Studies in Moro History, Law, and Religion Part 23

Here the orator shall repeat, "G.o.d is almighty," seven times, then say the following:

G.o.d is Almighty. Praise be to G.o.d, the G.o.d of Kindness and of Grace, who ordained that the faithful should observe the month of fasting and gave them at the end thereof a feast, to all whether near or far, in token of His hospitality and generosity. Let us praise him always. He is righteous and all sacredness. The King of the Universe, land and sea. He ordained for the Mohammedans the two feasts, Ramadan and that of the Sacrifice. I bear witness that there is but one G.o.d, who is alone without a partner. He made the two feasts for the observance of all Mohammedans and the time of their celebration the greatest season of the year. I testify that Mohammed is His servant and apostle. G.o.d bless Mohammed at all times and through all ages. Oh, you people, fear G.o.d. May G.o.d have mercy on you fellow-Mohammedans and brothers in the faith. He has sent down to you this exalting and magnifying day as an expression of his generosity and hospitality. On this day He permits you to feast and forbids you to fast. Respectful observance of this day is pleasing to G.o.d and he who so observes it shall be greatly blessed. Charity on this day is highly acceptable. All you ask on this day shall be given you. On this day every call is answered. The prophet, G.o.d bless him, said, "On this day give charity for everyone, male and female, for every free man, for every slave, for the young, and for the old give a measure of flour or a measure of dates, a measure of rice, a measure of raisins, or a measure of barley, or whatever you eat on this day give as charity for all the people who are of your religion, of your nation and under your law. This will atone for your sins and all your misdeeds during the days of fasting." The prophet, G.o.d bless him, has said, "He who fasts the month of Ramadan and withholds his measure of charity on the feast day, his fasting shall not be acceptable to G.o.d, and he shall not reach heaven, but shall be stopped halfway between earth and heaven." The prophet said, "He who fasts the month of Ramadan and follows it with six days of Shawal shall be regarded as if he had fasted forever." May G.o.d make us successful and honest and enlist us in the ranks of His faithful followers. The best of all speech is the word of G.o.d, the All-knowing King, the Exalted and the Respected. G.o.d himself, whose word is perfect truth, said, "When the Quran is read, listen to it with attention, that ye may obtain mercy."

When the Quran is read, ask refuge in G.o.d from the accursed devil. Jesus, the son of Mary, said, "G.o.d our Lord, send us a table from heaven that we may all, from the first to the last, feast thereon." Be Thou generous to us for Thou art the best of all givers. Exalted is G.o.d the true King. There is no G.o.d but G.o.d, the Lord of the great throne. He who calls another G.o.d whose deity he can not prove shall render account to the Lord his G.o.d. Infidels can not succeed. Say my Lord, forgive me, and have mercy upon me. Thou art most merciful.

He who may deliver this oration shall here repeat the chapter of the salvation, after which he shall rise and read the following oration twice, and shall say, "G.o.d is Almighty," seven times:

G.o.d is Almighty. Praise be to G.o.d, whose praise is exalted and glorious. I testify that there is no G.o.d but G.o.d, and that He is alone and has no partner. I bear witness that Mohammed is his servant and apostle, and the bright light of the world. May G.o.d bless Mohammed and all his people and descendants. Oh, ye people, depart from evil and draw near to good. Avoid excess and ye shall be happy. G.o.d and His angels bless the prophet. Ye who have faith bless Him also. Ye servants of G.o.d answer His call, and bless Him through whom G.o.d has directed you. O G.o.d, bless Mohammed and his descendants, for he has directed us to paradise and the roads that lead thereto. O G.o.d, bless Mohammed and his descendants because he warned us of the fire and its evils. O G.o.d, forgive his followers, and his caliphs Abu-Bakar, Omar, Othman, Ali, Talhat, Zubayr, Abdu-r-Rahman the son of Awf, Sa'din Saidin, and Abi Ubaydat, because they are the princes of the faithful and the best of all people. O G.o.d, forgive all other followers and friends of your prophet, and all who follow them. Be kind to them in the day of judgment. Give them and us mercy, for Thou art most merciful. O G.o.d, perpetuate the power and the victories and the conquests of him whom Thou hast chosen for the administration and good management of temporal affairs and religion; he who beseeches the intercession of the faithful prophet, our master, the Sultan Mohammed Pudhalun, the son of the late Sultan Mohammed Jamalu-l-Kiram, and the Sultan, the master, and the n.o.ble whom Thou hast chosen, Sultan Esh-Sharifu-l-Has.h.i.+m, the kindled light of G.o.d; and our thoughtful and wise master the late Sultan Kamalu-d-Din; and protect the kind and generous late Sultan Alawa-d-Din, whose descendants became the kings of the Sulu country. Protect the champion of the Mohammedan religion and faith, the late Sultan Amirul Umara, and the late Sultan Shah Muizzu-l-Mutawadhi-in. Protect the power of the generous and victorious late Sultan Shah Nasiru-d-Din the First. Defend the conqueror, the late Sultan Shah Mohammed el Halim; defend the intelligent late Sultan Batara Shah; protect the n.o.ble late Sultan Muwalli el Wasit Shah; aid our great master, the excellent and powerful and the victorious on land and sea, the Sultan Shah Nasiru-d-Din the Last; aid the just and honorable and ascetic master, the late Sultan Shah Salahu-d-Din.

