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in memoriam

Cesar Adib Majul


By Dr. Susan Boyle

ing Muslim intellectual of Christian Arab


and Filipino heritage, he tracked the China
link to Islam in the Philippines, placed the
history of the Philippines in its southeast
regional context, and addressed the neg-
lected history, the current conditions, and
the culture of Muslims in Mindanao and
Sulu.
Dr. Majul published seven books and over
120 articles. In addition, he was instructor of
Philosophy and Political Science for years at
the University of the Philippines. He was
also a visiting professor at Cornell University
dr. cesar adib majul (Adb Majl) for the 1966-67 and 1973-74 academic
passed away on Saturday, October 11th, years and received several national awards in
2003 in his home in San Pablo, California. the Philippines for his historical and biogra-
He died of cancer ten days before his phical works. In the 1960s and 1970s, he
eightieth birthday. Best known for his work supplemented his academic endeavors with
on the Filipino revolutionaries, Apolinario administrative responsibilities as dean at the
Mabini and Jose Rizal, and for his classic University of the Philippines and then as
work, Muslims in the Philippines, he influ- head of the University College, Department
enced several generations of Filipinos of Admissions and the College of Arts and
through his commitment to honesty in the Sciences. Also, during that time, he served
smallest of things and his service as an on the Board of Regents of the University of seasons
incorruptible moral compass. Mindanao, and he was dean, Islamic Philos-
Dr. Majul was born in the Philippines as ophy professor, co-founder of the Institute
one of nine children to a Syrian Damascene of Islamic Studies, and officer-in-charge of
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immigrant father from the Ottoman the Institute of International Studies and
Empire and a local Spanish-Malay mother. the Asian Center. In addition, he served as
He spent several childhood years in Davao chairman of the Board of Directors of the
and studied at La Salle and the University of Philippine Amanah Bank.
the Philippines before obtaining his doc- In 1975, Dr. Majul was chairman of the
torate in Political Science as a Fulbright Presidential Commission that drafted the
Fellow at Cornell University in New York in Code of Muslim Personal Laws of the
1956. Upon his return to the Philippines in Philippines. During the period of martial
1957, he came to prominence for his analy- law under President Marcos beginning in
sis of the meaning and significance of 1972, Dr. Majul worked as guardian and
building a national community. As a lead- guide, instructing and counseling students 33
(some of whom would become priests and transcending retribution and a culture of
some revolutionaries), advising government vengeance; and of fractured man awakening
officials, and suggesting policy and ideas to beyond ego, tribe, and sect to a world of com-
end the impoverishment, neglect, and abuse mon concern. For Majul, the challenge was
of Muslims in Mindanao and Sulu. always that of individual choice: to assume the
Throughout this period, he said he remained responsibility of choosing to become truly
devoted to three things: to protect the moral.
Muslim minority; to help in the cohesion of a After a lifetime of teaching, he reflected
growing national community; and, as much as days before dying that some 30,000 people
possible, to raise the educational and national know my face through my lectures (some
level of ordinary Filipinos. lectures had 300 per class) on philosophy, on
In 1980, Dr. Majul left the Philippines just logic, on Islamic institutions, on Rizal .
as his father had left the Ottoman Empire Students flocked to his lectures to witness his
secretly in fear of his life never brilliance, his unyielding respect for inherent
to return save to provide the human dignity, and his irrepressible moral
1999 commemorative speech impulse. They were inspired by Majuls faith,
on Jose Rizal at the University of discipline, and moral courage to achieve
the Philippines, where ten years critical, creative, and meaningful lives which
earlier he had received an hon- ennobled both the individual as a social being
orary Doctor of Laws in absentia and the nation as a whole.
for his unremitting dedication Throughout his life, Dr. Majuls reputation
to the highest standards; his grew as an incorruptible character a man
selfless service; his inspiring seeking peace whom revolutionaries would
wisdom, compassion, and embrace. I have always loved fairness and
Calligraphy by Cesar Majul
from the front of his
strength of character; his sin- hated vindictiveness, he said days before pass-
forthcoming book gular contribution to history ing. He spent his final years still deeply
Remembrance and political science, and his connected to the Muslim problems in the
and Forgetfulness
dedicated service to the coun- Philippines, ever available for counsel and
in the Quran.
try. advice to all sides. Amidst sectarian conflict
In the final days of his life, and tribal divisions, he called upon individuals
Dr. Majul prepared to update and publish his to transcend their differences to secure the
essay, Islams Advent and Spread in the common good.
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Philippines, and to distribute copies of his most At a time when the world is stained with
recent essay, Remembrance and Forgetfulness in bloodshed and awash with hundreds of thou-
the Quran; he was also preparing to obtain his sands of refugees, Cesar Majul, a Muslim of
dual citizenship (U.S. and Filipino). Though Christian ancestry, remains an inspiration: a
pained by those who had turned on him man of peace who understood progress in
during the Marcos period, he remained with- its most fundamental dimensions of life
out anger. His aphorism was, Dont let lived with moral courage and character.
resentment poison your blood. You hurt your- Intellectual brilliance was and never is suffi-
self if you are vindictive. He transcended the cient; for without a spiritual capacity, there is
petty, ever focusing on principle and the fun- little to guide humanitys refinement and
damental moral goal of working towards the creation of a compassionate, caring, just, and
common good of the nation. His own life fair domain united beyond blood and ideolo-
resolved the paradox of spiritual man seeking gy by the moral anchor of a common purpose
34 refinement in a material world; of broken man a common good.
