JEWEL OF CHINESE MUSLIM’S HERITAGE

Qazihan Masjid, Turpan
Although situated in the new quarter of Turpan, Qazihan Masjid was built in 1747.
It underwent a complete renovation of both interior and exterior in 1983.

(A PERSONAL ENCOUNTER WITH THE FIRST MOSQUE IN CHINA)

This is one of a series of articles especially commissioned by FSTC to report on some Islamic Monuments
and Centres of interest but are not well known to the wide public. This one is reported by FSTC’s special
researcher, Mohammed Khamouch

Long before I travelled to Asia, my mind was always fascinated by China and its magical arts. I was
unaware of Chinese Muslim communities and their way of life since little, if anything, was ever mentioned
about them. I slowly began to learn about the areas of China where these Muslim communities lived, about
their history, cultural heritage and early mosques which immensely intrigued me and I could not wait to pay
homage to them.

I entered the country from the south through Hong Kong where I visited the Hong Kong Museum which has
numerous Arabic coins, Islamic Burial Tablets dating back to the T’ang and Song Dynasties and a
magnificent model of The Huaisheng Mosque which I was to visit.

In order to embark on my spiritual journey and pay respect to the oldest mosque in the whole of China I
had to obtain another entry visa from the Chinese authorities. This great mosque is dearly precious to
every Chinese Muslim. It lies in the city Guangzhou (Canton), located at the north of Zhu Jiang (The Pearl
River) which is the capital of Guangdong Province - the largest and most important gateway and foreign
trading hub in southern China. From Hong Kong, I was anxious but thrilled to take the 165km journey
northwest to Guangzhou to visit the mosque.

The ‘Great Mosque of Guangzhou’ also known as Huaisheng Mosque which means ‘Remember the Sage’
(A Memorial Mosque to the Holy Prophet) and is also popularly called the ‘Guangta Mosque’ which
translates as ‘The Beacon Tower Mosque’. Huaisheng Mosque is located on Guantgta Road (Light Pagoda
Road) which runs eastwards off Renmin Zhonglu.

Prior to 500 CE and hence before the establishment of Islam, Arab seafarers had established trade relations
with the “Middle Kingdom” (China). Arab ships bravely set off from Basra at the tip of the Arabian Gulf and
also from the town of Qays (Siraf) in the Persian Gulf. They sailed the Indian Ocean passing Sarandip (Sri
Lanka) and navigated their way through the Straits of Malacca which were between the Sumatran and
Malaysian peninsulas en route to the South China Sea. They established trading posts on the south eastern
coastal ports of Quanzhou and Guangzhou. Some Arabs had already settled in China and probably
embraced Islam when the first Muslim deputation arrived, as their families and friends back in Arabia, had
already embraced Islam during the Holy Prophet’s revelation (610-32).

Guangzhou is called Khanfu by the Arabs who later set up a Muslim quarter which became a centre of
commerce. Guangzhou’s superior geographical position made it play an important role as the oldest trading
and international port city in China. Witnessing a series of historical events, China has become a significant
place in history and one of the fastest growing regions in the world enjoying unprecedented prosperity.

Whilst an Islamic state was founded by the Holy Prophet Muhammad, China was enduring a period of
unification and defence. Early Chinese annals mentioned Muslim Arabs and called their kingdom al-Madinah
(of Arabia). Islam in Chinese is called “Yisilan Jiao” (meaning “Pure Religion”). A Chinese official once
described Makkah as being the birthplace of Buddha Ma-hia-wu (i.e. Holy Prophet Muhammad).

There are several historical versions relating to the advent of Islam in China. Some records claim Muslims
first arrived in China in two groups within as many months from al-Habasha Abyssinia (Ethiopia).

Ethiopia was the land where some early Muslims first fled in fear from the persecution of the Quraysh tribe
in Makkah. Among that group of refugees were one of Prophet Muhammad’s daughters Ruqayya, her
husband Uthman ibn Affan, S’ad Ibn Abi Waqqas and many other prominent Sahabah (Companions) who
migrated on the advice of the Holy Prophet. They were successfully granted political asylum by al-Habashi
King Atsmaha Negus in the city of Axum (c.615 CE).

However, some Sahabah never returned to Arabia. They may have travelled on in the hope of earning their
livelihood elsewhere and may have eventually reached China by land or sea during the Sui Dynasty (581-618 CE). Some records relate that S’ad Ibn Abi Waqqas and three other Sahabah sailed to China in c.616
CE from Abyssinia (Ethiopia) with the backing of the king of Abyssinia. Sa’d then returned to Arabia,
bringing a copy of the Holy Qur’an back to Guangzhou some 21 years later, which appropriately coincides
with the account of Liu Chih who wrote “The Life of the Prophet” (12 vols).

