Islam in Singapore | Of Beliefs & Faiths - video Dailymotion

AsiaOne

Our host Edward returns - this time into the world of Islam during the holy month of Ramadan. He is introduced to Masjid Hajjah Fatimah and spends a day learning about their practices, and experiencing his first Iftar.  Watch more: https://www.asiaone.com/video

Transcript

00:00We are exploring the rich spectrum of beliefs that shape our cultural landscape.

00:06From ancient practices to contemporary expressions of faith,

00:10delve into the vibrant tapestry of rituals, customs and spiritual narratives flourishing in Singapore.

00:21The holy month of Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar.

00:27You might know Ramadan as the month where Muslims all over the world fast from dawn to sunset.

00:34But I know that there is more to Ramadan than abstinence from food and water,

00:39so I'm here to personally find out more.

00:42Hi!

00:43Hello!

00:44I'm Edward.

00:45I'm Abdullah. Welcome to Masjid Haji Fatima.

00:47Thank you very much. Thanks for taking the time to show us around the place.

00:50What is your role here?

00:51I'm a mosque officer. I'm in charge of HR and Finance for the operations of this mosque.

00:56And I'm happy to tell you that I'm working at the mosque that belongs to the great-grandmother of four great-grandparents of mine.

01:04So you're actually descended from Haji Fatima herself?

01:07Yes.

01:08Alright. We'd definitely love to ask you more about that and also about Islam

01:11because many of our viewers, like myself, are new to Islam and would like to know more about Islam.

01:16So we need to trouble you for that.

01:18No worries. Let's go.

01:19Okay.

01:21This mosque has been around for almost two centuries.

01:25Almost, yes. Since 1846.

01:27And so when it was built, and there is a bit of history behind this,

01:31I heard that Haji Fatima decided to build this because of something that happened to her.

01:35Oh yes.

01:36She felt very thankful because there were two arson and two robbery cases that happened to her

01:41and she didn't suffer and she was not affected.

01:45No one was harmed and she felt very grateful for that.

01:49So she decided to build a mosque.

01:51So speaking of which, I'd like to ask you about the practice of Islam.

01:55We're right outside the main prayer hall.

01:58Can you tell us a bit about how Muslims practice their faith?

02:04Right in front there, you see that curve? That's the mihrab.

02:08So that is the point where the imam would stand.

02:13So where the imam stands, the congregants pray behind him.

02:16So we are definitely praying in the qibla, the direction towards Ka'bah.

02:21And Ka'bah is in Mecca, where you know the black boxes.

02:24Ah, I see.

02:25So why do Muslims pray towards Mecca?

02:29It is just a point for unity, for all Muslims of different parts of the world

02:34to go and face one direction when we pray.

02:37Otherwise, you have people pray in different directions

02:39and it's like, where is your, you know, you're not uniform.

02:43I know very little about it.

02:45What actually is Islam?

02:48The word Islam, it comes from the Arabic spelling of three main consonants,

02:54sin, lam and mim.

02:56And sin, lam, mim is also the consonant combination to form the word salam.

03:01Let's salam, we shake hands.

03:02Ah, I see.

03:03So it's like we are making peace with one another.

03:05So peace be upon you, which is like a familiar phrase that you hear.

03:08So Islam, having the same root form with the word salam,

03:12it also means a religion of peace.

03:14So how do Muslims practice the Islamic faith?

03:19What are the fundamentals of Islam?

03:21First and foremost, we need to know that there are five pillars in Islam.

03:24So the first pillar is to take the oath in creed,

03:27to state that you accept that the God is almighty.

03:30There's one true God.

03:32And the last prophet, Prophet Muhammad is his messenger.

03:36Second pillar is we have to pray five times a day.

03:39Third pillar is we need to do our fast in the month of Ramadan,

03:43which is now actually.

03:45And the fourth is to pay alms.

03:47It's what we call zakat.

