A surau is an Islamic assembly building in some regions of Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula, used for worship and religious instruction.

Generally smaller physical structures, their ritual functions are similar to those of a mosque, they admit men and women, and they are used more for religious instruction and festive prayers.

[2] In the Minangkabau society of West Sumatra, Indonesia, they are built on high posts and maintain pre-Islamic traditions of a men's house.

[3] In contemporary usage, "surau" is often used to refer to either a small mosque or a designated room in a public building (such as a shopping mall, a university, or a rest stop along a highway) for men or women to perform salah.

Smaller establishments are known as surau mangaji and mostly consist of a small room for 20 students and one teacher, who is usually also the imam and teaches Quranic recitation.