Fulfilling the Trust

50 Years of Shaping Muslim Religious Life in Singapore

Muslims constitute about half a million or 15 percent of Singapore's multiracial and multireligious population. In 1968, the Singapore Parliament passed the Administration of Muslim Law Act (AMLA), which led to the formation of Muis or the Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (Islamic Religious Council of Singapore). The formation of Muis has brought about better administration of Muslim affairs in Singapore in meeting the religious needs of the Muslim community in areas like the issuance of fatwa (religious rulings), provision of halal food, management of haj (religious pilgrimage), collection and disbursement of zakat (charity tithe), running of madrasahs (religious schools) and having access to sound Islamic education. This was achieved with Muis having earned the trust and confidence of the community and ensuring the mutual facilitation of the community's, state's and society's needs.

Fulfilling the Trust: 50 Years of Shaping Muslim Religious Life in Singapore is the first book that comprehensively studies the development of Muis' policies over the last 50 years since its founding in 1968. It offers an insight into the multi-faceted considerations and the overall context of the development of such policies, providing a wide-ranging and evaluative analyses of their evolution in the various work domains.

The book argues that in order to better appreciate Muis' policies, one has to also understand the critical junctures, socio-historical context, diverse stakeholders and decision-makers' perspectives that led Muis to respond to issues and challenges in a certain way. This book is a valuable contribution to the community's cultural and experiential heritage, providing an indispensable resource for anyone or any institution wishing to pursue a constructive role for religious communities to equally contribute towards the betterment of a thriving plural society ensconced within a secular-based polity.

Sample Chapter(s)
Foreword by Masagos Zulkifli Masagos Mohamad
Foreword by Mohammad Alami Musa
Foreword by Abdul Razak Maricar
Foreword by Dr Mohamed Fatris Bakaram
Muis at 50: A Personal Reflection by Dr Yaacob Ibrahim
Introduction: Towards a Socio-Historical Analysis of Muis Policies

Contents:

• Acronyms

• Foreword by Masagos Zulkifli Masagos Mohamad, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources and Minister-in-Charge of Muslim Affairs

• Foreword by Mohammad Alami Musa, Muis President

• Foreword by Abdul Razak Maricar, Muis Chief Executive

• Foreword by Dr Mohamed Fatris Bakaram, Mufti of Singapore

• Muis at 50: A Personal Reflection by Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Former Minister for Communications and Information, Minister-in-Charge of Muslim Affairs and Minister-in-Charge of Cyber Security

• Acknowledgements

• Note on Translation, Spelling, and Other Conventions

• Introduction: Towards a Socio-Historical Analysis of Muis Policies (Norshahril Saat)

• Part 1 Building Muis' Foundations:

  • The Institutionalisations of Islam in Singapore: The Administration of Muslim Law Act and the Birth of a 'Majlis Ugama' (Alfian Yasrif Kuchit)
  • Institution Building and Community Development: Dynamics of Muis' Dual Identity (Azree Rahim and Yazid Mohamed Ali)

• Part 2 Shaping Religious Life and Education:

  • Contextualisation and Modernisation: Islamic Thought through Fatwas in Singapore (Nazirudin Nasir)
  • Developing Asatizah in Singapore Through the Asatizah Recognition Scheme (Mohammad Hannan Hassan and Irwan Mohd Hadi Shuhaymi)
  • Madrasah Education: A Journey Towards Excellence (Farah Mahamood Aljunied and Zalman Putra Ahmad Ali)
  • Rethinking Islamic Education for the Young (Farah Mahamood Aljunied and Mohamad Khidir Abdul Rahman)

• Part 3 Managing Assets and Services:

  • Mosques in Singapore: Managing Expectations and the Future Ahead (Mohamad Helmy Mohd Isa)
  • Doing Things Differently: Zakat and Social Development in Singapore (Zulfadhli Ghazali)
  • Enhancing Community Assets: Sustaining the Wakaf Legacy (Masagoes Muhammad Isyak)
  • Haj Aspirations: A 'Hybrid' of Public and Private Models for Singapore (Abdul Rahim Saleh)
  • Managing Demand Growth for Halal Food (Dewi Hartaty Suratty)
  • Seeking the Meaning of Sacrifice: Evolution of Korban in Singapore (Sakdun Sardi)

• Part 4 Beyond the Singapore Muslim Community:

  • International Networking: Bringing the World to Muis (Asri Aziz)
  • Spirit of Blessings to All: Muis' Contribution to Social Cohesion (Zalman Putra Ahmad Ali and Zainul Abidin Ibrahim)
  • Conclusion: Diversity and Disruption: Charting New Pathways for the Future (Albakri Ahmad and Zalman Putra Ahmad Ali)

• Profile of Contributors

• Glossary

• Past & Present Images

• Index

Readership: Professionals, policymakers and researchers interested in learning about policy development regarding Islam.
Key Features:

• The book is the first to comprehensively study the developments of Muis' various policies over the years. While other books have studied and evaluated some of Muis' policies in piecemeal, this book has compiled most of Muis' work areas
• This book is written from the perspective of policymakers themselves, thus giving insight into the policy considerations and context
• This book also gives some critical perspective on past policies, and presents policy lessons for future consideration