One of the Sahabahs who lived in China is believed to have died in c.635 CE and was buried in the western
urban part of Hami. His tomb is known as “Geys’ Mazars” and is revered by many in the surrounding region.
It is in the north western autonomous province of Xinjiang (Sinkiang) and about 400 miles east of the
latter’s capital, Urumqi. Xinjiang is four times the size of Japan, shares its international border with eight
different nations and is home to the largest indigenous group of Turkic-speaking Uyghurs. Hence, as well as
being the largest Islamised area of China, Xinjiang is also of strategic importance geographically.

The Qur’an states in unequivocal words that Muhammad was sent only as a Mercy from God to all peoples
(21:107), and in another verse, “We have not sent thee but as a (Messenger) to all Mankind” (34:28). This
universality of Islam facilitated its acceptance by people from all races and nations and is amply
demonstrated in China where the indigenous population, of ethnic varieties of Chinese Muslims today is
greater than the population of many Arab countries including that of Saudi Arabia.

The history of Huaisheng Mosque represents centuries of Islamic culture dating right back to the mid-
seventh century during the T’ang Dynasty (618-907) - “the golden age of Chinese history”. It was in this
period, eighteen years after the death of the Holy Prophet, that Islam - the last of the three great
monotheistic religions - was first introduced to China by the third Caliph, Uthman Ibn ‘Affan (644-656
CE/23-35 AH).

Uthman was one of the first to embrace Islam and memorize the Holy Qu’ran. He possessed a mild and
gentle nature and he married Ruqayyah and following her death, Umm Kulthum (both were daughters of
the Holy Prophet). Consequently he was given the epithet of ‘Dhu-n-Nurayn’ (the one with the two lights).
Uthman was highly praised for safeguarding the manuscripts of the Qur’an against disputes by ordering its
compilation from the memories of the Companions and sending copies to the four corners of the Islamic
Empire.

Uthman sent a delegation to China led by Sa’d Ibn Abi Waqqas (d. 674 CE/55 AH) who was a much loved
maternal uncle of the Prophet and one of the most famous Companions who converted to Islam at the age
of just seventeen. He was a veteran of all the battles and one of the ten who it is reported that the Holy
Prophet said were assured a place in paradise.

In Madina, Sa’d, using his ability in architecture added an Iwan (an arched hall used by a Persian Emperor)
as a worship area. He later laid the foundation of what was to be the first Mosque in China where early
Islamic architecture forged a relationship with Chinese architecture.

According to the ancient historical records of the T’ang Dynasty, an emissary from the kingdom of al-
Madinah led by Sa’d Ibn Abi Waqqas and his deputation of Sahabah, who sailed on a special envoy to China
in c.650 CE, via the Indian Ocean and the China Sea to the famous port of Guangzhou, thence travelled
overland to Chang’an (present day Xi’an) via what was later known as the “Silk Route”.

Sa’d and his deputation brought presents and were warmly received at the royal court by the T’ang
Emperor Kao-tsung, (r. 650-683) in c.651 CE despite a recent plea of support against the Arabs forwarded
to the Emperor in that same year by Shah Peroz (the ruler of Sassanids Persia). The latter was a son of
Yazdegerd who, along with the Byzantines already had based their embassies in China over a decade
earlier. Together they were the two great powers of the west. A similar plea made to Emperor Tai Tsung
(r.627-649) against the simultaneous spread of Muslim forces was refused.

First news of Islam had already reached the T’ang royal court during the reign of Emperor Tai Tsung when
he was informed by an embassy of the Sassanian king of Persia, as well as the Byzantiums of the
emergence of the Islamic rule. Both sought protection from the might of China. Nevertheless, the second
year of Kao-tsung’s reign marks the first official visit by a Muslim ambassador.

The emperor, after making enquiries about Islam, gave general approval to the new religion which he
considered to be compatible with the teachings of Confucius. But he felt that the five daily canonical
prayers and a month of fasting were requirements too severe for his taste and he did not convert. He
allowed Sa’d Ibn Abi Waqqas and his delegation freedom to propagate their faith and expressed his
admiration for Islam which consequently gained a firm foothold in the country.

Sa’d later settled in Guangzhou and built the Huaisheng Mosque which was an important event in the
history of Islam in China. It is reputedly the oldest surviving mosque in the whole of China and is over 1300
years old. It survived through several historical events which inevitably took place outside its door step.
This mosque still stands in excellent condition in modern Guangzhou after repairs and restorations.

