Stepping inside SimplyIslam, one of the foremost institutions of Islamic education in Singapore, one does not sense much difference from other similar organizations around the world. Rather, the building is thriving with a story that focuses instead on essence and ambiance. The green walls narrate the memories of musk and incense that continue to dance around the ether during every lecture and event. And it is the types of events that unveil the vale of openness beyond which resides Simply Islam, and Islam in Singapore generally.
As a guest speaker during my official tour to the city-state in December 2023, I was able to teach Ibn ʿArabi, play the Oud and speak about the spiritual dimensions of the creative process alongside renowned Singaporean guitarist Art Fazil, as well as expound upon the metaphysical dimensions of Jesus Christ and his mother Mary peace be upon them, as well as journey into the lofty status of ahl al-bayt (prophetic household), all in the span of a few days.
There was never a moment during this sojourn when I faced criticism from the attendees, many of whom attended every single event. Rather, what I noticed was something a bit more subtle than mere outward acceptance of metaphysical discourses or music: Muslims in Singapore are comfortable with Islam (capital I) because they are so with their own islam (small letter i). What I mean is that, as a people, Muslims in Singapore embrace their identities, not only as Muslims, but as first and foremost Singaporeans.
One of the egregious misunderstandings that Muslims from central Islamdom (Middle East) have of the Malay Archipelago is that it lies on the periphery of the heart of Islam. Unfortunately, this is an air of arrogance that is prevalent even among many Western Muslims who unconsciously espouse a particular type of ‘American Exceptionalism’ as they judge the practices and directions of Muslims in Singapore, Malaysia or Indonesia. This I experienced firsthand when I shared a picture of one of the most celebrated mosques in Singapore, Masjid Ba ʿAlawi, and the banner decorating its entrance: “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year”.
It was not just Western Muslims, but particularly some converts who chose to rely on their mere decades of Islamic practice to judge centuries-long indigenous spirit of Islam in places like Singapore. To Singaporean Muslims – and any outsider who is able to listen with an udhun wāʿiya (attentive ear) – Islam in Singapore is not in the periphery, but of the heart of the land and preferred through Divine Grace, for centuries. In reality, it is this thoroughly and intimately interweaved Islam within the fabric of Singapore’s society that has much to teach Muslims in the West about harmonious coexistence with one’s own culture and society.
This harmony is what contemporary philosopher Charles Taylor calls the ‘social imaginary’, which he describes as “the ways people imagine social existence, how they fit together with others, how things go on between them and their fellows, the expectations that are normally met, and the deeper normative notions and images that underlie these expectations.” Moreover, “this is often not expressed in theoretical terms, but is carried in images, stories, and legends.” It is “that common understanding that makes possible common practices and a widely shared sense of legitimacy” (pg. 23).
Singapore itself, as government and people, has described its social imaginary as ‘social cohesion’, which professor of economics Danny Quah defines as ‘an enduring sense of trust and community’. It is these stories that, for instance, harmonize between the shrine of the patron Muslim saint of Singapore, Habib Noh al-Habsyi, who resides across one of the oldest Chinese temples in the city-state, Fook Tet Soo Khek. More importantly, this neighborly sentiment originated during Habib Noh’s own lifetime, for he regularly attended Chinese opera proclaiming: “I do not understand the language but receive spiritual insights from the performance.”
Returning to SimplyIslam, the two weeks I spent with my dear hosts, sidi Mohammad Nassir and ustadh Mohammed Salleh revitalized and recalibrated my faith in Islamic education, a craft I had all but abandoned in the United States. Witnessing the comfort with which my gracious hosts played the Oud, listened to playlists that brought together REM and Sufi music or anticipated attending concerts by Coldplay who was performing in Singapore all laid out before me a vision I had during my 20 years career as a religious teacher and researcher in America.
It is a project that I – unfortunately – could not see into matriculation. The reasons for this abound, but I have come to terms with the fact that my own upbringing in secular Muslim countries in the Middle East diverges with what journalist and political scientist Olivier Roy has described as the ‘cultural disembeddedness’ of Muslims in the West. And it is truly a wonder to witness Singaporean Muslims more at ease with Western culture than Muslims in America.
But to clarify, this is not a matter of liking Coldplay, REM or Western culture. Rather, this is about being comfortable in one’s own history and story. It is because the cadre at SimplyIslam is embracing of Habib Noh and the cohesive social fabric of Singapore that it manifests in the discourses and tapestry of religious education within the walls of their institution. The contemporary Sufi master who inspired the institution, Shaykh Hisham Kabbani, explains that when God created the continents, he ordered an angel to place a special maʿrifa (gnosis) unique to the people in each land so that they may come to know Him.
This teaching by Shaykh Hisham finds a thriving embodiment in SimplyIslam, in the lectures and textures, in the aroma of musk and coffee and the memories that perform Islamic spirituality in a unique language, culture and ethnic dress. This is perhaps why the prophet Muhammad ﷺ instructed his community to “seek knowledge even in China”, setting the frontier towards the far east where a particular amalgam of harmonious spirituality will manifest in due time.
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