The Sage Learning of Liu Zhi: Islamic Thought in Confucian Terms

by Sachiko Murata, Seyyed Hossein Nasr (Foreword), William C. Chittick

Liu Zhi (ca. 1670–1724) was one of the most important scholars of Islam in traditional China. His Tianfang xingli (Nature and Principle in Islam), the Chinese-language text translated here, focuses on the roots or principles of Islam. It was heavily influenced by several classic texts in the Sufi tradition. Liu’s approach, however, is distinguished from that of other Muslim scholars in that he addressed the basic articles of Islamic thought with Neo-Confucian terminology and categories. Besides its innate metaphysical and philosophical value, the text is invaluable for understanding how the masters of Chinese Islam straddled religious and civilizational frontiers and created harmony between two different intellectual worlds.

The introductory chapters explore both the Chinese and the Islamic intellectual traditions behind Liu’s work and locate the arguments of Tianfang xingli within those systems of thought. The copious annotations to the translation explain Liu’s text and draw attention to parallels in Chinese-, Arabic-, and Persian-language works as well as differences.

Genres: Islam, Religion, China, Philosophy, Nonfiction, History

678 pages, Hardcover

First published March 15, 2009

About the author

Sachiko Murata (村田幸子, born 1943) is a professor of religion and Asian studies at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. She is a 2011 Guggenheim Fellow. (Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Affad Shaikh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not your garden variety book on Islam. It is especially specialized toward individuals in the field and much of it requires a passion for Confucian and Islamic thoughts to a certain degree. I read this partly out of a curiosity that the description provided along with the title. I found it to be unusually informative because I had no idea of the distinct Islamic history of Muslims in China. I knew of the Muslim populations and interactions, however, not of the development of community there. I also was intrigued by how much of what Chinese Muslims were doing is currently applicable to Western Muslim populations. I admit that about 70% of what I read went over my head and I couldn't truly sit down with others to explain what I read, its one reason why I feel like the introductory chapters along with the Eipilogue and notes were the best part of this book, The actual text of Liu Zhi was like reading poetry and went by terrifically fast. Everything else however required much more concentration and time to absorb and understand.