the contemplative mind is guided toward the Divine Unity (Tawhid) through the three classical visual languages of Maghrebi and Andalusian sacred art: classical Arabic calligraphy inscribed along the friezes and arch spandrels, infinite geometric tessellations composed of hand-cut zellij ceramic tiles, and rhythmic vegetal arabesques (ataurique) carved into snow-white gypsum plaster.
Administered under the Department of Mosque Affairs of the Ministry of Religious Affairs of Brunei Darussalam, Ash-Shaliheen Mosque stands along Jalan Perdana Menteri in Mukim Berakas A, occupying a strategic gateway between Brunei International Airport to the north and the commercial and administrative districts of Gadong and downtown Bandar Seri Begawan to the south. Consequently, the mosque serves both as the daily congregational sanctuary for hundreds of civil servants working at the Prime Minister's Office Complex and as a welcoming spiritual oasis for international travelers arriving from the airport.
Visitors unfamiliar with regional styles of the Islamic world sometimes mistakenly describe Ash-Shaliheen Mosque as Turkish or Persian because of its turquoise dome. In reality, its square minaret shaft (sawma'a), pitched green-glazed roof tiles (qirmid), horseshoe and multifoil arches, zellij ceramic mosaics, and carved gebs plasterwork are unmistakable hallmarks of North African Moroccan (Maghrebi) and Spanish Andalusian architecture as interpreted by Egyptian architect Abdel-Wahed El-Wakil.
IIThe Vision of Master Architect Abdel-Wahed El-Wakil and the 2012 Meeting of Southeast Asia and the Maghreb
The creation of Ash-Shaliheen Mosque reflects a visionary initiative in early twenty-first-century Brunei to enrich the Sultanate's sacred landscape with diverse masterpieces of global Islamic heritage. Throughout the second half of the twentieth century, major mosques in Brunei predominantly blended Mughal Indian, Ottoman Turkish, and indigenous Malay architectural elements. When plans were commissioned in the late 2000s (coordinated by Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Dewa Dato Seri Setia Lim Jock Seng and senior officials within the Prime Minister's Office) to erect a new mosque adjacent to the government complex on Jalan Perdana Menteri, the commission was entrusted to the celebrated Egyptian architect Professor Abdel-Wahed El-Wakil (born August 7, 1943, in Cairo).
- 1980 and 1989Architect Abdel-Wahed El-Wakil twice receives the Aga Khan Award for ArchitectureAs the foremost disciple of legendary Egyptian architect Hassan Fathy, Abdel-Wahed El-Wakil gains global renown through more than fifteen mosques across the Middle East (including the Quba and Qiblatain Mosques in Medina) and wins two Aga Khan Awards.
- 2009Abdel-Wahed El-Wakil wins the Driehaus Prize and develops the Brunei mosque designIn 2009 El-Wakil is awarded the Richard H. Driehaus Prize (the world's highest honor for classical and traditional architecture) as design work proceeds for the Moroccan-Andalusian mosque beside the Prime Minister's Office Complex in Brunei.
- 2010 to early 2012Construction and artisanal execution by Moroccan master craftsmen (Maallems)To ensure authentic Maghrebi craftsmanship, skilled Moroccan artisans execute the hand-cut zellij mosaic dadoes, carved gebs gypsum muqarnas vaults, cedarwood screens, and motorized courtyard shading umbrellas.
- June 2012 (Syaaban 1433 AH)Inauguration of Ash-Shaliheen Mosque and first Friday congregational prayerAsh-Shaliheen Mosque officially opens its doors for 1,000 worshippers, celebrating its inaugural Friday Fardhu Jumaat prayer in June 2012 in the presence of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah.
Since its inauguration in 2012, Ash-Shaliheen Mosque has flourished as both an active center of religious instruction, hosting regular Kuliah lectures, youth Quranic study circles, and Ramadan Tarawih vigils, and an architectural landmark admired by scholars and travelers worldwide. Together with historic houses of worship of other faiths in the capital such as the Roman Catholic Pro-Cathedral Church of Our Lady of the Assumption, Bandar Seri Begawan and the overseas Chinese Teng Yun Temple, Bandar Seri Begawan a few kilometers south toward the old town center, Ash-Shaliheen illustrates the refined architectural culture and peaceful civic order of Bandar Seri Begawan.
