This is what Islam looks like in Singapore:

The photo was taken by Natasha Mohamed and shared to Facebook by Shahida Mohamed on June 5, 2019 -- Hari Raya Puasa.

Overflowing with worshippers

The worshippers were lined up along Bussorah Street in the direction of Masjid Sultan, also known as Sultan Mosque.

The photo was taken from the vantage point of the mosque.

The mosque is oriented in the direction of Mecca instead of being aligned with the urban planning grid in that part of Singapore.

Located in Kampong Glam, a historic part of Singapore developed since the 19th century, this is one of the rare times an image of neatly aligned worshippers in ethnic garb packed to the edge of the road has been captured.

Despite being two storeys high and large enough to hold 5,000 people, the mosque was overflowing with worshippers.

History

The mosque serves as a reminder of the Malay royalty that was once housed in the nearby Istana Kampong Glam and the thriving Muslim communities living in the area during the British colonial period.

In the past, Sultan Mosque also served as a stopover for Muslim pilgrims from the region on their hajj pilgrimage to the Islamic holy city of Mecca.

The mosque is easily recognisable by its two large, golden ogee-shaped (onion-shaped) domes atop the eastern and western ends of the prayer hall

Encircling the base of each dome is a belt of glass bottles, which were collected and donated by the poor as their contributions to the mosque’s construction.

The sultan collected them as donations from poor Muslims.

He wanted all Muslims, not just wealthy ones, to contribute to the building of the mosque.

Owing to its historical and cultural significance, the mosque was gazetted as a national monument on March 8, 1975.

Reactions

The photo has won praise.

The worshippers prostrating in an organised fashion forming a colourful scene has been hailed as a symbol of the religion and its faithful adherents in contemporary Singapore.

This was the scene when the crowd dissipated: