Han Kitab
The Han Kitab are a group of Chinese Islamic texts written by Chinese Muslims in the early 1700s during the Qing dynasty. They explain Islamic beliefs using Confucian terms and ideas. The name combines Han, meaning Chinese, with kitab, the Arabic word for book.
The idea came from an education system called jingtang jiaoyu set up in the 16th century by Hu Dengzhou. He studied Islam abroad, returned to China, and created a school program that taught Islamic texts alongside Chinese and foreign languages. At first, the Han Kitab were Chinese translations of Sufi and other religious works originally written in Persian or Arabic. By the mid-1600s, some scholars began writing original works that mixed Islamic ideas with Classical Chinese thought. The movement spread across China, and later writers created Islamic literature in a Chinese cultural setting.
In the early 18th century, Liu Zhi wrote a Han Kitab in Nanjing, and other included authors were Wu Zunqie, Zhang Zhong, and Wang Daiyu. The Han Kitab became widely read and influenced many later Chinese Muslims, such as Ma Qixi, Ma Fuxiang, and Hu Songshan.
In July 2023, a Chinese government research body announced plans to blend Islam with Confucianism using the Han Kitab as a guide.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 07:15 (CET).