O G.o.d, support Islam and all Mohammedans. Fight against atheism and heresy and evil, the enemies of religion. Aid the ever-victorious Sultan Ali Shah, the great and most superior sultan; sultan of the land and sea; and his heir, the late Sultan Shah Shahabu-d-Din Mohammed, who was versed in law and all learning; and the late Sultan Shah Shafi-d-Din Mohammed Mustafa, the best of all things. Defend the late sultan and wise Governor Shah Badaru-d-Din Mohammed, the victorious. May G.o.d perpetuate on earth his power, and his kingdom, and his justice.

O G.o.d, support the late Sultan Nasaru-d-Din, the victorious, the administrator, and the able supporter of our religion; the late Sultan Alimu-d-Din the First, Mohammed, the prince of the faithful, the seeker of G.o.d's mercy; and the obedient to His will; the late Sultan Shah Muizzi-d-Din Mohammed, the emigrant, the learned, the truthful, and the generous; the late patient Sultan Shah Mohammed Israyil; the late Sultan Shah Alimu-d-Din the Second, Mohammed, the peaceful, the chosen, and the powerful; the late Sultan Shah Sharafu-d-Din Mohammed, the merciful, seeker of knowledge, and doer of good deeds; the late n.o.ble Sultan Shah Alimu-d-Din the Third, Mohammed; the late Sultan Shah Aliu-d-Din Mohammed, the great and victorious; the late Sultan Shah Shakira-l-Lah Mohammed, conqueror of atheism and heresy, who was versed in Mohammedanism and monotheism; the late Sultan Shah Jamalu-l-Kiram Mohammed, the kind and the wise and beloved of his people, master of truth and good, whom G.o.d alone prevented from making the pilgrimage to the House, and who was patient, lenient, and good, who encouraged good deeds and forbade evil, and who was good in his administration. May G.o.d perpetuate his kingdom, his power, his justice, and his kindness. May G.o.d forgive him and his forefathers and be good to all of them and give them a place in paradise. O G.o.d, aid all who befriend him; be the enemy of all his enemies; uphold all who uphold him; reject those who reject him; and vanquish those who may vanquish him. Be Thou his help and aid, and use him as a sword of vengeance against all offenders.

Thou art my G.o.d, the G.o.d of Truth and Lord of the Universe.

O G.o.d, set right our leaders and our nation, our judges, our rulers, our learned men, our lawgivers, our wise men, and our old men. Aid them in righteousness, and guide us. O G.o.d, destroy the enemies of our religion and unite the hearts of the faithful. Free the captives and pay the debts of the debtors. Relieve the distressed and forgive the living and the dead. G.o.d grant peace and safety to us and to the pilgrims and to the travelers on land and on sea who are of the people of Mohammed, for Thou art the most powerful, the best Master and the best Helper.

O G.o.d, drive away famine and distress, and disease, and iniquity, and oppression, and all calamities, and all evils outward and secret that may exist in our country especially and the countries of the Mohammedans in general, for Thou hast power over everything. Our Lord, forgive us and forgive our brothers who preceded us in the faith, and cast away from our hearts all jealousies and ill feeling toward the faithful. O G.o.d, our Lord, Thou art kind and gracious and generous and compa.s.sionate and able to forgive.

This was written by the poor and humble pilgrim Hajji Abdu-l-Baqi, who hopes for forgiveness from the forgiving Lord and who was the son of Twan Hatib Jawari, a native of Sulug and follower of Shafi'i and Ash'ari.

May G.o.d forgive them and all Mohammedans and all the faithful. Amen.