Shakir Massoud adds: ment from his comrades to apply for U.S. mili-
dr. cesar adib majul was a truly delightful tary veterans benefits, Cesar Majul refused,
friend and teacher, who passed from this stating that his only intention had been to rid
world on the 15th of the lunar month of his country of its occupiers.
Shabn of this year, 1424 Hijrah. Upon nearly Dr. Majul had not only a lifelong interest in
everyone who ever met him, he bestowed some and appreciation of Islamic Law and political
treasured gift; yet, even more so, over the power but also an enduring devotion to the
course of the latter half of the 20th Century, he spiritual disciplines of Sufism.
attained an important and unique position in He attributed his path to Islam and Sufism
the modern history of Islam. Looking at some first to his fathers encounter with the charis-
of what we know of his life and legacy may offer matic 19th Century Algerian resistance leader
a glimpse of his station in our common history. and spiritual devotee, Emir Abdul Qdir. The
Diverse peoples, cultures, and movements emir, in his latter life, had been the main
intersected through Dr. Majuls life. Firstly, he instrument in the revival of the books and Sufic
inherited from his father, Adib, many aspects teachings of Shaykh Mu^iyuddn ibnu l-
of the classical Arab culture of 19th Century Arab. The young Adib Majul was taken by his
Damascus, and, in his own life, that culture father before the great shaykh in Damascus to
blended with the Southeast Asian and Moro- be blessed. He was later taken on as a retainer
Islamic legacy of the Philippines, the country to the Ottoman authorities in Damascus and
into which he was born. His life also bridged educated in their traditions. Furthermore,
Orthodox Catholicism, through his Christian Dr. Majul used to say he was profoundly influ-
family origin, and Islam, though his later con- enced through sitting attentively by his fathers
tact with many great Islamic scholars and side after Bible study every Sunday to listen to
personages of the 20th Century. From his him recite Surah Ysuf from the Quran.
early classical education, he was not only flu- Besides his more worldly academic pursuits,
ent in Spanish but also knew by heart large in his later years, Dr. Majul was initiated into
portions of the Catholic Liturgy in Latin. several Sufi ~arqas (paths), most notably the
That, combined with his embrace of Islam Naqshabandiya path through Shaykh Muham-
and taking part in its scholastic pursuit, made mad (Mehmet) Zahid Kotku of Istanbul.
him a formidable authority in comparative
religion. He bridged young and old through An Inveterate Academician
his years of teaching and his interest in the Dr. Majul spent his entire life in the service of seasons
affairs of young Muslims up until his death. education. He began as an exceptional
He was a significant point of contact between student. One philosophy professor at Cornell
Islamic scholars in the Middle and Far East University expressed his shock at Cesar
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and Muslim converts in the West. Majuls high performance as a graduate stu-
Also worthy of mention is Dr. Majuls dent from the Philippines who came up with
valiant military service. During World War II, innovative ideas on the thought of Bertrand
when the Majul home was bombed by the Russell; this professor said that he had up until
Japanese, the family fled into the provinces. then assumed that Majul was just an upstart
For the Filipino Resistance, Cesar Majul ran student from an inconsequential American
messages under fire to coordinate the colonial backwater.
Guerillas and the U.S. Forces. At one point, Dr. Majul was intrigued with many different
he fought room to room to clear the Manila issues and topics, and his keen, analytic mind,
Hotel of Japanese soldiers for General trained in logic and philosophy, often dis-
MacArthur. After the war, despite encourage- cerned subtleties and hitherto unknown 35
aspects of whatever subject he applied himself surmised through his research that it is more
to. His research allowed him access to some of than likely that they were three of four cousins
the best libraries in the world, and through it, from the 80 or so Muslim emigrants to
he also became acquainted with internation- Abyssinia during the lifetime of the Prophet
ally renowned academics. He helped Muhammad . The fourth of them is known
establish and oversee the Institute of Islamic to have perished en route and is buried at a
Studies of the University of the Philippines, spot on the coast of Southwest India. Dr. Majul
and he served as Trustee on the Board of the also researched the life and ancestry of the
Center for Muslim Contribution to Muslim admiral, Cheng-Ho.
Civilization in Qatar.
Even in informal gatherings, Cesar Majul Lover of The Quran
would often deliver what was, in effect, an Although Dr. Majul was the first to admit that
impromptu lecture, or, if his companions he had no formal training in the Arabic
possessed information or insights that stimu- language or other areas of Islamic academic
lated his interest, he would elicit from them disciplines, he nonetheless exercised his con-
every pertinent detail until the subject was siderable intuitive powers and reason to gain
exhausted. new and dramatic insights into some linguistic
Dr. Majul required from his students and and numeric aspects of the Quranic text.
aides diligence and accuracy, and he never Although his methodology was considered by
put up with sloppiness, often to the point that some controversial due to its non-traditional
some initially viewed him as a severe taskmas- approach or being liable to misinterpretation,
ter. Nonetheless, his critics usually later came Dr. Majul did not agree. He viewed these ideas
to realize that his uncompromising attitude and methods as unique contributions to the
had bettered their skills and habits. wealth of knowledge that establishes the
Majesty and Perfection of God through con-
Historian sideration of the inimitability (ijz) of the
Through Dr. Majul, the history of the great Quran.
Sultanates of the Philippines was preserved.
He compiled and expanded on the works of Calligrapher and Artist
the Arab-American Army surgeon, Dr. Najeeb Partly from his love for mathematics and partly
Mitry Saleeby (of the American colonial peri- through his interest in the elegant design
od) and others to create the definitive and motifs of Islamic Andalusia, Dr. Majul devel-
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authoritative textbook on Philippine Islam oped a talent for creating wonderful


