Islam was introduced in China by the uncle of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh),Saad bin Abi Waqas during the reign of the Chinese Emperor Gaozong of the Tang dynasty in 651. Gaozong is known in the Islamic sources as Yung Wei. The emperor is known to be impressed by the teachings of Islam but he did not himself convert. However he did order the building of the first mosque in China. Additionally the Muslims were also allowed to proselytize in China.
Jazak Allah khaira for this blog. I traveled through China from East to West shortly after becoming a Muslim and met so many wonderful Muslims from all different ethnic and cultural groups. I visited a tomb somewhere on my journey that was rather poorly labeled, but I believe was said to be the tomb of Sayyiduna Sa`d bin Abi Waqqas (Allah be pleased with him.) I also have a photo of what I believe is the tomb (my photos are equally poorly labeled.) This was such a long time ago. Can you confirm whether such a tomb actually exists in China, where it is, and I’l try to make the photo available to you if you want to post it, or if you could at least confirm that that’s what it is.
iqag, As’salam’o'alaikum. Welcome to the blog. That’s great. I would love to hear more about your travels in China. There is indeed the tomb of Saad bin Abi Waqas (may Allah be please with him) in Guangzhou. Insha’Allah I will post some information about the tomb also. You can send me the photo, that would be great. My e-mail address is in the about section.
Al-Salamu alikum, i am from kuwait and i have to say your blog is great so thank you for it. i admire the chinese people so much for their customs and traditions and old ways. I am so intesrested to learn about chinese mulims to learn about how they apply the old ways and chinese tradition discipline to islam. We are born muslims but we so much lack the discipline in our daily lives and find it hard to be true to our faiths…
regards
smartyq8
wa’alaikum’as’salam smartyq8, Welcome to the blog. You are correct, being disciplined is very important in Islam. The five daily prayers are also meant to teach us about being disciplined. Initially when Islam spread to other regions many people were impressed by the strong sense of discipline of the Muslims.
You are correct, things have changed a lot since then 
but we can always try to become better and follow the example of the prophet (pbuh). If one thinks about it, the prophet (pbuh) was also a very disciplined man. We should also emphasize this part of his sunnah. 
Assalamu alaikum
Precisely what I also referred to in one of my other comments – how my parents raised me with the traditional Chinese etiquettes – with discipline being a big part of it – which helped me to embrace Islam and its practices with ease and appreciation – subhan’Allah.
Do you know why Islamic sources site the Emperor’s name as Yung Wei vs. Gaozong? Is it a phonetical translation between 2 different dialects? (Like Cheng Ho and Zheng He)? I am just wondering because they are so different.
Jazakee Allah Khayran
as’salam’o’alikum’wa’rahma’tullah’wa’bara’ka’tahu, Um Yusuf as-Siddiq. The commonalities between the two are indeed striking.
I have read about the differences in the name but I do not know why this is the case.
Aslam-o-Alaikum
I am very pleased to get the information about the chinees muslim. Hope to progress day by day.
Wasalam
Rizwan Jani
Daska (distt Sialkot)
pakistan
wa’alaikum’as’salam’wa’rahmatullah Rizwan, Welcome to the blog. I hope you stay. Pakistan is right next to China. I think your national poet also mentions Chinese Muslims somewhere in his poetry.
Dear Muslim Bro all In China….
Asslam-Alaikum, I am faisal Hussain from Delhi, India… I would like know about the Islam in China. Kindly tell me about the Islam in chaina.
W’salam..
Faisal Hussain
Dear Friend,
i am very much impress to see this information and think Allah must give help to those people who work for islam. I need some help related to Hazrat saad bin abi waqas tomb. If any body send me the exact location of tomb and give me help if i am in Shanghai so how i go to their tomb. I am highly appricated for those person who give me help.
My email address is given below for all people attention.
hamid@pict.com.pk
thanks and regards,
hamid
Dear Hamid, I have to do some research on this subject. It is on my list of to do things. Insha’Allah I will do a post on this.
