Abstract
This study will be composed of two presentations; the first one is a personal narratives difference between two prominent personalities in the league of ulamas about perceptions on Islamic theology and contemporary plight of Muslims in the Philippines. One is a full-fledged Muslim in the person of Uztadz Muhammad H. Cana, while the other one is a balik-Islam in the person of Hajji Abdul Salam. The framework used is Sakili’s model of Muslim space, each of their views and insights will be examined by determinants extracted by the researcher from his book. The second one is a material presentation of getting a sample of 10 respondents from the group of Muslims and Balik-Islam. They will be given a questionnaire and answer it with yes or no responses. Thus, this will be attest to the relationship that the researcher would like to posit in his hypothesis.
A Brief Balik-Islam Introductory Situation in the Philippines
A Brief Balik-Islam Introductory Situation in the Philippines
There is an estimated 200,000 members of the Balik Islam movement in the Philippines. Where before, Muslims were concentrated in the southern part of the Philippines and represented various ethnic minority groups, Muslims now include a large number of converts, called Balik Islam who come from the traditionally Catholic provinces of the Philippines. Many of them converted to Islam when they were overseas contract workers in Middle Eastern countries, especially others converted upon their return to the Philippines and still others converted after learning about Islam in the Philippines.[1]
Among the new converts are women who were introduced to Islam by their husbands who converted while in the Middle East. They not only adopt Islamic beliefs but also the clothing prescribed by their leaders and gender roles that they believe come with the new religion. The major assertions of the paper are: First, Islam provides the women converts with a new sense of identity and spiritual fulfillment that were not satisfied by their previous religion, Roman Catholicism. Second, conversion brought about new perceptions of women’s roles as they learned and delved into the teachings of Islam. Third, this new perception led to a new form of relationship between the women converts, their families and the rest of Philippine society.[2]
Convert to Islam Society in the Philippines (CONVISLAM), is an organization established by Lauhi De Leon in 1968 for Muslim reverts. Ironically, its office was built in the vicinity of the Quiapo Church in Manila. Since its founding, CONVISLAM conducted missionary activities, Islamic propagation and published Islamic materials. Membership to the organization was mainly confined to converts and other concerned Muslims.[3]
In Metro Manila, the Balik-Islam have successfully initiated and founded many Islamic centers. There are at least four major centers operating in Metro Manila namely, the Islamic Information Center, Discover Islam, Islamic Wisdom Worldwide, and Fisabilillah. Unfortunately, some of these centers were closed as they were implicated with terrorism by the Philippine Government; an accusation strongly denounced by the Muslim reverts. This development affected the activities of Muslim reverts in the country.[4]
A Concise Look in the History of Islam in the Philippines
There are numerous theories about how Islam came to Southeast Asia and the Philippines. One theory is that Muslim traders established trading centers in Southeast Asia as commercial stopovers to China and intermarried daughters of village chiefs. There was a need for Muslim education in these trade centers, which brought about Muslim teachers and missionaries coming from Arabic regions. Another theory is conversion leaders of communities came to local superiors and forced the population to become Muslim. Another theory is that local people were automatically attracted to Islam, belonging to a larger community as a group of equal people in Muslim brotherhood, and the religion had respect for local culture and religion.[5]
Islam spread in the Philippines from the 13th century through the 1500's. The people combined Islam with their own practices and beliefs. Muslims founded communities (called sultanates) with the chief of each community (sultans). Muslim sultans in the Southern Philippines went with a fleet to northern islands for slaves to bring back to Sulu province. Once the slaves were integrated into the community, they were encouraged to marry Muslim Moros of the south so children could acquire freedom.[6]
During Spanish colonization for over 300 years, the Spanish took over the economy, politics, and brought their culture and religion (Catholicism) to the people. They wanted to make people Christian instead of native religions and Muslim. The Spanish sent fleets and armies of converted Christian Filipinos to sultanates to fight the Moros. The Spaniards wanted to annex sultanates to their Spanish colonies. Moro people weakened delivery of resistance due to a lack of modern equipment. Increased recognition of the Spanish as rulers lead to Christian settlers.[7]
The United States colonization period imposed beliefs through education of the Muslim people. The United States encouraged Christian people from Northern Philippines to integrate to Sulu and Mindanao. They gave Southern people the chance to study in Manilla to be taught modern Western ways, which allowed the United States to get a grip over the Southern Philippines and Islamic people.[8]
After the Second World War (post-1941) the Philippines became independent, and now, the predominant religion is Christianity. The Muslims, congregating in the south, are politically inferior to the predominantly Christian north. From the 1950’s onward, Muslims from all over the world have tried to make the Islamic community stronger in the Southern Philippines and they have supported them through money and other aids. Now, Moro nationalism is encouraged from other Muslim countries, and so has the idea of the Moros separating from the Republic of the Philippines. In recent years, various news sources have described the Southern Philippines as a site for violent terrorist groups.[9]
What are you investigating? Why?
