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- EDD K. USMAN | X (Twitter): @edd1819 | Instagram: @bluestar0910 |Facebook: SDN – SciTech & Digital News
BALO-I, Lanao del Norte (SDN) — Moral renewal, the improvement of oneself, becoming a better you, is the most important aspect of performing fasting during Islam’s holy month of Ramadan.
SDN – SciTech & Digital News had the privileged of listening to a lecture here at the open-air Balo-i Gymnasium, around two hours or less by car from the Laguindingan International Airport (LIA), in Laguindingan Municipality, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao.
Ustadhz Abdul Jabbar Ansao Montañer, a young Muslim preacher, hammered down this vital message when he delivered a lecture on Ramadan fasting at the symposium. His wide-ranging yet Ramadan-focused lecture revolved around the theme “Ramadan Islamic Sharing Da’wah” under the “Moral Recovery Program Islamic Seminar” organized by the Balo-i local government unit (LGU) under Mayor Bai Hadja Hanifa P. Ali in coordination with the Sangguniang Kabataan Federation (SKF).
Related: Queenie Padilla Speaks at ‘Ramadhan Islamic Sharing Da’wah’ in Balo-i, Lanao del Norte, March 6
Montañer delivered his lecture before more than 2,000 attendees, who were certainly fasting and a huge majority of them women, his clear loud voice amplified by microphone reverberating in the cool shade with the weather cooperating. The sun’s rays not too hot, not really cool. Just in the middle as one would hope for.
Islam gives Queenie Padilla inner peace and direction in life
Queenie and her party arrived from Iligan City while the lecture was already on, settling in the stage with the lady mayor, as well as former Balo-i Mayor Madid Elias Lope Ali, Board Member Alexander Ali, JumeirahVille CEO Mahmoud Abdelmoniem, Red Cross Nurse Maria Theresa Reynon Sakkalahul, Balo-i native Samira Gutoc, and many other guests. Queenie’s party flew in from Manila a day before, staying in Iligan City at the clean Alan SR. Residences.
Sometime in his highly engaging lecture, Montañer asked the audience: “What’s the point of Ramadan fasting?”
He asked the question as he emphasized that Muslims are not really trying to wholly digest the commands of Allah subhanna wa taala.
“(Fasting) is not just abstaining from eating (drinking, smoking, etc.). So, why it’s ‘Taqwa’ — meaning obedience to whatever Allah’s command, to seek blessings, refraining from haram because of fear (of God),” the Ramadan lecturer points out.
“That’s what Allah wants in His command on performing fasting, that we will be able to know, and we should understand on how to gain Taqwa,” he underscores. “That should be the center of our mindset in Ramadan.
“So, we can have improvement (moral renewal). It is the reason why (Muslims) ought to give importance to our observance of Ramadan. Quality is more important than quantity in our worship.”
At least in the Philippines, local and foreign Muslims — including Arab diplomats — started the Ramadan’s first day on Sunday, March 2, abstaining from food, drinks, cigarettes, sex, among others, from dawn to dusk. A period of abstention that lasts 13 or 14 hours.
Queenie Padilla at the podium sent her greeting and thanks to Mayor Hanifa P. Ali and the Balo-i LGU and SKF for having her and her party for the event.
“I feel very honored to have been invited to this event. It’s always a pleasure to be a part of events like this. Any program or event for the sake of Allah, feels fulfilling,” the daughter of Senator Robin “Abdulaziz” Padilla remarks.
She revealed the biggest change in her life when she embraced Islam in 2011 — just two months after her mother Liezel Sicangco in Australia. (Robin and Liezel had separated and now married to their respective new spouse.
Robin who was then an inmate for illegal possession of firearms (later pardoned), embraced Islam while serving time at the Bilibid Prisons (National Penitentiary) after watching Muslim inmates performing prayers.
A frequent visitor at the Bilibid Prisons, Ibrahim Mata, one of the founders of the Islamic Studies, Call and Guidance (ISCAG) da’wah organization that thrived in the 1980s to the ’90s, helped Robin learned more about Islam. The rest is history. As a senator, Robin has authored and filed several bills addressing Muslim Filipinos’ needs and welfare.
