Ex-massage therapist found guilty of teaching doctrine contrary to Islamic laws 

SINGAPORE – A former massage therapist was convicted on April 4 of

one count of teaching a doctrine contrary to Islamic laws

.

Mohd Razif Radi, 67, who is not an Islamic teacher under the Asatizah Recognition Scheme, taught his followers that gambling could be made permissible and that a man and a woman could enter into a “spiritual marriage”.

The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) states on its website that gambling is prohibited in Islam.

It defines a spiritual marriage as one that occurs without several elements, such as witnesses, a formal solemnisation and dowry.

“In most cases, there are no limitations on the number of women ‘married’ to a man through such deviant spiritual marriages,” says Muis.

Razif also claimed that he could summon the spirit of “Mbah”, who was purportedly Prophet Muhammad or from the Prophet’s lineage.

On April 4, District Judge Shaiffudin Saruwan found the Singaporean guilty of a charge under the Administration of Muslim Law Act.

The judge noted that Singapore’s top Islamic leader, the Mufti, had said that the doctrine was contrary to Islamic laws.

The country’s current Mufti is Dr Nazirudin Mohd Nasir.

Judge Shaiffudin also noted that there were common threads in the testimonies of eight prosecution witnesses who testified that they attended Razif’s classes.

Among other things, they said Razif claimed that gambling and spiritual marriages could be made permissible, and that he was able to summon “Mbah”.

The judge noted that the witnesses were consistent in their testimonies.

During the trial,

a man, who cannot be named due to a gag order, told the court on June 24, 2024

that he attended two of Razif’s lessons held at another person’s home in Teck Whye in either 2004 or 2005.

Razif told the attendees that gambling proceeds from 4-D and Toto could be “cleansed” and used as capital for businesses.

The witness testified that his wife and her female cousin introduced him to Razif’s classes.

The lessons were conducted after the Muslim maghrib prayers in the evening and ended at around 11pm.

At times, Razif would get “possessed” and take on the role of “Mbah”.

The witness said Razif usually spoke with a Singaporean Malay accent but when “Mbah” purportedly took over his body, he spoke with an Indonesian accent.

On June 26, 2024, another witness, who cannot be named, told the court

that Razif believed in having 13 wives.

“He suggested that we do a (spiritual marriage) and look for ladies out there to pursue his belief to get these 13 wives,” said the witness.

He testified that he was present when Razif took a female business owner as his “wife” in a spiritual marriage.

The witness and his then wife attended the classes together from 2004 to 2007.

After that, he stopped attending while she continued. She later became cold towards him and wanted a divorce in 2008.

The divorce was finalised two years later. The man did not say if she became one of Razif’s spiritual wives, but she set up a business with the former massage therapist.

The witness told Judge Shaiffudin that the marriages of other men also ended similarly.

Razif, who took the stand in November 2024,

denied multiple allegations against him, saying that he had not conducted religious classes.

Speaking through a Malay-language interpreter, he said he met the witnesses as friends, not in classes.

Razif, who denied taking on the role of “Mbah” during such meetings, added that he never heard of “spiritual marriages” before the start of the court proceedings against him.

As for the accusations about his views on gambling, he said: “I do not do anything outside the teachings of Islam.”

His bail was set at $10,000 on April 4. His mitigation and sentencing will take place on May 26.