Masjid Al-Hussain (Masjid Terapung

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The Al-Hussain Mosque, an impressive landmark of Kuala Perlis, is an elegant building in a resort-like setting feature of modern Islamic tropical architecture. The mosque was officiated by His Royal Highness the Raja of Perlis Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Ibni Al-Marhum Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail on 8th October 2011. Although essentially designed on the resort theme, it evolved to include modern Islamic features. The mosque is aesthetically designed to provide a sense of appreciation for nature. Selected quality materials like coral stones, broken quartz, granite, marble and pebble stones enhance the nature-friendly concept of the mosque.
The floating mosque set amid idyllic natural surroundings, extending from the Kuala Perlis shoreline is a splendid sight for visitors sailing to the coastal town from the legendary Langkawi Island as well as from the shore. Located between the town’s main jetty and a popular ikan bakar (BBQ fish) food court, the Al- Hussain Mosque is destined to be another tourism attraction in Perlis. As a place of interest for both local and foreign tourists, it helps to instil a spirit of unity and goodwill between visitors and the congregation. Thus, the role of the mosque is further enhanced as a place of worship and a centre of solidarity among the qariah and the public. The mosque can accommodate up to 1001 people in the main hall and in the adjacent multipurpose prayer hall. While the mosque is impressive from the outside, it needs to be seen from the inside to fully appreciate its beauty.
The idea to have an iconic mosque in Kuala Perlis, one of the tourism gateways to Langkawi, was mooted by His Highness Raja Muda of Perlis Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra ibni Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Jamalullail. The challenge was taken up by Tan Sri Dato’ Hj Mohd Ariffin Yusuf who was inspired to carry out a wish by his late brother to build a mosque primarily for charity and providing the services to the society. Furthermore, as a young boy, he had seen his father organize a fund-raising for the local mosque behind their house in Pulau Pinang and being directly involved in its refurbishment. His father was the perfect role model for him to pick up the trait. Tan Sri Ariffin continued with the initial allocation provided by the late Dato’ Dr Mohd Hussain Yusuf and worked together with some members of the family to further increase the fund. The project was materialized with the support of Perlis Council of Islamic Religious & Malay Customs.
Masjid Al-Hussain is the first floating mosque in the world with a hexagonal twin peak minaret, the first of its type in the world – to symbolize God’s first human creations – Adam and Eve. The twin peaks also serve as a reminder that Allah s.w.t. creates pairs among humans and place them at the highest pedestal of dignity among all of his creations. The six-sided peak represents the six Tenets of Iman (faith) in Islam: the belief in Allah, the One God, the belief in Angels, the belief in His Prophets, the belief in Hellfire and Paradise and the belief in Destiny and Fate. The minaret is 31.3 metres high, with each of the twin peak rising 7.1 metres.
Another unique feature of the minaret is the encircling coloured signal lights fixed at the octagonal base of the twin-peak, which light up instantly upon the calling for prayer (azan). For visibility purpose, the lights only denote the prayer times for Subuh (blue), Maghrib (blue) and Isya’ (green). This would alert people at sea, especially fishermen, on the prayer times.