PO ACAR - WHO PRACTICES RITUALS IN THE CHAM AWAL COMMUNITY IN VIETNAM

Abstract

In the Cham Awal community, there is a class of monks to perform the ritual, the Cham people call it Po Acar. Monk Po Acar has many differences from Islam. They are not a separate class, living separately from believers, but they live and integrate into the community. They perform the rituals of the deity (Cham Awal) on certain occasions and ceremonies upon request by the devotees. Besides, Po Acar monk is also obliged to perform the sacrifice rituals related to Po Uwluah (Allah/God) for the followers of the Cham Ahiér community such as Raja rituals, rituals buffalo sacrifice, land offering ceremony…
Through field documents and manuscripts of monk Po Acar, this article argues that monk Po Acar is the middle class, communicating between people and the divine/divine world; he is the one who brings the vows of the family and the community to Po Uwluah (God/Allah) and prays for protection and protection for sentient beings