It was April last year…

… when I decided to take the Shari’ah Bar Exams, driven by three clear goals (you can find more about these in my earlier post, THE MOST FREQUENT QUESTION).

With my mind set, I knew the first step was to prepare the necessary documents for the 45-day Shari’ah Training Seminar, offered by the Supreme Court and facilitated by the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF).

One of the essential papers was an authorization or recommendation from my direct academic supervisor. Knowing how busy my chairperson could be, I took the initiative to draft the document myself, hoping it would expedite the process. My approach worked like a charm; my supportive Chairperson sent the signed authorization back to me the very same day.

“Always draft it for them,” I would advise anyone planning to attend the Shari’ah Training Seminar in the future. “Your boss is busy, and securing that authorization is a privilege you should make as smooth as possible.”

With the authorization in hand, I moved on to submitting my documents to the NCMF office in Cotabato City, which was the nearest to me at the time. The application form required me to select a preferred training center, so I marked Manila as my first choice, with Cotabato City as the backup. As the training dates approached, I still hadn’t received confirmation from the NCMF’s main office. Concerned about missing out, I decided to enroll in the Cotabato City venue just to be safe.

There was a slight twist:

The training in Manila was scheduled to start three days earlier than in Cotabato City, and there was a strict limit on the number of hours a trainee could miss. My plan was simple but risky: I would attend the opening session in Cotabato City and then request a transfer to Manila.

The Mindanao State University-Maguindanao Graduate School, located near the Tamontaka Bridge, served as the training venue. As I walked into the library room, it was filled to capacity with over 50 trainees, I think. I quickly began to make acquaintances—fellow participants from the NCMF, the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Parliament, and Mindanao State University – Gen. Santos City, among others.

After the opening ceremony, which was honored by the NCMF regional director, the trainees held the traditional election of batch officers. During the nomination process, I couldn’t resist proposing a young lawyer I had just met, who also worked for the NCMF. “He’s the ideal candidate,” I suggested, “as he can effortlessly bridge communication between us trainees and the secretariat, given his dual role.” As it turned out, my recommendation struck a chord, and he was elected batch president by a significant margin. Later, I would cross paths with him again, this time at The Manila Hotel during the Shari’ah Bar oathtaking ceremony on August 14, 2024.

The first few days of the seminar were dedicated to Islamic Jurisprudence and Customary Laws. It was our first session, the first day.

Our instructor, a retired Shari’ah court judge, and a seasoned Shari’ah Bar trainer and reviewer, had a wealth of knowledge and experience to share. But what left an indelible mark on me was an unexpected display of his compassion. A stray cat wandered into the room and settled on the retired judge’s chair. Rather than shooing it away, he simply took his seat next to the cat, sharing his space without a second thought. It was a small moment, but it spoke volumes about his character.

The next day, I had to fly to Manila and make my case for transferring my training venue. Anxiety gnawed at me—after all, the Manila sessions had already begun three days earlier.

Would they still accept me, or would my absences prove too great a hurdle?

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An unpolished excerpt from Mansoor Limba, CRACKING THE CODE: INSIDER TIPS AND TRICKS FOR BUSY PROFESSIONALS TO PASS THE SHARI’AH BAR EXAM (ElziStyle Bookshop, forthcoming).