This book brings to light a well-guarded tradition among Tausug . . . [It] articulates the system of PagTuhan, its tenets, development, and implications. More particularly, it traces the genesis and evolution of PagTuhan that held sway in the Sulu Archipelago and other adjacent areas in various phases of history embracing dominant Asiatic traditions, particularly Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Islam. . . . Started as a master's thesis at the UP Institute of Islamic Studies, this book fills an interesting gap in Southeast Asian and Philippine Muslim scholarship.

The work’s finding is both psychologically revealing and intellectually stimulating. It primarily reveals the nuances of Tausug conception of spirituality and gnosis. Moreover, it highlights selected cases of mystical experiences among usually anonymous practitioners of PagTuhan, showing how they fare with those of other ārif (gnostics) and sālik (truth seekers). . . . This work must be appreciated for presenting the Tausug “tree” of spirituality as a living tradition.
—from the foreword of Prof. Julkipli Wadi

Darwin Absari has written a pioneering book on spirituality, focusing on the Pagtuhan of the Bangsa Sūg. He not only traces its origin to the history of Islam and Hinduism among the Tausug but also draws intriguing cases of adepts from Sulu who display astounding mystical powers. Finally, as the book shows us, Absari is historian, writer, and spiritual practitioner all rolled into one. This work, a National Book Development Board grant awardee in 2015, deserves to be read, and imbibed like food for our agitated hearts.
MEHOL K. SADAIN
Member, Advisory Committee in Islamic Studies Category
National Book Development Trust Fund 2014

Author: Darwin J. Absari
ISBN/ISSN: 978971542927-6
Category: Social Science, Tausug, Social Life and Customes
Copyright: 2021
Pages: 316pp
Size: 6x9
Type: PB/SP