The Muslim community in Singapore has never been monolithic; it has always been diverse in a variety of ways, be it in terms of ethnicities or religious orientations. This diversity is acknowledged in our religious sources and traditions, where it is mentioned in several instances about the plurality of society. In the Quran, Allah decrees, “Indeed, We created you from a male and a female, and made you into peoples and tribes so that you may get to know one another.” (Quran, 49:13) Through this diversity, we are able to see how these differences that exist between various segments of the community can be harnessed for collective benefit and progress. It should be realised that each segment within the Muslim community – regardless of how they are defined, be it through race, religious orientation, or occupation – has their own strengths and ways of contributing to the community. Each has their own resources to giveback to the community, be it time, energy, or material.

This diversity and the benefits that it brings can be seen from the early days of pre-modern Singapore to our present time, with Muslims from different backgrounds choosing Singapore as their home. Historically, Muslims from various regions and countries have travelled and migrated to Singapore in search of trading and commercial opportunities. During pre-modern Singapore, we saw Arab and Indian traders and merchants who settled in Singapore and subsequently established themselves as community leaders and philanthropists. These pioneers greatly contributed to the nation-building process of Singapore^[1]. These merchants, along with contributions from the local Muslim community, built mosques that are still operating until today. Masjid Hajjah Fatimah, Masjid Ba’alwie, Masjid Abdul Gafoor, Masjid Malabar, and Masjid Angullia are a few examples of their lasting contributions.

In current context, the local Muslim community has become more diverse. With the advent of modernisation and globalisation, Singapore is constantly attracting Muslims from different parts of the world to work and live here. This has led to the formation of a substantial community of Muslim expatriates in Singapore, whose presence has contributed significantly to the vibrant fabric of Singaporean society. We are fortunate to have such an array of expatriates from different regions and countries, such as Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkey, and the Middle East. These individuals contribute to various sectors within Singapore, such as tech, research, academia, medical and education. With their unique backgrounds, traditions, and perspectives, they have played a vital role in enhancing both communal and social elements in Singapore, be it culturally, religiously, or economically.

Despite the impact and influence of Muslim expatriates in Singapore, there is more that can be done to further analyse and leverage the potentialities of Muslim expats in relation to integration with the local Muslim community, as well as being a catalyst for growth and upliftment. During the 3^rd National Convention of Singapore Muslim Professionals held by AMP Singapore in 2012, the Muslim expats community in Singapore was identified as one of the focal points of discussion. This was conducted with the objective of integrating them with the local Muslim community for the purpose of achieving progress for the Muslim community in Singapore.

“Indeed, the integration of the local Muslim community and foreign Muslim communities will result in a Muslim community that is not only larger in numbers but more affluent and dynamic thus shaping positively the future landscape of the Muslim community in Singapore. The local Muslim populace could in turn harness the talent and resources of the foreign Muslim community to assist in propelling the overall community forward. In essence, the Muslim expatriate community can be the new engine of growth for the local Muslim community.” ^[2]

A panel was drawn up to conduct a study on the matter of Muslim expatriates in Singapore, which resulted in a number of proposals and recommendations. While it should be acknowledged that some time has passed since the Convention, we can find that the points raised are still relevant and should be reflected upon in current context.

An example would be the fundamental objective of the Muslim expatriates panel, which was to reflect on how foreign Muslim talent should be harnessed as a new engine of growth for a more dynamic community. While several suggestions were proposed, one that should be pondered upon is the integration of Muslim expatriates into the community and Singapore society. Such integration will lead to a more culturally vibrant community, which will lead to further benefits such as the development of social capital and networks. This should not only be perceived in an economic sense, but religious, cultural, and artistic as well. A community that is eclectic in its outlook will surely stand to benefit from the diversity that surrounds it.

In current context, there is more that can be done to develop common spaces for both local and foreign Muslims to gather and engage with one another. These spaces, which can be held both virtual and physical, should be directed towards providing opportunities for people to learn about one another’s culture, and form organic friendships and relationships. With the existence of several active social groups, such as the Singapore Bangladeshi Society, Singapore Pakistani Association, and Indonesian Muslim Association, the local Muslim community has several avenues to engage with these communities.

The potentiality of our common religious identity should also be utilised as a point for taaruf, as aforementioned in the Quranic verse, which means to know one another and benefit from our differences. While we share similar religious beliefs, we should continue striving to ensure that our religious spaces remain open and welcoming for all Muslims. In recent times, we have seen how local mosques have provided spaces for foreign Muslims to conduct their events and programmes. The local Muslim community has also made changes to accommodate non-Malay Muslim speakers with more content being in English, including our Friday sermons. Our religious spaces can build upon this culture of openness, such as by organising cultural exhibitions regarding the different communities of Muslims in Singapore. This will surely benefit our local youths through exposing them to the wider fabric of the Muslim community that extends beyond their Singapore.

While the term expats denote those of higher socio-economic status (SES), it is important for us to look towards improving integration for segments of our Muslim community who are of the lower SES, such as migrant foreign workers and domestic workers. These individuals are mostly from low-income families, striving in Singapore to earn money for their loved ones back home. Following our religious values and teachings, it is part of our Islamic faith to extend a hand to those in need. As how we would want to be assisted and welcomed when working in a foreign country far from home, that is how we should conduct ourselves.

In recent times, we have seen more efforts by local grassroots organisations in reaching out to these communities and assist them in various ways. Organisations such as Muslim Youth Forum and Al Ustaz SG have initiated various events and programmes to show appreciationnfor migrant workers. On the other hand, our mosques and religious institutions such as Muslim Converts’ Association of Singapore (Darul Arqam), have provided spaces for domestic workers to gather and attend religious classes. On social media, we see initiatives such as #SGMuslim4MigrantWorkers that mobilises the community to direct their Zakat to help migrant workers in need. Such initiatives should be applauded. Our role as the wider community is to support these organisations and their programmes to ensure that they remain sustainable.

While there is much that can be done to integrate and benefit our wider foreign Muslim community, it is important that we hold on to two important religious teachings. The first is the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) narration, “The upper hand is better than the lower one (i.e. the spending hand is better than the receiving hand)”. This can be perceived as an advocation by the Prophet (pbuh) to strive in being of benefit to others. In another narration, the Prophet (pbuh) reminds us, “None of you will have faith until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself”. This underlines the importance of empathy; what we would like and dislike for ourselves, we should apply the same to others. Only then we will be able to witness the beauty of both religion and humanity. ⬛

¹ See: Chanbasha, A. R. Indian Muslims in Singapore: History, Heritage and Contributions. Centre for Research on Islamic and Malay Affairs (RIMA), 2021; and Wahap, R. Singapore and the Arab Connection. Edited by Saat, N., Zoohri, W. H., and Rasheed, Z. A. Beyond Bicentennial. World Publishing, 2020. pp. 641-649
² See: AMP Singapore. Muslim Expatriates Paper in The Next Decade: Strengthening Our Community’s Architecture (Convention Journal). 2012. Available at: http://amp.org.sg/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/5-Muslim-Expatriates-Paper.pdf

Ahmad Ubaidillah Mohamed Khair is currently a Research Analyst at the Centre for Research on Islamic and Malay Affairs (RIMA). He holds an Islamic Jurisprudence degree from Yarmouk University, Jordan. His research interests are literature discourse and sociology of religion. He has also written for other platforms such as Muslim.sg, Wasat Online, and BeritaMediacorp.