Alsalam alikum all
it is so nice to see the interest in our islamic histroy. it brings us closer and unifies us across the broders of the different nations. if anyone wants any help in learning islam or finding resources don’t hesitate to mail me at smarty_q8@yahoo.com and inshaa allah i will help
Alsalam alikum my brothers in sisters
asalam alaikum,
I’m French and I’m looking for pictures of Chinese mosques, people…because I’m writing an article about Islam in China for a French website called “al-wassat.com”. Your blog is quite interesting, may Allah help you continue to inform us about Chinese muslims, hoping that their condition will be better!
Salam
wa’alaikum’as’salam sumaya, Welcome to blog. I hope that the pictures in this blog will be of help to you. I am glad that you liked the blog.
Salamin Aleykum,
I would like to congratulate you for this lovely blog; very nicely done and very informative.
Just let you know that there is a web site called muslimheritage.com, which has a very detailed article about “Islam in China”: especially the full article which is available there as a PDF file:
http://muslimheritage.com/topics/default.cfm?ArticleID=518
There are also articles about Zheng He and Muslim Kung Fu Masters.
May Allah make your path easy in search of knowledge.
Salaams,
Cem
salam. i am from malaysia. i am interested to know more about islam in guangzhou.can i have your email so then we can communicate further.may Allah bless us.Syukran.
Salam
I am from malaysia I am interested to visit china muslim communitiy and town. Any travel agent that becan propose.
wassalam
wa’alaikum’as’salam everyone
cemo, cool and thanks for the link. I will definitely check it out.
AA wbt,
Appreciate very much the work. Hamid had requested (13 February 2008) some information on Hazrat Sa’ad ibn Abi Waqqas’s tomb in Shanghai? Is there any written Chinese version of the history that Hazrat Sa’ad led the first official delegation of Muslim to China in 650AD? Has your list of research allowed you time to find out the answer to Hamid’s request?
I will appreciate your response. Thanks
I would also like to know a little about the seals on the top right of each message and your reply thereto?
Kind Regards,
Ajmal Hameed
Salam my dear brother,
1st time for me and i believe it is for a special reason i write to u, i am from malaysia and it is most interesting to how the chinese muslims integrated to many cultures around the world through its faith..islam (likewise for others too..) Through the many centuries..starting fr Tang/Yuan/Ming & Ching Dynasties…the traders/seafarers/migration/or running fr persecution, some still keep their faith and some denounce after many generations being assimilated into different race through marriages with other chinese of different beliefs (girls side mostly) but men side marry the local muslims which looses their identity after many generations…this happens mainly in South East Asia (@ Malay Archipeleango) This happen because mostly of language barrier, and also the divide & rule concept by foreign conquerers (ie Portuguese/Dutch/English) – well that happen for reason too, the purpose of Christianizing the locals (happen in China too, ie the opium war etc & the Ching Dynasty too practised their divide & rule concept too.
However, this is all are of ALLAH’s great plan…no doubt about it, what i am emphasizing is about a saying from a hadith…(to know oneself is to know ALLAH), well to know your roots is to remember ur ancestors…to an extend ur ancestors could be muslims/confucious/buddhist etc even to an extend on christians then to as back to jews then lastly of course Prophet Adam as….all spreading the message of the one and only true GOD…ALLAH
The muslim malays here in Malaysia has always remember a hadith fr our Prophet Muhammad SAW….to seek knowledge is to go to China (*hope i got it right, some say it may not be sahih) Anyway, it has a deeper meaning….back then, the longest plain is the silk road – Arab peninsula to China….the refined meaning is that muslims should have far and wide insight into life…take the challenge of the journey with faith, patience and consistency..gaining knowledge and wisdom on the way fr the beginning to the end…the world & hereafter, travelling the world…destination hereafter…our journey back to HIM….on the way we met the arabs, andalucians, africans, indians, rohingyas, the malays, the central asians, the moghuls, russians, and course the Hans etc…all coming fr the same source Prophet Adam as & destination…the same, some different methods, routes, travelling time…some did not make it….at all, some seem not to make it but actually made it (Allah’s refined plan and splendour)
Keep up on what ur doing…Alhamdullilah to ur dedication and share of knowledge…Take care
PS ( if ur interested on finding up on some insight, pls key in (Koay clan in Penang, Malaysia) – they are descendants of Hui chinese muslims but denounce their faith after many generations when arrived in Malaysia)
Salams
KK
Assalamualaikum to all,
Pertaining to KK’s response, here’s an article by Ong Seng Huat:
Koay Jetty: The social evolution of the Hui people in Penang
http://www.penangmedia.com/cms/lishi/2007/0918/article_69.html
Contains some information on the Koay [Kuok] [Guo] [郭] Clan originating from Hui’an County, Fujian Provice, China in English.