Its contemporary Da Qingzhen Si (Great Mosque) of Chang’an (present day Xi’an) in Shaanxi Province was
founded in c.742 CE. It is the largest (12,000 sq metres) and the best early mosque in China and it has
been beautifully preserved as it expanded over the centuries. The present layout was constructed by the
Ming Dynasty in c.1392 CE, a century before the fall of Granada, under its (ostensible) founder Hajj Zheng
He who has a stone tablet at the mosque in commemoration of his generous support, which was provided
by the grateful Emperor.

A fine model of the Great Mosque with all its surrounding walls and the magnificent, elegant appearance of
its pavilions and courtyards can be seen at the Hong Kong Museum placed gracefully besides the model of
the Huaisheng Mosque. I was fortunate to visit the real mosque last year during Asr prayer, after which I
met the Imam who showed me an old handwritten Qur’an and presented me with a white cap.

Walking to the prayer hall is like sleepwalking through an oriental oasis confined in a city forbidden for the
impure. A dragon symbol is engraved at the footstep of the entrance opposite the prayer hall
demonstrating the meeting between Islam and the Chinese civilisation. All in all it is a dazzling encounter of
the architecture of Oriental China with that of the indigenous fashionable taste of Harun ar-Rashid (147-194
AH/764-809 CE) of Baghdad -a newly founded city that was to become the greatest between
Constantinople and China, fifty years after the time of Harun.

The Sheng-You Si (Mosque of the Holy Friend), also known as the Qingjing Si (Mosque of Purity) and Al-
Sahabah Mosque (Mosque of Companions), was built with pure granite in 1009 CE during the Northern
Song Dynasty (960-1127). Its architectural design and style was modelled on the Great Mosque of

Damascus (709-15) in Syria thus making the pair the oldest extant Mosques to survive (in original form)
into the twenty-first century.

Qingjing Mosque is located at “Madinat al-Zaytun” (Quanzhou) or, in English, “City of Olives” (Olive is a
symbol of peace according to Arab/Muslim tradition) in Fujian Province, where there are the Sacred Tombs
of two Companions of the Holy Prophet who accompanied Sa’d Ibn Abi Waqqas’s envoy to China. They are
known to the locals by their Chinese names of “Sa-Ke-Zu and Wu-Ku-Su” and Arabs from various countries
come to pay homage.

Zhen-Jiao Si (Mosque of the True Religion), also known as Feng-Huang Si (the Phoenix Mosque) in
Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, is believed to date back from the Tang Dynasty. It has a multi-storied portal,
serving as a minaret and a platform for observing the moon. The Mosque has a long history and it has been
rebuilt and renovated on a number of occasions over the centuries. It is much smaller than it used to be,
especially with the widening of the road in 1929, and it was partly rebuilt in 1953.

The other ancient Mosque is located in the city of Yangzhou in Jiangsu Province, once the busiest city of
trade and commerce during the Song Dynasty (960-1280). Xian-He Si (Mosque of Immortal Crane) is the
oldest and largest in the city and was built in c.1275CE by Pu-ha-din, a Muslim preacher who was a
sixteenth-generation descendant of the Prophet Muhammad.

Beytulla Masjid, Yining
This Masjid, completed in the 38th reign year of Qing Dynasty Emperor Qianlong (1773), was China's first Islamic religious center built with allocations from the imperial court. It is the largest of its kind in the city. With many going there to study the Qur'an since its completion, it is also known as a leading institute of higher Islamic studies. The decaying Masjid was renovated in 1995, when the whole building was rebuilt except the entrance arch. The structure is now located on the corner of South Jiefang St. and Xinhua St.

According to Chinese Muslim historians, Sa’d Ibn Abi Waqqas died in Guangzhou where he is believed to be
buried. However Arab scholars differ, stating that Sa’d died and was buried in Medina amongst other
Companions. One grave definitely exists, while the other is symbolic, God only knows whether it is in China
or Medina. The message of Islam took root peacefully in China. The first envoy reached the southeast via
the Zhu Jiang (The Pearl River) and was later followed by contact via an overland route from the northwest.
Muslim communities are present over a wide geographical area in China today, including some in the
remote places of Tibet, where I once met Tibetan Muslims in the middle of nowhere, while on a trek.