What are you investigating? Why?
The study is about the relationship between Muslims and Balik-Islam. This is presented in two ways; one is about the shared insights about two prominent personalities in the league of ulamas in consonance with Islamic theology and perceptions about Muslims’ plight in the Philippines, while the second one is a representation of a physical relationship between Muslims and balik-Islam as well, based on the five questions formulated by the researcher which he finds it salient to the focal point of the study.
This was done because it’s the passion of the researcher to investigate relationship and discover new information within the circle of Muslims. The proponent has not find any extant literature concomitant with this study, so it may only depend on received primary sources.
The researcher would like to hypothesize if Islam is the binding force that keeps both groups (Muslims and Balik-Islam) intact and that conflicts scarcely happen. In a matrix form between the relationship of the Independent and dependent variables, shows like this:
IV ---> DV
Relationship between full-fledged
Muslims and Balik-Islam is intact ---> Islam
and that conflicts scarcely happen.
The researcher would like to find out if:
- There’s a difference on the personal perception and knowledge of Islam between Uztadz Muhammad H. Cana, a full-fledged Muslim, and Hajji Abdul Salam, a Muslim revert.
- And there’s a social perceptive difference between random selected Muslims and balik-Islam, wherein 10 persons represent each group.
What have others done within the subject area?
There’s actually no extant literature about relationship between Muslims and balik-Islam. However, one significant study did by Abdel-Azeem A. Moh. Siddique about balik-Islam is examining on religious reversion, their identity changes and challenges. He asserts that reversion has brought positive and negative effects to the balik-Islam. They have attained spiritual fulfillment and contentment, met rejection from the mainstream society particularly their families who are not in favor of their reversion.
According to him, the reversion is a result of long struggle for religious truth and spiritual satisfaction. Another factor is the balik-Islam’s encounter with Islam through Muslim individuals who are involved in Da’wah (propagation). It is through the Muslim daiyah (propagators) that balik-Islam learned Islam and appreciated its teachings. One of the avenues making Muslims reverts to Islam is through marital engagement. Marriage, in most cases brings reversion to Islam, because in general, male Muslims invite their wife to embrace Islam.
On a positive note, reversion according to balik-Islam have gave them spiritual fulfillment and contentment. The personal transformation among female Muslim reverts mirrored with new disposition and projection, e.g. they are now wearing hijab (veil) to cover their head up to their chest. While on the negative side, balik-Islam has met rejection from the mainstream society particularly from their families who are not in favor. They are also affected by the Filipino public perception about Muslim’s reputation especially in Luzon and Visayas. They also have to cope up with Muslim practices and traditions, e.g. articulating their prayer in Arabic.
Discussions to Answer the Posited Research Problem
Discussions to Answer the Posited Research Problem
The first presentation will be shared insights of two personalities who are member of the league of ulamas. Uztadz Muhammad H. Cana, a full-fledged Muslim, who studied Islamic theology from Imam Mohamman bin So’ud University in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The other one is Hajji Abdul Salam, a balik-Islam, who also studied in Saudi for his Islamic theology and jurisprudence.
We will try to examine concomitantly the answers given by the two respondents coinciding with Sakili’s Muslim concept of space. Space is considered in Islam from a more inward point of view as an abstract, simple and intelligent idea existing only in man’s consciousness. It rejects the possibility of “empty space” and is something always filled. Islamic notion of space is that nature is a partner of man (that is why Muslims in Mindanao referred lands as their life and identity). Ikhwan (Muslim Philosophers) assert that space has no reality independent of this world, but is, on the contrary, one of the conditions of physical existence.
