A Pilgrimage with My Cousins

It was a pilgrimage experience with many local Muslims. Early that morning, I joined this group from various places to reach the 3000m high place. From the foot of the mountain, I looked up, in the far distance, was a small square-box size of temple grave hung right up by the mountain cliff. The Muslims believe a legend that that was the spot where a mysterious old man from Iraq who did miracles appeared long time ago.

Wrapping Dumplings

One o’clock rolls around, and what had previously filled the table – a feast of chicken, beef, sweet rice, special bread, and stir-fried vegetables – now fills our bellies. As I begin standing up from the table, my Chinese grandmother, a sweet Hui lady in her late 70’s, tells me, “Don’t you run away now; we still have to wrap the dumplings. You are staying to wrap the dumplings, aren’t you?” Her question leaves room only for a Yes.

Huángtiān Shàngdì

Beijing’s Temple of Heaven park complex attracts many tourists each year with its buildings’ elaborate wooden architecture and meticulously kept grounds. Before the complex retired to tourism, however, it served as a place of Heaven worship, where for hundreds of years Chinese emperors performed the Border Sacrifice, during which a spotless animal was sacrifice and prayers made for protection and blessing.

Day Twenty One: The Night of Power

Though I’m not a Muslim, I was given the chance to learn Surah, or chapter 97 of the Quran in a class at a mosque. During the class, the Imam told a story related to this chapter, The Night of Power (Laylat al-Qadr, ليلة القدر). This was the night Allah gave his revelations to Muhammad for the first time through the angel Gabriel.

Day Five: The Salar People

In the Eleventh Century, two brothers led a group of Salar people from the Oghuz Turks tribe, fleeing from persecution in their hometown in Samarkand, which is located in today’s Uzbekistan. As they searched the desert for a new place to settle, the group suffered great hardships, but they all believed Allah would guide them to their final destination; these people were all Muslims.

Distinguishing the Huihui from the Hui

Squatting just inside the glass doors of his family store, Hassan watches the residents of the quarter walk by as they head home from work. Hassan is not an intimidating figure. He is a short, bony guy with a thin wispy goatee hanging from his chin. As he sees strangers come into view, he hops up and opens the door while waving us over.

We are excited to find someone who wants to talk. We have heard stories about the Huihui, but we are hoping to meet someone and hear directly about their history and culture. We quickly learn that Hassan is a teacher at the local mosque. He has traveled overseas to study Islam and is very comfortable talking about Islam and the history of his people.

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