Islamic Tombs of the Holy

Islamic Tombs of the Holy

The Islamic Tombs of the Holy are a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Islamic Tombs of the Holy are located at the southern foot of Ling Mountain in the eastern suburbs of Quanzhou and are a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

In the center of the tomb site stands a pavilion containing two rectangular granite tomb cover stones. The bases of the tomb covers are adorned with carved lotus petal patterns—simple and unadorned, highlighting the noble character of the two sages. Behind the tombs is a semi-circular corridor embracing the burial chamber. It is said that this symbolizes the purity of Islam, likened to a crescent moon. The uniquely shaped columns of the corridor are thinner at both the top and bottom. According to leading architects, these are Tang Dynasty-style columns known as “suozhu” (lit. shuttle pillars). This discovery provides physical evidence of the historical period of the Tombs. At the center of the corridor lies an Arabic stone stele carved from bluestone, which records that in the third year of the Zhi Zheng era of the Yuan Dynasty (1323 AD), a group of Arab Muslims crossed the seas to Quanzhou to build the tombs for the sages, expressing their reverence for Allah. There is also a memorial stele from the Ming Dynasty, dedicated to the visit of the eunuch Admiral Zheng He before his fifth voyage to Mecca. In 1417 AD, before embarking on his journey to the holy city of Mecca during his fifth maritime expedition, Zheng He made a special stop in Quanzhou to pay his respects. This is a memorial stele erected for him by the local Quanzhou official Pu Ri Ri to commemorate the event.

This place boasts beautiful mountains, clear waters, and lush green grass—a sacred site long cherished by Muslims. Islam is one of the world’s three major religions, currently ranking second only to Christianity in the number of followers. The religion was founded in the early 7th century AD by the Prophet Muhammad. In the 610s, the Arabian Peninsula was originally a region of polytheistic belief. Influenced over time by Judaism and Christianity, it gradually transitioned toward monotheism. Later, in the Hijaz region, some individuals, responding to societal needs and opposing idol worship, created a more flexible form of monotheism called “Hanifism.” This faith revered Allah, the tribal chief god of the Quraysh, as the one true God and believed in “predestination,” “resurrection,” “punishment,” and “retribution.” The emergence of Hanifism laid the ideological foundation for Islam. However, Hanifism lacked the conditions to unify the Arab nation. Due to insufficient emphasis on doctrinal development and the absence of a prophet who could receive revelations from Allah, Muhammad witnessed the backwardness of polytheism and the plight of the Arabian Peninsula, and so he retreated to the Cave of Hira to meditate.

Legend has it that while in the cave, he heard the Angel Gabriel delivering the voice of Allah and was indeed chosen as the “Messenger of Allah.” Thus, Muhammad conveyed to people the grace, power, and majesty of Allah. Since Muhammad’s religion advocated “total submission to Allah,” it came to be called “Islam.” Followers of Islam, those who submit to Allah, are thus called “Muslims.” However, Muhammad faced brutal persecution from the polytheistic Quraysh and the aristocratic slave owners. In 622 AD, he led the Muslims of Mecca to migrate to Medina—a turning point in Islamic and Arab history. That year was thus established as the first year of the Islamic calendar. Under the unifying slogan “All believers are brothers,” Muhammad unified the Arabian Peninsula and established a feudal theocratic state. He also rapidly spread his teachings to surrounding regions, making Islam a global religion.

According to the late Ming historian He Qiaoyuan in his work Min Shu, Fang Yu Zhi (Records of Fujian, Geographic Chronicles), based on legend, during the Wude era of Emperor Gaozu of Tang (618–626 AD), Muhammad sent four of his disciples to China as envoys, who later stayed to preach. This is the earliest legend about the introduction of Islam to China, and many tales surround its arrival in Quanzhou. It is said that during the Wude era of the Tang Dynasty, Quanzhou Bay suffered from a devastating crocodile plague. Fishermen could not go out to sea, cargo ships had no one to unload goods, and vessels from Southeast Asia and Arabia dared not enter the harbor. International maritime trade in Quanzhou Bay was suddenly disrupted. Goods such as tea, porcelain, silk, and ironware piled up and could not be exported smoothly. Imported goods such as pearls, amber, ivory, coral, agate, and spices also could not be unloaded. The bustling Port of Quanzhou suddenly became desolate and stagnant. With no effective way to drive away the crocodiles, a report suddenly reached the imperial court: “The great sage Muhammad, founder of Islam from the Western land of Arabia, has four disciples preaching in China. It is said these four possess extraordinary powers—they are untouched by scorching sun, unaffected by rain, unharmed by fire, and unextinguished by water. Surely they have the divine ability to drive away the crocodiles.” Thus, Emperor Gaozu of Tang, Li Yuan, issued an edict summoning the four. Dressed in white turbans, ritual robes, and holding scriptures (the Islamic scripture being the Quran), the four sat cross-legged in reverence. The Tang emperor asked for their advice on controlling the crocodiles and protecting the people. One of them replied: “Allah has revealed the scriptures, and we are here to spread His word. To discern good from evil and drive away crocodiles—how could it be difficult?” They then bowed westward, chanted prayers, and with a wave of the hand, a tree in the imperial garden suddenly moved to the courtyard. With another wave, it returned to its original place. Everyone was astonished. The four smiled and laughed, and the leader said: “If we can summon and dismiss an old rooted tree, how much more so mere swimming creatures like crocodiles?” The emperor was delighted and titled the four “Sages.” To ensure the prosperity of the overseas trading port and the safety of merchants, one sage was sent to Guangzhou, two to Yangzhou, the third sage Sha Shiyi, and the fourth sage Wo Gaoshi to Quanzhou to drive away the crocodiles. Upon arriving in Quanzhou, the third and fourth sages indeed led the Muslim community in praying westward, calling out to the heavens and reciting the Quran. One of them pointed his sword at the crocodile-filled shallows, and another raised his arms high—upon which a flock of divine eagles swooped down, circling the sky and dropping huge stones onto the crocodiles. In an instant, stones rained down, striking and injuring the crocodiles, forcing them to flee Quanzhou Bay. Maritime traffic in the bay returned to normal.

The people of Quanzhou, grateful for the divine power and protection, embraced Islam in large numbers. Due to the well-developed maritime trade, many Arab merchants settled in Quanzhou and intermarried with locals. Even today, there are around 40,000 descendants of Arab Muslims in the Quanzhou area—some still preserving their customs, others already assimilated into Han culture. Thus, the third and fourth sages built simple huts on Ling Mountain and preached there. After their deaths, they were buried on the mountain. Because mysterious lights were often seen at night, people began calling it the “Sacred Tomb of Ling Mountain.” At the time, there was no mosque, so many came here to pray. Later, as the number of Muslims grew, a mosque named Tonghai Lane Qingjing Mosque was funded and constructed by Arabs during the Song Dynasty. It is the only surviving Islamic mosque from the Song Dynasty in China.

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units