A Tibetan Akha’s Path to Islam

The beautiful faith, like a song without words, brushes over the longing of the eyes, roams over the pursuit of the heart, and turns into the most beautiful notes in life, interpreting the same melody of different regions and ethnic groups.

The first time I saw Ma Ma Nai was in the love activity of “Main Ma Public Welfare” to visit compatriots of different nationalities in Longwu Township, Tongren County, Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture with the theme of promoting national unity. The white top hat, clean dress and polite words and behavior of saying “Sai Liangmu” when he meets Muslims reflect the atmosphere of Islam everywhere, proving his identity as a Muslim. But in the course of the interview, it was revealed that he was a converted Muslim. What is more shocking is that he used to be a follower of Tibetan Buddhism, and spent thirty years of his life reading Buddhist scriptures and propagating Buddhist culture in an environment where Buddhist temples abound and Buddhist culture is renowned.

When asked about Ma Ma Nai’s journey to conversion, he was as frank as he could be. He told us that his first contact with Islam was due to his acquaintance with his wife, who fell in love with a beautiful Muslim girl and thus fell in love with Islam. It must have been a warm encounter, a soulful attachment, and Allah’s marriage that led him to the path of Islam. It has been twenty years since Mammanai’s conversion to Islam, and eighteen years since he began to follow his Lord’s commands and observe his worship.

“The path of conversion is always difficult, and the greatest pain I suffered at that time was the strong opposition from my relatives and the rejection from other Buddhists, who did not communicate with me for five years, and my elderly mother even wanted to cut off her blood relatives from me.” Here, Ma Ma Nai was a bit emotional, but soon regained his composure “By God’s guidance, after five years, my family slowly began to accept and forgive me, and now the relationship is very cordial.” Although Ma Ma Nai’s Mandarin was not fluent, each of us was deeply shocked. Converting to paganism was not only a break with his loved ones, but also a betrayal of the Buddha’s teachings for those around him. In the face of many difficulties and obstacles, Ma Ma Nai is as tough as a bamboo, only for his own beliefs in the heart of the sea precipitation, holding fast to the heart of the faith as a treasure.

Before he converted to Islam, Ma Ma Nai was one of the majority of the people in the area who earned their living by making thangkas, embroidery, and wood and clay statues of the Buddha. At today’s prices, a statue of Buddha can be made for at least 10,000 yuan, and if he had continued to make a living from his skillful craftsmanship, he might have had quite a bit of savings over the years. But since his conversion to Islam, he has voluntarily given up his Buddhist craft, and his wife and he work as laborers to support their family of four, which is a very difficult financial situation. However, there is no trace of regret or complaint in his peaceful and calm expression. He just smiles quietly with his wife and seems to be enjoying the mercy of Allah. For them, what is material prosperity compared to the attainment of righteousness?

Led by Ma Ma Nai, we visited her elderly mother. Her home is still full of Buddhism, with a bronze statue of Buddha on the throne room and pictures of living Buddhas hanging on the walls. Her mother, who wore a long braid and a Tibetan robe, did not speak Mandarin, so we used simple body language to express our feelings. Ma Ma Nai patiently explained for the mother, the old man has been peaceful smile. When we pointed to the sarong on her head and asked her if she liked people in Muslim dress, the old man immediately gave a thumbs up and nodded his head to show that he liked it. Although there were not many words between us, sometimes language can be abandoned, respect and tolerance between people of different faiths in God’s arrangement of mutual integration, so that we are immersed in this untainted in the grace of the dust.

In the town of Longwu, surrounded by mountains, the rain-drenched air is particularly fresh, and seems to have become sweet and clear because of the persistence of believers. Those who pursue the right faith under the forest of Buddhist temples practice their reverence for the Lord in the Buddhist atmosphere with the fear of the Lord, day after day, year after year. In the channel of time in the pursuit of righteousness, this believer who has been influenced by Buddhist culture for thirty years is bound to encounter the thorns of the jungle and the icebergs of the reef, which will block his steps like a counter-current. However, all difficulties are tests, and those who follow the rope of Allah, even if they go through a lot of suffering in their lives, are bound to end up in the darkness and reap the happiness of two lifetimes!