Institute of Islamic Studies, University of the Philippines-Diliman

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Author: UP Institute of Islamic Studies

In contemporary world permeated by hegemonic Western positivistic sciences which rescinded the important value of ethics, faith traditions and revealed knowledge that have had impacted human lives for several centuries and millennials were relegated to private life. This notion of privatizing civilizational religions, Islam in particular, had created intellectual numbness, apathy and indifference. To bring forth ‘intellectual compassion’ in the arrogant world of Western sciences, the UP Institute of Islamic Studies was created on November 22, 1973 by Presidential Decree 342, as part of the Philippine Center for Advanced Studies (PCAS). Following the abolition of PCAS on July 9, 1979 by virtue of Executive Order No. 543 issued by the then-president of the Philippines, the Institute was re-established as a separate unit of the University.

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Events News & Archives

The continuing relevance of International Humanitarian Law and Islamic Law related to armed conflict in addressing contemporary challenges.

Armed conflicts, developed overtime, have egregiously impacted human lives, largely from sophisticated weaponry and use of human shields anchored by psychedelic and blinded beliefs. Efforts and mechanisms laid down by communal, sometime universal actuations, to disparage and delimit humanitarian crisis are put in motion. The International Humanitarian Law (IHL) served as mechanism to counter armed conflicts is composed of set of rules aimed at halting untoward effects of post-war conflicts, including insurgencies, political anomies, and armed conflicts. It is befitting that the partnership between the UP Institute of Islamic Studies (UP-IIS) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is once again come into fruition by organizing an international conference that tackled the relevant collation of Islamic Law and IHL. The event was held at the Novotel Manila Araneta Center on December 10, 2017.

Asst. Prof. Macrina A. Morados, the Dean of the Institute of Islamic Studies of the University of the Philippines, Diliman, reiterated the significant role of the Institute in disseminating the importance of IHL to Muslim communities. While Mr. Boris Kelevic, ICRC Deputy Head of Delegation-Manila, presented an overview of ICRC activities in the Philippines and in Muslim majority countries. After a short film presentation, Mr. Andrew Bartles-Smith, ICRC Regional Advisor for Humanitarian Affairs, discussed the regional perspective of ICRC mandate. To continue the discussion on ICRC mandate, Atty. Monaliza Barro, ICRC Legal Officer, shared existing Philippine laws, e.g. RA 9851, etc., that were specifically enacted to support IHL. Prior to lunch break and afternoon prayer, Dr. Ziaullah Rahmani, Head of ICRC based in Islamabad, Pakistan, delivered a lecture on the roles of IHL and Islamic Law to armed conflict. Immediately after Dr. Rahmani’s lecture, Sheikh Loderson Gustaham, ICRC Global Affairs Consultant, discussed the Marawi crisis.

The afternoon sessions had two panels, one on the specificities of IHL and Islamic Law towards armed conflict which is moderated by Dr. Jamel Cayamodin, and the other is on the role and place of women and children in times of armed conflict, moderated by Dean Morados. The first panel includes Prof. Julkipli Wadi who talked about conventionalizing Islamic law internationally, Dr. Nassef Manabilang Adiong who discussed the ontology of security and siyar (or International Relations), and some additional thoughts of Sheikh Gustaham and Mr. Novrianti Kaharudin on the importance of Islamic Law and IHL. The second panel discusses the problems and conditions of women and children as the most unfortunate and vulnerable victims of armed conflict. The discussion also included suggested solutions to increase the security of women and children. Dr. Carmen Abubakar, Hon. Aisha Malayang-Flores of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos, and Dean Morados participated in this panel. Mr. Zehabudin Guro and Mr. Andrew Bartles-Smith concluded the conference by stating continued efforts and engagements between UP-IIS and ICRC.

In the post-conference event, UP-IIS presented a newly designed course on Islamic Law and IHL to ICRC. It was well received, and professional comments and critiques were provided to further enhance the course. The UP-IIS and ICRC will continue their fruitful partnership to serve better the ummah.

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Events News & Archives

UP-IIS Co-organized 600th Anniversary Commemoration of Sulu Sultan’s Voyage to China

A two-day conference on 600th Anniversary Commemoration of the Sultan of Sulu’s Voyage to China: Historical Ties and Enduring Connections of Philippines-China Relations was organized by the Confucius Institute in Ateneo de Manila University where the Institute of Islamic Studies UP Diliman along with Kaisa Heritage Center, Philippine Association for Chinese Studies, Department of History of Ateneo de Manila, and Dezhou University in China were co-organizers. The conference which was held last November 24-25 at the Confucius Conference hall and Pan Pacific Residence in Makati was attended by academic experts on Philippine-China relation both from Philippines and China.

