SINGAPORE — A former massage therapist who claimed to possess supernatural powers and taught followers controversial beliefs — including justifying gambling and spiritual marriages — has been sentenced to four months’ jail in Singapore for promoting a doctrine deemed contrary to Islamic law.
Mohd Razif Radi, 67, was convicted under the country’s Administration of Muslim Law Act following a trial, The Straits Times reported today.
Delivering the sentence, District Judge Shaiffudin Saruwan said Razif’s teachings were “linked to sins in Islam” and showed a “high degree of premeditation”.
He added that Razif’s conduct had affected multiple victims and caused public unease and outcry.
During the trial, Razif was found to have conducted lessons in the early 2000s in which he claimed, among other things, that gambling profits from 4-D and Toto could be “cleansed” and used to fund businesses.
He also allegedly taught that a man and woman could be considered married via a “spiritual marriage”, bypassing Islamic rites.
According to The Straits Times, Razif had never been accredited under Singapore’s Asatizah Recognition Scheme.
The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) states that gambling is clearly prohibited under Islamic law and that spiritual marriages — which lack solemnisation, witnesses, and dowry — are considered deviant.
“In most cases, there are no limitations on the number of women ‘married’ to a man through such deviant spiritual marriages,” Muis said.
“Such acts occur either between followers of a particular teaching or between the teacher and his students.”
Razif also claimed he could summon the spirit of “Mbah”, who he said was either Prophet Muhammad or descended from the Prophet’s line.
One witness, under a gag order, testified that Razif would appear “possessed” during teachings.
“I expected a religious class, but it became like somebody entered (Razif’s body),” the man told the court.
When speaking as “Mbah”, Razif reportedly adopted an Indonesian accent.
“The women would be stunned. They cried and kissed (Razif’s) hand... This is against (our religion),” he said.
Another man said Razif taught he needed 13 wives. He claimed he had personally witnessed Razif take a female business owner as a “wife” in one such spiritual marriage.
He added that his own marriage broke down after he and his wife attended Razif’s classes. She later sought a divorce and gained full custody of their daughter.
He said other men also experienced similar breakdowns after their partners followed Razif.
Razif denied all allegations when he took the stand in November 2024. He claimed he never conducted religious classes, had never acted as “Mbah”, and had not heard of spiritual marriages before his court proceedings.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Sruthi Boppana sought a sentence of five to seven months, arguing that Razif’s conduct had disrupted family ties and was “motivated by self-interest”.
Defence lawyer Simon Tan urged for a fine instead, saying Razif had ceased conducting classes in 2012 and was in his “twilight years”.
Razif still faces a separate charge for allegedly running an unregistered religious school between 2017 and 2020 at Lina’s Cafe in Jalan Pisang.
A pre-trial conference is set for August.
