Madrasah Aljunied Al-Islamiah

Madrasah Aljunied al-Islamiah مدرسة الجنيد الإسلامية
Address
30 Victoria Lane Singapore 198424 198424 Singapore
Information
Type	Independent, madrasah
Motto	العلم نور   (Knowledge is Light)
Founded	1927 (1927)
Founder	Syed Abdul Rahman Aljunied
Session	Single session
Principal	Mahmoud Mathlub Bin Sidek
Gender	Coeducational (gender segregated)
Area	Bugis
Colour(s)	Navy Blue, White
Website	www.aljunied.edu.sg

Madrasah Aljunied Al-Islamiah is a full-time, private Islamic institution of learning in Singapore, one of the six such madrasahs in Singapore. Madrasah Aljunied is one of the oldest surviving madrasahs in Singapore. Through its years, it has gained eminence for its high standard of Arabic language in the region. Madrasah Aljunied boasts an illustrious line of alumni of prominent Islamic religious leaders in Singapore and Southeast Asia.

History

Madrasah Aljunied is the second oldest Islamic school in Singapore after Madrasah Alsagoff. It was founded by Syed Abdul Rahman Aljunied and built in 1927 on a Kampung Glam waqf burial land that was started by prominent Arab businessman, Syed Omar Ali Aljunied. The school's original premises consisted of a two-storey building, covering an expanse of land measuring 4.4 hectares. The new building, however, sits on a mere 0.52 hectare of land.^[1]

The first batch of students numbered only ten and were strictly boys. The intake soon began to show students from across the Malay archipelago, later divided into the countries Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei. In 1936, it began a post-study course to groom religious leaders, an early sign of what is to be the school's mission, the nurturing of Muslim leaders and teachers. The course, qismut-takhassus fil wa`dzi wal irshaad (قسم التخصص في الوعظ والإرشاد), was conducted by Assyeikh Abdurrahim Ibrahim Assamnudi from Egypt. In 1938, the madrasah started afternoon religious classes to cater to students attending government schools in the morning. Just before the war, in 1941, the school had its first rebuilding project to add more classrooms.^[2]

In 1991, a school redevelopment committee was formed to plan a modern building on the site of the old school. Funds were then collected from the Muslim community and non-Muslim well-wishers for the project. The 70-year-old building was closed on August 1996. While waiting for their new school to be built on the same site, the teachers and students occupied the building of the former Language Centre of the Ministry of Education at Winstedt Road.

In the year 2000, Madrasah Aljunied celebrated its 73rd anniversary with a new building built at a cost of S$12 million. The new building is located at the original school site in Victoria Lane.^[3]

Curriculum

The curricula of the madrasah is extensively geared towards Islamic subjects, while roughly a third is allocated for secular subjects. This emphasis on religious disciplines is unlike the practice of other madrasahs, such as Madrasah al-Maarif which puts equal emphasis on both religious and secular subjects. The rationale is Aljunied's dedication to churn outstanding Muslim scholars whose knowledge of Islam is par excellence. It bodes well also for students who qualify to extend their studies to world-renowned Islamic institutions, like the Al-Azhar University in Egypt and others in Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Jordan, admission to which requires at least fluent Arabic.^[4]

Secular subjects are largely taught as part of the local curriculum and gain MOE-recognised qualifications. Students are either in the four-year "Express" stream and take the "O" Levels at Secondary 4 or in the five-year "Normal" (Academic) stream and take the "N" Levels.^[5]

Notable alumni

The contribution of Madrasah Aljunied towards producing Muslim leaders is testified by its long and illustrious line of prominent old boys. Graduates of the school who played key roles in the Muslim affairs in Singapore include: the Muftis of Singapore, Ustaz Fatris Bakaram and Ustaz Syed Isa Mohamed Semait; presidents of the Syariah Court, Ustaz Salim Jasman and his predecessor Ustaz Abu Bakar Hashim; Registrars of Muslim Marriages, Ustaz Syed Ahmad Syed Mohamed and Ustaz Pasuni Maulan; prominent religious leaders including Ustaz Ahmad Sonhaji and Ustaz Syed Abdillah Aljufri. The school is also responsible for grooming Muslim leaders in other Southeast Asian countries, including several Grand Muftis and Brunei's Minister of Religious Affairs, Pehin Dato Seri Utama Dr Haji Mohamad Zain Haji Serudin.^[6]

References