Gedimu

{{Short description|Earliest school of Islam in China}}

File:Chinese-style minaret of the Great Mosque.jpg of the Great Mosque of Xi'an in the Chinese province of Shaanxi, one of the largest mosques in China.]]

Gedimu ({{zh|s=格迪目|t=格迪目|p=Gédímù}}) or Qadim ({{langx|ar|قديم|Qadīm|Old}}{{Cite book |last=Ruthven |first=Malise |author-link=Malise Ruthven |url=https://archive.org/details/historical-atlas-of-islam/page/123/mode/2up |title=Historical Atlas of Islam |last2=Nanji |first2=Azim |author-link2=Azim Nanji |date=2004 |publisher=Harvard University Press |isbn=978-0-674-01385-8 |language=en}}) is the earliest school of Islam in China. It is a Hanafi,Chinese Hanaifei xuepai {{zh|v=哈乃斐学派|short=}} - one of the four major schools of Islam non-Sufi school of the Sunni tradition. Its supporters are centered on local mosques, which function as relatively independent units.Mikko Suutarinen, according to Lipman (1997)

It is numerically the largest Hui school of thought in China.Cihai, S.525, Article: 格迪目 (gédímù).

Since the introduction of Islam in China, during the Tang dynasty, it continued to the Ming dynasty with no schisms.Cihai, S.525 At the end of the Ming and early Qing dynasty, Sufism was introduced to China. Muslims in what are now Xinjiang, Gansu and Qinghai, began to convert to the Sufi sects, and the new sects were referred to as old teaching / New Faith / New Religion (Chinese xinpai or Xinjiao). Those who clung to the old beliefs were called members of the Gedimu (from Arabic قديم "qadim", meaning 'ancient'), or in Chinese Laojiao (the old doctrine).{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}

In the religious ideas of this school the basic Islamic principles of Tawheedchin ren zhu duyi 认主独一 are maintained.{{citation needed|date=May 2020}} In religious practice, this requires of the faithful a strict observance of the principle of Rukun, the five basic duties of Islam.In the links of chinaculture.org referred to as "五大圣命" (Wu da sheng ming)

In the long period of development formed a conservative tradition.They celebrate as the Celebration of the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed (Chinese:Shengji). It is against unorthodox innovations and sticks to the old rules, without interference in the affairs of other denominations.{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}

Another important feature of the school is that it puts a focus on culture and education. Organised by the mosques, they send the children from their neighborhood to receive religious instruction. Usually Arabic and Persian writings are studied.{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}

Qadim has spread the longest history in China. In its development, the school has been somewhat influenced by Chinese culture and has many Han Chinese customs and traditions included in its rites. [5]{{Clarify|date=July 2012}} The mosque architecture is different from that of other Muslim areas. Qadim was the result of the Sunni faith in a particular environment in the China proper.{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}

Jingtang Jiaoyu is a form of Islamic education, influenced by Chinese culture, which the Gedimu Muslims pride themselves in learning. Jingtang Jiaoyu does not closely approximate Arabic due to the limitations of the vernacular spoken Chinese, in particular, its vowels and final consonants, it produces a sinicized pronunciation of the Arabic language. Many Hui who used it said Salaam Aleikun instead of Salaam Alaikum.{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}

The Hanafi Sunni Gedimu has been somewhat influenced by Chinese customs and the Jingtang Jiaoyu method of education, refusing to pronounce Arabic in the Arab manner even when learning of the standard pronunciation. Hanfi Sunni Sunnaiti's (Yihewani adherents) criticize the Gedimu for practicing Islamic customs influenced by Chinese culture, including Jingtang Jiaoyu, Sunnaiti's pride themselves on speaking correct Arabic, accusing the Gedimu Muslims of practicing Han and Buddhist customs and "Chinese Arabic". One Sunnaiti Imam said of the Gedimu, "blindly followed the traditions of their ancestors".{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b21aKLh6_KkC&q=jingtang+yingchun+ahong&pg=PA242|title=Between Mecca and Beijing: modernization and consumption among urban Chinese Muslims|author=Maris Boyd Gillette|year=2000|publisher=Stanford University Press|page=106|isbn=0-8047-3694-4|access-date=2010-11-28}}

Gedimu adherents use Mosques which are built like Chinese style temples with Minarets resembling pagodas, in contrast to Yihewani members, who build their Mosques and Minarets to resemble Middle Eastern style architecture.{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}