Reclaiming Historical Memory: Abdulmajeed Ansano’s Islamic and Vernacular Scholarship on the Philippine Muslim Experience

Abstract

The mainstream history of the Muslims in the Philippines has been written mostly by secular scholars and, to some extent, by Muslim historians who utilize nationalist historiographical perspectives in their works. On the other hand, a few non-mainstream Islamic scholars or Ulama have also produced literature discussing the history of Muslims in the Philippines as an integral part of global Islamic history. One of them is Abdulmajeed Ansano, who wrote in both English and Meranaw. This paper identifies the important historiographical themes in the works of Ansano and other notable scholars. Of particular significance among the findings is Ansano’s portrayal of Muslim history especially in his most encompassing work, Gonanao ko Panagontaman: Pantag ko Paratiyaya, Kaisaisa ago Katagompiya as a counterpoint to both Filipino nationalist historiography and secular Muslim historiography. Moreover, his use of the Meranaw language demonstrates the symbolic and affective power of vernacular expression in confronting issues such as colonization and social ills. The study reveals how Islamic and vernacular scholarship redefines Philippine Muslim history through alternative frameworks of meaning and historical consciousness that transcend colonial and nationalist paradigms.