Mu’awiyah (d.60 AH/680 CE), the sixth Caliph and founder of the Umayyad Caliphate, was known in China
as “Mo-ee” and the Chinese closely observed the progress of the Islamic Empire, noting in the T’ang annals,
when Constantinople was unsuccessfully besieged by the Muslim armies, between 674 and 679, and they
called the Arabs of that period “White Robed Ta-shih. After the death of Mu’awiyah in 680, his son Yezid (r.
680-3) became the new Caliph. He sent Umar, son of S’ad Ibn Abi Waqqas, who was in command of a large army. A century after the death of the Holy Prophet, the Islamic Empire extended from the Pyrenees to the
Himalayas and was eventually sharing borders with China which closely observed the progress of the
Islamic world.

The Umayyad Dynasty had reached its zenith under the reign of al-Walid I (705-15) when expansion of the
Islamic empire to the West and the East had achieved great success. When the first European lands (what
is today Spain and Portugal) was conquered in 711 by Tariq Ibn Ziad and his army, Islamic rule was
established right up to the Atlantic under the command of Musa Ibn Nusair. An overland expedition under
Muhammad Ibn Qasim, a nephew and son-in-law of Hajjaj Ibn Yusuf,the governor of Iraq, was advancing
through southern Persia and Baluchistan and reaching the lower Indus Valley.

Qutaiba Ibn Muslim was appointed governor of Khurasan by Hajjaj and he launched a series of successful
military campaigns, gaining control over Transoxiana in 94-5/712-3 where many Persians and Turkish
inhabitants embraced Islam. Kashgar, a frontier town of China, was also raided and Qutaiba swore to take
control over China but his demands were deflected by a friendly approach which included a symbolic gift by
the provincial governor to release him from his solemn oath.

According to the famous historian al-Tabari (225-310 AH/839-923 CE), in 96/714 there was a brief
encounter with a “Ta-shih” delegation which brought precious gifts to Emperor Hsuan Tsung . The envoy
refused to perform the traditional k’o t’ou (bow) and when asked why by the bemused Emperor, the reply
was “in my country we only bow to God” (T’ian shen). The Emperor was angered and wanted to kill the
envoy but a possible reminder of Qutaiba (who was besieging Feghana) by one of the ministers must have
triggered the Emperor’s mind to recall a Chinese proverb that says: “Exchange of jade and silk is better
than of swords in a battlefield”.

In the battle of Talas (Central Asia) in 751, under the command of Ziyad Ibn Salih, the Chinese had
suffered a decisive defeat by the Arabs who captured some prisoners, two of whom knew the art of papermaking and were later rewarded and released. Parchment or papyrus was generally used by the Arabs until
the introduction of paper-making technology in Samarqand. The first paper mill was established in Baghdad
thus producing a major breakthrough in education and science which were high priorities.

Tu Huan (c.751-762), a Chinese clerical official who accompanied the ill-fated Chinese army in the battle of
Talas under the command of Kao Hsien Chee, was held prisoner for a decade and travelled to Samarqand,
Tashkent, northern Iran, Iraq and Syria before sailing back to Guangzhou from the Arabian Gulf. He wrote a
book entitled “Jing Hsing Chee” (Where I Travelled) and accurately recorded the practice and fundamental
belief of Islam, making it one of the earliest works of Islam in China.

One year after the death of the Amir al-Mu’minin, Abu-l-Abbas as-Saffah (r. 749-54), known in China as “A-
Bo-Lo-Ba”, the foe became a friend of “A-p’uch’a-fo” - the second Abbasid Caliph Abu Jafar al-Mansur (r.
754-75). The Emperor Su T’sung appealed for help in regaining control of his capital Chang’an from the
treacherous commander, An Lu-Shan who was a multi linguist Tarter and governor of Pinglu and who had
the wildest of ambitions and had rebelled against the Emperor.

An opportunity occurred for Islamic influence to penetrate into the heart of China when al-Mansur
responded by sending 4,000 warriors who recaptured the city and were well rewarded by the Emperor.
Some men never returned to their native lands and were known as “Ta-shihs”. They married with Chinese
women, subsequently establishing Muslim communities in Western China, descendants of which are the
progenitors of the “Hui” (meaning return) nationality.

The illustrious Ming Admiral Muhammad Ma Ho, Zheng He (1371-1433), his immediate lieutenant Ma H’uan
(Muhammad Hassan), chronicler Fei Hsin and his Arabic interpreter Hassan, a former Imam (exemplar) of
Xi’an, were among these descendents. Zheng He courageously led treasure-ship fleets and expeditions to
many countries, establishing good diplomatic, political and social relations between governments.

On the seventh expedition (1431-33), under the reign of Emperor Xuan De (1426-1435), Zheng He sailed
with over 100 ships and 27,550 men. They visited several countries including Arabia and especially Makkah
where he and some of his naval officers paid homage to al-Bayt al-Haram (Holy Ka’bah). Belonging to a
very old pious Muslim family, his father and grandfather were both Hajjis who, unlike Zheng, travelled for
months on horseback and camel, reaching their destination stops with great difficulty before finally
reaching Makkah.