His daughter Queenie is making her mark as well in the country’s Muslim community, getting invited to various speaking engagements.
“The biggest change in life would probably be building a grateful mindset and having a deeper sense of purpose in life,” she says, opening her heart to the audience who cheered on her, welcoming her in their community.
As she spoke at the event, her voice cracked, which happens often when she relates her Islamic journey, leaving behind her career as an actress.
In earlier news reports Queenie was quoted as saying that Islam has given her inner peace and direction in life. (This journalist was present when Robin and Liezel were wedded in 1998 under a covered Sampaguita Medium Security facility of the Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa, National Capital Region. Some employees of the then Office on Muslim Affairs (now defunct) organized the wedding.
Nurse Maria is married to former Basilan vice governor Al-Rasheed Sakkalahul, her path to Islam. “Because of my love for my husband, I embraced Islam and now I found peace and there is no going back.”
Despite many trials she went through, Nurse Maria said she continues to be a Muslimah and learning many aspects of Islam.
JumeirahVille Subdivision to incorporate Islamic amenities
For the Balo-i event, Queenie sent her message to the youth about imbibing the importance of seeking knowledge, because this lays the foundation of your eeman (faith). “The more you know about your deen (religion), the stronger your faith,” she advises.
Montañer, in his lecture, noted that many worshipers are more attentive on the quantity of their worship. “But let us not overlook the quality of our ‘ibadah’ (worship), because it affects our self.”
He said the worship prevents the commission of haram (prohibited acts, thoughts), adding “marites” (today’s in-word for gossip) is bad, as well as hurting people’s feelings. Bad words, more so during fasting, must be stopped.
Those who do not abandon evil acts, have no respect for their worship. Part of the Islam’s commands is to avoid feelings of others, the Maranao preacher suggested.
In the 30 days of Ramadan, worshipers, Montañer emphasized, must search their soul and find out what do you want in yourself reformed. “Let us start moral renewal in Ramadan and practice it even after the fasting month. In the month of Ramadan, it is timely to start improving yourself.”
Montañer, CEO and director at Al-Jalis As-Salih, Inc. Islamic Information Center, also drove home what he described as unending battle between “hawa” (desire) and eeman (faith), saying desire drives a person to do haram acts and things.
Meanwhile, Abdelmoniem, the JumeirahVille Subdivision top official and founder, took the opportunity to check the only Shari’ah-compliant housing community in the Philippines, and third in Southeast Asia, after Indonesia’s and Malaysia’s.
He said the subdivision, a project of Ver Development Corporation, has provisions for Islamic amenities that separates it from other subdivisions in the country.
SDN learned that some of the planned amenities include “a Grand Masjid, Madrasah for Tahfeedhul Quran and Islamic Studies, an Islamic Integrated School, livelihood programs, and many more initiatives aimed at fostering a true Islamic environment for Muslim families.”
JumeirahVille Subdivision’s entry in the housing sector, observers noted, is a whiff of fresh air as in the past there was a subdivision owned by a prominent political family that banned Muslims from owning a house and lot. (♡)
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The author
EDD K. Usman, a native of Sub-Saharan Buluan/Datu Piang, Maguindanao del Sur, BARMM, college at UST, is a Manila-based journalist for over 40 years (33 years with Manila Bulletin), has five Media Awards (1 with University of the Philippines (UP) 2017 Science Journalism Award), covered and traveled over 40 times abroad), has contributed to Rappler, Business Mirror, former Manila-based Foreign Correspondent of Saudi Arabia newspapers Saudi Gazette and Riyadh Daily, and The Peninsula (Qatar newspaper), with 2008 East-West Center (EWC) Journalism Seminar in the United States, 2000 Executive IT Seminar in Seoul, South Korea, with three Silver Awards in Photography, writes Muslim and Current Affairs, Enterprise, Science, Tech, Products Launch, and virtually everything under Heaven. (@)