Hu Songshan
Encyclopedia
Hu Songshan a Hui
, was born in 1880, in Tongxin County, Ningxia
, China. His father was a Gansu
ahong belonging to the Khafiya menhuan, a Chinese-style Sufi order. When he was 18 he joined Wang Naibi of Haicheng
. At age 21, he became imam of the Yihewani (Ikhwan
in Arabic) sect, which was founded by Ma Wanfu
. He opposed wasteful rituals and cash payments for religious services.
Being a member of the Yihewani, he was against Sufism
and the menhuan, so much that he destroyed his own father's gongbei
(a Hui Islamic shrine centered around a Sufi master's grave) built at Tongxin.
to Mecca
in 1925. When Hu was in Mecca, he did not feel solidarity with other Muslims, he was treated racistly by the other Muslims because he was from China, so he became a Chinese nationalist. Instead of advocating an Islamic state, he wanted a strong China. He saw that Hui and Han people were treated the same and abused by foreigners. He rallied against imperialism and preached Chinese nationalism
and unity. In Wuzhong County, Ningxia, Hu was the principle of an Arabic school.
When Japan invaded China in 1937 during the Second Sino Japanese War, Hu Songshan ordered that the Chinese Flag
be saluted during morning prayer, along with deference to nationalism. A prayer was written by him in Arabic and Chinese
which prayed for the defeat of the Japanese and support of the Chinese government. The Quran was used to justify struggling against the Japanese. Unlike his teacher Ma Wanfu, Hu Songshan encouraged Muslims to study Chinese language and learn about modern sciences and education in Chinese.
Imams like Hu Songshan led the Chinese Muslim Brotherhood to become a Chinese nationalist organization emphasizing education and independence.
The Muslim Generals Ma Fuxiang
and Ma Bufang
gave support to Hu Songshan.
Hu added modern subjects like Chinese language, foreign sciences, mathematics and foreign languages to the islamic curriculum, and translated islamic texts into Chinese. Hu was close to the Kuomintang
Muslim General and governor of Ningxia, Ma Hongkui
, and cooperated with him. All imams in Ningxia were required to preach Chinese nationalism during prayer at the mosque.
Hu Songshan often reminded the Muslim masses that "If we object to natural science, then clothing, food, and shelter could not be talked about.", whenever someone challenged his indtroduction of modern subjects like Math and Science to Islamic curriculumn.
Hu Songshan also cited a Hadith
(圣训), a saying of the prophet Muhammad
, which says "Loving the Motherland is equivalent to loving the Faith" (“爱护祖国是属于信仰的一部份”). Hu Songshan harshly criticized those who were non patrioctic and those who taught anti nationalist thinking, saying that they were fake Muslims.
Traditional
Simplified
English
Hui people
The Hui people are an ethnic group in China, defined as Chinese speaking people descended from foreign Muslims. They are typically distinguished by their practice of Islam, however some also practice other religions, and many are direct descendants of Silk Road travelers.In modern People's...
, was born in 1880, in Tongxin County, Ningxia
Ningxia
Ningxia, formerly transliterated as Ningsia, is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. Located in Northwest China, on the Loess Plateau, the Yellow River flows through this vast area of land. The Great Wall of China runs along its northeastern boundary...
, China. His father was a Gansu
Gansu
' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...
ahong belonging to the Khafiya menhuan, a Chinese-style Sufi order. When he was 18 he joined Wang Naibi of Haicheng
Haicheng
Haicheng is a county-level city of central Liaoning province, Northeast China. It is located about southwest of Shenyang, the provincial capital, and is under the administration of Anshan City, the seat of which lies to the northeast....
. At age 21, he became imam of the Yihewani (Ikhwan
Ikhwan
The Ikhwan was the Islamic religious militia which formed the main military force of the Arabian ruler Ibn Saud and played a key role in establishing him as ruler of most of the Arabian Peninsula, in his new state of Saudi Arabia. The Ikhwan were made up of Bedouin tribes...
in Arabic) sect, which was founded by Ma Wanfu
Ma Wanfu
Ma Wanfu was a Dongxiang-Imam of the village Guoyuan in Hezhou...
. He opposed wasteful rituals and cash payments for religious services.
Being a member of the Yihewani, he was against Sufism
Sufism
Sufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...
and the menhuan, so much that he destroyed his own father's gongbei
Gongbei
The Gongbei Port is an immigration and customs checkpoint located in Zhuhai of mainland China, on its border with Macao. It is operated by the Bureau of Exit and Entry Administration of the Ministry of Public Security, and the General Administration of Customs.It is located in the Gongbei...
