Muslim cemeteries in Singapore have existed for as long as even before the colonial period. The only active Muslim cemeteries are the Pusara Aman and Pusara Abadi burial grounds in the larger Choa Chu Kang Cemetery. All other Muslim cemeteries in Singapore have either been closed for burials or have been demolished to make space for redevelopments in their respective areas.
The Pusara Aman cemetery was officially opened in 1974, although earlier burials had already existed at the site. [1] The cemetery is part of the larger Choa Chu Kang Cemetery and contains a mosque and funeral parlour. [2] [3] It was temporarily closed for burials in 2007, in order to continue construction works in the cemetery area. [4] Part of the cemetery was exhumed in 2020 to make way for an expansion of the nearby Tengah Air Base; at least 35,000 graves were affected. [5]
The Pusara Abadi cemetery was a burial ground formerly composed of reinterments and reburials due to other cemeteries being demolished for redevelopment works, such as the Bidadari Cemetery. [6] [7] [8] As of 2021, the cemetery is still active for burials and is considered part of the larger Pusara Aman cemetery. [9]
The cemeteries at Jalan Kubor consist of three burial grounds: an old Malay cemetery with a royal burial ground, a burial ground for commoners, and an Indian Muslim burial ground known as the Tittacheri Muslim Cemetery. [10] [11] Maps from 1829 refer to the whole cemetery as "Tombs of the Malayan Princes." [12] The first part of the cemetery containing the royal burial ground was closed in 1875, while the second part was still in use as late as the 1910s. [13] The Tittacheri Muslim Cemetery, on the other hand, was still in use during the Second World War (1940–1945) and was regularly visited along with the attached mosque, Masjid Malabar, which is now a national monument of Singapore.
Within the grounds of Masjid Hajjah Fatimah in Kampong Glam is a private cemetery belonging to the family of Hajjah Fatimah, the founder of the mosque. The cemetery was closed for burials in 1971. [14] The graves are still preserved inside the mosque compound, while Hajjah Fatimah herself as well as her grandson are buried in a locked room located directly behind the mihrab of the mosque. [15] [16]
The Makam Diraja Johor Telok Blangah is a Johorean royal cemetery containing the mausoleum of Temenggong Abdul Rahman and the graves of his relatives and descendants. The cemetery is located within the grounds of the Masjid Temenggong Daeng Ibrahim mosque. Both the mosque and cemetery are on land that is not owned by Singapore, rather by the government of Johor, hence the mosque is not under the management of the Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura.
The Marang Cemetery located in Telok Blangah was part of the now-demolished Kampung Marang village. The cemetery sits at the foot of Mount Faber opposite the Marang Trail, with at least 200 graves still preserved within the foliage. [17] [18] It is accessible from the Harbourfront MRT station.
The Keramat Bukit Kasita is a burial ground located within the Bukit Purmei estate. Out of bounds to the public, the cemetery is comprised of burials of Malay royalties such as Abdul Rahman II, the last sultan of the Riau-Lingga Sultanate who was exiled to Singapore. [19] A ruined mosque sits at the front of the cemetery near the entrance, serving as a place of refuge for the caretaker. [20]
Kubur Kassim is one of Singapore's oldest Muslim burial grounds, located in the Siglap area. Established in the 1920s, it serves as the final resting place for early Malay settlers and Sufi mystics, featuring keramat shrines alongside regular graves. The cemetery contains a small mosque, known as the Khanqah Mosque, which is still in use for religious classes. The cemetery also contains the mausoleum of the family of Hafeezudin Sirajuddin Moonshi, a philanthropist who opened the first Muslim-owned clinic.
The burial ground for the Aljunied family is located in Masjid Omar Kampong Melaka, the oldest existing mosque in Singapore. Syed Omar Ali Aljunied and his descendants are buried there, their remains having been exhumed from Jalan Kubor and transferred to the mosque in 2002. [21]
Bidadari Cemetery is a defunct cemetery which used to serve the Christian, Muslim, Hindu and Sinhalese communities, and accepted burials between 1907 and 1972. The site of Bidadari Cemetery used to be Istana Bidadari, the home of Che Puan Besar Zubaidah, who was the second wife of Sultan Abu Bakar of Johor Istana. [22]
Located along Geylang Road, a burial ground once existed within the premises of Masjid Khadijah. The graves were exhumed in 1997 and relocated to Pusara Abadi, while the mosque was extensively renovated. [23]
A small Muslim burial ground existed within Masjid Jamae in Chinatown. Located behind the mosque's main prayer hall and qibla wall, the graves surrounded the enshrined mausoleum of Muhammad Salih. This mausoleum still exists, while the graves were exhumed in the early 2000s. [24]
The Siglap Muslim Cemetery was scheduled for exhumation in 1993. However, due to public outcry and petitioning, only the tombs of Tok Lasam, the founder of Siglap, and his wife were left intact while the other graves were exhumed completely. A third grave emerged in the 2000s and was attributed to being one of Tok Lasam's lieutenants. [25] Before exhumation, the cemetery had around 4,000 graves belonging to residents of the Siglap and Bedok neighbourhoods. [13]
Ketujuh buah tanah perkuburan Islam yang terlibat dalam tindakan itu ialah: Tanah Perkuburan Sekijang Pelapah; Pasir Panjang; Kubur Wakaff Teban; Kubur Kassim (Siglap); Kubur Wakaff Siglap Darat; Kubur di Masjid Hajjah Fatimah dan Tanah Perkuburan Ulu Pandan[The seven Muslim cemeteries involved in the action are: Sekijang Pelapah Cemetery; Pasir Panjang; Teban Wakaff Cemetery; Kassim Cemetery (Siglap); Siglap Darat Wakaff Cemetery; Graves at Hajjah Fatimah Mosque and Ulu Pandan Cemetery]