The Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS), also known as the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (IRCS), is a statutory board of the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth of the Government of Singapore. As a

majlis ( ar, المجلس, pl. ') is an Arabic term meaning "sitting room", used to describe various types of special gatherings among common interest groups of administrative, social or religious nature in countries with linguistic or cultural conne ...

, its role is to look after the administration and interests of Singapore's Muslim community. The Majlis is headed by a

Council A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or nat ...

, in which members are appointed by the

President of Singapore The president of Singapore is the head of state of the Republic of Singapore. The role of the president is to safeguard the reserves and the integrity of the public service. The presidency is largely ceremonial, with the Cabinet led by the pri ...

. Since 2009, the council is headquartered in the Singapore Islamic Hub, along Braddell Road.

History and role

MUIS was established in 1968 when the

Administration of Muslim Law Act The ''Administration of Muslim Law Act'' is a 1966 Act of the Parliament of Singapore. According to an article published The Straits Times ''The Straits Times'' is an English-language daily broadsheet newspaper based in Singapore and curren ...

(AMLA) came into effect. The principal functions of MUIS are: * Administration of Muslim affairs e.g.

zakat Zakat ( ar, زكاة; , "that which purifies", also Zakat al-mal , "zakat on wealth", or Zakah) is a form of almsgiving, often collected by the Muslim Ummah. It is considered in Islam as a religious obligation, and by Quranic ranking, is n ...

, wakaf (endowment), pilgrimage affairs, and halal certification * Construction and administration of mosques development and management * Administration of Madrasah and Islamic education * Issuance of

fatwas A fatwā ( ; ar, فتوى; plural ''fatāwā'' ) is a legal ruling on a point of Islamic law (''sharia'') given by a qualified '' Faqih'' (Islamic jurist) in response to a question posed by a private individual, judge or government. A jurist i ...

(religious rulings) * Provision of financial relief to poor Muslims Under AMLA, MUIS is a statutory board of the Singapore Government. It comes under the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, and under the direct supervision of the Minister-In-Charge of Muslim Affairs. Its primary statutory role is to advise the

on all Islamic matters as well as the religious interests and issues faced by the Muslim Community in Singapore.

The Council of MUIS

The Council of MUIS operates as the overall decision-making body and has responsibility for the formulation of policies and operational plans. The Council comprises the President of MUIS, the Mufti of Singapore, persons recommended by the Minister-in-Charge of Muslim Affairs and other persons nominated by Muslim organisations. The President of Singapore appoints all members of the Council. Haji Mohd Alami Musa serves as President of MUIS and Mohamed Fatris bin Bakaram as the Mufti of Singapore.

Singapore Fatwa Committee

Full Members * Mufti Nazirudin Mohd Nasir, Chairman * Ustaz Ali Bin Hj Mohamed * Ustaz Mohamad Hasbi Bin Hassan * Ustaz Fathurrahman Bin Hj M Dawoed * Ustazah Rohana Binte Ithnin Associate Members * (Secretary) Ustaz Mohd Murat Bin Md Aris, Deputy Mufti * Ustaz Mohammad Hannan Bin Hassan, Deputy Mufti * Ustaz Badrul Fata Bin Muhd Ridwan, Islamic Studies Teacher, Madrasah Irsyad Zuhri * Ustaz Firdaus Yahya, Founder and Manager, Darul Huffaz Learning Centre * Ustaz Mohamed Bin Ali, Assistant Professor at Studies in Inter-Religious Relations in Plural Societies (SRP) Programme, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) * Ustaz Mohammad Rizhan Bin Leman, Lecturer, Institut Pengajian Tinggi Al-Zuhri * Ustazah Sakinah Binte Saptu, Freelance Asatizah * Ustaz Shaik Ahmad Bin Syed Buhari, Specialist, Breast Surgery and Oncoplastic Surgery * Ustaz Ahmad Haris Bin Suhaimi, Freelance Asatizah * Ustaz Irwan Hadi Bin Mohd Shuhaimy, Deputy Director, Office of Mufti * Ustaz Kamaruzaman Bin Afandi, Assistant Director, Assessment, ARS Office * Ustaz Mahmoud Mathlub Bin Sidek, Deputy Director, Office of Mufti (Asatizah Recognition) * Ustaz Mohammad Yusri Yubhi Bin Mohd Yusoff, Director, YusriYusoff Consulting * Ustaz Mohd Kamal Bin Mokhtar, Judge, Shariah Appeal Court of Singapore * Ustaz Muhammad Ma'az Bin Sallim, Executive Imam, Masjid Al-Istighfar * Ustaz Muhammad Saiful 'Adli Bin Ayob, Senior Executive, Assessment, ARS Office * Ustaz Muhammad Tarmizi Bin Abdul Wahid, Business Advisor, Ra'e Ventures Sdn Bhd * Ustazah Nadia Hanim Binte Abdul Rahman, Member of Asatizah Youth Network (AYN) * Ustazah Siti Nur 'Alaniah Binte Abdul Wahid, Founder & Director, Caliph Consultancy

Singapore Islamic Hub

The Singapore Islamic Hub is a religious campus that houses Masjid Muhajirin, Madrasah Irsyad Zuhri Al-Islamiah and the headquarters of Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (Muis). These institutions combined ( mosque, madrasa and

) create a cohesive and symbiotic whole, embodies the Islamic principles of Iman, Ilmu and Amal (''Faith, Knowledge and Deeds'') respectively.

Halal Certifications

The MUIS Halal services formally started in 1978. The increasing demand for Halal-certified products and eating establishments, as well as the need to regulate the Halal industry drove the move to set up its Halal Certification Strategic Unit. In 2009, Muis certified more than 2,600 premises and has played an important role as the custodian of Halal food assurance for Singapore’s 15% Muslim population. Furthermore, the promising Halal food industry with the availability of many Halal-certified eating establishments has helped to foster social interaction between individuals from diverse racial, cultural and religious backgrounds.

References

External links

Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura
{{Authority control Islam in Singapore Religious organisations based in Singapore Statutory boards of the Singapore Government 1968 establishments in Singapore Government agencies established in 1968