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

1

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.

2

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.

3

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.