Friday prayers in western China

by Emily Stockton | January 2, 2012

This is not the Middle East, but today it bears a strong resemblance.

It's Friday, 1:20 p.m. at the Dongguan temple in western China's Xining (shee-ning) city. Thousands of white skullcaps bob through the city streets and fill the mosque courtyard. When full, the overflowing crowds of men take up spots in the alleys, sidewalks and streets. Policemen divert traffic to allow all the Muslim men that arrive an opportunity to participate in the Friday prayers of their Islamic faith.

A young man on the sidewalk kicks his shoes off, unrolls his own colorful prayer rug, lays it in front of his feet, then glances to the left and right to see if he is in line with the men on either side of him. Shoulder-to-shoulder they face Mecca, the holy city of Islam, 3829 miles away in Saudi Arabia.

For nearly an hour, thousands of Muslim worshippers, mostly belonging to the Chinese Hui (whay) ethnic group, some to the Salar (SA-lar), kneel and bow as the imam voices prayers over the loudspeaker.

Muslim women wearing colorful scarves wait across the street for their fathers, husbands, sons or brothers to finish their prayers. They are not welcome to enter the mosque or participate in worship. Some women chat quietly with each other, some glance in amused curiosity at the numerous Han Chinese tourists taking photos of the prayer event, while others stand quietly amidst the bicycles parked on the sidewalks, under the shade trees.

When it is over, the worshipers roll up their colorful prayer rugs. The crowd of white-capped men disperses, flowing into the streets. The men return either to work or home. They talk with friends and smile warmly at strangers as they leave the area.

Participation in Friday prayers is optional for these Chinese Muslims. Elderly Muslim men, blue-collar workers and devout worshipers carve out time for Friday prayers, but Muslim professionals and students don't usually participate since it is a regular work day. According to the 2010 China census, among Xining's 2 million residents, about one out of every six is Muslim.

The most devout followers pray five times a day and seldom miss these special Friday prayers. Others practice a more nominal style of religious adherence, praying only on holidays or near the time of religious festivals like Ramadan.

Even among nominal Muslims, though, it is rare to find a Chinese Muslim who will convert to Christianity. Their ethnic identities are so inextricably tied to their religion that most have never considered that personal choice in the realm of spiritual beliefs is a possibility. Those who decide to believe in Christ are ostracized and often move from their hometowns to start a new life elsewhere.

Islam in China

In China, Islam has about 22 million followers and is one of five religions allowed by the Chinese Communist government, the others being Protestant Christianity, Catholicism, Taoism and Buddhism.

Ten of China's 55 official minority people groups are considered to be predominantly Muslim.

Five of these ethnic minority groups spill over into China from Central Asian countries and can be found in China's far northwest Xinjiang Province: the Uzbeks, the Kazaks, the Kirgiz, the Tajiks and the Tartar.

The five other groups are, for the most part, contained within China: Hui, Uighyur, Dongxiang, Salar and Bao'an.

Among these, it is estimated that less than 500 Christians and only about 10 churches exist. The Hui people group, the largest Muslim group whose people can be found in almost every county in China, has among them only a few small Bible study groups and no known churches.

Major obstacles to overcome

One major obstacle to reaching Muslims in China for Christ is a fear that evangelism has to be done in a particular way, or a fear that evangelizing will offend Muslims, according to Al Holton,* a man familiar with Christian work among Muslims in China.

"The Muslims, when it comes down to it, just need to hear about Jesus Christ. They need to hear the Gospel, the Good News of the message of Christ," he says.

Han Chinese believers travel to western China with the intent to reach out to their Muslim neighbors with the Gospel, but major cultural differences and ethnic tensions between the two groups often derail the confidence of the Han evangelists. Holton knows Chinese believers from eastern China, some of whom have been imprisoned for their faith, that approach the evangelism of Muslims with trepidation.

Muslims in China also contribute some barriers. They have preconceived ideas of God and Jesus that are inconsistent with biblical teachings. These misconceptions need to be resolved before they will accept the Bible's Gospel message.

One development that could help ebb the flow of misinformation among Hui Muslims is the recent publication of the Hui Bible. While getting these Bibles into the hands of Hui people remains a challenge, Chinese Muslims have access to the Word of God in their heart language for the first time. "In the last six months, more Chinese Muslims have been given access to the New Testament than in the past 60 years put together," Holton says.

Yet he knows that the majority of Chinese Muslims have had no exposure to the Gospel.

As Muslims gather throughout China for prayers every Friday afternoon, concerned Christians like Holton also pause to pray.

"For Chinese Muslims, my hope is that they will encounter the Jesus of the New Testament, that they will know He is the way, the truth and the life," he says.

Facts about Islam in East Asia

The practice of Islam is usually associated with Middle Eastern countries, but the religion has a strong hold in East Asia, especially among minority people groups that live primarily in the western and northwestern regions of China.

In China, about 22 million people follow Islam.

Ten of China's officially recognized 55 ethnic minority groups are predominantly Muslim:

• Hui
• Uighur
• Kazakh
• Dongxiang
• Kyrgyz
• Salar
• Tajiks
• Uzbeks
• Bonan, also known as Bao'an
• Chinese Tartar

In Mongolia, 4 percent of the population is Muslim.

Islamic beliefs

• Muslims believe in one omnipotent and omniscient god who created the world and every living thing in it.
• Islamic doctrine states that this supreme god knows who will live eternally with him in the afterlife, but man's free will still determines whether or not that will happen.
• Islam and Christianity differ completely because of their conflicting views of salvation and the means of that salvation: Jesus Christ. According to Islam's holy book, the Qur'an, Jesus was born of a virgin, but He was not the Son of God.
• Islam claims Jesus was simply a prophet without a father, just like Adam.
• According to the Qur'an, Jesus did not die on the cross as a payment for sin. Instead, the Qur'an paints Jesus as a notable figure in a long line of prophets and as the one who foretold of the great and final prophet, Mohammed.
• Muslims do not view their god as either triune or personal.

Five Pillars of Islam

1. Faith Muslims believe that their god is one and Muhammad is his prophet.
2. Prayer Prayers are performed five times daily.
3. Almsgiving Concern for those in need is expressed by sharing a portion of one's wealth with them.
4. Fasting Muslims believe that self-purification comes through fasting.
5. Pilgrimage Travel to Mecca for the Hajj is expected once in a lifetime for those physically and financially able to participate in the annual Islamic prayer event.

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