The One Hundred Word Eulogy was written in praise of the final Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Written by the Hongwu Emperor in the 14th century, the poem serves as an important reminder of the diversity of Islam. But who exactly was the emperor and why did he write a poem in praise of Islam?
Zhu Yuanzhang ruled as the Hongwu Emperor from the years 1368 to 1398. He was also the founder and first emperor of the Ming dynasty, a period many historians regard as the golden age of Islam in China. Muslims were fully integrated into Han (Chinese) society by adopting some of their traditions while holding onto their Islamic guidelines.
Despite being a non-Muslim, Emperor Yuanzhang had a profound admiration for Islam, especially its customs and followers. He even went so far as to even commission the construction of mosques in several places such as Nanjing, Yunnan, Guangdong and Fujian. The Hongwu Emperor is most famous for writing ‘The One Hundred Word Eulogy’, 百字讃 bǎizìzàn, in adoration of the Prophet ﷺ. He then ordered copies of his poem to be displayed in the nearby mosques. In English, the poem translates as:
Since the creation of the universe,
God had decreed to appoint,
This great faith-preaching man,
From the West he was born,
He received the Holy Scripture,
A Book of thirty parts (Juz),
To guide all creation,
Master of all Rulers,
Leader of Holy Ones,
With Support from Above,
To Protect His Nation,
With five daily prayers,
Silently hoping for peace,
His heart towards Allah,
Empowering the poor,
Saving them from calamity,
Seeing through the darkness,
Pulling souls and spirits,
Away from all wrongdoings,
A Mercy to the Worlds,
Traversing the ancient majestic path,
Vanquishing away all evil,
His Religion Pure and True,
Muhammad,
The Noble & Great one.
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