YouTube Video:
https://youtu.be/XndImfll74I?si=DSqX8JDKuBacfi3i
Abdullah Cheng’s background often surprises people: he’s an imam of the Taipei Grand Mosque and a social media influencer educating people on Islam. On top of that, he’s a software engineer who created a halal ingredients scanner and a zakat calculator. We ask Abdullah about his journey and explore questions many have about Taiwan’s overlooked Muslim community — from halal food challenges and persisting social prejudices to Taiwan’s Muslim-friendly tourism.
Abdullah Cheng At-Taywani's YouTube Channel:
I am Abdullah Cheng At-Taywani, a multifaceted Taiwanese Muslim who is also a software engineer, content creator, Da'ee, and Khateeb at the Taipei Grand Mosque. This channel offers my unique perspective as a Taiwanese Muslim, sharing insights on cultural identity and practical steps for the revival of Islam and Da'wah to the Chinese-speaking world.
YouTube Video: My Father's Discovery of Islam Became our Family's Blessing: True Path Network - February 5, 2026
Abdullah, a second-generation Muslim, shares the remarkable story of how his father discovered Islam, and how that single journey transformed the faith and future of their entire family. Born into a Taiwanese-Chinese family with no concept of organised religion, Abdullah’s father grew up visiting temples and praying to ancestors. Everything changed when curiosity led him to enrol in the only Arabic course offered at his university—a decision that unknowingly set him on a life-altering path. As part of his studies, he spent time in Saudi Arabia, where he encountered Muslims for the first time, and later travelled to Türkiye. Inside a mosque there, he made a sincere prayer: “If this is truly meant for me, please guide me.” On his journey back to Taiwan, his heart felt at peace, and he knew. Soon after, he took his shahada at the Grand Mosque of Taipei. Though his parents were initially concerned, out of uncertainty, not Islamophobia—his decision sparked a powerful domino effect. One by one, his parents, sister, and wife also embraced Islam. Today, that butterfly effect continues. Abdullah now serves as the imam of the very same mosque where his father first took shahada.
Taipei Grand Mosque Website: English
YouTube Video: Imam Abdullah Cheng's Jummah Khutba in English & Chinese at Taipei Grand Mosque
Article: Islam & Muslims in Taiwan:New Age Islam - April 14, 2014
PhD Thesis: Islam in Translation: Muslim Reform and Transnational Networks in Modern China, 1908-1957- Doctoral dissertation, Harvard University, Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. Eroglu Sager, Zeyneb Hale. 2016.
