Between Love and Trust: The Journey of Muslim Couples in Interfaith Marriages in Singapore
Keywords:
Interfaith marriage, Sharia Law, Singapore, Muslim LawAbstract
Among Singapore’s Muslim population, marriages between individuals of different faiths have emerged as a growing social development. The prevalence of such unions has risen partly due to Singapore’s Women’s Charter, which provides legal authorization for matrimony between Muslim and non-Muslim partners—a practice that conflicts with Islamic religious teachings. Additionally, the Administration of Muslim Law Act 1966 (AMLA) contains no explicit restriction preventing Muslims from entering civil marriage contracts with spouses outside their faith. This study examines the underlying reasons for this upward trend and analyzes how Muslim legal frameworks in Singapore address these cross-faith unions. Using qualitative research methodology that combines documentary analysis with empirical fieldwork, the researchers employ descriptive techniques and thematic examination of interview data. The findings reveal that the primary driver behind rising interfaith marriages is the lack of Islamic legal prohibitions against such unions, coupled with limited consequences for those who enter them. In practice, implementing new Syariah regulations to ban interfaith marriages faces significant contextual obstacles within Singapore’s social and legal landscape. Consequently, the researchers advocate for a balanced, practical strategy that acknowledges Singapore’s diverse religious and ethnic composition, reconciles religious doctrine with existing legal structures, and emphasizes education and counseling for Muslim communities.
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