Heroically admired by many, he earned the title of San Pao Kung “Our Master of the Three Jewels” from the
early Chinese settlers of Southeast Asia, wherein a Mosque named after Zheng He has been erected in
Surabaya to mark the many years of trade and (Islamic) religious contact.

Arab merchants at this time commissioned mosques, headed by an “ahong” (from the Persian akhun,
meaning religious leader) in various parts of China and expressed their commitment to Islam by building
symbolic characteristics into their communities, called ‘Fan Fang’ foreign quarters clustered around a mosque. Arabs and Persians, who became permanent residents in the cities previously mentioned, were referred to as ‘Fanke’ which means guests from the outlying regions.

They were allowed to marry and they had children who became known as ‘Tusheng Fanke’ (native-born
guests). The latter were better known as “Hui Hui” as first noted in the literature of the Northern Song
Dynasty (960-1127). Representing the second largest of all ethnic minorities living in China today, they
trace their descent from the Arabs and Persians, whom undoubtedly gained high command of the Chinese
idiom.

In China, Muslim places of worship have not incorporated the Arabic name of “Masjid” (Mosque) instead an
alternative name such as “Qing Zhen Si” (Temple of Purity and Truth) is used. “Si” (Temple) is used for
Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian places of worship. Hence most early Mosque exterior building structures,
architecturally resembled that of a temple.

Followers of traditional Islam were known as “Gedimu” (from the Arabic Qadeem which translates as old)
and they were exposed to various teachings described as “lao jiao” (old religious teaching) such as
Qadiriyyah, a famous order founded by Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani (d.56/1166) in Baghdad. A group of which was
founded in China by Hilal al-Din, Qin Jingyi (c.1656-1719). He received his early training from Khoja Abd
Alla, a twenty-ninth-generation descendant of the Holy Prophet, who according to Chinese Sufi records
arrived in at the port of Guangzhou in c.1674 and preached in many other cities before his eventual death
in c.1689.

Hilal al-Din, known among the Hui as “Daozu” (Grand Master Qi is entombed at Linxia which was once an
important stop on the silk road between Lanzhou and Yang Guan. Another Gedimu is the Naqshabandiyyah

- the conspicuous Sufi order founded by Muhammad Naqshaband of Bukhara (717-791/1317-1389).
New teachings arrived in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to replace the old ones referred
to as “xin xin jiao”: The Yihewani (al-Ikhwan al-Muslimun) Muslim Brotherhood movement was brought by
annual pilgrims to Makkah, and the Wahhabis, a dominant sect in Saudi Arabia and Qatar which had
established footholds in many countries including Africa, India and China. Devotees of this sect named after
its founder Muhammad Ibn Abd al-Wahhab (1115-1201 AH/1703-1787 CE).

On 12th February 1949, some six months before the official inauguration of the People’s Republic of China,
the luminary Imam Hassan al-Banna (c.1906-1949) was martyred in the heart of Cairo. The eminent
founder of al-Ikhwan al-Muslimun (Muslim Brotherhood), his mission spread globally from the local coffeehouse in Egypt to downtown Muslim quarters of China attracting more urban intellectuals and sustaining a
strong hold throughout China today.

Such impact is clearly visible in current Chinese Mosque architecture, where traditional “Gedimu” Chinese-
style Mosques, which resemble that of Confucian temples, are rejected by the Yihewanis (al-Ikhwan al-
Muslimun) who are of an Arabist nature. They prefer more plain white Arab-style (iconography) mosques
instead, with a young Imam for leading the congregational prayers similar to the Imam of a Mosque I have
visited in Luoyang who may possibly have graduated from al-Azhar University where some thirty three Hui
students enrolled in c.1939.

Islamic civilization steadily spread - reaching the heart of every Chinese Muslim, creating a fascinating
mosaic of ethnic neighbourhoods within the “Dragon’s Den”. Once on my return trip from the Huang He
(Yellow River), also called China’s Sorrow and the World’s Muddiest River, a few miles north of Kaifeng in
Henan Province, I spotted an old cottage remotely located with a small white flag flying from a tree branch,
inscribed in Arabic with a Qur’anic verse to keep out evil spirits. Immediately it drew my attention as this
was similar to what happened in many parts of the Muslim world.

Huaisheng Mosque embraces a unique ingenious architectural setting by successfully integrating Islamic
architectural renderings with elements of the T’ang architectural style, producing an aura of Islamic-Chinese
symmetrical architectural charm, free from ornamentation and idolatry.

