Employment of Arabs living in Singapore during British colonial rule between 1819 and 1941

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Below is a row of shop-houses in Arab Street, part of the original ethnic quarter designated for the Arabs and Muslims.

Row of shop-houses in Arab Street

What inference can be drawn about the employment of Arabs living in Singapore during British colonial rule between 1819 and 1941?

I can infer that the Arabs living in Singapore were mostly traders, as in Arab Street, part of the original ethnic quarter designated for the Arabs and Muslim peoples here then, rows of shop-houses dating back to the pre-war Singapore can be observed. As a result, it can be inferred that they lived in shop-houses. From this inference, we can also infer that they were traders by trade as shop-houses were the most common form of residence of traders with smaller enterprises and lower budgets looking for convenience when trading as their workplace would be their own doorstep.

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Excerpt from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_Singaporean#Hadhrami_migration
"The Arabs were also well known for their contribution to wakaf lands (Arab's land holdings charitable trust). The wakaf land of Syed Mohamed Alsagoff was formed in 1904 to help support efforts for orphanages, mosques and Islamic schools. Today, the Aljunied Islamic School and the Alsagoff Islamic School stand as a legacy of the contribution of the Arab community towards Islamic education in Singapore. Currently, almost the entire area Singapore central business district were once the wakaf lands which the government acquired in the 1970s with only the minimal compensation paid to the owners."( Wakafs or Waqfs are the granting or dedication of property in trust for a pious purpose)

What inference can be drawn about the employment of Arabs living in Singapore during British colonial rule between 1819 and 1941?

I can infer from the above source that the Arabs living here had engaged in property and land dealing greatly, as it is stated from the source that "almost the entire area Singapore central business district were once the wakaf lands which the government acquired in the 1970s". This shows that to a large extent this land was donated by the Arabs for religious purposes prior to the Government's acquisition of the land. This further denotes that much land was owned by the Arabs living in Singapore before they had donated it as wakaf lands for pious reasons. This leads me to the conclusion that the Arabs living in Singapore then engaged in property and land dealing as it is most likely through those means they had acquired such large property.

3
Excerpt from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_Singaporean#Hadhrami_migration
"In fact, the Arabs have not only assimilated Malay culture and values but have played an active part in the lives of the Malay community in the religious and economic areas as well as providing intellectual and social leadership. This took place even in the early years of British rule in Singapore. During this time, the Hadhrami Arabs worked in land and property dealing, batik trade, importing goods from the Arab countries and as brokers. Some of them also became teachers of the Islamic faith and organizers of the Haj."

What inference can be drawn about the employment of Arabs living in Singapore during British colonial rule between 1819 and 1941?

I can infer that the Hadhrami Arabs traded goods of opulence as they were involved in the "batik trade". Batik is a piece of cloth decorated with colourful and intricate designs often by hand and was impossible to mass produce during that time when technology was still in its infancy. As a result, they must have had been reasonably expensive and could only be afforded by people of considerable wealth.  Thus, I can infer that, since the Arabs traded batik, an expensive good, they must have traded goods of opulence.

Culture and religion of Arabs living in Singapore during British colonial rule between 1819 and 1941

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Excerpt from http://www.viator.com/Singapore-attractions/Masjid-Sultan-Mosque/d18-a8082

"The oldest mosque in Singapore, the Masjid Sultan, is located in the Malay-Muslim quarter of town. The sheen of the two distinguished golden domes that top it, as well as its colorful yet tasteful façade, has made it one of the premiere destinations for visitors of any faith."

Sultan Mosque

What inference can be drawn about the religion and culture of Arabs living in Singapore then?

I can infer that the Arabs living in Singapore then were devout Muslims, as the Sultan Mosque is said to be "located in the Malay-Muslim quarter of town." This denotes the demand of a religious building to satisfy the increasing number of Arabs, who practice Islam, living in Singapore then. This resulted in the situation of a mosque beside the place of residence for Arabs, as planned by Sir Stamford Raffles upon his recognizing of the problem. This shows that the Arabs living in Singapore then had strong religious feelings and were devout Muslims.

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Vision and mission of Madrasah Aljunied Al-islamiah, a private religious school founded by Sayyid Abdur Rahman bin Junied bin Umar bin Ali Aljunied (Descendent of Sayyid Umar bin Ali Aljunied)

What inference can be drawn about the religion and culture of Arabs living in Singapore then?

I can infer that the Arabs living in Singapore then were theological in their approach to Islam. It is stated in their vision that they aim to nurture"Generations Of Islamic Scholars & Leaders" and that the also seek to "Mould God-Fearing Scholars To Lead The Muslim community & Serve The Nation". This shows that their study on their religion was rather enlightened, depicting the theological approach being used in this school for religious education. Considering that this school was started by Sayyid Abdur Rahman bin Junied bin Umar bin Ali Aljunied, descendent of Sayyid Umar bin Ali Aljunied, one of the early prominent Arabians to have arrived in Singapore, this shows how the Arabians had appreciated theological study of their religion and utilized it greatly then.

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Excerpt from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aljunied

"Syed Omar was a philanthropist and his charitable acts included donating a large plot of land in Victoria Street for the purposes of a Muslim burial ground, the construction of a mosque in Bencoolen Street and Masjid Kampong Melaka, renamed Masjid Omar Kampong Melaka in his honour. The land where St Andrew's Cathedral stands was also donated by him. He and his family contributed largely to the setting up of the Tan Tock Seng Hospital." ( Syed Omar was a wealthy Arab merchant from Palembang)

What inference can be drawn about the religion and culture of Arabs living in Singapore then?

I can infer from the source that the Arabic community living in Singapore then was largely open minded and accepting of the diversity of religion here despite their differences. It is stated in the source that "The land where St Andrew's Cathedral stands was also donated by" Syed Omar. This shows that he did not only care and donate for his religion, but also was a philantrophist who donated land for a Cathedral to be built in Singapore as well as many other religious buldings.This shows that Arabians were widely accepting of the wide diversity of religions here and have a somewhat diversified view of cultures here.