IIIThe Turquoise Ribbed Dome, Square Maghrebi Minaret, Moroccan Zellij Tilework, and Retractable Courtyard Umbrellas
The exterior composition of Ash-Shaliheen Mosque captivates the observer through a harmonious chromatic dialogue between two primary tones: the warm desert-rose and sandstone-terracotta hue of its massive exterior walls and the brilliant turquoise-glazed ceramic sheen of its central ribbed dome and pitched roof eaves. While the warm rose-sandstone walls evoke the sun-drenched rammed-earth ramparts of Marrakech, the cool turquoise glaze symbolizes the canopy of heaven and the life-giving waters of paradise in classical Islamic aesthetics.
In sharp contrast to the slender polygonal Ottoman-inspired minarets of Jame' Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque, the minaret (Sawma'a) of Ash-Shaliheen rises on a classic square Maghrebi ground plan reminiscent of the Koutoubia Mosque in Marrakech and the Giralda in Seville. Its vertical faces are articulated with blind multifoil arches and interlaced diamond-shaped relief panels known as sebka, belted near the summit by vibrant bands of turquoise-and-white zellij tilework and crowned by a smaller square lantern topped with a ribbed dome and gilded bronze finial (jamur).
Passing through the grand horseshoe-arched portal, worshippers and guests enter an airy central courtyard (Sahn) ingeniously adapted to Borneo's equatorial sun and tropical downpours. At the center of the marble-paved courtyard murmurs an octagonal marble ablution and cooling fountain, whose gentle sound of flowing water immediately lowers the ambient temperature and quiets street noise. Surrounding the courtyard is a graceful colonnade (riwaq) of marble columns supporting horseshoe and scalloped arches. Most remarkably, the open sky above the courtyard is spanned by motorized retractable shading umbrellas inspired by the famous convertible canopy umbrellas installed at the courtyard of the Prophet's Mosque (Al-Masjid an-Nabawi) in Medina. During the heat of midday or tropical rain, the cream-white canopies unfurl into a continuous vaulted roof sheltering hundreds of congregants; in the cool of early morning or night, they fold smoothly into slender vertical columns, opening the courtyard to the breeze and starlight.
Inside the main prayer hall (Haram / Musalla), four traditional Moroccan artisanal disciplines converge in breathtaking harmony:
1. Hand-Cut Zellij Ceramic Mosaic Tilework: Along the lower wall dadoes and structural piers, Moroccan maallem tile masters assembled tens of thousands of hand-chiseled glazed terra-cotta tesserae into intricate eight-, twelve-, and sixteen-pointed star rosettes in cobalt blue, emerald green, turquoise, saffron yellow, and bone white, representing the boundless geometric order of creation.
2. Carved Gebs Gypsum Stucco and Muqarnas Vaulting: Above the tile dadoes, the arch spandrels, friezes, and the interior of the central dome burst into lace-like relief carvings in white gypsum plaster (gebs). Delicate muqarnas (honeycomb or stalactite vaults) cascade down from the dome transition zones and frame the clerestory stained-glass windows, diffusing tropical sunlight into a soft, pearlescent glow.
3. Carved Cedarwood Joinery and Mashrabiya Screens: The monumental portal doors, the stepped preacher's pulpit (Minbar), and the intricately latticed wooden screens (mashrabiya) that partition the women's prayer section are crafted from aromatic hardwood carved with geometric strapwork, ensuring visual privacy while allowing cool air to circulate freely.
4. Venetian Glass Chandeliers and the Andalusian Mihrab: Centered on the northwestern wall facing Mecca is a deeply recessed horseshoe-arched Mihrab framed by Kufic and Thuluth scriptural bands. Suspended from the apex of the dome and arches are delicate blown-glass chandeliers in the Venetian Murano style, casting a warm golden radiance across the plush turquoise prayer carpets below.
