Mutellip Iqbal (PhD Student, Sociology Department, Istanbul University) Uyghur religious narratives are full of heroic stories and magical events. With the spreading of Islam in Central Asia, worshippers not only accepted Islamic doctrines, but also enjoyed stories about the foundation and… Read More ›
Sound map 
Jahariyyah Madā’ih, Xiji county, Ningxia
Jahariyyah Madā’ih, Xiji county, Ningxia (courtesy of Ma Qiang) Madā’ih are hymns praising Allah or the Prophet transmitted by the Jahariyyah Sufi order which are chanted at all sorts of commemoratory occasions, such as the death anniversary of Shaykhs… Read More ›
A pious toddler
This video of a precocious and adorable three year old Uyghur girl was circulating transnational Uyghur social media networks in February 2014. The girl, demurely clad in a black headscarf, responds to her mother’s prompts that Allah is one, Allah… Read More ›
Islamic Sound Map of China
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Al-Rahman
Recorded by: Rachel Harris and Aziz Isa Place: Shahyar county, Aqsu prefecture, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Date: August 2009 A Uyghur qushnach ritual specialist recites part of Surah Al-Rahman (The Beneficent, Q55:1-13) from the Qur’an. The recitation comes at the… Read More ›
Kashgar Shadiyanisi (Sama music and dance)
Performed by: Memet Tokhti and apprentices Place: Kashgar city, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Recorded by: Rachel Harris and Aziz Isa Date: August 2006 One of a series of pieces performed on the naghra (paired kettle drums) and sunay (shawm)… Read More ›
Subhan’Allāh
Place: Shahyar county, Aqsu prefecture, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Date: August 2009 Recorded by: Rachel Harris and Aziz Isa Pious Uyghur village women, led by ritual specialists called qushnach, recite a zikr: Subhan’Allāh wa bihamdihi, subhan’Allāh il adhīm (Glory to Allah and praise… Read More ›