Ramadan among the Maguindanaon and Maranao

There's always a sense of anticipation and excitement that Muslims associate with the Holy Month of Ramadan. When I was still a college student at the University of the Philippines, my non-Muslim friends would often ask me if it's appropriate to greet me a “Happy Ramadan" when this special month arrives. They were wondering how I could be so excited about the prospect of fasting once more. How can I be happy when I'm hungry and thirsty? I would reply that it is not only possible to be happy during Ramadan; happiness comes naturally to us because aside from being a month of sacrifice, Ramadan is also a month to be with family and to be one with the rest of the Muslim world. Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam. It requires every Muslim to abstain from food and water from sunrise to sunset. Aside from fasting, each Muslim is also expected to exercise self-restraint in all our actions and thoughts. We are encouraged to develop humility by seeking forgiveness from those we have wronged, and by forgiving others as well. It is not an easy feat to complete one month of abstinence and self-control. With these hardships however, come the sense of purification and spiritual renewal. By avoiding the things that give us earthly pleasure and material satisfaction, we get to strengthen our faith and focus on what we need to do to become true Muslims. Moreover, it makes us realize that we are all equal – whether we're rich or poor, educated or ignorant, good-looking or not – as long as we are Muslims, we have to fast. There are many practices that we perform during Ramadan. Some of them are based on Islam, while others are practices that developed mainly from tradition. It is important to stress that not all practices are required by Islam. Also, as we Muslims strive to learn more about our faith, more and more traditional practices are getting discarded as they go against the concept of moderation, a spiritual value which is very important in Islam. In Mindanao, different cultural groups celebrate Ramadan in similar ways. My parents come from different groups so I have had the chance to see how Maranaos and Maguindanaons observe Ramadan, and I can say that there are only a few differences. Both groups encourage well-to-do families to sponsor the meal at sunset, which is called ifthar. This is done so that those who are less privileged in life will have food to eat during ifthar. Donated food varies from fruits and simple pastries, to rice porridge and ginataan. In some cases, complete meals are provided. Some people prefer giving money to the masjid or mosque; the supervisors of the masjid take responsibility for preparing the meal. This practice of sponsoring ifthar meals is voluntary on the part of the sponsors. However, there is another practice of giving food which is required, called fitrah. Each member of a Muslim household must give two and a half kilos of rice to less fortunate people who are also fasting. In our family, my mother gives our share to the masjid and the administrator takes care of food distribution. Maguindanaons and Maranaos both practice the sunnah of breaking the fasting by eating dates or kayakorma first. This is highly encouraged in Islam, as it was also practiced by Prophet Muhammad during his time. The dates are usually imported from Saudi Arabia and given to relatives as gifts. However, if dates are not available, breaking of the fasting with other kinds of fruits is also encouraged. Both groups also prepare special dishes during Ramadan that are not usually cooked during the rest of the year. Almost every member of the family is involved in preparing these special recipes. Even though people are hungry, everyone is full of energy and willing to contribute anything just to make the ifthar and even the early morning meal, or the saul, special. Maguindanaons especially like having sindol, our version of ginataan, during ifthar. Native delicacies are also prepared almost everyday. Muslims have to perform a special prayer, called the taraweeh, every night during Ramadan. It is encouraged that taraweeh be performed at the masjid, and from what I have observed, both Maranaos and Maguindanaons strictly follow this practice. In the Lanao provinces and in Maguindanao, the masjids are packed with people every night, a truly inspiring and heartwarming sight. One custom that is practiced by some Maranaos is the rikor, or cleaning the graves of loved ones and giving food to relatives who also remembered the dear departed ones, according to an aunt of mine. Rikor is usually done seven days or three days before Eidl Fitr to pay respect to deceased relatives during Ramadan. The night before Eidl Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, Maguindanaons sometimes organize motorcades around town. When I was a kid, my parents allowed me to go with my cousins on one such motorcade. We all rode in one car and joined the convoy. I remember enjoying the ride and hearing some of the men shouting “Takbir" and “Allahu Akbar" (Allah is great) as the convoy went around Cotabato City. Everybody was in the spirit of celebrating Eidl Fitr. Some Maguindanaons and Maranaos celebrate the end of Ramadan with colorful fireworks. Maranao families prepare liput, or rice and viand wrapped in banana leaves. These pieces of liput are brought to the masjid during the congregational prayer in the morning of Eidl Fitr, and distributed to the needy. Prominent families sometimes even have open houses, called panikan, so anyone can come in and partake of the food. I am sure there are many more Ramadan practices that I am not aware of, especially those performed by groups other than Maranaos and Maguindanaons. But one thing is for sure: Muslims from all walks of life are united in celebrating Ramadan and in making it truly meaningful. - GMANews.TV Atty. Ashrafia Aymee Alonto Biruar earned her law and undergraduate degrees from the University of the Philippines. She grew up in Cotabato City and comes from Maranao, Maguindanaon and Iranun families. She currently resides in Davao City with her husband and son.