Islam In China

 

December 18, 2011

Beijing: An earliest Chinese version of the holy Quran, a handwritten copy completed in 1912, has been found by Muslim culture researchers in China's northwestern Gansu province.

This Quran was found among old archives by researchers with the Muslim Culture Institute of Lanzhou University. It is believed to have been translated into Chinese by Sha Zhong and Ma Fulu, the two noted imams, or Muslim religious leaders and Arabic calligraphers in Lanzhou, said Ding Shiren, head of the institute, Xinhua reported.

Sha and Ma began translating the Quran in 1909 and completed their work in 1912, said Ding.

Sha then copied out the Chinese text and made three handwritten books, which were widely used in Lanzhou.

Two other Chinese versions of the Quran were finished in Gansu in the 20th century, said Ding, who along with his colleagues are presently making a comparative study of the three versions.

The translation by Sha and Ma is faithful to the Arabic version, though parts of the Chinese text used Lanzhou dialect, he said.

As per experts, Islam was introduced to China in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). But ancient Chinese scholars did not translate the Quran, fearing that they might misinterpret its text, said Ding.
 

1,000-year-old copy of the Quran

16 Feb 2012

BEIJING: A county in northwest China will spend four million yuan (around $635,000) to build a museum for the preservation of a 1,000-year-old copy of the Quran.

Officials from Dongxiang county in Gansu province said the money will be used to build an 800-square-metre museum with exhibition halls and digital display systems.

The ancient copy of the Quran, written in Arabic and comprising 536 pages, was discovered in Dongxiang in 2009, Xinhua reported.

Experts from China, Britain and Japan have analysed the document and said it was likely created between the 9th and 11th centuries.

The museum will use advanced methods to preserve the ancient holy book and slow down its deterioration.

Construction on the museum is scheduled to start in April and will finish by the end of the year.

"The copy has been classified as a cultural property under national protection and is likely to be one of the earliest copies of the Quran in existence," said Imam Ma Qingfang, a local religious leader.

Ma said he has refused outside offers for the document, believing it to be priceless and referring to it as the "book of soul" for the people of Dongxiang.

"The document is of great significance for the study of the history of Dongxiang's ethnic groups, the history of Islam in China and Chinese civilization," said Chen Hailong, deputy head of the county administration.

http://expressbuzz.com/world/china-t...py/364095.html
 

1,000-year-old copy of the Quran

March 15, 2012

For every able-bodied Muslim, the hajj, one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, is a religious duty which must be performed at least once during a devotee's lifetime. To that aim, every year, Muslim pilgrims journey to the Holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. The same, of course, holds true for Chinese Muslims.

In early February, a documentary focusing on Chinese pilgrims' journey to Mecca debuted on the National Geographic's Asian network. The 60-minute film named "The Chinese Hajj" was co-produced by China Intercontinental Communication Center and the National Geographic Channel and focuses on five Chinese Muslims from different provinces during their pilgrimage in 2010.

The documentary was filmed in locations as diverse as Beijing, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and Yunnan Province, thereby covering almost all of China's Muslim areas.

According to Jing Shuiqing, director of the International Department at the China Intercontinental Communication Center, the documentary will present a true picture of the lives of both China's Muslim population and other Chinese people.

Commenting on the making of the documentary, Jing told China.org.cn that he had been impressed by the devotion and dedication of those depicted in the piece. "In my eyes, each story in the film is touching and impressive," he said. "What moved me in particular during the entire process of filming and production was that the Muslims would do anything, would devote their lives in order to finish the pilgrimage to Mecca. Such firm adherence to their faith certainly deserves our full respect."

Jing added that a lot of work was required prior to shooting the documentary in order to ensure that the process went smoothly. "We set up a research and executive group, which consisted of both Chinese and foreign religious experts to oversee the shooting of scenes, both in China and Saudi Arabia, he said. "In addition, we had to select appropriate subjects for the documentary from the more than 130,000 Chinese Muslim pilgrims who make the journey to Mecca each year. This was our main headache. The research work before filming is actually a creative process."

He continued: "During filming, we also conquered lots of difficulties. First is the problem of gaining permission to film. Mecca is regarded as the holiest city in the religion of Islam, and non-Muslims are forbidden to enter. Therefore, our entire team, including the director and photographer were all Muslims."

He added: "Language was another difficulty. Because the filming locations included Beijing, Ningxia, Xinjiang, Yunnan, Mecca and Medina, we have to use Chinese, Arabic, English and Uighur in order to communicate fluently with the subjects of the documentary, our team, and local citizens. So our production team was a multi-national and multi-ethnic one."

