Chinese Sufi order reaches out to peers in Egypt

Doaa Emam

The Jahri Naqshbandi Sufi Order in China congratulated the Azmiya and other Sufi orders in Egypt on the coming of the minor Islamic al-Fitr Feast a few days ago. The order also expressed support to Egypt in its fight against the coronavirus.

The Jahri Naqshbandi is one of the largest Sufi orders in Asia. It is credited for the spread of Islam in Indo-China and other countries around it.

The order plays an important role in presenting correct information about Sufism. It commits its adherents to real Sufism, namely the teachings of Sunnis. This caused the teachings of the order to spread rapidly in China and among Chinese Muslims.

Most Sufi clerics in China are moderate. They denounce the violence committed by other Islamist groups.

In this, the Jahri Naqshbandi Order distinguishes itself from Salafi Jihadist groups. The order believes that Islamic thought has to be moderate. It also believes that the followers of other religions are brothers in humanity.

The Jahri Naqshbandi Order was founded in China by Sheikh Mohamed Habib al-Aleem Abdel Raouf al-Yamani who joined the Naqshbandi Order in Sana’a, Yemen, at the beginning of the eighteenth century.

Al-Yamani received most of his Sufi knowledge from Sheikh Mohamed bin Zein. He returned to China 16 years later at the orders of his sheikh. Then, he started inviting people to Sufism in China.

The Jahri Naqshbandi Order has its own business, trade and economy. It uses revenues from this economy in bankrolling its activities. This means that it does not need Chinese state financial support.

Islam entered China after the conquest of East Turkestan at the time of the Umayyads. Islamic conquerors did not go deep into China. Nevertheless, trading convoys between different parts of the Asian country caused Islam to spread.