History of our late philanthropist – Syed Mohammad Bin Syed Ahmad Alkaff

Syed Mohammad Bin Syed Ahmad Alkaff was the grandchild to Shaikh Bin Abdul Rahman Alkaff, a pioneer Alkaff family businessman in Singapore in 1840. He was born in Singapore in 1901 and departed in 1971.

The Alkaff family descended from amongst Arab’s Hadhrami in Yemen who migrated to Singapore for business. In the vicinity of the 1700s, Mohammad Bin Abdul Rahman Alkaff, brother to Shaikh Bin Abdul Rahman Alkaff, was the first explorer from Hadramaut to India for business opportunities.

Their industry expanded to Surabaya, Jakarta, Bandung and other provinces.In 1840, Shaikh bin Abdul Rahman ALkaff was entrusted with a business space in Singapore. He embarked on an export business which gathered used iron and sold them to Englishman in India.

By 1888, he was already a successful entrepreneur and invested in six development areas as waqaf for the benefit of future generations from the year 1888 to 1906.

In 1901, Shaikh bin Abdul Rahman Alkaff returned to Hadramautand lived there until the end of his life. All his business dealings were handed over to his son, Abdul Rahman Alkaff. After Abdul Rahman’s departure, the businesses were in turn undertaken by his nephew, Syed Mohammad Bin Syed Ahmad Alkaff.

Birth and Education

According to Mr Syed Alwee Alkaff, his father was raised and received education in Singapore. His early education was at Alsagoff Arabic School while Victoria Bridge School developed his English education. After that, he was sent back home to Hadramaut for further Arabic learning for 2 years.

Upon his return to Singapore, he lived under the care of his uncle, Syed Abdul Rahman Alkaff, founder of Alkaff Mosque Pheng Geck Avenue at Serangoon Road and owner of ALkaff and Company.

Between Career, Activity and Contribution

In 1931, Alkaff and Company which managed property sales and purchase was ceded to him fully. The company was taken over during the Japanese Occupation and all reports handed to the Japanese. Now Mr Syed Alwee still continues to manage some property of the Alkaff family for sale.

Syed Mohammad was also a member of Jamiyah Singapore, Justice Officer, and Members Rent Contribution Board. He was also a pioneer who contributed much for the building Al-Khairiah Islamic School in 1930, now situated at Still Road.

Around 1932, when Kampong Melayu Eunos was being rapidly built and gazetted by English government as a localized land for the Malays, henceforth grew the desire for a mosque to be built to serve the spiritual and devotional needs of the people. 

With the cooperation of Mr Ambok Solo, a leader from the then Singapore Malay Union (SMU), Syed Mohammad was ever ready to extend his contribution for the construction of Alkaff Mosque Kampung Melayu at its original location at teh junction of Jalan Abdul Mannan and Jalan Abadi off Kampong Eunos.

Family

He has 10 children, 6 sons and 4 daughters; of which only two of his sons and three daughters still survive. His wife, Sharifah Nor Bte Abdurrhaman Bin Junied Bin Omar Aljinied, was the daughter of the founder of Aljunied Al-Islamiah Islamic School, and ranks among the great granddaughter of Pengiran As Syarif As Saiyid Umar Ali ALjunied who had the opportunity to be in Singapore when Stamford Raffles came around 1820.

The genealogy of the Alkaff family traces back from Syed Alwi bin Mohamed Alkaff to the lineage of Syed Mohamed bin Abdul Rahman Alkaff and Syed Shaikh bin Abdul Rahman Alkaff, who were among the first members of the Alkaff family to arrive in Singapore after visiting Java for trade in the year 1840. Syed Shaikh Alkaff originated from Hadramaut, Yemen. Syed Shaikh Alkaff was the grandfather of the founder of Alkaff Mosque in Kampung Melayu, located in Kampung Jalan Eunos.

(The above information was gathered from a personal interview by Sharifah Masturah Alkaff with Syed Alwi Alkaff, a Shariah graduate of Al-Azhar University in 2006. Sharifah Masturah is the grandniece of Syed Alwi Alkaff).