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 9 – Working hard and trying to be more consistent
Most Fridays I rush over during the lunch break to attend the Friday afternoon prayer time. It is not easy, but now that I have a child I am trying to be more consistent. When I was younger, I was too busy to come pray. I assumed Allah would understand I had to work. My father pressures me and tells me that I must do more good works than bad ones. Skipping prayer times is not doing good.
Day 8 – Finding comfort in the mundane life of waitressing
Growing up in a small village, my life could be pretty predictable. From dawn to dusk, my family would tend the sheep and grow crops in our village. When I turned school-age, I would go to school. After school and after homework, I would be expected to help as well. I’m learning that there is comfort in routine and familiarity, but there is also a desire to break out of the mundane. But, is that possible for me?
Day 7 – No family or support in my old age
As I have gotten older, I am unable to support myself anymore. It has brought me to the point of begging. It is shameful, but I don’t have any family left. No one to help me. No one to bring shame on but myself. Thankfully during Ramadan, most people are generous. I sit outside the mosque and as people go to pray or leave many will give me a little money. It helps me get by. I just wish I had some friends and someone to care for me.
Day 6 – Raising my kids as I follow Allah
When my children were young, all of my day was spent taking care of them. From feeding them to clothing them to playing with other little ones in our apartment complex, my days were busy but sweet. And, then somehow I find time to squeeze in my prayers to Allah, five times a day. As the saying goes, “The days are long but the years are short.”
Day 5 – What do I do when the Party’s rules conflict with my beliefs?
My name is Mr. Ma. I am a work unit leader in a large government-owned factory. Life has been very troubling this past year. There have been many changes. Even though I am Hui, I am expected to be a member of the Communist Party. In the past, this detail was often overlooked. Now it is enforced. The trouble is, I don’t agree with the Party. They say that there is no god, but I believe in Allah. They say that my primary allegiance should be to the government, but Islam teaches that my primary allegiance is to Allah.
Day 4 – Working hard in old age to support our grandson and get to heaven
Spring is here, and I am finishing the planting of all my crops. The work gets harder every year, and I am not able to work as hard as when I was younger. Most of what we grow just supports our family throughout the year. My son and daughter-in-law are off in the city trying to make enough money to support all of us. My wife and I watch our grandson each day. He is three now and very active. We have a hard time keeping up with him.
Day 3 – My life is consumed by school
My friends and I walk up these steps to school every day. We have uniforms and red scarves that we are required to wear. School takes up most of our time. We are at school for about 10 hours a day with another 4-5 hours of homework each night. Then on the weekends most of us take private training classes to help us learn more.
Day 2 – I hope my good deeds outweigh the bad when I die
I am a widowed Hui lady, almost eighty years old. I have several children, grandchildren, and even great grandchildren.My family once lived in a rural area, where we made our living by farming. However, as the city expanded, the government turned our land into residential property.
Day 1 – Following the Traditions of My Ancestors
This mosque has stood for centuries. It is not the biggest mosque in the city or the nicest, but it is the oldest. My ancestors have always come to this mosque, so I still come. Almost every day I take my shoes off, step over the threshold, walk in to the center of the room, find my usual spot on the carpet, sit down and prepare to worship.
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.
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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.
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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.