Chapter 9 Section 3 Several Important Thoughts of Chinese Islamic Doctrine

There is a concept of "unity" in Chinese Islamic dogma.It means that when people realize the true God, they should take a completely opposite route to the creation of Allah: from the body one to the number one, from the number one to the true one.Here, the cosmology of religious theology merges with the epistemology of religious theology.In terms of theology, the main contribution of Chinese Islamic theologians lies in the elucidation of the concept of "true bestowal". "Zhenci" is the free translation of the Arabic "Imani". "Imani", now translated as "faith", especially refers to "insight of faith".Chinese Islamic theologians incorporated Confucianism's "origin of virtue" and Buddhism's "Buddha nature" into "true gift", thus making this concept more abundant in content and image, and more adaptable to the surroundings cultural atmosphere.Chinese Islamic teachings believe that true bestowment is the source of virtue, with the same meaning but different names.True gifts are bestowed by God innately.Only when a person has the true gift can he become a person.The existence of Zhenci just shows that people are inherently religious.Therefore, "true gift" is also synonymous with "Buddha nature" and "true likeness".What is meant by the so-called "body is serious"?Now it is clearer, that is to make Allah bestow the gene of faith in people's hearts, that is, the real gift, and then go back to Allah.In the highest state of acknowledging the Lord, the direct bond between man and Allah is completed in this way.In other words, it is between the "spirit" (called the "true self" or "innate self" in Chinese Islamic teachings) and the "ego" (called "fantasy self" or "acquired self" in Chinese Islamic teachings). I") split on the basis of attaining oneness with Allah.It is the "true self" and not the "illusory self" that is identical with Allah.In our view, the "phantom self" is the real, concrete, flesh and blood person.The so-called "true self" is the mysterious "true gift", which is the basis for the self to recognize and return to the Lord.

Chinese Islamic dogmatics satisfactorily solves the problem of the attributes of Allah with the Confucian ideas of "substance and function" and "base and end". In the history of the development of Islamic teachings, there have always been debates about the relationship between the unity of God's noumenon and the multitude of attributes.Chinese Islamic theologians believe that Allah has a body, but Allah itself does not have any attributes.It is unique, without coupling, without form, without end in time, without place in space, transcendent, beyond description in language, imperceptible in senses, and beyond contemplation in thought.In a word, Allah is one and has no descriptive virtues.At this time, Allah cannot be known.At the same time, Allah has the distinction of "body" and "utility".When God is in relationship with other things, God is no longer one.It should reflect its own "use" function.But "use" is by no means Allah himself.Although "body and function are inseparable, and inseparable", after all, "combination is different", separation of body and separation of use.At this time, Allah has the attributes that can be described, and thus becomes a recognizable object.But what is captured by people's cognition is only the use of Allah, not the ontology.Use is reflected through the "count one" link.However, for some special believers, it is possible to "use it to achieve its own body".Therefore, Allah is knowable again.

In Chinese Islamic dogmatics, because Allah has body and usefulness, it is both unitary and not unitary; it has neither narrative attribute nor narrative attribute; it is neither cognizable nor cognizable.This speculative feature is worth noting. Earlier, we mentioned two issues of Chinese Islamic dogmatics: cosmology and theology of the Lord.These two questions are actually two aspects of one question.Wang Daiyu said: Wuji Xiantian is the first seed, and it is said to descend from top to bottom. It is the original seed, and there is no testimony from the beginning.The postnatal day of man is the time of irrigation, and it is called ascending from the bottom up, which is the result of the cause.The tree hides the seed, and the fruit emerges from the tree.Return to the original, the fruit is the seed.Although it is not the same, there is a gain. ("Halal University")

That is to say, Allah created man "from top to bottom", which is "descension", which is the process of creation; man is God, "from bottom to top", which is "ascension", which is the process of return.As a result, the complicated world has become so clear and simple that all movements and changes can be incorporated into such two processes: the Lord creates man, and man recognizes the Lord.The world seems to exist within this simple formula. In the ethical and moral concepts of Islam, there were no concepts such as "five ethics", "five constants" and "five virtues" ("five codes").Chinese Islamic theologians have completely transplanted the Confucian "Three Cardinal Guidelines and Five Constant Principles" into Islamic teachings.It can be considered that the consistency of ethical thought is the main reason why Confucianism penetrated into Islam.In Chinese Islamic dogma, the content of the "Five Constants" is no different from that of Confucianism.However, the order of the "Five Constants" is different from that of Confucianism.It's also a transformative fusion.Chinese Islamic teachings believe that the Wuchang should be headed by the "couple".It does not argue from a biological point of view that husband and wife should be the most important thing, but puts the relationship between husband and wife at an ontological level to understand. ".This understanding may be influenced by Li Zhi, a thinker in the Ming Dynasty.Li Zhi listed "couple" as the first lun when discussing lunchang.Some people think that li zhi's ancestors were muslims, so there is a reason for this.

Chinese Islamic teachings also link the "five merits" with the "five constants" and "five virtues".The five merits are the way of heaven, and the five constants are the way of humanity.The two are the two aspects that must be cultivated in the completion of human personality, that is, to achieve the goal of perfection.The Five Virtues, or the Five Classics, refer to "benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness".Chinese Islamic teachings believe that the five virtues are the foundation and the internal basis of the five merits, while the five merits are the external manifestations of the five virtues.The purpose of the five merits is to inspire people's inner virtue.

The Chinese writings by Chinese Islamic theologians explaining Islamic teachings with traditional Chinese ideas are regarded as classics by Chinese Muslims, and they are called "Han Ketabu", that is, Chinese classics.Except for the Muslims who speak Chinese in China, they mainly learn these "Han Ketabu".After Islam was introduced into China, there was always a problem of development direction.Thanks to the "Han Keta cloth", this problem can be solved.