Following its first screening in the Asia-Pacific region on Feb. 5, it is anticipated that the film will subsequently be watched by 380 million viewers from over 165 countries and regions globally. In addition to the English-language version, the documentary will be translated into 37 languages, including Chinese, Arabic and Uighur. There are also plans to submit the documentary to the Asian Television Awards and other television festivals throughout Europe and America.

Commenting on the film's universal themes and potential draw for such a wide audience, Jing concluded: "Many Muslims were moved to tears after watching the film. I think that is because 'The Chinese Hajj' tells the real story of Chinese Muslims and reflects their real lives. Actually, it doesn't matter whether you are Muslim or non-Muslim, some emotions are common among all human beings."

http://www.china.org.cn/arts/2012-03...t_24905393.htm
 

A work of Chinese calligrapher Mohammad Yousuf, also known as Chen Kun.

By ABDUL HANNAN TAGO | ARAB NEWS

Published: Mar 27, 2012 02:01 Updated: Mar 27, 2012 02:04

RIYADH: Who would have thought some of the best Arabic calligraphers were from China, Turkey and Pakistan? Mohammad Yousuf, a young Chinese calligrapher also known as Chen Kun, studied the Holy Qur’an in the mosque in his childhood and is today one of the well-known Chinese calligraphers.

He follows in the footsteps of Haji Noor Deen Mi Guangjiang, a Chinese calligrapher extraordinaire who has been producing Chinese-Arabic calligraphic art for over a decade and was the first Chinese national to be conferred the Certificate of Arabic Calligraphy in Egypt in 1997.

In Chinese mosques Arabic calligraphy has a long history and is characterized by its beauty and charm. The calligraphy, an important component of Islamic culture, occupies a special place in the history of world culture.

Chen Kun is currently a teacher at the Institute of Lanzhou of Islamic Sciences, a member of the Association of Chinwoking ese Calligraphers and secretary of the Chinese Calligraphers Association in Gansu Province.

Chen Kun received two awards in international competitions in calligraphy held in Pakistan and Turkey in 1993 and 1994 respectively. When he set up an exhibition of his work on the art of calligraphy in Malaysia in 2001, Malaysia's then-Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad was among those who visited the exhibition and expressed his admiration.

Nowadays, one can find Chen Kun's calligraphy in the halls of mosques in northwest China and in Egypt, Turkey, Iran and Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Malaysia, among others.

The spread of Arabic calligraphy in the world coincided with the spread of the Arabic language. China has been known for producing calligraphy for more than a thousand years. It involves mixing and integrating Arabic calligraphy with traditional Chinese calligraphy and traditional Chinese paintings.

The art of Arabic calligraphy has become an integral part of everyday life and religious life of Muslim Chinese people. There are also quite a few Muslim scholars and imams of Chinese calligraphy well versed in that field.

The Chinese calligraphers Atoarza not only perfected the art of calligraphy, but also excelled in its evolution. Their brand of art is becoming popular in the architecture of mosques in northwest China.

Chen Kun began his study of Arabic calligraphy in the 1980s. His influences included calligraphers Sheikh Mohammed Saad Haddad (Egypt) and Hashim Muhammad Al-Baghdadi.

He organized exhibitions of Arabic calligraphy in China and abroad, and received several awards.

In his book “Arabic Calligraphy” issued by Lanzhou University in May 2006, he reviews the history of the development of Arabic calligraphy, explains the characteristics and training methods to write Arabic letters and analyzes hundreds of business houses that have become famous in the field.

This book contains the scientific theories of Arabic calligraphy, summarizing the experiences of Chen Kun based on his research, training and practice of Arabic calligraphy.

This year, Chen Kun released his second calligraphy book published by the China Association for Literature and the Arts.

The common quality and dominant feature of the work of Chen Kun is the harmony between black and white and between letters and characters that are dense and scattered between the outline and narrow lines.

There is a tool book that Chen Kun himself made out of straw that embodies his strength in Arabic calligraphy.

Chen Kun is well versed in different forms of Arabic calligraphy, including the letters’ geometrical and architectural form and shape. One of his bold architectural panels has drawn praise from Mahathir. He said the word "Islam" in Arabic means a religion of peace and harmony and obedience, and the Islamic religion calls for world peace and stability of society.

He added this idea is reflected in the art of Arabic calligraphy, adding Chen Kun embodies this concept extremely well in his work.

http://arabnews.com/lifestyle/offbeat/article597459.ece