THE SULU FRIDAY ORATION

IN THE NAME OF G.o.d THE COMPa.s.sIONATE AND MERCIFUL. TO G.o.d BE ALL THE PRAISE AND GLORY. THERE IS NO OTHER G.o.d BUT G.o.d

This I repeat a thousand times more than others. G.o.d is greater, far greater, than He is thought to be. I testify that there is no G.o.d but G.o.d alone. G.o.d is one, and only one. He has no partner. G.o.d is the owner of the heavens and the earth and all that is therein. G.o.d is owner of all.

I testify that Mohammed is His servant and His apostle, sent by Him to guide all people to the true religion, and that His religion may thereby be exalted above all others, though the unfaithful and the wors.h.i.+pers of many G.o.ds may reject it. We ask Thee, O G.o.d, to bless Mohammed and all his descendants and bestow on them all the blessings that can be named and all the blessings that can be forgotten. I advise ye, O people, and myself, servants of G.o.d, with fear of G.o.d which is the sign of faith and G.o.d's command to us all. Fellow-Mohammedans, the mercy of G.o.d be upon you. Friday is the chief of all days. The apostle of G.o.d said: "The day Friday is the chief of all days." It is greater than the day of Ramadan and the day of el-Adha and the day of Ashura.

Charity on Friday is preferable to all charity. Good deeds done on Friday are preferable to all good deeds, and evil done on Friday is the greatest evil that can be done. The n.o.blest and best men have testified to its greatness over other days. It is the beauty of all days and years. It is a pilgrimage that the poor can make once every seven days. Its observance intercedes for the offender before the King of Unbounded Knowledge.

It has been told of the chosen prophet that he said: "G.o.d registers the name of the person who leaves out three successive Fridays, on a tablet on which he keeps the number of liars." The prophet said that he who leaves out three successive Fridays shall have written on his forehead when the day of judgment comes: "He has no hope of the mercy of G.o.d." May G.o.d bless us and give us all peace.

May it be that G.o.d has declared us among the successful and the faithful and enlisted us into the number of His good servants. The best of all utterances and const.i.tutions are in the word of G.o.d, King of Unbounded Knowledge, possessor of glory and of all reverence. It is G.o.d the Highest who speaks and who is the truest of all speakers.

When the Quran is read you should listen attentively so that you may obtain mercy. He said, and His saying is most precious and full of wisdom, "When you read the Quran ask G.o.d's help against the accursed Satan." I take refuge in G.o.d the All Hearing and All Knowing from the accursed Satan. Oh, ye who have believed, when you hear the call for prayers on Friday go ye to hear G.o.d's word. Leave your business, for you have a greater good and benefit in this. May G.o.d bless the great Quran for us, and may he benefit us through its texts and the wise mention of His name. May He reward us all with mercy from the painful punishment.

I command you, and myself, with what G.o.d demands for good obedience so that you may obey Him. And I prohibit you from doing evil and from disobedience as He prohibits you so that you may not disobey him. I pray for the plentiful reward of G.o.d for you and for myself, so that you may seek Him; and I ask the pardon and forgiveness of G.o.d for you and for myself and for all the faithful Mohammedans for He is gracious and forgiving.

Praise be to G.o.d. I praise and exalt G.o.d with all my strength and I testify that, there is no G.o.d but G.o.d. G.o.d is one and only one. G.o.d has no partner. He knows all and has good news for you all. I testify that Mohammed is the servant of G.o.d and His apostle, and a s.h.i.+ning light to the world. We ask Thee, O G.o.d, to bless Mohammed and his people and descendants because he is our preacher and warner. To ye, Oh, people, I say, fear G.o.d, draw near to good, and depart from evil. G.o.d and all His angels bless the prophet. All ye believers bless him, too. Ye servants of G.o.d, obey the call of G.o.d, and bless him who directed you to G.o.d. We ask Thee, O G.o.d, to bless Mohammed and the people of Mohammed, for he directed us to paradise and to the roads that lead thereto. We ask Thee, O G.o.d, to bless Mohammed and the descendants of Mohammed, because he warned us of the fire and its destruction. We ask Thee, O G.o.d, to bless Mohammed because he conquered the kings of the infidels and their empires. We ask Thee, O G.o.d, to forgive his followers and his successors, Abu Bakar, Omar, Othman, Ali, Abi Ubaydat, for they are the princes of the faithful and the best of all people. We ask Thee, O G.o.d, to forgive his two sons, Hasan and Husein, and his two n.o.ble uncles, Hamzat and Abbas; and mayst Thou be kind to all the emigrants and all the allies and followers till the judgment day, that we may share Thy mercy with them and through them, for Thou art most merciful. We ask Thee, O G.o.d, to perpetuate the power, the victory, and the valor of those whom Thou hast chosen for the good administration and good conduct of our religious and worldly affairs, chief among whom is he who begs the intercession of the faithful prophet, our master, the sultan and the pilgrim, Mohammed Jamalu-l-Kiram, the brother of the late sultan, the pilgrim Mohammed Badaru-d-Din the Second, both of whom made the pilgrimage to the house Al-Haraam. May G.o.d give them a place with the faithful. They are the children of the late Sultan Mohammed Jamalu-l-A'lam. May G.o.d perpetuate his kingdom and his power, and his justice and kindness. And may G.o.d forgive his predecessors and his grandfathers and be good to them and give them a place in paradise. We ask Thee, O G.o.d, to be friendly with those who are friendly with him, and to antagonize them who are against him; give victory to those who aid him; reject those who reject him; vanquish those who disobey him, and be his help and helper and make him Thy sword of vengeance against the offender. O G.o.d, my G.o.d, Thou art Truth and the Lord of the Universe. O G.o.d, set right our leaders and our nation, our judges, our rulers, our learned men, our lawgivers, our wise men, and our old men. Aid them in righteousness, and guide us. O G.o.d, destroy the enemies of our religion and unite the hearts of the faithful. Free the captives and pay the debts of the debtors. Relieve the distressed and forgive the living and the dead. G.o.d grant peace and safety to us and to the pilgrims and to the travelers on land and on sea who are of the people of Mohammed, for Thou art the Most Powerful, the best Master and the best Helper.