On a related event, Officials of Dezhou University had a meeting with Dean Macrina Morados and Mr. Darwin Absari on November 26 at the UP University Hotel. Dezhou University representatives include the following officials:  Ma Yingxin (Director, Office of International Exchange and Cooperation), Kong Yan (Director, Editorial Office of University Journal), Liang Guoying (Director, College of History and Social Management), Wang Shoudong (Professor, College of History and Social Management), Li Guiting (Vice-Director, College of Literature and Journalism). During the meeting, UP-IIS and Dezhou University agreed to finalize the signing of MOA which envisions future academic and research collaborations. This meeting and discussion of the MOA was the result of Absari’s previous visit to Dezhou University being part of the documentary film project of the Sulu-China relations last November 03, 2016.

Moreover, Prof. Ma Yingxin introduced their university to Dean Morados. Dean Morados also discussed the history and programs of the UP IIS. Dezhou delegates presented their plan of holding a conference in their university where history experts from the UP Institute will be invited. The singing of the MOA will also be done as the Highlight of the conference. Students’ exchange program was also discussed. Dezhou University will also accommodate UP IIS students who wish to do research or MA thesis on Philippine-China study. Selected Faculties in their university will guide the IIS students and during the thesis presentation, the Chinese Faculty mentor will come to UP IIS to attend. Prof. Wang Shoudong, a history expert who wrote two books on Sulu Sultan who died and was buried in Dezhou in 1417, expressed his desire to do research here in Philippines.

After the meeting, Darwin Absari brought them around the campus before they went back to their hotel in Makati.

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Theses

2015 Thesis: “Construction of Philippine Muslim Identity: An Exploratory Ethnography of Values” by Robin C. Asbury

Understanding the psyche and motivations of Muslims has been an increasingly popular topic discussion. Popular media that tries to dissect the issue has a tendency to essentialize Islam and Muslims, which is a disservice to one of the world’s most diverse religions. This thesis examines how 16 individual Philippine Muslims construct their religious identity and what their construction says about their underlying values that make up their Muslim identity. Using personal interviews as the primary source of information, the study delves into their personal history, culture, and their conflicts to help elucidate how they view their religion and themselves as Muslims. Many informants tended to describe what Islam is in common ways, centered around the profession of faith – though others provided more emotional and/or novel ways of framing their view of faith. Conflicts relating to culture were a common trend in the respondents’ narratives, which in part led to transcultural/universalist understanding of Islam. Several informants also hold varying degrees plurality tolerance – some being wholly exclusivist to those that accepted differences in beliefs as an undeniable reality. Despite these commonalities, this study shows that the emotional and cognitive understanding of what these values mean and how they came to be part of the religious identity construction differs from individual to individual.

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Theses

2015 Thesis: “The Practices of Pagsanda among the Muslims in Zamboanga City: An Exploratory Study Towards the Establishment of a Shariah Compliant Padjak (Ar-Rahnu)” by Alan L. Timbayan

Padjak or Pawnshops are economic institution that existed among the Moros a long time ago. It was introduced by the Chinese settlers in the Southern part of the Philippines. Pawnshops specialize in the business of making cash advances for person who pledges goods in security for payment. The pledges which are mainly gold and jewelry, ‘bulawan’ or ‘pamulawan’ are held as collateral until the period of redemption expires. The continuous increase in number of pawnshop today is attributed to the fact that there is a very good response towards pawnshop business and the majority of borrowers ‘magsasandah’ are from the lower income social strata or the poor people.

The practice of pagsanda in Zamboanga City is not Shari’ah compliant and despite the prohibition of riba, Muslim resort to pagsanda as a means to alleviate their financial conditions. The establishment of Ar-Rahnu or Islamic pawn broking in Zamboanga City is expected to be a good alternative for the existing system of pawning. This paper discusses the operations of the conventional pawnshop; Ar-Rahnu or Islamic pawn broking; and also Riba (usury). The analysis also find out that majority of the borrowers, ulama and businessmen are in favor of the establishment of Ar-Rahnu or Islamic pawn broking to help the poor in the needy.

