Islam in China : the Hān Kitāb tradition in the writings of Wang Daiyu, Ma Zhu and Liu Zhi, with a note on their relevance for contemporary Islam
Abstract
This paper examines the unique Chinese brand of Islam known as the Han Kitab. Beginning with a brief historical overview of the Sinicised Muslim community which created this tradition, the paper proceeds to examine the work of three key Han Kitab figures: Wang Daiyu, Ma Zhu and Liu Zhi. All active between the mid-seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, the paper argues that their utilisation of the Islamic concept of din al-fitra (or humanity’s innate inclination towards a belief in God), coupled with a willingness to engage positively with Neo-Confucian thought, resulted in a uniquely multicultural form of Islam; the Han Kitab, we will conclude, represents an early example of Islamic ‘ecumenical thought’. By actively seeking to appreciate and acknowledge the commonalities between Islam and Chinese tradition, the Han Kitab overcame exclusivism and stressed moderation. In the context of the challenges posed by contemporary Salafi-inspired Islamic extremism, this paper will argue that the Han Kitab has never been more relevant than it is today.
Citation
Wain , A 2016 , ' Islam in China : the Hān Kitāb tradition in the writings of Wang Daiyu, Ma Zhu and Liu Zhi, with a note on their relevance for contemporary Islam ' , Islam and Civilisational Renewal , vol. 7 , no. 1 , pp. 27-46 . https://doi.org/10.52282/icr.v7i1.282
Publication
Islam and Civilisational Renewal
Status
Peer reviewed
ISSN
2041-8728Type
Journal article
Rights
Copyright © 2016 The Author(s) Produced and distributed by IAIS Malaysia. Open Access. All articles are published under the terms of the Creative Common Attribution License (CC-BY). This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction provided that the authors, citation details and publisher are clearly identified. For any reuse or distribution, users must include the copyright notice and make clear that the article is made available under a Creative Common Attribution License.
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