Studies in Moro History, Law, and Religion

by Najeeb M. Saleeby

Arabic Marginal Quotations of the Luwaran

Introduction

These quotations are given here in the same order in which they appear on the margin of the original copy of the Luwaran, with only a few clerical corrections. They are selections from Arabic books on law and religion, and form the basis of the Magindanao law as given in the Luwaran. The order they come in does not always conform to the order of the corresponding articles of the Luwaran to which they are appended. The Magindanao judges who prepared the Luwaran used these texts or quotations as authority for the corresponding Magindanao articles they made. But subsequent scribes must have changed the order of these texts on account of their ignorance of the meaning of the Arabic text and the places where they should be applied.

For aid in reference the following table is prepared:

Article of Luwaran	Corresponding Arabic marginal quotations
1	1
2	2
3	3
4	4
5	4
6	8, 9
7	7
8	12
9	----
10	----
11	14–16
12	----
13	----
14	17
15	18, 19
16	19
17	20, 21
18	23
19	26
20	25
21	13
22	27
23	30
24	29
25	31
26	32
27	33
28	34
29	36
30	37
31	38
32	39
33	40
34	41
35	42
36	43
37	44
38	45
39	46
40	47
41	48
42	49
43	50
44	51
45	52
46	53
47	54
48	55
49	56
50	57, 58
51	59, 60
52	61–63
53	64
54	65
55	66
56	67–69
57	70–72
58	73
59	74
60	75, 76
61	78
62	79
63	81
64	82
65	83
66	84
67	85, 86
68	87
69	88
70	89
71	90
72	91
73	92
74	93
75	94
76	95, 96
77	97
78	98
79	99
80	100–103
81	104
82	105
83	106
84	107
85	108

Translation of the Arabic Marginal Quotations of the Luwaran

1. The person in charge of a property the subject of a suit has the first right to that property; his right must, however, be confirmed by oath. If both parties have charge of the property, their rights shall be regarded equal, and both parties shall take oath.

2. The compensation for a slave shall be equal to his value. The loss of a limb shall be compensated for by the amount by which that loss reduces the value of the slave.