On the matter of assimilation for the Koay Clan, besides language, other grounds include culture as well as to some extent the Islamic beliefs originating from different traditions. Feeling alienated from the larger local Muslim community, the dependability for support goes to the mainstream Chinese community. No longer practicing Muslims, however, some families still abide to the significant attachments concerning the Hui identity e.g. abstaining from the consumption of pork similar to their counterparts in Taiwan.
W’salam,
Hajar
Salams again,
Is it true that the old scriptures or one of the 1st chinese caligraphy of the word ‘Tao’ if seen in the mirror image has very close similarities to the kalimah ‘ALLAH’. someone out there who has some kind of reference or proof pls share..???
And also one of the scriptures OF tAO tE CHING mentioned that there would be a great sage whose teachings would last a thousand years…. He must have meant our prophet Muhammad SAW???
Is it true that the mythology or legend about the great journey to the west of the buddhist monk, and his other deities as companion was actually searching for the holy scriptures in the middle east???
It was mentioned to me before that there are actually 313,000 prophets of Allah and only what we have read about in the Al Quran is only a small fraction??? so could it be that the other true teachings from others ie Siddharta Gautama Buddha, Lao Tze. Socrates (Greek philosophers) etc.. – many muslims scholars back then used some Greek knowledge into their studies….are actually wise men or prophets???
Is it true that some Chinese traditional beliefs or practise…offer offerings & incense ie joss sticks to their altars & actually has deeper meaning : 1) Offerings to Heavens (when out at the door way, u can see one) 2) To Main altar with a deity being their teacher or mediator to GOD) 3) Ancestor tablet where even they seek their blessings and assistance for proctection & guidance….
THE 3) point interest me…can some out there do a thorough research ie checking records/family trees or clans/ history background of clans/migration of Chinese Muslims when? How? etc and did they have different names when assismilated to socities of different race…also their actual Muslim names…….do a documentary/book/magazines with strong da’wah purposes…sending out to these other chinese that they are actually speaking to their ancestors whore are Chinese Muslims!!!??? Then we will seek ALLAH’s guidance and blessings for Allah to summon the Heavens & its Government…to sent forth the Chinese Muslims/Angels or those under appoinment who is ever living in the Heavens to revert their decendants to the truth of HAQQ!!
Welcome more reverts or converts…Alhamdullilah…better for the society/more zakats/less triads/more chance of endangered species survival, less gambling, less vices, etc …well the list can go on and on…as the Chinese are very well spread out & amongst the backbone of some economy of Muslim Countries….so who ever out there gets these msg…insyaallah let’s do it the better way, smarter way of da’wah..en mass reversion/conversion…can apply for other races too (different research only) Ya Rabbilalamin Amin
Salam
KK
Bismillahirrahmanirraheem
A bit of a late response to Gaozong vs. Yung Wei comment. I believe it is because the former (Gaozong) relates to the emperor’s royal name, and the latter (Yung Wei) refers to the name of one of his reigning periods.
It’s the Chinese tradition for emperors to name their reign different names at different points in time. However, I’m not sure why the Islamic sources uses the era’s name (since Gaozong’s reign comprises of different eras) vs. the royal name. Maybe it’s easier to spell in arabic?
Great blog!