The mosque gave birth to a new chapter in the field of architecture in one of China’s most illustrious
periods of history where efficient administrative system developed, printing appeared for the first time,
custom and philosophy became even more sophisticated and creative arts flourished, producing a highly
cosmopolitan empire.

Huaisheng Mosque was rebuilt in 1350 during the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368) under the rule of Zhizhen
(1341-1368) and again during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) under the rule of Emperor Kangzi. In 1695 the
mosque was destroyed by fire and was rebuilt again on the same original site. A century-old photograph of
the Mosque which I was fortunate to see displays a semblance of much of what we see today except for
the uncultivated gardens which are in dire need of an aspiring gardener.

A decade or so after the modernization of Guangzhou city which began in the early 1920’s, where the
remainder of the old city wall was demolished, the present prayer hall has undergone a complete
reconstruction in 1935 using reinforced concrete. The mosque complex can accommodate one thousand
worshipers and occupies an area of 2,966 square meters lying on a north-south axis.

The building comprises of a main gate with a green awning facing south which is in accordance with
Chinese tradition. As you enter through a narrow courtyard there is another gateway with a red plaque
inscribed in four Chinese characters which translates as ‘Religion that holds in great esteem the teachings
brought from the Western Region’. There are beautiful green plants on each side of the arched entrance.
Another arched gateway with a two storied portal built in the seventeenth century, makes it graceful to
pass through. It’s called the Moon Pavilion and leads through to a wonderfully set courtyard taking you to
the prayer hall.

Entering the courtyard through the arched entrance of the Moon Pavilion, one instantly leaves behind the
Chinese world for the Sino-Moorish. You begin to feel the calmness, spatial beauty and quiet atmosphere as
if you were going back in time, in contrast to the hustle and bustle of the world one has just left. One
begins to feel elevated by the fragrant smell of the flowers in the gardens and intrigued by such illustrious
techniques used to venerate this building.

Instead of a dome, a gambrel (mansard) roof with upswept eaves and undulating gables is used with a
small stupica (small stupa) placed in the middle with a beautiful set of beams, spaciously designed with
several columns symmetrically divided with a red bricked arch entrance. Wooden sliding doors with glass
patterned shapes characterized and organized into coherent patterns of form by its monumental exterior
and Chinese classical colonnades mark the entrance. Several long wooden seats and chairs are situated
around the colonnades available for worshipers to sit in between or after prayers.

The culmination of this Qing Zhen Si (Temple of Purity and Truth), known to the local Chinese as a Muslim’s
place of worship, dominates a historical overview of when the first Arabs embarked on their journey from
the sands of Arabia to the silk-door steps of the “Middle Kingdom” (China).

I was lost in contemplation for a while, visualizing a theme of Arab merchants gathering in this very
courtyard, reflecting on their long arduous and hazardous sea adventure. Thinking of such great men, all of
whom I wish to pay tribute to, verily transported me back in time, and I was put into a kind of trance as I
sat down in the cloistered courtyard.

During the reign of the Abbasid Caliph al-Mansur, Arab traders sailed from the ports of al-Basrah and Siraf,
in the months of May and June, enduring between three to six months of travel to the port of Guangzhou
trading at different stopovers and keeping alert from pirate attacks and returned during the months of
October and November following seasonal winds. Other merchants traversed the rough and hostile terrain
from the Central Asian steppe along the Silk Route on camel caravans, facing constant danger as their
journey progressed to their trading point.

Jaman Masjid, Hotan. CHINA.

Jaman Masjid, Hotan. CHINA.
One of the largest Masjid in Hotan, it is situated in the city's downtown area. The structure was built in the second reign year of Qing Dynasty Emperor Guangxu (1875), and renovated in 1997 with a government allocation.

Intellectual curiosity which was embedded in the Islamic doctrine led early prominent Muslim travellers like
Ibn Wahhab of al-Basrah to arrive in the port of “Khanfu” (Guangzhou) around c.815 CE, thence to
Chang’an (Xi’an) where he attended an audience with the Emperor, wrote a vivid account on the city of
Chang’an and the imperial household. Chang’an during the T’ang Dynasty and Baghdad which reached its
zenith during the Abbasid Caliphate, were the most powerful and largest cities in the world.

Sulaiman al-Tajir (the Merchant), made numerous voyages to India and China from his native town of the
port of Siraf where traders arriving from China first offloaded goods before distribution to al-Basrah and

Baghdad via transportation vessels. He wrote about his long daring voyages in c.850 CE, describing the
piracy and extreme weather en route to the port of “Khanfu” (Guangzhou) where extortionate port duties
were charged on goods and finger-prints were used as signatures.

