Maguindanao in Philippines

Introduction / History

Traditional Maguindanao settlements were located near waterways. This allowed ease of transportation and communication by boat. Several of the major trading centers were also seats of political power, while other settlements along or near the waterways were controlled by local chiefs. This traditional pattern of settlement has been slowly altered by the building of roads that do not follow the natural course of the waterways.

What Are Their Lives Like?

Large towns have sprung up along these highways, becoming new centers of commerce. Today, the Maguindanao still produce nearly all of their own food.
Kulintang, a type of gong music, is an important type of music among the Maguindanao. The Maguindanao get with friends and family to tell riddles. They love riddles with ambiguous answers. Within the group, the person who is designated as the riddler must tell the riddles without embellishing it. They have their own folk tales which are usually for children.
Muslim leaders and teachers preside over religious life. They teach young schoolboys to read and memorize the Koran. It is very difficult for them to accept the teachings of another holy book, especially when it comes from the Catholic Filipinos, whom many Muslims view as enemies.

What Are Their Beliefs?

The Maguindanao people are Sunni Muslims who believe that the supreme God, Allah, spoke through his prophet, Mohammed, and taught mankind how to live a righteous life through the Koran and the Hadith. To live a righteous life, you must utter the Shahada (a statement of faith), pray five times a day facing Mecca, fast from sunup to sundown during the month of Ramadan, give alms to the poor, and make a pilgrimage to Mecca if you have the means. Muslims are prohibited from drinking alcohol, eating pork, gambling, stealing, slandering, and making idols. They gather for corporate prayer on Friday afternoons at a mosque, their place of worship.
The two main holidays for Sunni Muslims are Eid al Fitr, the breaking of the monthly fast and Eid al Adha, the celebration of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son to Allah.
Sunni religious practices are staid and simple. They believe Allah has pre-determined our fates; they minimize free will.
In most of the Muslim world, common people depend on the spirit world for their daily needs since they regard Allah as too distant. Allah may determine their eternal salvation, but the spirits determine how well they live on a daily basis. For that reason, some Muslims appease spirits using charms and amulets to help them with spiritual forces. Orthodox Muslims consider these practices heretical and un-Islamic.

What Are Their Needs?

The Maguindanao need to encounter Jesus without the cultural trappings of Roman Catholic Filipinos, whom they regard as enemies. They need Jesus without anything else.

Prayer Points

Ask the Holy Spirit to prepare the hearts of the Maguindanao people for the gospel.
Ask the Lord to raise up a strong local church among the Maguindanao that will be a blessing to all Muslims in Mindanao.
Ask the Holy Spirit to give God's creative ideas to reach the Muslim Maguindanao.

Text Source:   Joshua Project