The Qur’an and Identity in Contemporary Chinese Fiction

http://eprints.soas.ac.uk/19213/1/JQS.2014.0166-2.pdf

by Wen-chin Ouyang, in Journal of Qur'anic Studies 16.3 (2014): 62–83.

你們一齊抓住真主的繩索
Hold fast to God’s rope all together
(Q. 3:103)

I begin my exploration of the relationship between the Qur’an and identity in contemporary Chinese fiction with this quotation from the Qur’an because it encapsulates the communitarian impulse underpinning the writings of the two Chinese Muslims I have chosen to look at: Zhang Chengzhi (張承志, b. 1948) and Huo Da (霍達, b. 1945). It informs their identity politics. The verse itself appears in Zhang’s novel, A History of the Soul, Xing-ling-shi (心靈史, 1991), and, to the best of my knowledge, it may be the only quotation from the Qur’an found in the works of fiction written by Chinese Muslims.

Comments

# 1.   

Doesn't anyone proofread these pieces before they're published? Ouyang's pinyin, starting with "Xing-ling-shi" is peppered with spelling errors . . .

Ouyang also doesn't mention the curious fact that the term Allah (安拉) also seems to be absent from current fiction writing by Muslim writers in China. At least, that's my impression; it seems that 真主 is the only politically correct term at the moment.

Whatever. The article is an interesting look at the writing of two important Chinese Muslim authors, Huo Da and Zhang Chengzhi.

For introductions to these authors and translations of their works, see also:

Zhang Chengzhi

Chinese Muslim's Pilgrimage to al-Andalus

Huo Da

Funeral of a Muslim

Bruce, February 18, 2015, 1:27p.m.

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