YONGIN, SOUTH KOREA — On Tuesday night (12/3/2024), Ustaz Ahmad Lukman Fahmi as the Dompet Dhuafa Ambassador who carried out da’wah duties in the Land of Gingseng began a series of Ramadan activities at the Al-Ikhlas Yongin Mosque. This mosque is not just an ordinary place of worship, but also a centre of social activities and togetherness for the surrounding Muslims.
Yongin itself is a city located in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Geographically, Yongin is in the central-eastern part of South Korea, about 40 kilometres south of the South Korean capital, Seoul. The region has a diverse topography, with mountains and lowlands crossing the area.
The Al-Ikhlas Yongin Mosque was originally a building prepared for an office, but was later rented by a number of Indonesian Migrant Workers (PMI) in mutual cooperation. Until then, it was converted into a place of worship. However, the mosque has received official permission from the local authorities as a Muslim centre of worship.
A number of activities will be held at Al-Ikhlas Yongin Mosque during Ramadan. Starting from breaking the fast together, cultums before Tarawih which are delivered in Arabic and Indonesian, bakda Tarawih studies which are attended specifically by Indonesian congregations, to thematic studies which are broadcast live by the official Facebook account of the Al-Ikhlas Yongin Mosque.
All of these activities were attended by worshippers from various countries. Among them are Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Egypt, and of course, Indonesia. This diversity is a strength in increasing the sense of brotherhood and solidarity among Muslims in South Korea.
‘So, the existence of this mosque is a place for friends to maintain their identity as a Muslim in a non-Muslim majority country. So that friends can still maintain their eastern identity,’ said Rusdi, one of the Syuro Council of the Al-Ikhlas Mosque.
Interestingly, the needs of the mosque, such as water, electricity, and internet costs, are borne jointly by the congregation from the collection of monthly infaq and alms. Also, from the management of the mosque cooperative. This shows their high sense of responsibility and concern for the place of worship they built.
‘We take care of all the operational needs of this mosque, Taz. We have a cooperative, an infaq box, and alms too,’ said Latif, Chairman of the DKM Al-Ikhlas Mosque, when asked about the mosque’s funding sources.
Read also: Dai Ambassador 2024’s story: Bunbury City has a perfect Ramadan worship atmosphere
It should be noted that the Al-Ikhlas Yongin Mosque was once the representative office of Dompet Dhuafa in South Korea. However, for various reasons it was finally vacuumed. Even so, the spirit of kindness and da’wah that was once instilled by Dompet Dhuafa continues to burn today.
Currently, the congregation of Al-Ikhlas Yongin Mosque is not only Indonesian citizens in Yongin, but also those from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Egypt. All of them are workers who live not far from the location of the mosque.
This shows how the mosque has become a centre of religious activities and togetherness for various Muslim communities in Yongin. This mosque is also one of the 50 or so mosques in South Korea that has a large congregation of people other than Indonesians.
Tuesday, 12 March 2024
Ahmad Lukman Fahmi, Dompet Dhuafa’s Dai Ambassador