Muhammad Taha bin Fadhlullah Suhaimi

Muhammad Taha bin Fadhlullah Suhaimi (b. 27 July 1916, Singapore–d. 8 June 1999, Singapore¹) was a prominent figure in Singapore’s Muslim community, respected by many around the world as an Islamic scholar, community leader and educator. Muhammad Taha, also known by many as Ustaz Taha, left a lasting impact on the Muslim community in Singapore as he mentored thousands of students and authored numerous books and literary works that are still being used today.

Education
Ustaz Taha, whose full name is Muhammad Taha bin Muhammad Fadhlullah bin Muhammad bin Abdullah As-Suhaimi BaSyaiban Ba'Alawi², was the son of Shaykh Muhammad Fadhlallah As-Suhaimi (1886–1964), a respected Islamic scholar who was well versed in the Shari'ah³. Ustaz Taha received his early education at Raffles Institution in Singapore⁴ before pursuing further education in Islamic studies at Kulliyah Al-'Attas in Johor, Malaysia.⁵ He subsequently enrolled at Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt, where he studied for about eight years before returning to Singapore.⁶

Contributions to Education
Ustaz Taha dedicated his entire life to serving the Muslim community. Upon returning to Singapore from Cairo, Ustaz Taha was appointed to his first academic position as a lecturer at Ngee Ann College.⁷ He also played a significant role in the development of Islamic jurisprudence in Singapore as the first President of the local Shari'ah Court.⁸ In addition, Ustaz Taha was involved in drafting the scripts of religious programmes and speeches aired on local radio.⁹

Ustaz Taha’s father, Shaykh Muhammad Fadhlallah as-Suhaimi, was also an notable community leader who founded Madrasah Al-Ma'arif Al-Islamiah, an all-girls madrasah, in 1936.¹⁰ Succeeding his father, Ustaz Taha played an instrumental role in sustaining the madrasah, supporting it financially through the profits earned from his travel company.¹¹ Today, Madrasah Al-Ma'arif Al-Islamiah continues to develop young leaders who excel academically and empowers women to be confident and active in giving back to the community.

Literary Career
Ustaz Taha was an established author who wrote many books in both English and Malay.¹² His publications delve into topics such as Islamic jurisprudence and Islamic monotheism.¹³ Among his works are Ilmu Tauhid (The Science of Tawhid), MuhammadForetold in the Earlier Scriptures, Kitab Fiqh (The Book of Fiqh) and Tafsir Yasin (Commentary of the Surah Yasin).¹⁴ His writings attest to his deep-rooted love for Islamic knowledge and mastery of language.

Pencak Silat Advocate
In the 1960s, Ustaz Taha founded the Singapore Islamic and Pencak Silat Association, also known as PERIPENSIS, located near Madrasah Al-Ma'arif Al-Islamiah on Ipoh Lane.¹⁵ Ustaz Taha aimed to formalise the martial art of pencak silat Sunda, which is associated with the teachings of Al-Muhammadiyah Tariqah.¹⁶ During the 1960s, racial riots in Singapore had caused an upsurge of violence, which in turn led to an increase in the number of pencak silat students who wanted to broaden their skills and knowledge in the martial art as a means of self-defence.¹⁷

Author
Habeebullah Basha

References
1. Shadhiliyyah SG, “Ustaz Taha Suhaimi ق of Singapore (D.1999)”.
2. Singapore’s past Ulama, “Muhammad Taha bin Fadhlullah Suhaimi.” November 17, 2013
3. Bahrus Shofa, “Tuan Guru Ustaz Taha as-Suhaimi”. November 30, 2005
4. Bahrus Shofa, “Tuan Guru Ustaz Taha as-Suhaimi”. November 30, 2005
5. Shadhiliyyah SG, “Ustaz Taha Suhaimi ق of Singapore (D.1999)”.
6. Singapore’s past Ulama, “Muhammad Taha bin Fadhlullah Suhaimi.” November 17, 2013
7. Bahrus Shofa, “Tuan Guru Ustaz Taha as-Suhaimi”. November 30, 2005
8. Shadhiliyyah SG, “Ustaz Taha Suhaimi ق of Singapore (D.1999)”.
9. Singapore’s past Ulama, “Muhammad Taha bin Fadhlullah Suhaimi.” November 17, 2013
10. Muslim.SG, “3 Things You May Not Know About Madrasah Al-Ma’arif Al-Islamiyyah's Founder”. January 13, 2021
11. Singapore’s past Ulama, “Muhammad Taha bin Fadhlullah Suhaimi.” November 17, 2013
12. Shadhiliyyah SG, “Ustaz Taha Suhaimi ق of Singapore (D.1999)”.
13. Shadhiliyyah SG, “Ustaz Taha Suhaimi ق of Singapore (D.1999)”.
14. Shadhiliyyah SG, “Ustaz Taha Suhaimi ق of Singapore (D.1999)”.
15. Bahrus Shofa, “Tuan Guru Ustaz Taha as-Suhaimi”. November 30, 2005
16. Bahrus Shofa, “Tuan Guru Ustaz Taha as-Suhaimi”. November 30, 2005
17. Bahrus Shofa, “Tuan Guru Ustaz Taha as-Suhaimi”. November 30, 2005

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The information in this article is valid as of October 2025 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic. If you have any feedback on this article, please submit it here.