Jami Mosque' is the oldest mosque in Kampar without using nails

As the city of Serambi Mecca, Riau, Kampar Regency has many stories about Islam. One of them is the Jami' mosque.
This mosque is located on Jalan Pasar Usang, Tanjung Berulak Village, Air Tiris, Kampar District, Kampar Regency.

The jami' mosque was built in 1901 on the initiative of Engku Mudo Sangkal. He was a major scholar at that time by embracing traditional leaders or ninik mamak from 20 villages in the Kenagarian Air Tiris.

In the development of Engku Mudo Sangkal empowering the role of ninik mamak nan twelve are ninik mamak from various tribes who take care of their nephews in the village.

Together with the nephews of the ninik mamak, they worked together to build the mosque. The building consists of boards whose raw materials are sought in the forest around the location where the mosque was built.

From the recognition of local residents, from the beginning of construction to completion, none of the materials were purchased, all were obtained by the community's self-help.

What's even more interesting is that the building of this mosque also does not use nails.

The building stands firmly only by connecting the carved wooden holes, but it is no less sturdy than a building using nails.

We can prove this, after more than a hundred years, not a single plank has been removed from the building. Many interesting and special stories in the history of the development of the mosque.

As told by Amiruddin, the caretaker of the Jami Mosque, during the Dutch colonial era, the mosque was suspected by the invaders as the center for associations of freedom fighters and attempts were made to burn it by the Dutch army.

"But what happened, even though the Dutch army had poured petrol into the mosque building, not a single board was charred or engulfed in flames," said Amiruddin

In fact, it is said that this burning attempt was also carried out repeatedly and still did not work. Apart from that, it is no less interesting that when a flood occurred due to the overflow of the Kampar river, this mosque was never submerged, although other buildings around it sank due to the overflow of the flood, added Amiruddin

In addition to the two features of the mosque, the surrounding community also inherited a stone which is considered to have a miracle that can cure various diseases.

This buffalo head-shaped stone always moves by itself and is currently in a water bath, a place for ablution.
According to the local community, those who use water in which there is a buffalo head stone will be free from various kinds of diseases.

Until now the jami' mosque still functions like other mosques, used for congregational prayers, Fridays and recitation places and this historic mosque is always crowded with visitors, especially when entering the fasting month and other Islamic holidays.

Video Source: Amiruddin, Administrator of the Jami Mosque