LearnIslam Festival 2025 showcases diverse pathways for Islamic education in Singapore

1. The LearnIslam Festival 2025, held on 26-27 July at Singapore Expo, highlighted the growing opportunities, for Islamic education in Singapore. The two-day festival, themed “Plant the Seeds of Faith”, drew over 7,000 visitors by the second afternoon where participants were eager to explore various Islamic learning platforms available locally. 

2. On the second day of the LearnIslam Festival 2025, Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs, Associate Professor Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, shared encouraging findings about MUIS’s cornerstone Islamic education programme, aLIVE (Learning Islamic Values Everyday). Established in 2004, the programme has demonstrated significant impact in nurturing young Muslims aged 5 to 20, reaching more than 20,000 students annually across 36 centres islandwide.  

Independent study validates aLIVE programme’s impact 

3. Professor Dr. Mohamad Johdi bin Salleh from the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), an expert in Islamic Education and Curriculum Development, led an independent study evaluating the programme's content, teaching approaches, and impact on students. 

4. His study revealed distinct positive outcomes of the aLIVE programme across different age groups. 

i. For Kids and Tweens (ages 5 – 12): 

a. Stronger religious values taking root 

b. More disciplined approach to daily prayers 

c. Increased confidence in expressing their faith 

d. Consistent practice of Islamic values in daily life

ii. For Teens and Youth (ages 13 – 20): 

a. Enhanced ability to navigate contemporary issues through Islamic perspectives 

b. Successful application of Islamic principles in daily decision-making 

c. Active assumption of leadership roles in families and communities

More participation from partners for wider access to Islamic education 

5. This year’s festival marked a significant milestone with participation from ten major Islamic Education Centres and Providers (IECPs) including Andalus, Pergas and Perdaus, demonstrating their diverse approaches to Islamic learning. 

6. In his speech, Associate Professor Muhammad Faishal, highlighted how the collaboration between MUIS and IECPs has strengthened Singapore's Islamic education ecosystem, particularly through the development of the Islamic Education Learners and Educators Map (ILEM) in 2023. He also commended the ten major IECPs present at the festival for their unwavering commitment to nurturing well-rounded Muslims who can confidently navigate modern society. 

7. “This close collaboration between MUIS and IECPs not only strengthens our collective efforts but also serves a greater purpose to ensure that every Muslim family in Singapore has access to quality religious education,” said Ustaz Fathurrahman Dawoed, Executive Director of Andalus and Director of Al-Zuhri Institute of Higher Learning.  

8. The festival highlights included the ADIL Knowledge Retreat featuring Dr. Rania Awaad, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Stanford University, who spoke on “Finding peace in chaos”. The annual aLIVE Quran Competition showcased young talents, while interactive zones and family activities made Islamic learning engaging for all ages. 

9. "The encouraging response to LearnIslam Festival 2025 shows our community's strong desire to deepen their understanding of Islam," said Ustazah Zanaria Jusary, Head of People and Sector Development, Education. "We encourage everyone to explore the many Islamic education pathways available in Singapore, whether through MUIS's aLIVE and ADIL programmes or our IECP partners' diverse offerings. Together, we are planting the seeds of faith for future generations." 

10. MUIS will continue to enhance the aLIVE curriculum while working closely with IECPs to create more pathways for Muslims in Singapore to deepen their religious knowledge at every life stage. Muslims interested in starting or continuing their Islamic education journey can visit learnislam.sg ↗ (opens in new tab)to learn more about available programmes and resources.