Tausug Beliefs and Practices

Marc ArriolaKathleen Quijano

Beliefs

The Quranwords of Allah

(God), revealed to the prophet Muhammad through archangel Gabriel,

source of all Islamic Law, principles and values.

Five Pillars of IslamFoundation of Muslim lifeIman - Faith or belief in the Oneness of God

and the finality of the prophethood of Muhammad;

Salah - Establishment of the daily prayers;Zakah - Concern for and almsgiving to the

needy;Sawm - Self-purification through fasting;Hajj - The pilgrimage to Makkah for those

who are able.

Life After Deatha person has four souls that leave the body after

death:

Transcendental

life-soul associated with blood

the breath or life essence

spirit-soul who travels during dreams and causes the shadow

• The body goes to hell, where his duration of punishment is determined by his misconduct

• all Tausug eventually reach heaven.

Supernatural BeliefsTheir world is full of environmental spirits, inhabiting

nature especially rocks and trees

These spirits cause sickness or good fortune, and may be the cause of human suffering.

these spirits are the saytan (evil spirits) and jinn (unseen creatures).

Some saytan have names, like the balbalan (manananggal), a flying creature which enjoys the liver of corpses.

The Christian devil finds its counterpart in Iblis, who tempts people into evil.

Practices

Indigenous healing practices are assumed by the mangugubat (curer) who has direct access to the spirit world.

Traditional practices which are"medical“ includes the sacrifice of a hen near a balete tree. Incantations are said and a rooster is set free near the same tree.

Paggunting – Tausug Baptism

The child is clothed in the best garments and is brought to the group of Imams standing in a circle

A few strands of hair are dipped in a container of the water of butong

The child’s mouth is smeared with sugar

Candle is lit at the beginning of the ritual and blown off after

BurialThere are four requirements to be performed on

the dead:

the Sutchihun, to bathe and cleanse the corpse;

Saputun, wrapping the body in a shroud;

Sambayanganun, performing the obligatory prayer of the dead;

Hikubul, to bury him

When the warmth is gone, the corpse is sponged in cold water

The bathing is done by religious persons. It’s done in silence

The water used is fresh and and perfumed with betel nut flowers, kamanyan or incense, and sandalwood

The corpse is then wiped then perfumed and placed in a shroud

shroud is made of 3 pieces of white cloth in accordance with the length of the corpse.

wrapped in a lying position with hands placed over the chest, right over left

Grave is dug in proportion to the length of corpse

Follows a north-south direction from 6-9 feet deep

At this depth, a chamber of about two feet wide, which the Tausug calls the paliyangan, is dug on its west side

a religious man would lower himself into such a hallow say the tulkin (prayer for the dead)

It drives evil spirits away and cleanses the final resting place of the dead.

paliyangan is sealed with slabs which the Tausug refer to as the ding ding hali, literally meaning “wall of rest.”

Grave markers for males are round and flat for female

A newborn infant's hold on life is thought to be precarious

children are commonly protected with amulets (hampan ) and temporarily secluded immediately after birth.

At around 1 or 2 years of age, both boys and girls undergo a ritual haircutting and immediately afterward are named.

Most pre-adolescent children attend Quranic school or study the Quran with a private tutor

they demonstrate their skills at recitation in a public ceremony called pagtammat.

Boys are circumcised ( pagislam ) in their early teens

girls undergo a similar rite ( pagsunnat ), but without ceremony and attended only by females, when they reach the age of 5 or 6.

Clan ConflictsKnown as rido in Tagalog and pagbanta in

Tausug,

honor killings.

Refusal to demand payment of a blood debt from one’s enemies opens a Tausug male up to the charge that he is without shame (way sipug).

Shame reflects awareness of the individual as a member of a community.

No eating of porkAllah advises them not to through the Quran.

they believe it is dirty because pigs don’t sweat, therefore the bacteria remains inside them.

There are no nutrients in pork therefore they have nothing to gain from eating it.

PrayingTausugs pray five times a day

To remember that the Prophet Muhammad was perfect and that’s how Tausugs should be

To remember who created them

HijabTausug women wear hijab to respect

themselves as special and valued beings

To protect themselves from immoral thoughts by others

To be loved for their attitude, personality and intelligence, etc.