SINGAPORE – A former massage therapist was sentenced to four months’ jail on July 7 on one count of teaching a doctrine contrary to Islamic laws.

District Judge Shaiffudin Saruwan had earlier convicted Mohd  Razif Radi, 67, of

the offence under the Administration of Muslim Law Act after a trial.

Stressing that Razif’s teachings were linked to sins in Islam, the judge said on July 7 that the offender had told his followers he purportedly had supernatural powers.

The judge also said that Razif’s offence involved a high degree of premeditation and had impacted multiple victims. He added that Razif’s actions had triggered unease and significant public outcry.

Razif, who had never been 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 be validly married through a “spiritual marriage”.

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

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

Muis added: “In most cases, there are no limitations on the number of women ‘married’ to a man through such deviant spiritual marriages. Such acts occur either between followers of a particular teaching or between the teacher and his students.”

Razif, who is Singaporean, had also claimed he could summon the spirit of one “Mbah”, who was purportedly Prophet Muhammad or from the Prophet’s line.

During the trial, a man, who cannot be named due to a gag order, told the court in June 2024 that he had attended two of Razif’s lessons held at another person’s home in Teck Whye in either 2004 or 2005.

The man testified that according to Razif, gambling proceeds from 4-D and Toto could be “cleansed” and used as capital for businesses.

The witness also told the court that, at times, Razif would get “possessed” and take on the role of one “Mbah”, adding: “I expected a religious class, but it became like somebody entered (Razif’s body). So, I became confused.”

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

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The witness told the court: “The women would be stunned. They cried and kissed (Razif’s) hand and were overly respectful... This is against (our religion).”

During the trial, another man, who also cannot be named due to a gag order, told the court he had found out that Razif needed 13 wives.

The former follower added: “He suggested that we do a (spiritual marriage) and look for ladies out there to pursue his belief to get these 13 wives.”

The man had also testified that he was present when Razif took a female business owner as his “wife” in one such spiritual marriage.

The man told Judge Shaiffudin that he and his then wife attended Razif’s classes together from 2004 to 2007. The woman continued to attend them after he stopped doing so. She later became cold towards him and wanted a divorce in 2008.

The divorce was finalised two years later, and their daughter was three years old at the time. The woman now has full custody of the girl, the court heard.

The man did not state if the woman became one of Razif’s spiritual wives, but she later set up a business with the former massage therapist.

The witness told Judge Shaiffudin that he later found out that the marriages of other men had also ended in a similar manner.

Razif, who took the stand in November 2024, denied multiple allegations against him, saying that he had not conducted religious classes. He had also denied taking on the role of “Mbah” during such meetings.

He said that he had never heard of “spiritual marriages” before the start of the court proceedings against him.

On July 7, Deputy Public Prosecutor Sruthi Boppana urged the court to sentence him to between five and seven months’ jail, adding that his offence had led to the breakdowns of familial relations among his followers.

She also said his offence was motivated by self interest.

Defence lawyer Simon Tan, however, pleaded for his client to be given a fine. Mr Tan told the court that Razif is in his twilight years and had stopped the classes since 2012.

The offender still has one more pending charge and the court heard on July 7 that he will not admit to it.

In 2023, he was

charged with operating a Muslim religious school that was not registered with Muis.

Razif allegedly committed the offence at an eatery called Lina’s Cafe in Jalan Pisang near Arab Street from around 2017 to around 2020. The pre-trial conference for this charge will take place in August.

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