The Muslim community of Guangzhou that Sulaiman visited had their own mosques, bazaars and a Qadi
(judge), appointed by the emperor who kept order and applied, not Chinese, but Shari’ah law (canonical
law of Islam) amongst his co-religionists, and delivered the Friday (Khutbah) sermon to the faithful.

Stories of such adventures, which contain popular tales and scientific descriptions noted by early Arab
travellers to China are recorded in twelfth-century Arabic manuscript entitled “Akhbar al-Sin” (Reports of
China) “wal Hind” (Reports of India) relating stories of two Arab travellers. Tales of such adventurous
voyages are compiled in the huge collection known as “One Thousand and One Nights”` of which the
legendary “Sindbad the Sailor” and “Prince Alladin” are the most famous tales.

The Muslim chronicler Abu Zaid Hassan al-Sirafi reported the massacre of some 120,000 Arabs, Christians,
Jews and Zoroastrians that took place in Guangzhou and edited the account of Sulaiman al-Tajir in c.851
CE. He was a friend of the famous Abu’l-Hasan al-Mas’udi (d.345/956) who was an outstanding
encyclopaedic figure, historian and scientist of Islam as well as a world traveller who sailed through the
China Sea and wrote valuable observations about China in his “Meadows of Gold and Mines of Precious
Gems”. One of the few depictions of Arab shipping where sail, oars and the rudder were used can be seen
in the 13th century manuscript of al-Hariri’s Maqdamat which did not reach the Christian Mediterranean until
several centuries later.

Within the prosperous maritime network, merchants brought valuable and distinctive commodities such as
silk, jade, porcelain, lapis lazuli, spices and fruits which were carried on the backs of camels. Silk was one
of many precious goods that were exchanged between East and West due to the prosperous maritime
network managed by Arabs who were acting as intermediaries between China, India and the Middle East.

Caravans of students, scholars, ambassadors, monks, soldiers, craftsmen and traders journeyed through
the arteries of this magnificent international trade route which ran over the roof of the world serving the
Eurasian civilizations for eighteen centuries. They would halt at stops on the road and at well-known

bazaars where Arab and Persian traders exchanged goods. Traders also gathered contributions to build
mosques, many of which are of historical importance and are well preserved to this day. Men of the pen
who treaded these foot paths acquired knowledge and spread Islam from the interior of China passing the
Great Wall through to Central Asia.

The magnificent Niujie Mosque of Khan-Baliq (present day Beijing) is a great example. It was established by
an Arabian scholar Nasir al-Din who served as an official in the Liao Dynasty (907-1125). Two Arabs who
came to China during the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368) and served as Imams now rest beside the Mosque
where their tomb stones can be seen today. Proof of commitment to this graceful land continues today by
the bearers of this religion.

Huaisheng Mosque is austere and simple when compared with its younger sister several thousand miles
away in al-Andalus (Spain) where ‘La Mezquita’ - The Friday Mosque of Qurtabah (Cordoba). The latter
mosque is famously known for its impressive interlocking multi-lobed arches and pink and white stripped
arches. Its foundation had been laid down in 785 CE (after its purchase from the Christians) by Abd ar-
Rahman I (756-88) who successfully sustained both the Umayyad Dynasty and its intricate arts in the West.

The interior designs of the Da Qingzhen Si (Great Mosque) of Xi’an built in 742 CE and the Niujie Mosque
built in 996 demonstrate that unique ancient Islamic and Chinese classical architecture were merged to
produce a vivid astonishing effect and embellishment. On the other hand the prayer hall of Huaisheng
Mosque reflects the preference of simplicity and tranquility. There stands a low Minbar (pulpit) beside the
Mihrab (niche facing Makkah) and a naturally shaped banister by the Minbar (pulpit) for the Imam to hold
on to.

Two pillars decorated with nine bands of triangular Qur’anic inscriptions are located symmetrically
supporting the low part of the ceiling which magnificently displays the Qura’nic verse, “ The religion before
Allah is Islam (submission to his will)” (Al-Imran 18-19) and is written in an Sino-Arabic style. A few copies
of the Qur’an are neatly placed on a table beside the Mihrab on the left-hand side.

The Mosque currently boasts over 40 prayer mats inscripted with Arabic and Chinese dating back to the
T’ang Dynasty.

