Even Unto China: The Muslim Probe into the Middle Kingdom

Unlike the travelogues written by Europeans since the dawn of the modern world to facilitate the development of geography, history, international trade, and business, much of the ancient Muslim interest in the Chinese Kingdom emanated from the curiosity to study, even in China, as the Prophet is reputed to have recommended.

When Muslim communities composed of merchants started to settle permanently in China in the 11th century, Muslim interest veered toward the growth of the universal Muslim...