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Keramat Habib Noh

Keramat Habib Noh, located at 37 Palmer Road, is the largest and most highly regarded Muslim place of worship in Singapore with pilgrims visiting it from as far as China.

History
Habib Noh bin Muhamad Al-Habshi was a highly regarded mystic. His coffin was said to have become immovable as it was being lifted for the journey to the Bidadari Muslim cemetery (the traditional Muslim burial place). It was only upon recalling that Habib Noh had wished to be buried at the peak of Mount Palmer that the coffin was movable again. Habib Noh had often spent time meditating on this hill. Folklore has it that a Parsi owned Mount Palmer and was reluctant to have a tomb on it.  He thus demanded an exorbitant fee for allowing Habib Nohs maqam (tomb) on the hill. The money was raised almost miraculously, but the Parsi was struck dead in three days. As more family members of the Parsi became similarly afflicted, the family decided to return the money to Habib Noh's family and thus ended their tragic losses. 

Haji Mohammad Salleh, a merchant from Batavia and a good friend of Habib Noh, had wanted to build a surau (a Muslim prayer hall) for Habib Noh. Unfortunately, Habib Noh passed away before it was completed. Old maps showed that the surau was located near Mount Palmer and the Parsee Lodge even before 1861. The surau was finally finished, built facing the maqam  of Habib Noh.

The maqam sits on top of a flight of 49 steps. The long flight of steps is protected by yellow and green railings on both sides, and lined with potted plants. Yellow is the colour of holiness and green that of paradise. The steps lead to a building that houses the maqam of Habib Noh. The entrance of the building is adorned with yellow curtains and green tie-backs. It leads into an inner room where the maqam lay. 

The maqam is elaborately framed with yellow curtains hanging from a four-post frame, and the tombstones are also wrapped with yellow cloth. A chandelier hangs over the tomb. Lining the perimeters of the tomb on the floor are bottles of drinking water placed by visitors who hope to have them blessed by the soul of Habib Noh. 

The tomb of Sayid Abdur Rahman bin Salim AlHabshyi, a cousin of Habib Noh's, rests behind the maqam. Abdur Rahman was Singapore's first Qadhi and died in 1867. From his tomb, one could previously see the tomb of Sayid Abdur Rahman As-Saqaf sited on a hilltop at Kusu Island. 

The maqam receives visitors and supplicators who offer trays of food such as pulut kuning (glutinouse yellow rice), bryani rice, eggs or bananas. The caretaker (khadam) receives cash donations that, along with the food, are duly given to the needy, particularly children. The caretaker also prays for the safety of visitors. The first caretaker was Habib Abu Bakar As-Saqaf (1866-1874), followed by Habib Husayn bin Abu Bakar As-Saqaf (1874-1907), Sheykh Muhmad bin Ahmad Bil Khair (1907-1963) and lastly Sheykh Hasan bin Abdullah AlKhatib (1962-)

Developments
Originally built at the foot of Mount Palmer, the tomb of Habib Noh was refurbished in 1890 by Syed Mohamad bin Ahmad Alsagoff (Nongchik). The steps and the structure however were constructed from donations. The tomb originally had 52 steps, but two steps were submerged by the tides. In 1903, the surau facing the tomb was replaced with a mosque (present-day Haji Muhammad Salleh Mosque).   

During World War II, bombs were dropped around it but none damaged it. With land reclamation in 1962, fears of the tomb being washed away by the sea were allayed. However, plans for the East Coast Parkway expressway to cut across the area in the 1980s threatened the ancient tomb. Legend has it that bulldozers on the brink of demolishing the maqam could not operate. Plans were then changed, with destruction of the maqam to be avoided. The foundations of the expressway proved difficult to lay nonetheless. It is said that the construction company requested for prayers from the trustees of the maqam and that water from the maqam be poured over the foundation grounds. Construction works proceeded smoothly thereafter.

The descendants of Habib Noh initially administered the maqam using the Habib Noh Trust Fund. It is said that the descendants of Syed Mohammed Bin Ahmed Al-Sagoff also helped in maintaining the site. This responsibility was transferred to the Muslims and Hindus Endowment Board in 1936, and thereafter to the Muslim Council of Singapore (MUIS) in 1968. In the 1980s, the tomb was refurbished again, with a building constructed over it and officially opened on July 19, 1987. 



Authors
Bonny Tan & Marsita Omar



References
About us. Masjid Haji Muhammad Salleh. Retrieved July 7, 2009, from  http://www.hjmuhdsalleh.org.sg/Templates/1.html

Ceremony at Singapore's most famous Muslim shrine. (1940, April 23). The Straits Times, p. 11

Edwards, N., & Keys, P. (1996). Singapore: A guide to buildings, streets, places. (p. 469). Singapore: Times Books International. (Call no.: SING 915.957 EDW)

Muhammad Ghouse Khan Surattee. (2008). The grand saint of Singapore: the life of Habib Nuh bin Muhammad Al-Habshi (pp. 51 -53). Singapore: Masjid Al-Firdaus.
(Call no. RSING 297.4092 GRA )

Singapore Survey Department. (1957).Singapore street directory and guide. (p. 17). Singapore: Survey Department.
(Call no.: RSEA 959.57 SIN)


The information in this article is valid as at 2009 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.

Subject
Architecture and Landscape>>Building Types>>Religious Buildings
Architecture and Landscape>>Streets and Places
Al-Habshi, Sayyid Noh, 1788-1866--Tomb
Muslim saints--Tombs--Singapore
Arts>>Architecture>>Religious buildings

Librarian Recommendations
>> Habib Noh


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