Al Noor Mosque is the only mosque in downtown Hanoi. Viet Nam. The atmosphere of breaking the fast in this capital city of the 7th member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is almost the same as in Indonesia.
Commotion immediately broke out in a 400 square meter room when the call (azan) to Maghrib prayer echoed. Various snacks, such as dates, bananas, slices of watermelon, and fried food were served. People also have water and warm tea and milk which are served in bottles and glasses.
The ambient noise from people speaking in the gathering soon replaced by the munching and crunching sounds of people enjoying their food for iftar. Soon, dozens of people sitting cross-legged on the green carpet, and others sitting around four long tables outside the room began to converse. The languages used were diverse as they used Indonesian, Arabic, Malay, English, and the local language, Vietnamese.
That was a glimpse of iftar or breaking the fast in Al Noor Mosque in Hanoi some time ago. This is the only Islamic place of worship in the capital of Viet Nam. It is located at 12 Hang Luoc Street, Hoan Kiem District, about 1.5 kilometers from the Indonesian Embassy in Hanoi. This mosque is also 2 km from the Red River which divides Hanoi.
This white mosque was built in 1890 by immigrants from India. During Ramadan, the mosque caretakers prepare takjil (iftar snacks) for the congregation who are generally workers, students, and embassy staff from various countries, including Indonesia.
Several halal restaurants around the capital city of the 7th member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) take turns in sending iftar food to the mosque.
The mosque caretakers invite the embassies of Muslim countries in turn, such as Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Libya, United Arab Emirates, and Malaysia to provide iftar dishes during Ramadan. The Indonesian embassy is also one of the invitees.
When it was the Indonesian embassy’s turn to host the iftar, various authentic Indonesian foods were served at the mosque located amid the bustling trade center of Hanoi.
The fragrant aroma of spices from rendang (meat slow cooked in coconut milk and spices), ayam rica-rica (spicy chicken), fried calamari, and chicken satay instantly aroused the appetite. On other days, the menu may change depending on which embassy gets the opportunity to provide the iftar dishes.
The menu served at Al Noor Mosque during iftar includes biryani rice (spiced rice), fish in sweet sauce, samosa (triangular pastry with fillings), assorted curries, beef satay, and so on. These dishes are usually neatly arranged in stainless steel containers on the mosque’s outdoor terrace.
Despite coming from different nationalities, enjoying iftar at Al Noor Mosque seemed like a celebration and a rewarding to a tiring day. This is because Islam is not the majority religion in Viet Nam, a country with a population of around 100 million people.
According to BBC, the number of Muslims in Viet Nam is less than 100,000 people. It is estimated that there are no more than 400 Muslims in Hanoi, with most of them being Muslim expatriates.
Miranti Ratnasari, an Indonesian who has lived in Hanoi for 18 years, shared her experience with the challenges of fasting in the hot weather of Hanoi since Ramadan usually falls during the hot summer. She found fasting as a minority to be an interesting experience.
She was grateful for always having the opportunity to break the fast and observe Tarawih prayers at Al Noor Mosque. Miranti also stated that she always has a new friend when breaking the fast at the mosque along with the free dishes.
She said, “It has been more than 10 times that I observed Ramadan while living in Hanoi. There are always challenges when fasting here, especially if it is during the hot summer. Aside from feeling the scorching heat, we will also be dehydrating faster”.
Hera Nurlaela, another Indonesian, expressed her gratitude to the Vietnamese government for allowing Muslims in Hanoi to hold religious activities such as iftar gatherings and Tarawih prayers. She is also happy because she can always gather at Al Noor Mosque every day to worship during Ramadan, as she usually worships with her family at home on regular days.
Photo: Al Noor Mosque, Hanoi. ANTARA/Zuhdiar Laeis
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