Did you know that Islam has been in China for 1,400 years? Muslims are found in every province of China and make up 2% of China’s population, or more than 20 million people.
Half of China’s Muslims are Hui people, who are ethnically and linguistically similar to Han Chinese.
The remainder of China’s Muslims belong to minority ethnic groups in the western part of the country, called the Quran Belt. These minorities have been persecuted by the Communist government over the decades, and have fought for independence at times.
A Mosque in China
If you're interested in Islam and its history and development throughout Asia, whether you have a personal connection or are merely curious, China offers many destinations and discoveries for travelers seeking to know more about one of the world's oldest major religions.
The Advent of Islam in China
Islam was introduced into China as early as 615 AD, when a group of four companions (sahaba) of the prophet Muhammad visited China to trade and to preach the new faith.
Later, in AD 651, an envoy led by Saad ibn Abi Waqaas, the maternal uncle of the prophet Muhammad was sent officially on a mission to China by Uthman, the third caliph of Islam. The then ruler of China, the Tang Emperor Gaozong received them nicely.
The emperor ordered the construction of the Memorial Mosque in Canton (Huaisheng Mosque) in commemoration of prophet Muhammad. This was the first mosque to be constructed in China and is one of the oldest in the world. Thus less than 20 years after the death of the prophet, Islam was officially introduced and started to become established as a new religion and culture in China.
The History of Islam in China In 1910, it was estimated that Muslims made up about 1 or 2 percent of the population of China (about 7 million people). During the Communist era, intense anti-religious education and persecution caused a deflation in all faiths throughout China including in the Islamic communities. In modern China however, Islam and many other world religions have seen a resurgence.
Islam is considered to be the newest world religion to come to China. The religion arrived in China after Buddhism and Christianity. Muslim traders began to arrive in China during the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907), and perhaps hundreds of thousands of Muslims were brought into the Yuan Empire (1271 - 1368) by the Mongols. Many Mongol leaders became converts and the religion spread quickly in Central Asia by Muslim conquest of the nomadic tribes and empires between Arabia and China.
Islam in China Today
A new development that is spreading the knowledge and the interest in Islam is Chinese travel to Islamic countries. The Hajj, or the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, is one of the pillars of Islam. In the past, especially after the Mongol Empire, land travel was often difficult or impossible due to wars and banditry. Likewise, during the Cultural Revolution, Chinese Muslims were not permitted to complete the Hajj. But after 1979, this restriction was dropped. It is said that in recent years 50,000 Chinese Muslims have completed the Hajj. This contact with the center of the Islamic religion has bolstered the many Muslim communities of modern China
Nowadays, people in China are mainly Muslim by birth since few Chinese citizens report having converted to the religion. Regardless, Islam holds a prominent place in the faith lives of the Chinese people. It is the third largest world religion in the country after Buddhism and Christianity, with about 20 to 30 million practicing believers
The Islamic Chinese Association in Beijing determines the beginning of Ramadan according to astronomical calculations rather seeing the crescent like Arab countries.
For the Muslims of China, Ramadan holds a very special place. Celebrations start early through cleaning houses, including even ceilings and walls, as well as decorating walls with verses from the Quran, and mosques with colours. Mosques also welcome new rugs and worshipers, as is the case in the rest of the Islamic world.
Fasting in Ramadan is deemed mandatory from an early age, as females start fasting starting from the age of nine, and males from the age of 12.
As Ramadan starts, you will find mosques keen on opening their doors before Muslims and non-Muslims in order to introduce them to Islam.
Each year, Al-Azhar sends several preachers who are distributed across China’s Muslim cities and neighbourhoods. Niujie Mosque, which is one of the oldest mosques in Beijing that has existed for nearly a thousand years, welcomes Egyptian preachers, which makes the Muslim Chinese there very enthusiastic.
One of the most important manifestations of Ramadan is organising mass iftar meals in order to strengthen the bonds between Muslims in society.
The iftar table is usually round, with a variety of foods, with special care given to not wasting large amounts of food.
The iftar table is usually round, with a variety of foods, with special care given to not wasting large amounts of food.
The meal in China is divided into two parts. The first includes drinking tea and eating watermelon pieces, then individuals go pray. The second part of the meal comes after praying, with the main dish being rice, along with various types of vegetables and mutton.
Experts estimate the number of Chinese dishes to be over 5,000 halal foods, such as boiled chicken, fried lamb chops, veal meat with curry, chicken, peanuts, and roast beef. In China you will notice the word “halal” on any food for Muslims, and the colour green distinguishes the stores of Muslims, compared to the colour red which is considered the main colour of the country.
The Chinese give great attention to the suhoor meal. It is considered the main meal for them. One of the reasons for this is that their fasting hours are very long, and the second is that the Chinese have a good relationship with food on regular days, as they have five meals a day.
The late period of the night includes rituals such as Tahajjud prayers and mass suhoor. The Tarawih prayer each night is concluded with a sermon, and afterwards the door is opened for questions and inquiries in order to benefit all.
As for the lanterns that are well known in Egypt and considered a main elementof Ramadan, as we find them invading our markets every year from China, they are also very popular with the Chinese during the holy month. They are among the most popular goods exported from China to the Arab and Islamic worlds. They were used in the ancient times for lighting and decorating houses and neighbourhoods, but over the time, they have become a habit and people have embraced them as symbols of Ramadan.
Chinese-made prayer goods top picks for Ramadan in Bangladesh
Stores selling Islamic prayer items in Bangladesh's capital Dhaka are now busy as the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan has begun.
Owing to their affordability and attractive designs, stores offering Islamic prayer items like tasbih (Muslim prayer beads), prayer mats, tupi (prayer cap), and punjabi (Islamic robe for men), are now attracting many customers with their ample collections of Chinese-made artifacts.
The Chinese-made items, which come in a variety of sizes and designs, are appealing to increasing numbers of Muslims here in Dhaka.
Dhaka's Baitul Mukarram National Mosque market, a large cluster of shops that make up the country's largest place for Islamic prayer goods, has many stores that are solely selling Islamic items exclusively from China.
As Ramadan started, sales of made-in-China Islamic items have gained momentum in the market.
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