These are the given determinants on Islamic axioms as described by Sakili:
- Tawhid (Divine Unity) means monotheism as opposed to the polytheism of the pre-Islamic Arabs. The ulama (Muslim scholars) link Tawhid with Shari’ah-centric piety (Islamic laws). But to Sufis (Mystic Muslims), Tawhid means the ultimate non-existence of anything except Allah (God).
Ø Cana expressed that as a Muslim it is obligatory to continuously seek knowledge as it was said by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) that “seek from cradle to graveyard.” While Salam stated that the strength of Iman (faith) is the best weapon of anyone to use to know exactly the purpose of creation... without faith every religion comes to an end. He even asserted that those who chose to adopt the modern way is due to lack of faith and knowledge.
- The doctrines of Tawhid are expressed in Shaha’dah (Profession of Faith) declaring that “There is no (other) God but (one) God,” zakat (annual ¼ legal alms of your wealth to the poor), salat (praying five times a day, every dawn, midday, afternoon, sunset and after darkness falls facing at the Qiblah or the Ka’bah direction), Ramadan (fasting for cleansing of souls and sins), and, if practical (financially and physically capable), at least one hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca to visit Ka’bah, the house of God).
Ø Cana described a true Muslim, whom s/he must practice the five (5) pillars of Islam, six (6) articles of faith and avoid doing bad things which are considered forbidden in Islam. This is also congruent to Salam responses.
- Ilm (Islamic system of knowledge) emphasizes the interconnectedness of the Qur’anic values of khalafa (trusteeship), adl (justice) and istislah (public interest) for the pursuit and promotion of equality, social justice and positive moral and ethical values for all men.
Ø Since the researcher test their knowledge about Islam, I asked Cana about hereafter, and he abruptly said that the Holy Qur’an under Sunah Al-Kahl (chapter 18 verses 107 to 108), “verily those who believed on oneness of Allah (Islamic monotheism) and righteous deeds shall have the garden of Al-Firdaus (paradise) for their entertainment (18:107), wherein they shall dwell (forever). No desire will travel for removal there from (18:108). While Salam is very flowery in responding, he said that to oppose threat, always believed God as the creator and taking this away form Him is a blasphemous punishment.
- zahir(outer)-batin(inner) axiom, according to Sufi beliefs, the zahir of the Qur’an (Islam’s holy book) addresses the regulation of physical behavior while its batin meaning is concerned with the quest for the internal meaning of man’s relationship with Allah.
Ø Both of the correspondents can be indirectly categorized as Sufis (beliefs in Islamic mysticisms) for Cana stating that he seeks refuge to Allah from the saitan. and that a true Muslim has nothing in mind to be converted to other religion as Islam is the only religion accepted by Allah.
- The promotion of Dar-al-Islam (Space of Peace and Justice) and prevention Dar-al-Harb (Space, Corruption and Injustices).
Ø They both expressed Dar-al-Islam and Salam said that Islam teaches simplicity which covers all spheres of life. Its basic teaching is the unity of lordship caters all faith without resistance. And literally defined the etymological meaning of Islam which originated from the Arabic word Salama which means peace or guarantees peace in relation with our creator.
Interesting to note is that Cana answered straightforward all the given inquiries while Salam gave mischievous insights that show his reluctance and deep devotion to Islam. Moreover, when I asked him did his family expressed disappointments and rejections over his found new religion, and he vehemently testify to my question, i.e. it comes to a point that his family abandon him and his relationship with his wife got severe when some personal problems occur and one major affliction is his reversion.
The second presentation is the result of a small survey given by the researcher to randomly selected 20 respondents, 10 each for the Muslim and Balik-Islam groups, to show proximity of relationship.
Five (5) questions given to Muslim regarding balik-Islam:
1. Are balik-Islam can be categorize as good reverts?
Ø All of the 10 Muslims answered YES.
2. Did you have any balik-Islam friends?
Ø All of the 10 Muslims answered YES.
3. Did you encounter any devout balik-Islam?
Ø All of the 10 Muslims answered YES.
4. Do you believe that balik-Islams are terrorists, just like what the media portrays?
Ø All of the 10 Muslims answered NO.
Ø 5 Muslims answered YES while the other half answered NO.
