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Sufi
Tomb in Dongxiang county of linxia, China
Click
here to know more about Islam in China
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.
More
than 1000 years old historic Mosque in Sian Fu, Western
China
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Hazrat
Abbas Abul Bakar's Mazar is also present in China.
He Converted More than 10,000 Chinese to Muslims, and
brought the Flying Lamas to the Ground which made them
accept Islam and the full village reverted to Islam.
More
on this dargah coming soon inshllah...
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