Arab Singaporeans

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Arab Singaporeans

Sayyid Abubakr bin Shaikh Al-Kaff
Total population
8,200 (2015)[1]
Languages
English, Malay, some Arabic language speakers.
Religion
Predominantly Sunni Islam, following the Shafi'i madhab (school of thought)
Related ethnic groups
Hadhrami people, Arab Indonesians, Arab Malaysians, Arab diaspora, Malay Singaporeans

The majority of the Arabs in Singapore are Hadharem and traced their ancestry to the southern Arabian Peninsula in Hadramaut, Yemen. The valley region was part of a confederacy once ruled by the Queen of Sheba. Hadramaut was mentioned in The Old Testament (Hazra Mavet). Its fertile areas, suitable for cultivation, had beguiled ancient Romans to call it Arabia Felix (Happy Arabia).

The history of migration from Hadramaut, following the monsoons of the Indian Ocean, forced the Hadhramis to resettle in various parts of the world: Hyderabad, India (before 1947), Dar-es-Salaam and East Africa as well as Malaya and the Netherlands East Indies.

The Hadhrami population is made up of three distinct social strata: The Gabails, a confederation of clans forming the Al Kathiri tribe, descent from blue blood, including the Bin Talibs, Bin Abdats, Bajrais, and Harharahs. The honorific "Sheikh" (also spelled “Shaikh”) and "Sheikhah" (also spelled "Shaykhah" and "Shaikha") (for men and women respectively) often precede their names.

The Al Kathiri Sultanate had dominion over the southern region of the Arabian Peninsula. The tribes traced their roots to the ancient Banu Hamdan tribes, which reside in the Gulf Arab regions, East African countries, and in the Arab-speaking provinces of Iran such as Khuzestan.

The Confederal Harharah Sultanate reigned over the State of Upper Yafa. The Sultanate had formed a military alliance with the British Aden Protectorate and the Protectorate of South Arabia. Its capital, Mahjaba, was located about 50 km northeast of Habilayn.

The Ba'Alawi sada, who claimed to be the descendants of Muhammad, are known by their singular honorific "Syed" for men and “Sharifah” for women.

The Mashaikhs are commoners whose family names (surnames) often begin with "Ba-" (for example Bafana, Bamadhaj, Bagharib, Bahashwan). However, a 'Ba' at the beginning of a surname may not necessarily denote a commoner as some Gabail tribes have Ba in their surnames.