Bridging Cultures: Sufi Underpinnings in the Han Kitab School of China Ma Dexin’s Commentary on Liu Zhi’s “Nature and Principle in Islam” Introduction and Annotated Arabic Edition

Abstract

This study provides an analytical examination of the recently unearthed Arabic commentary on Liu Zhi's seminal work, "Nature and Principle in Islam," authored by the distinguished 19th-century Chinese Islamic scholar, Ma Dexin. It furnishes an exhaustive contextual overview of the Han Kitab intellectual movement, spotlighting significant contributions from luminaries such as Liu Zhi and Wang Daiyu. Additionally, this analysis delves into Ma Dexin's biography, detailing his extensive journeys and pivotal role in championing the cause of Chinese Muslims against the Qing imperial court. Penned in 1844, Ma Dexin's commentary reveals his profound understanding of Islamic cosmology, philosophy, and Sufi traditions. The document, divided into five chapters, navigates a range of subjects, including the primacy and descents of the macrocosm, the sequels of the macrocosm, and the distinct features of superior and inferior entities. The discovery of this commentary Paugments our understanding of the Han Kitab intellectual lineage and shines a light on the intricate dialogue between Chinese neo-Confucian thought and Islamic intellectual and Sufi traditions. The subsequent section of this study offers an edited and annotated version of the original Arabic manuscript.

Keywords

• Ma Dixin
• Liu Zhi
• Han Kitab
• Neo-Confucianism Sufism

Kültürler Arası Köprü Kurmak: Çin Han Kitab Okulunda Tasavvufun Alt Yapıları Ma Dexin’in Liu Zhi’nin “İslam’da Tabiat ve İlke” Üzerine Yorumu Giriş ve Arapça Anotasyonlu Baskı

Abstract

Bu çalışma, 19. yüzyılın seçkin Çinli İslam alimi Ma Dexin tarafından yazılan, Liu Zhi'nin ufuk açıcı eseri "İslam'da Doğa ve Prensipler" hakkında yakın zamanda ortaya çıkarılan Arapça yorumların analitik bir incelemesini sunmaktadır. Liu Zhi ve Wang Daiyu gibi aydınların önemli katkılarına dikkat çekerek, Han Kitab entelektüel hareketine kapsamlı bir bağlamsal genel bakış sunuyor. Ek olarak, bu analiz Ma Dexin'in biyografisini derinlemesine inceleyerek onun kapsamlı yolculuklarını ve Çinli Müslümanların Qing imparatorluk sarayına karşı davasını savunmadaki önemli rolünü detaylandırıyor. 1844'te kaleme alınan Ma Dexin'in şerhi, onun İslam kozmolojisi, felsefesi ve Sufi geleneklerine dair derin anlayışını ortaya koyuyor. Beş bölüme ayrılan belge, makrokozmosun önceliği ve inişleri, makrokozmosun devamı ve üstün ve aşağı varlıkların farklı özellikleri de dahil olmak üzere bir dizi konuyu ele alıyor. Bu yorumun keşfi, Han Kitab'ın entelektüel soyuna dair anlayışımızı artırıyor ve Çin neo-Konfüçyüsçü düşüncesi ile İslami entelektüel ve Sufi gelenekleri arasındaki karmaşık diyaloğa ışık tutuyor. Bu çalışmanın sonraki bölümünde orijinal Arapça yazmanın düzenlenmiş ve açıklamalı bir versiyonu sunulmaktadır.

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