Liu Zhi adhered to two basic principles when he expounded the Five Human Relations: firstly, to absorb all the Confucian ethical thoughts that were not contrary to basic Islamic principles without any changes, and quote a great deal of the Holy Qur"an and Hadith to prove them, and try his best to expound them in an Islamic point of view; secondly, to evade ingeniously the Confucian ethical thoughts that were contrary to basic Islamic principles, or give them new explanation to make them in line with both the tradition of Confucian ethic and the basic principlesof Islam. In respect of the relationship between husband and wife, Liu Zhi maintained that husband should love wife and wife should respect husband; husband should instruct wife to know and abide by the doctrine and laws of Islam, and maintain her with legal income, while wife should be obedient to husband as respect. In respect of the relation between father and son, he advocated that father should be kind to son and son should be filial towards father, emphasizing that parents give birth to children on behalf of Allah, so they should fulfill their duty to raise them, treat them with kindness from the time they are conceived to the time they marry, and children should be grateful to Allah and their parents for their birth and up-bring, and respect and care for them to fulfill their filial duty. In respect of the relation between ruler and subject, Liu Zhi held that a ruler should be benevolent to his subject and the subject should be loyal to his ruler, emphasizing that a ruler should take it as their first duty to observe and understand Allah, for Allah is the greatest example of benevolence, also learning from prophets, for they are the ones spreading Allah"s laws and are can act as his model. A subject should take loyalty as the criteria in carrying out his duty, for the power of ruler is divinely authorized. Ruler is the reflection of Allah, so subject should be loyal to ruler so as to show his faithto Allah. In respect of the relation between brothers, he advocated that the elder should be tolerant to the younger and the younger should be courteous to the elder, emphasizing that brothers are like hands, while the elder is like the right hand above the younger and the younger is like the left hand below the elder (it is thought that right is above left in Islam); they are distinguished by age but tied closely by blood. In respect of the relation between friends, he advocated that they should be both loyal and honest to each other, only by being loyal and honest and virtuous can one be a helpful friend. Only by being associated with a helpful friend can one be virtuous in this world and be rescued from disaster in the Hereafter, and accomplish happiness in both worlds. Although Liu Zhi used Confucian terms in expounding his theory of Five Human Relations, he adhered to basic Islamic principles, repeatedly elucidating ethical thoughts initiated in the Holy Qur"an as worshiping Allah, being just, preserving one"s purity, doing good, keeping to one"s promise and being tolerant. As for the ideas of “keeping chastity”“ and ”worshiping ancestors“, which are of great importance in Confucian ethic, he avoided making any comment. According to Confucian ethics, a widow who remains unmarried after the death of her husband deserves high admiration. Zhu Xi, a representative Confucian,even proclaimed that it is a minor thing to be starved to death, while it is a big thing to lose chastity, advocating that the woman who can remain unmarried after the death of her husband should be cited and amemorial archway should be built for her chastity, while the one who can not do so should be punished. However, it is contrary to the principle indicated in the Holy Qur"an that a widow can remarried if she wants to do so, so Liu Zhi did not make any comment on this aspect. As for those of the Confucian ethical viewpoints that can"t be avoided but contrary to the basic principles of Islam, he gave new explanations. For instance, in respect of the relationship between ruler and subject, the Confucian ethic calls for blind devotion to ruler, it has been even developed to the point that a subject has to die if his ruler wants him to do so. It is obviously contrary to the Islamic thought that faith in Allah cannot be shaken even a bit. So in the chapter “Ruler”, Liu Zhi made it clear byquoting the Qur"anic verse that Allah ordered Dawud to be the ruler of the world: first, the power of the ruler is authorized by Allah; second, Allah orders the ruler to be wise and able, otherwise he will be punished. Restrained by the above two points, the contradiction between loyalty to ruler and faith to Allah was settled. In his point of view, the ruler is the king who has a visible body, while Allah is the imageless dominator. Praising Allah is the noblest of divine work, while serving a ruler is the noblest of human work. Only when praising Allah and serving ruler are both done well, can the divine work and human work be coordinated.