The ‘Guangta Tower’ is a freestanding minaret, of 36.30 m (119 ft) high. It is a cylindrical, smooth-textured
minaret made from grey masonry with a balcony that served as a ritual tower for the Muezzin to call the
worshipers to prayer. Another solid cylindrical tower is surmounted above the ringed balcony with a base
dome decorated with two tiers of ‘dougong’. There is an elongated pointed tip with a metal rod supporting
a crescent moon-shaped design. There are also windows to allow air and light onto the spiral staircase
through which the Muezzin can access the balcony.

During the T’ang and Song Dynasties, when the bank of the Zhu Jiang (The Pearl River) was close to the
minaret, sailors would occasionally climb the minaret to observe the weather conditions prior to sailing. This
minaret has served its purpose well and famously became known as the ‘Beacon Tower’ and the city’s
principal landmark. A lamp was lit atop the minaret and served as a beacon for navigation that guided
boats along the Zhu Jiang River during the night. Its height dominated the city’s skyline before the contruction of high-rise buildings and dwarfed everything allowing for a bird’s eye view of the city. The luminous tower also had a weathervane, placed on its roof indicating the direction of the wind.

Its majestic presence played a huge role at the start of the ‘maritime silk road’. Before reaching the
mainland on the Silk Road, reaching this port must have been a tremendous achievement for many anxious
merchants.

Another mosque in Galle, off the southern coast of what Arabs traders called Sarandib, i.e Sri Lanka, is
called the Ja’ama Al-Khaira’t or The Galle Lighthouse Mosque. The light tower minaret is free-standing next
to a beautiful palm tree and is situated close to the sea front where it is currently geared up to serve
incoming navigations. The mosque is like a small fortress-like colonial two-storied building: white washed,
symmetrically square domed twin-towered facade, crowned with a shaped-gable in the middle and a
crescent-shaped tail placed above.

The city of al-Zaytun which was the starting point of the Maritime Silk Route was well noted by Al-Idrissi
who was born in Ceuta (492-576 AH/1099-1180 CE). He was a famous Moroccan geographer who, in 1154
CE, wrote in his book al-Kitab ar-Rujari (Book of Roger) a most elaborate description of the world. It
formed the basis of European knowledge in the field at the time. He wrote about the commodities carried
by Chinese ships such as leather, swords and iron and various textiles including silk which were bound for
Aden. He described Hangzhou’s popular glassware and rated Zaytun’s silk as the best.

By the Song Dynasty (960-1279) trade was booming and many Arab and Persian merchants flocked to port
of Guangzhou where the office of the Director General of Shipping was constantly under Muslim
management, due to their law-abidingness and self-disciplined nature. Abu’l-Abbas al-Hijazi, a prosperous
twelfth-century merchant who spent many years in China, had seven sons whom he posted in seven
different commercial centres from his base in Yemen thus establishing a successful trading network after
the loss of all but one of his twelve ships in the Indian Ocean.

Domination of trade from the Far East and East Africa into the Red Sea, was in the hand of the Karamis of
Aden. They were one of the greatest trading families of all time and were brimming with success from
agencies as far as the ports of China and earning the support of the munificent Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi (532589 AH/1138-1193 CE) - a hero, honoured by Muslims and Christians alike, who freed Jerusalem in c.1187
and ended its eighty eight year occupation by the Crusaders.

In 1292 the Venetian merchant, Marco Polo (1254-1324) described al-Zaytun and Alexandria of Egypt as
one of the two greatest ports in the world. He also found a flourishing Arab merchant community which he
associated with the conspicuous Muslim presence in various areas of China. On his way from China in 1288
and 1293, he visited the port of Kayal in India which was full of ships from Arabia and China. He also
mentioned seeing a large number of Arabian and Persian horses imported by sea into south India.

Hajji Ibn battuta (1304-1369) was a noted explorer and a traveler who was born in Tangiers, Morocco into
a family of judges during the Marinid Dynasty (1196-1511). He studied Islamic theology but little did his
family know about his long journey at the age of 21 to perform Hajj at Makkah would take one and a half
years and from which he would not return to his native town for nearly three decades.

He served as a Qadi (judge) for eight years in the Sultanate of India under Sultan Muhammad Tughlaq
(1326-51) before he was summoned as head of a mission to China in 1341 as an ambassador to meet the
most powerful ruler in the world, the Mongol Emperor of China.

The life-threatening adventure began just as he left Delhi where he was taken prisoner and hunted for
eight days as a fugitive before ending up at the shores of Calicut with nothing but the clothes he wore and
a prayer mat. He was blessed to be alive. He continued his journey to China via the Maldives where he
became a chief judge - without the intention of becoming one - and married into the royal family.

He then set sail from Sri Lanka when his ship nearly sank in a storm. He was rescued by another ship which
was attacked by