Chen Keli (1924–1970) was born in Xiangcheng County, Henan Province. His father, Chen Wencan, was a businessman. Under his father's influence, Chen Keli began learning Arabic at the age of five or six and became a student of Du Wenming at the age of seven. After eight years of diligent study, he laid a solid foundation in the Arabic language.

In 1938, Chen Keli left his hometown to study under Ma Futu in Yingqiao Town. In 1947, he was admitted to the Chengda Normal School in Beiping (now Beijing). After the liberation of Beiping in 1949, he returned to his hometown to teach. In June 1952, recommended by Professor Ma Jian, Chen Keli became an assistant professor in the Department of Oriental Languages at Peking University, where he was highly popular among students. During this time, he translated the long poem Red Letter by the Iraqi poet Kazem Samawi, which was published in the People's Daily. In 1955, Chen Keli left Peking University and returned to his hometown to focus on translation work. In 1957, while teaching at the China Islamic Institute, he was labeled a "rightist" for so-called "reactionary remarks." In 1958, during a trip to the northwest, he was detained in Tongchuan, Shaanxi Province, for over three years of re-education through labor due to a ticket issue. Chen Keli's life was marked by diligence, poverty, and hardship. He dedicated his entire life to Arabic translation and education.

Chen Keli was an outstanding scholar and translator, with a prolific body of work spanning history, biography, epic poetry, art, literature, religion, and ethics. His major works include An Introduction to Arab Historiography and Understanding Islam through Muhammad, a 20-chapter book that details the birth and development of Islam, as well as its philosophy, educational views, and ethical thoughts. Additionally, he translated works such as The Immortal Son of Awakening, Shahnameh (The Book of Kings), The Classic of Hadith, An Introduction to History, and The History of Sino-Arab Relations.