After a two-year reconstruction, Darul Ghufran mosque in Tampines is now the largest in Singapore, with a dedicated centre for religious outreach on its premises.

The Dakwah (religious outreach) Centre is not only a place where Muslims can get guidance and advice on Islam from credible religious teachers, but it is also open to those outside the faith seeking more information about the religion.

Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Masagos Zulkifli, who attended the official reopening of the mosque yesterday, said Darul Ghufran has been innovative in creating such a centre.

Mr Masagos, who is also Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, said members of the public can visit the centre and consult religious teachers if they have misgivings or misunderstandings about Islam.

"I hope, through this interaction, that any misunderstanding can be pre-empted and that we continue to enjoy the peace and harmony that we have with each other," he said.

Masjid Darul Ghufran, which opened in 1990, was given a $25 million reconstruction and upgrade that added three floors - a basement carpark, a fourth storey and a roof terrace.

The mosque also houses two new annexes that are dedicated to office space and classrooms for Islamic education.

The mosque's prayer space can now hold 5,500 worshippers, up from 4,000 previously, making the mosque the biggest in Singapore. Assyakirin mosque in Taman Jurong is the next largest, with a capacity of 5,000.

Mr Masagos noted that the reconstruction of Darul Ghufran mosque was funded through the Mosque Building and Mendaki Fund.

"This is very special to Singapore, because we do not use funds from overseas, nor funds from the Government," he said.

"We have been very independent and that is important, because it allows us to define how we carry out our religion, through our own local asatizah, or religious scholars.

"And because of that, we have been contributing towards the harmony and togetherness that Singaporeans enjoy with each other."

The mosque was officially reopened yesterday by President Halimah Yacob, who was taken on a tour of its new features. These include the Youth Hub, where activities and study groups are held.

For 19-year-old full-time national serviceman Muhamad Hidayat Muhamad Akasah, Darul Ghufran mosque has been a big part of his life for 15 years, starting from kindergarten and moving on to enrichment classes in his primary and secondary school years.

"With the Youth Hub, we now have a dedicated space for us to hold our activities and meetings, and it is also a place to lepak (relax and hang out) and study," said Mr Muhamad Hidayat, who is also a youth volunteer at the mosque.