Samuel K. Tan’s Filipino Muslim Perceptions of Their History and Culture as Seen Through Indigenous Written Sources examines the historiographical landscape of Filipino Muslim history, emphasizing indigenous written sources over colonial records. Tan highlights the limitations of oral traditions, which vary across ethnic groups, and critiques colonial sources for their biased perspectives that framed Muslims as uncivilized and in need of Christianization. Instead, Tan underscores the value of indigenous Kirim and Jawi manuscripts, which include tarsilas (genealogies), sarsilas, kitabs (books), and other documents that offer insights into Muslim perceptions of their history and culture. These manuscripts, primarily from the Maguindanao and Sulu Sultanates, provide a foundation for reconstructing pre-colonial history and understanding the development of Islamic institutions in the region.

The discussion begins with the pre-Islamic era, where early political institutions such as the rajaship and datuship laid the groundwork for societal organization. The advent of Islam in the 14th century introduced the tuanship and later the Sultanate, marking the culmination of Islamization. The genealogies in the tarsilas, such as those of Tuan Mashaika and Mantiri Asip, reveal the integration of Islamic and local traditions, illustrating the sociopolitical structures that preceded the formal establishment of the Sultanate under Sharif ul-Hashim Abu Bakr in Sulu and Sharif Kabungsuan in Maguindanao. These genealogies also underscore the interconnectedness of Southeast Asian Islamic networks, linking the Philippines to broader Indo-Malay and Muslim worlds.

Tan identifies two phases of Islamization: the development of folk-Islam, which blended Islamic practices with local traditions, and the formal establishment of centralized Islamic institutions, such as the Sultanate and the madrasa system. The Sultanate represented the political acme of Islamization, centralizing power and integrating pre-Islamic datuships into a unified Islamic framework. However, the Sultanate’s influence waned under colonial pressures, beginning with Spanish conquest in the 16th century and later American colonization, which sought to suppress Muslim autonomy through strategies of pacification and integration. Despite this decline, folk-Islam persisted as a means of cultural survival.

The Luwaran and Sulu codes, indigenous legal codes rooted in Islamic jurisprudence and local customs, further reflect Filipino Muslim culture and governance. The Luwaran, comprising 85 articles and annotations from Arabic sources, addresses issues such as property rights, marriage, and criminal justice, illustrating the integration of Shafi’i legal principles with local norms. Similarly, the Sulu codes, first codified under Sultan Pulalon and later revised under Sultan Jamalul Kiram II, provide insights into societal values, emphasizing justice, social order, and the authority of Islamic law. These legal frameworks reveal a nuanced understanding of governance that balances Islamic tenets with indigenous practices.

Beyond legal codes, Jawi materials such as royal correspondence, proclamations, and hutbahs (sermons) offer additional perspectives on governance and spirituality. These documents reflect a deep commitment to Islamic principles, underscoring the unity of social, political, and religious life. Leaders like Hadji Butu Abdul Baqui articulated a vision of governance that harmonized earthly authority with divine guidance, emphasizing the inseparability of spiritual and temporal affairs.

Tan’s analysis concludes by tracing the enduring legacy of Islamic governance and cultural identity among Filipino Muslims. Despite the decline of the Sultanate as a political institution, its cultural and religious influence persists in contemporary Muslim society, navigating tensions between Darul Islam (the abode of Islam) and Darul Harb (the abode of conflict). The study ultimately positions Filipino Muslim history within the broader context of Southeast Asian Islam, highlighting the resilience of indigenous traditions and the complex interplay between local, regional, and global forces in shaping Filipino Muslim identity.