Changes of Islam in China during the nineteenth century and Ibn `Arabi

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K03130
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: History of Asia and Africa
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: Nakanishi Tatsuya 京都大学, 人文科学研究所, 准教授 (40636784)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 中国ムスリム / イブン・アラビー / イブン・タイミーヤ / 来世論 / スーフィズム / 聖者崇敬 / イスラーム改革

Outline of Final Research Achievements

I elucidated how Huis (Chinese-speaking Muslims) received and developed ideas of Ibn `Arabi (died in 1240) in response to Islamic reformist trends in West and South Asia. I argued the following points: In the context of adapting Islam to Chinese milieu, a Hui scholar Ma Dexin (died in 1874) introduced Ibn `Arabi's theory regarding the afterlife under the influence of Islamic reformist trends in West Asia, and radicalized critical discourses regarding the veneration of saints from West Asia based on Ibn `Arabi's thought. In addition, I discussed how later Huis added developments and gave responses to Ma Dexin's criticism of the veneration of saints. Furthermore, I investigated how a Chinese Sufi Yusuf (died in 1866) reconciled Ibn `Arabi's ideas with an Islamic reformist thought from South Asia.

Free Research Field

中国ムスリム研究

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、中国ムスリムによるイスラームと中国社会・文化との調停をめぐって、従来と異なる新たな二つの結論を導き出した。ひとつは、その調停が、ときに外来イスラーム新思想の積極利用によってなされたということ。もうひとつは、その努力が、中国のムスリム・非ムスリムの融和に貢献したいっぽうで、ときにムスリム内部の分断を促進したということ。これらの結論は、外来思想の排除やマイノリティの同化こそが社会の安定をもたらすという考え方を相対化する意義を有する。