SINGAPORE: A fatwa - or religious ruling - has been issued
by the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) against a
group known as Madrasah Faiz al-Baqarah for spreading "misleading
teachings about Islam".
Muis states in a posting on its website that the group is
a splinter of Roh Mutmainnah, another group ruled as deviant by the
Fatwa Committee in 1974 and 2001.
Muis usually issues fatwas to help Muslims in Singapore with
solutions or opinions on issues related to the Muslim
religion.
In 2007, for example, the committee issued a fatwa taking the
position that it is permissible for Muslims to be included in the
Human Organ Transplant Act.
After it had received complaints from the community about Madrasah
Faiz al-Baqarah, the committee met its leader Mr Rahman bin Kamari,
on March 11 "to verify the information received on the group, as
well as to ascertain its teachings".
The fatwa was issued against the group on May 20 after it was
found, among other things, that Mr Rahman had claimed to be a
follower of Roh Mutmainnah founder Hassan bin Jonit who died in
2004.
Mr Rahman, who is believed to be in his 50s, claimed Mr Hassan was
"the early spiritual form of the Prophet Muhammad".
Not much else is known about the activities of Madrasah Faiz
al-Baqarah, except that it has about 100 active members.
It is understood Mr Rahman conducted lectures at flats belonging to
followers.
The group created a buzz among sections of the Muslim community
when its leader claimed an earthquake would hit Singapore on Jan
29.
Mr Rahman had supposedly told his followers to leave Singapore to
save themselves.
"This belief has no basis in Islam and is blind adherence to one's
desires and personal gains," said Muis.
Still, lawyer Haji Hussien Bin Abdul Latiff, who practices Syariah
law, said it would be difficult for Muis to enforce the
fatwa.
"There are deviant groups practising in Singapore because we have
religious freedom," he said.
"Such groups can only be stopped if a law outlawing such practices
is passed."
There are no official numbers of such Islamic groups here but some,
like the Ahmaddiya sect which operates out of Taha Mosque, continue
to practice.
In its statement, Muis said it was exposing the activities of
Madrasah Faiz al-Baraqah "to protect members of the community from
being influenced and misled by their false teachings and
claims".
The topic of tackling deviant teachings will be the theme of
Friday’s sermons in mosques across Singapore.
-- CNA/vm