O G.o.d, drive away famine and distress, and disease and iniquity, and oppression, and all calamities, and all evils outward and secret that may exist in our country especially and in the countries of the Mohammedans in general, for Thou hast power over everything. Our Lord, forgive us and forgive our brothers who preceded us in the faith, and cast away from our hearts all jealousies and ill feeling toward the faithful. O G.o.d, our Lord, Thou art kind and gracious and generous and compa.s.sionate and able to forgive.

NOTES

[1] Throughout this paper foreign words which do not often appear in an English text are given the same form for both singular and plural.

[2] Mindanao, Magindanao, and a few other words with the same terminal sound are written in this paper with the final "ao" because they are well-known words. Other words ending with the same sound are written with the final "aw," in accordance with the author's rules for transliteration.--[Editor.]

[3] The word Kabalalan means the place of the rattan, because the rattan plant used to grow abundantly on the mountain and its base.

[4] This word may be a corruption of the name of the bird Rock or Rokh, mentioned in the Arabian Nights.

[5] This word is a corruption of the Arabic word Thul-Fakar, the name of the famous sword of the Caliph Ali. Ali was a noted warrior.

[6] The translation here omits the formal words and repet.i.tions and simply gives the names of the descendants in order.

[7] Sarip and sharif are both in common use and have the same meaning. The latter is the Arabic form of the word.

[8] It will be noticed both here and elsewhere that the genealogies are confused and that often it is not possible to make out in the text the descent of a given individual. In explanation of this confusion the translator says: "The Moros do not know any better. This is the way they write. No attempt was made in the translation to change the order of the original text."--[Editor.]

[9] It is not clear in Moro who the parents were. These are chosen pursuant to the general rule that the p.r.o.noun refers to the nearest noun, unless otherwise indicated.

[10] The Malay version said three people, but mentions only the above two, Akmad and Sapak.

[11] See Pls. I-IV. This ma.n.u.script is purely Magindanao in its style and is the oldest copy that I have seen. The main text is a little inferior to that of Datu Mastura's copy, but its marginal Arabic quotations are more nearly correct and better written. The spelling and the grammar differ in many places, but the general sense of the text is mainly the same and does not warrant a separate translation.

[12] This copy is in the possession of The Ethnological Survey. It is not reproduced here because of the expense of half-tone work--the only satisfactory method of reproduction in this case.

[13] By a full uncle is meant a brother of one's father or mother who had both the same father and the same mother as one's own father or mother, as distinguished from a half uncle; so of a full aunt.

[14] These fines are stated in Mexican currency. The peso was worth about 50 cents, United States currency.

[15] The gajahilaw of siddip or piece of calico used is worth 1.50 pesos. It used to be the rule to demand the son of the abductor as bail for the return of the abducted free child or person.

[16] The words panglima and pandita are used in a plural sense in this paragraph.

[17] Abduction and elopement are regarded as crimes by the Sulus. The consent of the parents is always necessary for the marriage contract.

[18] Dower is a provision for a widow on the death of the husband or on separation by divorce. It is generally paid or delivered or guaranteed before marriage.