03:49And the fifth one is to perform your hajj if it's within your means.

03:53And we are in the month of Ramadan.

03:55Yes.

03:56Can you tell us about that?

03:57When we are fasting, it's not purely no drinking, no eating.

04:01It's more than that.

04:02It's about more than abstinence.

04:04It's also about reflection.

04:05It's about appreciation of what you have versus what you don't.

04:10And later on, you'll be giving out some food and alms

04:15and goodie bags to some of the people in this area, right?

04:19Correct.

04:20Could I help out with that?

04:21Most definitely. That's why you're here.

04:23Okay, let's get some work done.

04:25All right, let's go.

04:26Besides giving back to their community,

04:29Muslims believe that giving to others purifies their own wealth

04:34and is a reminder that everything they have is from God.

04:40Zakat is a form of worship.

04:44All right.

04:47So, we have about 120 bags to pack.

04:49So, start.

04:50Okay.

04:59Three down, 117 to go.

05:01Okay.

05:04So, notice I'm the one packing all the rose syrup in.

05:09What's in the bag?

05:10There's also cooking oil.

05:12There's soy sauce.

05:14There's chilli sauce.

05:16There's tomato sauce, ketchup.

05:19There's sugar and salt.

05:21And also some condensed milk.

05:25And it could really last you quite a while

05:29even if you have a few people in your family.

05:32Abdullah, we've got all these items here.

05:34How do you decide who it goes to and how do you choose which items?

05:37We collaborate with this group called WEMA,

05:39United Indian Muslim Association.

05:41Most of the members live in this area and so they know the locals

05:45and they go house to house and see their SES level.

05:49And the choice of items are the things that we take to give them

05:52can be stored for a long time with or without refrigerator

05:55because some of them may not own these.

06:01So, that's the call to prayer.

06:03All right, let's head on down and...

06:05OK, ready?

06:10So, I can't be inside the main prayer hall,

06:13but I can observe from the outside.

06:27There is something to be said about solidarity in the Islamic faith.

06:32Right now, Muslims all over the island in mosques

06:37are facing the same direction and praying together.

06:48Abdullah, we're in the family cemetery.

06:51Family plot, yes.

06:52It's on the premises of the mosque.

06:54Correct.

06:55Can you tell us a bit about this place?

06:57These are all the descendants of Hajar Fatima.

07:00Because this was her piece of land, private burial was allowed.

07:04So, these people were buried up to the year 1973.

07:09So, when I go to work, basically, I do meet my family.

07:12It's a come-meet-the-family day every day for me, yes.

07:15I have a trick question for you.

07:17Not looking at the names here,

07:19how can you tell if the grave belongs to a male or a female?

07:27Correct.

07:28Correct.

07:29So, which is which?

07:31Oh, this is going to be a tough one.

07:35Okay, this is just a guess.

07:36Definitely.

07:37The ones with the domes are male?

07:39Okay.

07:40And then?

07:41The ones with the more, the sort of triple-rounded?

07:46You're right, but the distinctive feature of a female tombstone

07:50is that they have two flat sides.

07:52I see.

07:53That's a very clear distinction.

07:55For the male, it's very curvaceous.

07:57And at this point, I tell my visitors,

07:59don't ask why.

08:01So, this is where Haji Fakimah is buried.

08:05Okay?

08:06And this is her daughter from another husband.

08:09This was built especially for her by her descendants

08:13because sometimes the visitors would like to come and sit long

08:16at this area just to do prayers here.

08:18Not like the prayers that you see outside,

08:20but it's a different prayer for the ones who have passed on.

08:24It's time to give out the goodie bags that we packed earlier.

08:28And Abdullah is really putting me to work here.

08:32So, each of the beneficiaries will actually get one bag of rice

08:36and they also get two other bags.

08:38One is a black tote bag with all the goodies,

08:43the snacks and the sweets.

