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 and Islamic scholarship in the region. Madrasah Aljunied boasts an illustrious line of alumni of prominent Islamic religious leaders in Singapore and Southeast Asia.
Leadership
Principal : Mr Herman Cher Ma'in
Vice Principal : Dr. Afif Pasuni
Vice Principal (TNT & CCA) : Ustazah Harinah Abdul Latiff
Assistant Vice Principal (Curriculum) : Ustaz Abdul Mukhsien Mohd Shariff
Madrasah Aljunied is the second oldest Islamic school in Singapore after Madrasah Alsagoff. It was founded in 1927 by a philanthropist, Syed Abdul Rahman Aljunied. The school's original two-storey building stood on a 4.4-hectare (11-acre) plot of land. The new building, however, sits on a mere 0.52 hectare of land.[1]
Madrasah Aljunied's founder, Syed Abdul Rahman Aljunied, observed that Abu Bakar bin Taha was the most eligible candidate for the position of Headmaster. Abu Bakar agreed but on two conditions: that the Arabic language be used as the medium of instruction; and that its educational system and pedagogy must be modern.[2]
Abu Bakar's conditions were well-received, and he ran the Madrasah with tight discipline as Headmaster from 1927 to 1955.[3]
Through the years, Madrasah Aljunied's reputation as a premier Islamic educational institution in South East Asia was solidified.[2] An apocryphal account states that Abu Bakar even allowed a section of his house at Java Road to be used as free accommodation for his students.
Curriculum
The school employs a dual-curriculum system that balances both religious and non-religious subjects. The school's objective means that emphasis is given to Islamic subjects.[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 "O" Levels as well.[5]
The school is also an IB World School and offers the IB Diploma Program for its students.[6]
Notable alumni
Ustaz Dr. Nazirudin Mohd Nasir, current Mufti of Singapore
Ustaz Dr. Fatris Bakaram, former Mufti of Singapore
Sheikh Syed Isa Mohamed Semait, former Mufti of Singapore.
Ustaz Salim Jasman, former President of the Syariah Court.
Ustaz Abu Bakar Hashim, former President of the Syariah Court, and a key actor in negotiations with terrorists during the Laju incident in 1974.
Ustaz Syed Ahmad Syed Mohamed and Ustaz Pasuni Maulan, Registrars of Muslim Marriages.
Ustaz Ahmad Sonhaji, a prominent religious leader
Ustaz Syed Abdillah Aljufri, a prominent religious leader