called, Muslims in the Philippines. Some of his geometric Arabic calligraphic designs, which
essays were translated by Dr. Nabil Tawil Subhi was one of his favorite hobbies. He admired
into Arabic and published in Beirut as Al-Islm those who knew the meaning and cosmologi-
f Sharqi l-Aq| (1966). cal symbolism behind many of the traditional
Dr. Majul speculated on and set out to forms of Arabic calligraphy. For him, art,
establish a solid connection with the incep- architecture, and the creative process were
tion of Islam in China and the earliest Arab essential to life and happiness.
Muslim travelers. Tang Dynasty records note
the immigration of three Muslim holy men Social Issues
from the West, and their gravesites are still Dr. Majul was always passionately opposed to
known and revered. China historians have not oppression, not only as it related to the politi-
agreed on the details of who exactly these men cal and cultural oppression of the indigenous
36 were or when they arrived in China. Dr. Majul Muslims of the Philippines but also to other
beleaguered peoples such as the Palestinians. Muhammad Salih; his adoring sisters; and
Dr. Majul respected the courageous work of legions of friends, former students, and
journalists such as Robert Fisk, whose career acquaintances around the world. Many will
he followed avidly. Although sympathetic to miss him now that he has passed on to the next
various resistance movements, he tempered Stage in his journey. May God enliven us all by
his support for such causes with practicality his memory, enable us to make good use of his
and reason. He envisioned and worked teachings, and shower him with rewards,
towards the formation in the Philippines of a divine mercy, and forgiveness.
multicultural, tolerant, and pluralistic society,
not one born of violence and polarization. a selection of some of cesar majuls

