Universal Acquaintance: Towards a Contemporary View of Mosque Architecture

The publication critically discusses the idea of the future mosque. This book’s chosen title, Universal Acquaintance is drawn from a Qur’anic verse that reveals Divine knowledge and wisdom that resonates with humanistic philosophies. Taking ‘universal acquaintance’ as its starting point, this book aims to ameliorate misconceptions of a narrow image of Islam and its mosques being exclusively for Muslims. In doing so, it endeavours to shed light on the true universal message of Islam. Not only does this concept of Universal Acquaintance have an epistemological dimension pertaining to how people become acquainted and come to know the ‘Other’, but knowing the “Other” also entails coming to know oneself. As the Prophet Muhammad said, “He who knows himself knows His Lord” – that is truly the highest form of knowledge.