IVSacred Geomancy Beside the Seat of Government: Northwest Qibla Alignment and Five-Element Microclimate Balance
Examined through the complementary lenses of sacred geography, classical Eastern spatial geomancy, and Islamic urban planning, Ash-Shaliheen Mosque occupies a site of profound symbolic equilibrium along Jalan Perdana Menteri in Mukim Berakas A (4.9225 degrees North, 114.9481 degrees East). The terrain sits on a stable, gently elevated plateau connecting the coastal Berakas ridge and international airport in the north with the Kedayan River basin and historic palace core in the south.
Within the macro-layout of the national administrative district, the grand Prime Minister's Office Complex (Jabatan Perdana Menteri) embodies executive authority, law, and temporal governance (corresponding to active Yang energy and the Metal-Earth elements of order and stability), whereas Ash-Shaliheen Mosque standing immediately alongside it functions as the Spiritual Advisor Star (Fu Bi / Supporting Sanctuary), embodying contemplative Yin stillness, moral conscience, and spiritual purification (the Water-Wood elements of compassion and renewal). Together, the two adjacent complexes give physical form to Brunei's guiding philosophy of Melayu Islam Beraja, wherein worldly administration is constantly tempered and guided by sacred ethics.
In directional alignment, the primary liturgical axis of the prayer hall and its Mihrab niche is oriented precisely toward the Northwest (approximately 291 degrees azimuth, corresponding to the Qian / Heaven Trigram in the Eight Trigrams), pointing across the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean toward the Kaaba in Mecca. In classical cosmology, the Northwest sector (Qian) represents Heaven, the Supreme Sovereign, integrity, and unceasing creative virtue. Having the nation's highest civil servants and citizens bow toward the Northwest five times daily establishes a remarkable resonance between the Islamic Qibla orientation and the Heaven trigram of Eastern spatial wisdom.
Furthermore, Professor Abdel-Wahed El-Wakil's architectural palette achieves a masterful Five-Element microclimatic harmony: the warm terracotta-sandstone walls (Earth element) and turquoise-glazed dome paired with the central courtyard fountain (Water and Wood elements) absorb and cool the intense equatorial solar radiation (Fire element), generating a naturally serene, restorative energy field for everyone stepping across its threshold.
VDaily Liturgical Rhythm, Civil Service Friday Congregations, and the Islamic Festival Calendar
Because of its location immediately beside the Prime Minister's Office Complex, the daily liturgical rhythm of Ash-Shaliheen Mosque is uniquely vibrant throughout the working week and across the Islamic Hijri calendar.
| Time or Season | Calendar System | Sacred Rite or Festival | Liturgical Observance at Ash-Shaliheen Mosque |
|---|---|---|---|
| Five Daily Prayer Times (Fajr, Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib, Isha) | Islamic Astronomical Prayer Schedule | Obligatory Daily Salah Congregations | Civil servants from the Prime Minister's Office and Berakas residents perform Wudhu by the courtyard fountain and pray inside the Moroccan-tiled hall. |
| Every Friday Midday (12:00 PM to 2:00 PM) | Weekly Islamic Cycle | Friday Congregational Prayer (Sembahyang Fardhu Jumaat) | Both the interior hall and the umbrella-shaded central courtyard fill to their 1,000-worshipper capacity for the weekly Khutbah sermon. |
| 9th Month of the Hijri Calendar (Ramadan) | Islamic Lunar Calendar (Hijri) | Nightly Tarawih Prayers, Qiyamullail, and Tadarus Al-Qur'an | The turquoise dome and muqarnas arches glow after dusk as hundreds gather for communal Quranic recitation, Iftar dates, and nightly Tarawih prayers. |
| 1st of Syawal and 10th of Zulhijjah | Islamic Lunar Calendar (Hijri) | Hari Raya Aidilfitri and Hari Raya Aidiladha | Festive morning Takbir chants and Eid congregational prayers celebrated by families in traditional Cara Melayu and Baju Kurung attire. |
| 12th of Rabiulawal | Islamic Lunar Calendar (Hijri) | Mawlid (Maulidur Rasul) Celebrating the Birth of Prophet Muhammad | Dikir Maulud praises and religious lectures emphasizing the ethical virtues of the righteous servants of God (As-Salihin). |
During the holy month of Ramadan, Ash-Shaliheen Mosque becomes one of the most cherished sanctuaries in Bandar Seri Begawan for nightly Tarawih prayers and afternoon Tadarus Al-Qur'an recitations. Illuminated after dusk, the turquoise dome, rose-sandstone arches, and softly glowing muqarnas vaults under the open courtyard umbrellas evoke the timeless atmosphere of historic Fez and Cordoba.
