Traditional And Modern - Chinese Islam Xidaotang

Xidaotang born in Old City in Lintan, Gansu. Lintan locates border regions of Han, Hui, Tibetan and Have good regional advantages. From relations of nation, Lintan has been ethnically mixed area since ancient times. From the point of culture, Lintan is collision zone of agricultural civilization and nomadic civilization and Islamic business culture. And Lintan becomes fusion zone of Chinese culture, Tibetan culture and Islamic culture. The origin of Xidaotang has historical background and humanistic characteristics. Xidaotang is based on reformation of official family system, unity of reformation of religion and society, the need for official family system adapt to social change. Xidaotang has dual cultural identity of Islamic culture and Chinese traditional culture. It propagates Islamic doctrines with Chinese traditional culture and respects thoughts of scholars of Chinese translation, such as Liuzhi. This is manifestation of Islam in China. It develops Islamic culture rationally, pragmatically and creatively. Xidaotang experienced difficulty history and can adapt to different times and spaces and patterns of social development. These are the reasons of development and growth of Xidaotang. The generation of Xidaotang has rich ideological origins. The thoughts of Xidaotang has inheritance nature. It inherits mosque education, Chinese translations, Sufism,'Uma'of Islam,'Great Harmony'thought of Confucianism and Liuzhi's thoughts. The thought of Xidaotang embodies not only combination of Islam and Confucianism but also identification of Chinese traditional culture.Xidaotang regards'Uma'of Islam as original version and combines 'Great Unity'of Confucianism to construct'Uma'Community. It creates collective economy based on'Uma'family organization, This is a remarkable characteristic compared with other religious sects. Xidaotang combines religious life with secular life closely. It pays attention to practice and develop economy, respects knowledge, emphasizes education, sets up schools and regards education as the foundation as revitalization of nation and religion, pays attention to maintain unity and stability of nations. Although'Uma'family organization has disintegrated, the spirit of'Uma'family organization still exists. The organization of 'Uma'has collective sense and huge cohesion. Religious organization and its functions of Xidaotang and its organizational power structure and social control have changed in modern society. These formed social network system of Xidaotang's religious organization. And this social network system enhanced Xidaotang'centripetal force and established stable infrastructure of religious organization. In modern society, Xidaotang's religious organization have functions of integration, mental consolation, identification and maintenance of order. Xidaotang is not only religious and cultural community but also economic community. Recovery and development of Xidaotang's economy is influenced by complementary symbiotic economic circle of Han, Hui, Tibetan and tea-horse trade and geographical advantage. Xidaotang is complex economic model. It pays attention to economic practice in commerce, agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry. Xidaotang's complex economic model has its unique features and functions. Xidaotag's religious economic foundation is realized by financing and accumulation of collective economy. It regards sacred cause as symbol of financing motion. Xidaotang's pool and expense operate in a dynamic process. Strength of Islamic faith supports Xidaotang's religious economy. View of value and ethics play an important role in Xidaotang's religious economy. This forms Xidaotang's commercial spirit based on Islamic culture.Xidaotang's religious education has idea of combination of Islam and Confucianism. Thoughts of Islamic education is basis of Xidaotang's religious education. Xidaotang's religious education reforms traditional mosque education. Xidaotang's new education merged into educational idea of social development and national consciousness. Qixi Girl Schools of Xidaotang was advocated earlier of Lintan women's education. Xidaotang set up education to adapt to social development. In modern society, Xidaotang's moque education faces reformation and difficulties. And Xidaotang's women's education plays an important role. Xidaotang coordinates relations of school education and religious. Xidaotang pays attention to education and promotes cultural knowledge.Xidaotang locates in diverse eco-cultural environment of multi-nations and multi-religions. The ethnic relationship between Xidaotang and Han, Tibetan is favorable. On the one hand, Xidaotang has friendly social interaction with Han and Tibetan. On the other hand, ethnic groups in cognition and intermarriage makes relations between Xidaotang and Han, Tibetan harmonious. Complementary economic symbiosis and mutual supplement and multi-culture of Xidaotang and Han, Tibetan are interacting with each other. This embodies cultural tolerance of national contacts. Xidaotang's development course proves that religion can coordinate society but develop with times.Xidaotang is one of four major sects of Islam. Xidaotang have the characteristics of the combination between Confucianism and Islam, focusing on the development of business and economic; developing the education; a unique form of collective life is the most sects of Islam with Chinese characteristics.Xidaotang constantly adapts to social development, it blazed a unique path. It provides a vivid case that Islam adapts to the society. In this paper, from the perspective of tradition and modern, analyzes Xidaotang's geographical characteristics and social background; Xidaotang's religious thought and the integration of traditional Chinese culture; community organization of "Uma" and its changes; Xidaotang's complex economic model and its modern changes; Xidaotang's characteristics and the role of religious education; ethnic relations between Han and Tibetan. It highlights Xidaotang's characteristics and analyzes the relationship between adaption and social development. It provides a useful perspective of thinking or value that how to coordinate the Islam and development of society.