Greetings to everyone: A Muslim
lady on a bike takes her time for afternoon chit-chat. In Xi'an, Muslims have
been part of society for 1,300 years.
Walking through the Muslim quarter of Xi’an is a fascinating adventure
into an exciting mixture of Muslim and Chinese cultures.
The sound of a Chinese lady in a
hijab selling fried squid and the smell of lamb skewers offered by a Chinese
man with a white peci cap permeates
the air. Visit the mosque where there are Islamic calligraphies under a
traditional Chinese roof.
In China, the Muslims are a part of
the “five great peoples of China,” along with Mongols, Tibetans, Manchus and
the Han.
There are 10 Islamic Minzu (ethnic
minorities) in China, including the Turko-Mongol speaking communities living in
China’s northwest provinces, which include a group of Farsi speakers, the
Uighur in Xinjiang, and the Hui who scattered all over China.
Located in central northwest China,
Xi’an is home to Hui Muslims. The city is also famous for its tourist sites,
such as Emperor Qinshuang’s mausoleum, the fortificatios of Xi’an and the
Musuem of Terracotta Armies.
According to the 2012 census, Xi’an
is home to more than 8 million people of which 60.000 are Muslims. Islam
reached Xi’an in the second year of the Yonghui period of the Tang Dynasty (653
AD), 43 years after Islam was founded in 610 AD at that time, the Silk Road
played an important roe in spreading its message across China.
The interesting part of the Hui
Muslims in the Xi’an Muslim quarter is the degree of acculturation, without
necessarily being assimilated into the ethnic majority, the Han.
The Hui people in Xi’an are proud of
their identity boasting 1,300 years of Islamic history. At the same time,
Chinese culture flows organically in their veins, making the hijab and peci the only means of Islamic
identification.
One of the reason for the unique
acculturation is the Hui’s dual ancestry.
“We (Hui Muslims) are the
descendants of Arab men and Chinese women. If you see my pointed nose, I
inherited it from my Persian ancestors,” said Hasan, the Great Mosque of
Xi’an’s keeper.
Hasan also mentioned that Hui
religious activities are inseparable from their Chinese heritage.
“I think around 90% of Hui Muslims
find it difficult to read the Qur’an because of the dialect. Many of us
memorize the compulsory verses to salat and use the Xi’an dialect to pray,” he
explained.
Hasan then recited Quran verses, Al
Fatiha (1), An-Nas (114) and Al-Ikhlas (112). The combination of the Xi’an
dialect and Arabic fashions a deep rhytm that seeps into the subconscious in
Indonesia. It might be similar to Langgam jawa, reciting Qur’an verses with a
Javanese rhytm.
At the Great Mosque of Xi’an,
acculturation appears robust in the form of architecture.
According to Nancy Shatzman, who
wrote a research article on China’s earliest mosques, it was constructed under
Emperor Hongwu during the Ming Dynasty. It consists of five courtyards and a
long axial building oriented to the west or Mecca.
The establishment of the mosque is
frequently attributed to China’s famous Muslim admiral Cheng Ho.
No bacon, no problem: Halal food, or
Qingzhen, is easily spotted across Xi’an’s Muslim Quarter. In line with Islamic
lawa, pork is forbidden. Thus, Muslims in Xi’an tend to substitute pork with
lamb.
Cheng, who also built a mosque in Nanjing, is known for spreading Islam in south and West Asia, Africa and Indonesia.
Hassan mentioned that the city
government supported the mosque’s development, including its restoration if
needed.
“We have a good relationship with
the government because they support the development of the building. Even
during the Ming dynasty the emperor supported the effort to build the complex,”
Hasan said.
Calligraphic inscriptions are found
nearly everywhere around the mosque’s courtyard, such as Quranic verses,
prophetic traditions, the bismillah
(the opening), the shadah (Islamic
faith statements), the six beliefs of Islam, the divine attribute of Allah and
the angels.
The Chinese architectural style of
the mosque is represented by a temple-like compound around the courtyard.
Inside, it is ornamented with pillars and beams decorated wit hhorizontal
Chinese-inscribed boards.
Hence, the Great Mosque of Xi’an
represents a unique combination of Arabic culture and china architecture.
Another part of acculturation can be
seen in the food.
The quarter serves unlimited halal
food. In Chinese, halal food is called qingzhen,
translated as pure food. Hui Muslims prepare food according to Islamic laws of permission and prohibition ,meaning
that pork and liquor are forbidden.
Abstaining from pork and alcohol is
a sign of value internalization in their daily activities.
As a substitute, Xi’an Muslims eat
lamb and seafood. Lamb is nearly everywhere in the quarter, ranging from
skewers to noodle soup.
The Han culture is also present in
the way food is prepared. In halal restaurants, it is common to divide food
into hot and cold categories. The eating habits resemble Han culture, which
maintains the balance between food components and a healthy lifestyle.
Like many Muslims, rituals are an
essential tool in maintaining religiosity.
Hui Muslims in Xi’an celebrate Eid
ul fitr and Eid ul Adha with big feasts and other cultural events.
“We celebrate Eid ul Fitr and Eid ul
Adha every year. I also took a pilgrimage to Mecca. I went there in 2013,”
Hasan said.
Visiting the Muslim quarter in Xi’an
is indeed an experience, especially when learning more about Islam and china.
For most people, including Indonesians, it would seem far-fetched that Islam
and Chinese culture can coexist, especially under a communist regime.
However, successful acculturation
does not necessarily marginalize the minority because the Hui have shown that
they can maintain and retain their ethnic social ties (Chinese culture) as well
as their ethnic religiosity.
Devotion: A man prays inside the
Great Mosque of Xi’an
Entrance fee: It costs 25 yuan to
enter the Great Mosque of Xi’an. Legend says the Great Mosque was founded by
the naval admiral Cheng Ho, who had big influence spreading Islam in Indonesia.