Administration of Muslim Law Act

(CHAPTER 3)

(Original Enactment: Act 27 of 1966)

REVISED EDITION 1985

(30th March 1987)

An Act relating to Muslims and to make provision for regulating Muslim religious affairs and to constitute a council to advise on matters relating to the Muslim religion in Singapore.

[1st July 1968]

PART I

PRELIMINARY

Short title and commencement

1. This Act may be cited as the Administration of Muslim Law Act and shall come into operation on such date as the President of Singapore may, by notification in the Gazette, appoint:

Provided that the President of Singapore may from time to time, by notification in the Gazette, appoint different dates for the coming into operation of different provisions or Parts of this Act.^*

^*The Act, with the exception of sections 87 and 88, came into operation on 1st July 1968. See G.N. S 166/68.

Interpretation

2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires —

“Appeal Board” means an Appeal Board constituted under section 55;

“court” means a court of competent jurisdiction, other than the Syariah Court;

“daerah masjid” means the area prescribed by the Majlis in accordance with section 83 within which a mosque is situated;

“emas kahwin” means the obligatory marriage-payment due under the Muslim law by the husband to the wife at the time the marriage is solemnized, whether paid in cash or in kind, or payable as a debt with or without security;

“fitrah” means the amount of rice or its equivalent value in money payable under the Muslim law annually by a Muslim during the month of Ramadan to be used for religious or charitable purposes recognised by the Muslim law;

“Fund” means the General Endowment Fund established under section 57;

“General Register” means a General Register of marriages, divorces or revocations of divorce kept by the Registrar under section 100;

“idah” means the period within which a divorced woman or a widow is forbidden by the Muslim law to remarry;

“janda” means a female who has been married and whose marriage has been terminated by divorce or the death of her husband;

“jawatankuasa daerah” means a committee of a daerah masjid appointed under rules made under section 86(1);

“Kadi” means a Kadi appointed under section 91;

“Legal Committee” means the Legal Committee of the Majlis appointed under section 31;

“Majlis” means the Majlis Ugama Islam, Singapura, constituted under section 3;

“mosque” means a building dedicated and used for the purpose of holding the Friday congregational prayers and other ceremonies connected with the Muslim religion;

“Mosque Building and Mendaki Fund” means the Mosque Building and Mendaki Fund established under section 76;

“Mufti” means the person appointed to be the Mufti of Singapore under section 30;

“Muslim” means a person who professes the religion of Islam;

“mutawalli” means a person appointed to manage a wakaf or mosque and includes a trustee;

“Naib Kadi” means a Naib or Assistant Kadi appointed under section 91;

“nazar” means an expressed vow to do any act or to dedicate property for any purpose allowed by the Muslim law;

“nazar am” means a nazar intended wholly or in part for the benefit of the Muslim community generally or part thereof, as opposed to an individual or individuals;

“pegawai masjid” means a trustee, mutawalli, Imam, Khatib, Bilal and Noja, if any, for the time being of a mosque;

“President” means the President of Majlis;

“Registrar” means the person appointed as Registrar of Muslim Marriages under section 90;

“wakaf ’am” means a dedication in perpetuity of the capital and income of property for religious or charitable purposes recognised by the Muslim law and the property so dedicated;

“wakaf khas” means a dedication in perpetuity of the capital of property for religious or charitable purposes recognised by the Muslim law, the income of the property being paid to persons or for purposes specified in the wakaf, and the property so dedicated;

“wali” means the lawful guardian according to the Muslim law for purposes of marriage of a woman who is to be married;

“Yayasan Mendaki” means body known as Yayasan Mendaki registered under the Societies Act [Cap. 311];

“zakat” means the charitable contribution required to be made by a Muslim in accordance with the Muslim law

[34/73; 31/75; 31/84]

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