Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang's Eulogy of the Prophet Muhammad

Bangura has done it again; his work continues to fill in gaps that exists when contemplating major questions and phenomena and this book does just that. Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang’s Eulogy of the Prophet Muhammad: Historical, Literary, and Linguistic Analyses is not just a wonderful introduction and explanation of Islam, for those who may not be familiar with this beautiful religion, but it also does a profound job highlighting the connection between Muslims and China. While there is much written about Muslims, particularly those in China and around the world, this is a reminder of the reverence Emperor Zhu Yuanzhan had for the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and Islam. The discovery of this rare artifact of a Chinese Emperor eulogizing a prophet of a major religion is astounding. The time, gentleness and effort Bangura pays to the eulogy and the history of Islam in China takes the reader on an emotional and historical journey. This book is a must-read for students, practitioners, government officials, faculty, and others who study or are interested in Islam, religious texts, history, Chinese, and Islamic studies.

-- Saidat Ilo, University of Houston-Victoria

Abdul Karim Bangura's manuscript analyzing Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang's eulogy to the Prophet Mohammed and relevant Islamic texts makes a valuable contribution to the literature. It fills a void in the existing literature and will serve as a foundation upon which other English-language scholars could build to examine more closely how the eulogy and ideas of Emperor Zhu have impacted developments in Chinese Muslim communities and Islamic thought. The manuscript will also be a great read for students and scholars in Islamic, literary, and linguistic studies and qualitative research methods. Having taught for years now on qualitative research methods, I very much enjoyed the length given to describe the methods adopted and the theoretical debates within which they are rooted. Those chapters in particular would be an excellent teaching tool. Professors, scholars, and students from diverse fields of study will find something of interest in Dr. Bangura's manuscript.

-- Rachael Rudolph, Beijing Institute of Techno