VILocation And How To Get There
- Address
- Jalan Perdana Menteri, Prime Minister's Office Complex, Kampong Melabau, Bandar Seri Begawan BB3913, Brunei-Muara District, Brunei Darussalam
- Getting there
- Ash-Shaliheen Mosque stands along Jalan Perdana Menteri immediately beside the Prime Minister's Office Complex (Kompleks Jabatan Perdana Menteri) in Mukim Berakas A, approximately 4 km south of Brunei International Airport (5 to 7 minutes by car) and 5 km north of downtown Bandar Seri Begawan. Visitors can easily reach the mosque via the Dart ride-hailing app or public buses running along Jalan Perdana Menteri.
- Coordinates
- 4.9189, 114.9403
Non-Muslim visitors and architecture enthusiasts are warmly welcomed to visit Ash-Shaliheen Mosque free of charge from Saturday through Thursday outside the five daily prayer times (typically from 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM and from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM; on Fridays the mosque is closed to tourists until after the midday Jumu'ah prayer). Complimentary hooded robes (jubah) and headscarves for men and women are provided at the entrance desk by the friendly attendants. Visitors must remove shoes before stepping onto the marble courtyard floor, maintain quiet reverence, and observe the main prayer hall from the designated area.
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?Quick Questions
What does the name Ash-Shaliheen Mosque mean?
In Arabic and the Qur'an, Ash-Shaliheen (Al-Salihin) means 'The Righteous' or 'The Pious Servants of God,' serving as an ethical reminder of integrity and righteousness for both the congregation and the civil servants working at the adjacent Prime Minister's Office Complex.
Who designed Ash-Shaliheen Mosque, and what is its architectural style?
The mosque was designed by Professor Abdel-Wahed El-Wakil, the world-renowned Egyptian traditionalist architect (two-time winner of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture and 2009 laureate of the Richard H. Driehaus Prize), in the classical Moroccan (Maghrebi) and Andalusian Islamic style.
When was Ash-Shaliheen Mosque inaugurated, and how many worshippers can it hold?
Completed in mid-2012, the mosque opened for congregational worship in June 2012 (Syaaban 1433 AH) in the presence of His Majesty Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, and accommodates up to 1,000 worshippers at one time.
What is special about the interior courtyard (Sahn) of Ash-Shaliheen Mosque?
Centered around a cooling octagonal marble fountain, the courtyard is equipped with motorized retractable shading umbrellas inspired by those at the Prophet's Mosque in Medina, providing shade from the equatorial sun and rain by day while folding back at night.
How was the authentic Moroccan decoration inside the mosque created?
Skilled Moroccan master artisans (Maallems) crafted the interior's four signature decorative arts by hand: geometric zellij ceramic mosaic tilework, lacy gebs gypsum stucco and muqarnas stalactite vaults, carved cedarwood mashrabiya screens, and Venetian-style blown-glass chandeliers.
Can non-Muslim tourists visit Ash-Shaliheen Mosque?
Yes. Non-Muslim visitors are welcomed free of charge from Saturday through Thursday outside prayer hours (closed to tourists on Fridays until after midday prayers), and complimentary modest robes are provided at the entrance.