Study and arrangement of the original materials of Ahmad Ariga Bunhachiro, a pioneer of Islamic theology in Japan

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K00089
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 01030:Religious studies-related
• Research Institution: Doshisha University
• Principal Investigator: Shinohe Junya 同志社大学, 神学部, 教授 (80367961)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: アフマド有賀 / 香蘭経翻訳 / イスラーム信仰 / 日本におけるイスラーム布教 / 明治大正昭和のイスラーム

Outline of Final Research Achievements

PDF of student notebooks of his proof and comment on the Japanese translation of Quran was a main purpose of this research. As a peripheral study, I collected information of Ahmad Ariga’s Family and his relatives. During the research, his descendant family and the relatives together replaced tombstone of Ahmad Ariga, it was confirmed that Ahmad Ariga helped his relatives financially and introduced his relatives to people concerned in the social life and their studies. I got materials which proved his business relationship with Sun Yat-sen's secretary, Song Ying Jin, who was assassinated in the Chinese Revolutionary Movement. It was concluded that Ahmad Ariga converted to Islam through contact with Muslims in Asia in his foreign business as his confession. It is natural way through his business relationship in Muslims in Asia.
I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science for granting research funds.

Free Research Field

イスラーム

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

明治開国を契機に、外国宗教との折衝が可能となり、イスラーム教への入信も可能となった。それまでの宗教は個人の選択というよりは、地域社会の宗教の受け入れと、儒教の橋梁主義であったが、明示期には、個人が外国との交流により、自らの宗教を選択できるようになった。この開かれた世界のなかで、日本人は信仰への追求ではなく、外国人との交流により自然に新たなる宗教へと導かれていった。アフマド有賀の場合は、最初は来日したキリスト教宣教師からであったが、自らが海外へと向かい、そこでの交流がアジアであったことがイスラーム信仰の契機であった。