The Hui
Oh sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth! Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods.
Psalm 96:1-4
The Basics:
The Hui, made up of about 14 million people, are the largest and most widespread of China’s Muslim nationalities. They also comprise the third largest minority group in China. Remarkably, Hui live in 2,310 of China’s 2,369 counties and municipalities. Small pockets also live in Taiwan, Myanmar, Thailand, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Mongolia. Only .01% of them know Christ!
Their Beliefs:
To be Hui is to be Muslim – it is the core of who they are. Even if they don’t fully understand it, or even follow it the same as some other countries do, it has been hidden deep inside of them from the time they were very young. For the Hui, Islam is more than just a set of religious beliefs – it is a total way of life.
Their Culture:
The Hui are some of the most hospitable people you will ever meet. Some of this comes from just being Chinese, and the rest of it comes from just being Hui. Either way – you never want to visit the Hui on a full stomach! Many of the Hui own restaurants. You can find them in cities all over China and they serve some of the best food you will ever eat. As you walk down the street, you can often recognize the men by their prayer caps and the women by their head scarves. Hui with other Hui are like family. Even if they are strangers, you would never know.
Their Language:
Mandarin Chinese is the heart language of the Hui in both spoken and written. But the spiritual language of the Hui is a mixture of Arabic and Persian.
Their History:
The Hui are descendants of Muslim traders, soldiers and officials who came to China between the 7th and 14th centuries. They settled and intermarried with Arab Muslims and Han Chinese.
The Situation:
Although there are around 14 million Hui scattered throughout China, very few (including the Chinese church) are intentionally planting their lives among the Hui to tell them about Christ. It is estimated that every five minutes one Hui person dies. Currently, more Hui people are dying daily than are hearing the gospel. The Hui are in desperate need of more laborers to boldly proclaim the gospel and reap the harvest that God has prepared.
Hui People
%
Muslim
- Christian .01%
Day 29 – I like the freedom I have given myself…
I divorced my husband several years ago. I do not need a man in my life to take care of me, I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. In Islam, you’re not supposed to get divorced, but some people, like me, still do it. I am looked down upon in the community and am seen as a bad person. I don’t care though. I like the freedom I have given myself by divorcing my husband. I work hard and am proud of the way that I am able to take care of myself.
Day 28 – Islam is important to me
Islam is very important to me. I spend a lot of time at the mosque every day. I pray five times a day at the mosque. I sometimes even spend extra time praying. A few years back I went on the hajj. I returned from that experience more devoted to Allah than ever before. Ramadan is sacred. I get up at 3 am every morning to fix breakfast and eat during Ramadan. Then I go pray at the mosque and return home to sleep a few more hours. It is hard fasting for about 16 hours when Ramadan is in the summer. But I do it, and I challenge my family to faithfully fast.
Day 27 – I was born a Muslim, and therefore I must stay a Muslim
I grew up in the city. As a result, I am very accustomed to Han people and their ways. In fact, many of my friends are Han. Although my husband is Hui, his mother is Han. I do not wear a headcovering and I honestly do not think much about my religion. Of course, I do not eat pork, and I enjoy celebrating our Muslim holidays. I have heard about Jesus and about what Christians belief. If I were to believe this, even though my family is not very devout, they would disown me. I was born a Muslim, and therefore I must stay a Muslim.
Day 26 – Raising my grandson and seeking to do good works
This is my grandson, Lele. My wife and I are raising him because his parents are in the city trying to make money for a better life. It has been about six months since Lele has seen his parents. They are not able to travel home often. Working in the city is difficult, but there are few jobs in our village. I have lived my whole life in this village. I am a farmer. I thought my son would be a farmer, but machines are taking over farming.
Day 25 – Getting old has been hard
Getting old has been hard. I don’t have any family left. I lost my farm a few years back. I am too old to get a job, so I collect plastics for recycling. I am able to make a little money, but life is hard. I don’t have any money for medicines or to see doctors. I don’t go to the mosque because I am poor and homeless. Sometimes they will give me some money out of charity. Helping the poor is considered a good work in Islam.
Day 24 – Many do not like that I am Hui
I can feel the stares. I can hear their voices. They do not like that I am here. Many do not like that I am Hui. It is evident in the way that they have asked us to remove Arabic writing from our store fronts and how they have made us redesign our places of worship so that they look less Arabic. People who were once dear to me are also beginning to look at me differently.
Day 23 – Questioning the beliefs I have grown up with
I am a young Hui girl attending a university in the south of China. There are not many Muslims where I am studying. It is hard for me to find places to eat that are Halal. Honestly, at this stage in my life, I am questioning the beliefs I have grown up with. I know all about Islam, but it seems to me that it is just a bunch of rules to follow.
Day 22 – We are lonely in America
I live in America. My husband works for a US company. I have been in the States for almost 2 years now, but I haven’t made many friends. It is harder than I thought it would be. My husband and I go to the mosque often. We are the only ones from China who attend our mosque.
Day 20 – My grandfather expects me to fast
When I was 14 I finished middle school and went to a vocational school to learn how to cook. At 16 I began working 7 days a week cooking noodles in a small restaurant. I get two days off a month. It is hard and hot work. I hope one day to own a restaurant myself. The...
Pray for the Hui
- Pray for laborers called by God to reach the Hui – laborers from other countries as well as Chinese Christians currently living among the Hui.
Thank God for ongoing gospel proclamation efforts among the Hui. Pray that effective strategies can be identified and implemented to make Christ’s love known to the Hui.
Pray for God to tear down the barriers that keep the Hui from hearing the Good News of Jesus’ forgiveness and love.
- Pray that Hui believers will gather together and form churches that will multiply.
- Pray for followers of Jesus to boldly proclaim the gospel to the Hui, believing that God is at work among them.