08:45And also that red bag we were packing earlier

08:47with the sugar, the salt, the cooking oil, soy sauce

08:52and of course, the condensed milk and the rose syrup

08:54because it is not Hari Raya without bandung.

08:58Look, we've made it here.

09:00It was a longer journey than I expected.

09:02It's 180 kilos of rice.

09:04This is the evidence of the work that I've done.

09:06Look, I'm not fasting, okay?

09:08And already like that.

09:09I don't know how the volunteers do it when they're fasting.

09:13It's really amazing.

09:14Really hats off to all of them.

09:16And yeah, this is actually quite satisfying to do.

09:19So, thanks Abdullah.

09:23I'm fasting.

09:27I'm not joking.

09:28This is really, really tiring work.

09:32Each of these care packages are delivered by hand to the residents.

09:41You can see that there's decorations here in the corridor.

09:43It's really nice and music too.

09:45So yeah, if you can hear it, it's quite festive.

09:53It's so delicious.

09:56Peace be upon you.

09:59It's so delicious.

10:06I am totally wiped out.

10:08It has been an exhausting day for me

10:11and I can't even imagine what it must be like

10:14for the volunteers who are fasting.

10:17But it is Ramadan,

10:19which means that we have to get back on our feet

10:22before the sun begins to set.

10:25Every day during the fasting month,

10:27Masjid Haja Fatima gives out food to anyone

10:31who is looking for a meal.

10:33So, it's about 6.40pm now.

10:35People are preparing to break fast.

10:37They're coming to collect the food.

10:39Correct.

10:40So, there's a food collection station.

10:42Then there's a teh tarik and the bandung section station.

10:45So, once you get your food,

10:46you find your place sitting along the corridor there

10:49and you eat with your fellow friends.

10:51So, you can either sit on the floor

10:52or the elderly might take a table.

10:54For those who cannot sit on the floor,

10:56they will have a chair there ready for them to sit.

10:58Some Muslims may also choose to break their fast

11:02at the mosque itself.

11:04And I too am very excited

11:07to experience my first iftar in a mosque.

11:11So, we're going to find a spot on the ground now,

11:14just outside the prayer hall.

11:17Because we're able-bodied, so we can sit on the floor.

11:20Okay, so where should we go?

11:22I'm going to follow Abdullah.

11:23Here is okay, I think.

11:25Just this corner.

11:28So, this is rice.

11:31Wrong item.

11:32White rice with chicken curry.

11:34It's good stuff.

11:35Right before Maghrib,

11:37which is the call to prayer for breaking fast,

11:40there is some extra food to give out.

11:43Some of these are provided by the mosque

11:46and some are donated.

11:48So, the sun is setting.

11:49We're about 15 minutes away from breaking fast together.

11:52It's my first time breaking fast at a mosque.

11:55So, really excited.

11:56You can see everyone is here already.

11:57We're all getting ready.

12:14This is a very special moment for me.

12:18After a particularly hot and tiring day,

12:21watching everyone break their fast together

12:24and being able to join in,

12:27I'm truly thankful to be here.

12:49You don't know what you're missing out on.

12:52It's really amazing what a little bit of spice can do for you guys.

12:59And the papadum is unexpected,

13:04but this is a perfect mix of flavours.

13:10So, I have to say that was a really fulfilling day

13:12to be able to help out at the Haja Fatima Mosque.

13:15The manual labour, I have to say,

13:17actually wasn't that tough for me.

13:19But for everyone else,

13:20all the other volunteers were fasting.

13:22They're amazing!

13:23And then I got to learn about the history of the place

13:25from Abdullah, whose ancestors actually founded this mosque,

13:29and to see the charity work they do.

13:32And then also, to meet the people here,

13:34to be able to break fast with them,

13:35that was something really special.

13:37And maybe one day, that's something you'd like to do.

13:40So share that experience with your Muslim friends.

Islam in Singapore | Of Beliefs & Faiths

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