Child-Friendly Mosque: The Ramadan Qismul Aulad Program at Masjid Al-Muktafi Billah Shah (MAMBS), Kuala Terengganu in Support of Tarawih

Abstract

This paper examines the Qismul Aulad program, implemented exclusively during Ramadan at Masjid Al-Muktafi Billah Shah (MAMBS), Kuala Terengganu, as a child-friendly mosque initiative that supports parents’ performance of tarawih. Conceived as a community practice embedded in the mosque’s Ramadan routine, Qismul Aulad functions not merely as childcare but as a ritualised pedagogy that transmits Qur’anic literacy, nurtures adab, and normalises children’s presence in sacred space while tarawih is in session. Using a qualitative approach document analysis, observations, and semi-structured interviews with mosque administrators, parents or guardians, and child participants the study finds that the program strengthens intergenerational ties, increases parental engagement with mosque life, and cultivates pro-social dispositions among children. It also helps parents maintain prayer focus through structured, supervised activities aligned with prayer cycles. The paper recommends that other mosques implement similar initiatives to realise child-friendly mosque environments that sustain youth engagement while directly supporting tarawih.