ABIDIN MOSQUE CHILDREN CENTRE ALLOWS PARENT CONGREGANTS TO FOCUS ON TARAWIH PRAYERS

KUALA TERENGGANU, March 15 (Bernama) -- A transit centre that houses children aged three to seven years at the Terengganu state mosque, Abidin Mosque, here is giving space for parents to perform the tarawih prayer with more devotion.

Abidin Mosque chief executive Wan Mohd Hazim Wan Mohd Hashim said the Raudah Aulad Centre or Children's Play Room, which has been open since the first night of Ramadan, has also received a positive response from worshippers because it allows them to pray without any interruption.

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"The purpose of opening this centre is to accommodate all parties, including parents and worshippers. It has been open since 2017 following the mosque's study after receiving feedback from worshippers who were distracted by cries or noise of children playing.

"Besides, the noise can also affect the imam, for example, in memorising the surahs being read. On that basis, we are trying our best by taking this initiative for the good of all parties," he told Bernama recently.

Wan Mohd Hazim said the centre was also the result of the mosque's concern over the worries of parents who, according to him, had searched on Facebook for mosques that provide childcare services to enable them to focus on their prayers.

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"They know when their children cry or run around in the mosque, it can be disruptive but at the same time they want to concentrate on tarawih prayers at the mosque. So, this is the result," he said.

Every night, an average of 20 children are free to play with various interesting activities at the centre, which is at the Abidin Mosque Library, under the care of three female assistants selected by the management.

It will be open from 8 pm until the end of 20 rakaats of tarawih, which is around 10.30 pm.

Abidin Mosque also said it did not make it mandatory for parents to leave their children there, but rather encourages worshippers with small kids to do so for the common good.

"There are those who are still reluctant to place their children there... I understand it may be due to various reasons, especially issues on the safety of children in the care centre at the moment.

"However, if you look at the children who came, even on the first day, some may cry, but the next day, Alhamdulillah, they were okay after getting to know their friends and guardians," he said, adding that the safety aspect is always a priority.

He also believed that there was no issue of children being prohibited from going to the mosque with the existence of the centre because he said that this group was only encouraged to go to the mosque when they were able to learn or receive information and knew how to take care of themselves or those attaining mumayyiz (a religous status for minors).

-- BERNAMA