The Philippine government held him in such many published books & articles:

high regard as to have appointed him media- Muslims in the Philippines (Univ. of Phil. Press,
tor in disputes with Moro political groups and 1st edit. 1973, last edition 1999). (This
in some of their foreign affairs involving Mus- book is also translated into Malaysian.)
lim countries. Family Planning in Islam (1973).
The Divine-Human Encounter in Islam (Cornell
Conclusion Univ., 1974).
Those lucky enough to have known Dr. Majul What Jerusalem Means to Muslims (1974).
remember that he was always able to elicit a Basic Islamic Concepts Underlying the Principles
good laugh with one of the humorous anec- Governing the Islamic Family and Their
dotes he gleaned from his experiences. He was Implications on Modern Islamic Society (Al-
never a stranger to having a good time, to hav- Azhar, 1975).
ing dinner out on the town, or to appreciating The Beautiful Names of Allah (Salam Magazine,
a classic Japanese samurai movie. In his self- Sept. 1974).
deprecating humility, he sometimes used to Arabic Kufi Inscriptions in the Stole of Archbishop
call himself a kasl (lazy loaf). Hubert Walter (1978).
His kindness and generosity seemed limit- Islams Explanation of the Human Paradox and its
less, extending not only to family and friends Solution to it in the Modern World (WAMY,
but even on occasion to passing acquaintances 1979).
on public transportation as well as near neigh- Islamic Traditional Values as a Force for
bors. He lived his years of retirement in Modernization (Rockefeller Found., 1979).
semi-obscurity, in an unassuming house in a The Prophet Muhammad as the Norm for True seasons
working class suburb of the San Francisco Bay Humanity (1980)
Area. I saw one of his Hispanic neighbors Islam and the Social Sciences (Univ. of Malaya,
break down weeping when she learned that 1981).
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Don Cesar had just passed away, saying she Code of Islamic Personal Law (collaboration
would miss his kindness and companionship. I with Al-Azhar Univ., Cairo, at request of
recall one afternoon walking several blocks Philippine Government, 1981).
with him in Berkeley, and no less than a half a The Names of Allah in Relation to the
dozen people came running out of the shops Mathematical Structure of Quran (1982).
and cafes with huge smiles just to greet and Islam and Creative Development (Qatar Univ.
embrace their friend, Dr. Cesar. 1983).
Dr. Cesar Majul is survived by his loving and Four Special Names of Allah in the Quran
gracious wife, Wiene; his son, Dr. Zainul (1984).
Abidin; his stepdaughter, Christina; his grand- The Contemporary Muslim Movement in the
sons , Amr, Ahmad, Muhammad Umar, and Philippines (Mizan Press, Berkeley, 1985). 37

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