BONGAO, Tawi-Tawi (MindaNews / 28 June)—Life moves forward, not backward. We cannot undo the past, but we can learn from it, even from painful events like the loss of loved ones. In hindsight, we may be tempted to think of what could have been, but the hard lesson remains: we cannot bring back our loved ones from the grave. So, we move on, or among Sinama speakers, we say, “pasong ketam” (we move on), and among Sinug speakers, we say, “sungan ta” (let us move on).
We move forward with what we have, surrounded by loved ones, to start anew. We pick up the pieces and chart a future, knowing that one day we too will join our departed relatives. Some may live briefly, others longer. Those who live longer bear the responsibility of guiding those left behind. We do not know how long each of us has on Earth (dunya), so we must be prepared. This preparation is what our kamaasan (elders) and kaguruhan (religious teachers) continually emphasize.
In our agama (Islamic religion), preparation begins with the five fundamentals for mature believers: acknowledging the Oneness of Allah and the prophethood of Muhammad, performing the five daily prayers, giving zakat, fasting in Ramadan, and performing Hajj if able. These constitute the essence of a practicing Muslim.
Beyond these fundamentals, faith deepens with belief in the Oneness of God (Tawhīd), His angels (malāʾikat), His books (kutub), His prophets (anbiyāʼ), the Day of Judgment (yawm al-dīn) and hereafter (akhirah), and predestination (qada’ and qadr). This foundational knowledge guides a Muslim throughout life and forms the basis of obedience and submission. A Muslim imbued with such faith is called a mu’mīn, characterized by a firm faith in the heart and complete submission to God’s will.
Moving beyond obedience (Islam) and faith (iman) is ihsān, the pursuit of excellence in worship and deeds solely to please God. The Archangel Gabriel explained to Prophet Muhammad that ihsān is worshiping God as if seeing Him, or knowing that though we do not see Him, He sees us. At this stage, we move forward not just by meeting the basics but by beautifying our acts, driven by a consciousness of the unseen presence of God. We strive towards spiritual excellence, goodness, and righteousness.
This trinity of obedience (Islam), faith (Iman), and the quest for excellence (Ihsan) forms the foundation for moving forward and upward. It motivates us to deepen our belief, perform acts of worship and righteousness, knowing that these efforts shape our future in Jannatul Firdaws (Gardens of Paradise), where we anticipate reunion with our departed loved ones.
Thus, we move on, grieving for a while but decisively living forward, growing better, and hoping to return prepared when we hear the expression: “INNA LILLĀHI WA INNĀ ILAYHI RĀJI’ŪN” (From God we came, and to Him we shall all return), is finally pronounced on us.
(MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. Noor Saada is a Tausug of mixed ancestry—born in Jolo, Sulu, grew up in Tawi-Tawi, studied in Zamboanga and worked in Davao, Makati and Cotabato. He is a development worker and peace advocate, former Assistant Regional Secretary of the Department of Education in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, currently working as an independent consultant and is a member of an insider-mediation group that aims to promote intra-Moro dialogue.)