Maguindanao Beliefs and Practices

With the advent of Islam, Maguindanaoans were among the first to embrace the religion. The Maguindanaos of Bagumbayan believe that Allah created the world for humankind to inhabit. For them, life on earth is temporary and one must live in righteousness and dignity to ensure salvation and eternal bliss in the hereafter.

Being direct descendants of the Amiruls or religious leaders, the descendants of Morodan are quite exemplar. They are inclined to maintain prestige, honor and credibility by strictly following ancient codes and ethics imposed by their early ancestors. For them, a dishonest person who does not honor his words is untrustworthy and undependable, hence he cannot credibly function in the community.

They strictly observe Adat Betad or moral values to maintain a dignified existence. An elder once said, one should always respect the dignity of anyone. If someone insults or threatens another, he must defend his honor, for the Quran teaches defending oneself against all forms of tyranny and evil.

This concept of pride preservation is manifested in the Maguindanaon’s strong adherence to protect the Maratabat (pride). This makes the Maguindanaons prone to clan conflicts (lido) that often end up in violence and death.

The realization that lido (clan war) is detrimental to the peace enjoyed by the community has led to peaceful conflict resolutions. Maintenance of peace is significant in their constantly threatened communities, prompting the leaders to undertake measures to prevent inter and intra clan conflicts.

Adat Betad in everyday life reflects the norms and values adopted by the community. These are the codified edicts embodying the norms and wisdom of pre-Islamic ancestors.

Traditional Maguindanaon ceremonies include Pabpagubad (healing), Puwasa (fasting), Hariraya Puwasa (breaking of fast), Mauludin Nabi (birth of Prophet Muhammad), Amon Jadid (Muslim new year) and other occasions.

Kanduli (thanksgiving) is an important occasion among the Maguindanaos of Bagumbayan. It is where a family asks for Allah’s assistance in their endeavors and offers their gratitude for all blessings. Kanduli ceremonies are festive occasions where the community gathers around to eat and share what they have.

Several persuasions significantly influenced the cultural beliefs of the natives before the Islamization in Mindanao. These influences are of Malay, Indonesian and Chinese origin. They include belief in charms, amulets and mysticism. The pagan nature of these practices has become controversial with the resurgence of Islamic fundamentalism. However, there are indications that some of these practices prevail in remote communities. Apart from these Islamic and traditional beliefs, the community is still known to engage in pre-Islamic practices of Agimat (charm or amulet) and Pantak (witchcraft or sorcery).

(Blogger’s note: This post is the fifth part of an eight-part series on the Maguindanao people. Each part is posted every Monday starting December 8, 2014. The text is copied as it appears in Defending the Land: Lumad and Moro People’s Struggle for Ancestral Domain in Mindanao. The book, published by a consortium of non-government organizations, has an “anti-copyright” notice and may thus be freely reproduced.)