Five (5) questions given to Balik-Islam regarding Muslims:
1. Are all Muslims can be categorize as practicing Muslim?
Ø All of the 10 balik-Islam answered YES.
2. Did you have any Muslim friends?
Ø All of the 10 balik-Islam answered YES.
Ø All of the 10 balik-Islam answered YES.
Ø All of the 10 balik-Islam answered NO.
Ø All of the 10 balik-Islam answered YES.
As you can see the breakdown results, it seems that both are not prone to conflicts, misunderstanding, or disagreements due to unison of beliefs in Islam. Here, the postulated hypothesis has been answered since we are measuring the chain relationship of the independent and dependent variables. The researcher concludes that there’s a satisfying camaraderie and amiable relationship between the two subjects (Muslims and Balik-Islam) since they follow the same teachings and principles of Islam. Though, on the part of reversion, balik-Islam have encountered personal problems sociologically, since there’s a big negative impression of the public towards Filipino Muslims.
Which part of that body of knowledge your paper will be added to?
Which part of that body of knowledge your paper will be added to?
The researcher humbly hopes that this paper may gave additional insights or answers about the relationship between full-fledged Muslims and Muslim reverts or the balik-Islam in the realm of anthropological context of discovering Philippine culture and society in the perspective of our Muslim brethren. In the first place of gathering the data needed, the paper has depended on the primary sources such as giving questionnaires to respondents for them to answer based on what they believed and stands for, while lack of extant literature or secondary sources about the central focal of the study.
So hopefully this may help those future researchers who would also investigate about balik-Islam and Muslim relationships or any related subject-matter.
Work Cited and Sources
Primary Sources
- Questionnaires answered by Muhammad Cana and Abdul Salam. This has 11 questions each.
Primary Sources
- Questionnaires answered by Muhammad Cana and Abdul Salam. This has 11 questions each.
- A survey questionnaire from 20 correspondents, Muslim and Balik-Islam groups comprises of 10 persons each. This has only 5 questions each with similar content but differ in the letter head based on the concern correspondent whether Muslim or balik-Islam.
Secondary Sources
Book
Oddie, G. A. Religion in South Asia: Religious Conversion and Revival Movements in South Asia in Medieval and Modern Times. London: Curzon Press, 1977.
Sakili, Abraham P. Space and Identity: Expressions in the Culture, Arts and Society of the Muslims in the Philippines. Quezon City: Asian Center, University of the Philippines, 2003.
Thesis
Moh. Siddique, Abdel-Azeem A. “Balik-Islam: Religious Reversions, Identity Changes and Challenges.” MA Thesis. Institute of Islamic Studies. University of the Philippines, Diliman, April 2005.
Monograph in Online Article
Angeles, Vivienne SM. “From Catholic to Muslim: Changing Perceptions of Gender Roles in a Balik Islam Movement in the Philippines.” La Salle University (Women Studies). Philadelphia, PA. USA
URL source: http://209.85.175.104/search?q=cache:ghEhjvt5AtAJ:www.euroseas.org/2007/documents/ateliers/euroseas_38_545.doc%3FPHPSESSID%3D0d93ca1b219aa5e6759fe12711f56959+balik-Islam&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=14
[1] A study done by Vivienne Angeles in her work on “From Catholic to Muslim: Changing Perceptions of Gender Roles in a Balik Islam Movement in the Philippines.”
[2] Also, in the study done by Vivienne Angeles, her major source of information is the women’s conversion narratives which came out of interviews conducted with women who belong to the Islamic Studies Call and Guidance, a Balik Islam group.
[3] Abdel-Azeem A. Moh. Siddique on his thesis about Balik-Islam.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Taken from the monograph of History of Islam in the Philippines with an URL source at
[7] Ibid.
[8] Ibid.
[9] Ibid.
[2] Also, in the study done by Vivienne Angeles, her major source of information is the women’s conversion narratives which came out of interviews conducted with women who belong to the Islamic Studies Call and Guidance, a Balik Islam group.
[3] Abdel-Azeem A. Moh. Siddique on his thesis about Balik-Islam.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Taken from the monograph of History of Islam in the Philippines with an URL source at
[7] Ibid.
[8] Ibid.
[9] Ibid.
A.M.Nassef
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