A Comparative Study Of Yiru's "virtue" From The Perspective Of Sinicization Of Islam

The integration between Islam and Confucianism has been a scholastic focus drawing academic attentions.The discussion on "virtue"(de)is originated from the understanding of the Confucian term "illustrating illustrious virtue"(ming ming de).In the end of the Ming and the beginning of the Qing Dynasty,a number of Chinese Muslim scholars and translators who were conversant with the Four Teachings(Islam,Confucianism,Buddhism and Daoism)emerged in China.They wrote with the language and concepts of the dominate intellectual school of Neo-Confucianism to elaborate on the nature of Islamic conception of God,the usul al-din and the Shariah,the process of which is called "explaining Islamic classics with the Confucian texts" and "the integration of Islam and Confucianism".The Confucian Muslim scholars insisted on the core of Islam,and explained Islamic truth with Chinese classical texts that were accessible to people living in a Confucian context.Their dialogue with Confucian culture went through the stages of "collision","attachment" and“integration",and has shown a successful way of inter-cultural dialogue.This dissertation,through investigating the concept and meaning of"virtue" in Confucianism and Islam,presents a study of the rich connotation of "virtue"(de)or "illustrious virtue"(mingde)in the context of Chinese culture with the instances of the four towering Chinese Muslim intellects'discussion on this topic.This dissertation has four parts.The opening part is the introduction,in which the research significance and the research methods are illustrated,and the existing literature on this topic is reviewed and valued.The first chapter is the second part.First,a traditional Islamic explanation of virtue is put forward from the philosophical and religious perspective.At the philosophical level,the "virtue" is briefly interpreted through different interpretations of the Peripheral School,and al-Ghazzali,Illumination School,and Ma'rifah of Sufi Mysticism;at the religious level,the concept and requirements of "virtue" in Quran,ilm al-Hadith,Kalam and Fiqh is examined.Second,the evolution and characteristics of the meanings of "virtue" in Confucian culture are sorted out and analyzed,and the content of it is summarized.The second chapter is the third part of the article.It focuses on Wang Daiyu,Liu Zhi,Ma Zhu and Ma Dexin,the four towering Confucian Muslim scholars' discussion on "virtue".Combining with Pre-Qin Confucian classics and Neo-Confucian works,this chapter specially analyzes the Muslim scholars' integration and transformation of the traditional Confucian thoughts and concepts,to explain "the source of Mingde","Mingde's Kungfu" and"the way to Mingde" in Chinese Islam.The last chapter is a conclusion,with a comparison on the source of virtue,inner Kungfu,the way of cultivation,the intention and destination of cultivation between Islam and Confucianism.By comparing and discussing the“virtue”in the two cultures and making an in-depth study from the theoretical and practical levels,it is helpful to promote the sinicization of Islam and exertive positive effect of Islam in cementing the consciousness of the community of the Chinese nation.