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Theses

2015 Thesis: “Pagtuhan: The Taosug Gnosis as a Living Tradition” by Darwin J. Absari

Pagtuhan is define as ‘pangila ha Tuhan’ (recognition of God) which requires knowledge and witnessing of the object of knowledge. It is practiced, transmitted, and kept intact by Taosug Mystics known as the Mukali (literally diggers). This paper is an exposition of the philosophy, teachings, and methods of Pag-Tuhan, from an exploration of its influences from its beginnings in the 5th century, until the introduction of Islam to the communities of the Sulu archipelago and Mindanao in the 13th century, and onwards to the spiritual tradition as practiced today. Pag-Tuhan is analyzed through the lens of Ma’rifa (gnosis) in classical Islamic thought, using the model devised by Sufi masters. Taosug society is then analyzed through the lens of Pag-Tuhan, to identify the scope and effects of Pag-Tuhan through history, within practicing individuals, families, communities, and the greater society.

To form a comprehensive picture of Pag-Tuhan, the researcher, a practitioner of more than two decades, obtained primary and secondary data through the following sources:

  1. personal experience and observation
  2. interviews with Mukali guru and other practitioners
  3. field visits to the various stations (tampat) of the Makhdumin and other Sufi masters/ Mukali and interviews with their caretakers (who are usually themselves descendants of the Sufi masters and practitioners themselves)
  4. personal collection and commentary of Taosug mystical poetry (Daman) and Taosug mystical songs
  5. narrations of Taosug elders
  6. oral traditions
  7. Kitab Kamaasan (Book of the Elders) obtained from various Mukali

To relate Pag-Tuhan from within the thought and practice of other spiritual traditions, translations of classical text as well as their commentaries were also consulted.

The study reveals that Pag-Tuhan is the product of an evolution of gnosis, as it has been influenced by concepts and practices from Hinduism, Taoism, and Buddhism through centuries of economic and socio-political intercourse with the neighboring regions. Its greatest contributor, and the completion of its concept of gnosis, is through the knowledge brought by the Makdumin. Unlike the Indo-Malaysian Islamization, the coming of Islam to Sulu was marked by the teaching of contemplation of Allah in the 13th century through Tuan Mashaika; the teaching of Divine love, the lȃhil sambahayang (outward worship) through Karimul Makhdum; and fulfillment of the political aspects of Islam through the formation of the sultanate and the practice of the Islamic Law (shariah) through Shariful Hashim.

An analysis of Pag-Tuhan’s philosophy, teaching, and practices show that it is intimately connected to the way of the Sufis. Its emphasis on knowledge and purification as a path towards Divine Love, on inner worship and contemplation of the self, the creation of Man, the primordial covenant, and the circular path to Allah, his necessary ascent to attain closeness to God and the descent back to practice his worship in society. It is notable that Pag-Tuhan is in concordance with the models of Ma’arifa put forward by Imam Ghazali, Mawlana Rumi, and Shayk Ibn ‘Arabi.

Pag-Tuhan was presented as a complete system for the guidance of Mystics and those who wish to attain closeness to Allah. While similar on essence to Sufism, it has developed its own means of conceptualizing, presenting, and practicing Ma’arifa. Moreover, it has concepts and experiences carried over from Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism, as well as particular concepts unique to Pag-Tuhan. A framework for the spiritual journey of Mukali was also presented.

In this thesis, Pag-Tuhan is identified as the essence of Taosug culture and society, the source of their knowledge, the reason for their bravery, and their hope for the future. The special characteristic of Taosug people, in their building of an empire and their capacity to defend it for more than three hundred years of colonial pressure is traced back to the strong presence of Pag-Tuhan within the social fabric.

Indeed, the practice of Pag-Tuhan is not limited by time nor space, not even by death. Many Mukali have been taught by masters such as Khidr, Shayk Abdul Qadir Al-Jilani, Shaikh Ibn ‘Arabi, the Makhdumin, and even the Prophet Muhammad (saw) and his companions. In these troubled times, Pag-Tuhan remains strong through the practices of Mukali not only in the rural interior but also of those who have integrated in formal society as professionals and public servant. Truly, the presence of the Mukali, the Manusiya Sabbunal (Real Man), from among the ranks of the Tausog, and the knowledge that they hold in the form of Pag-Tuhan, are treasures that are kept safe and pure for generations to come.