(a Hui Islamic shrine centered around a Sufi master's grave) built at Tongxin.
Life
He went on HajjHajj
The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
to Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
in 1925. When Hu was in Mecca, he did not feel solidarity with other Muslims, he was treated racistly by the other Muslims because he was from China, so he became a Chinese nationalist. Instead of advocating an Islamic state, he wanted a strong China. He saw that Hui and Han people were treated the same and abused by foreigners. He rallied against imperialism and preached Chinese nationalism
Chinese nationalism
Chinese nationalism , sometimes synonymous with Chinese patriotism refers to cultural, historiographical, and political theories, movements and beliefs that assert the idea of a cohesive, unified Chinese people and culture in a unified country known as China...
and unity. In Wuzhong County, Ningxia, Hu was the principle of an Arabic school.
When Japan invaded China in 1937 during the Second Sino Japanese War, Hu Songshan ordered that the Chinese Flag
Flag of the Republic of China
The Flag of the Republic of China is red with a navy blue canton bearing a white sun with 12 triangular rays. In Chinese, the flag is commonly described as Blue Sky, White Sun, and a Wholly Red Earth to reflect its attributes....
be saluted during morning prayer, along with deference to nationalism. A prayer was written by him in Arabic and Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
which prayed for the defeat of the Japanese and support of the Chinese government. The Quran was used to justify struggling against the Japanese. Unlike his teacher Ma Wanfu, Hu Songshan encouraged Muslims to study Chinese language and learn about modern sciences and education in Chinese.
Imams like Hu Songshan led the Chinese Muslim Brotherhood to become a Chinese nationalist organization emphasizing education and independence.
The Muslim Generals Ma Fuxiang
Ma Fuxiang
Ma Fuxiang . Ma, a Dongxiang muslim leader, had a military and political career which spanned the Qing dynasty through the early Republic of China and illustrated the power of family, the role of religious affiliations, and the interaction of Inner Asian China and the national government of...
and Ma Bufang
Ma Bufang
Ma Bufang was a prominent Muslim Ma clique warlord in China during the Republic of China era, ruling the northwestern province of Qinghai. His rank was Lieutenant-general...
gave support to Hu Songshan.
Hu added modern subjects like Chinese language, foreign sciences, mathematics and foreign languages to the islamic curriculum, and translated islamic texts into Chinese. Hu was close to the Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
Muslim General and governor of Ningxia, Ma Hongkui
Ma Hongkui
Ma Hongkui , was a prominent warlord in China during the Republic of China era, ruling the northwestern province of Ningxia. His rank was Lieutenant-general. His courtesy name was Shao-yun .- Life :...
, and cooperated with him. All imams in Ningxia were required to preach Chinese nationalism during prayer at the mosque.
Hu Songshan often reminded the Muslim masses that "If we object to natural science, then clothing, food, and shelter could not be talked about.", whenever someone challenged his indtroduction of modern subjects like Math and Science to Islamic curriculumn.
Hu Songshan also cited a Hadith
Hadith
The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....
(圣训), a saying of the prophet Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
, which says "Loving the Motherland is equivalent to loving the Faith" (“爱护祖国是属于信仰的一部份”). Hu Songshan harshly criticized those who were non patrioctic and those who taught anti nationalist thinking, saying that they were fake Muslims.
Prayer Written by Hu Songshan
祈禱詞的內容如下：真主啊！求您援助我們的政府，使我們的國家永存，使我們的抗戰勝利，消滅我們的敵人。求您保佑我們免遭敵人侵略和殘殺的暴行。求您差遣狂風，使他們的飛機墜落，軍艦葬身大海，士兵厭戰，使他們的經濟崩潰，求您降天災懲罰他們！真主啊！求您賞准我們的祈禱！阿敏！
Traditional
祈祷词的内容如下：真主啊！求您援助我们的政府，使我们的国家永存，使我们的抗战胜利，消灭我们的敌人。求您保佑我们免遭敌人侵略和残杀的暴行。求您差遣狂风，使他们的飞机坠落，军舰葬身大海，士兵厌战，使他们的经济崩溃，求您降天灾惩罚他们！真主啊！求您赏准我们的祈祷！阿敏！
Simplified
Prayer reads as follows, Oh God! Help our government and nation, defeated the invaders, and exterminate our enemies. Protect us from the evil deeds done by the violent Japanese. They have occupied our cities and killled our people. Send upon them a furious wind, cause their airplanes to fall in the wilderness, and their battleships to sink in the sea! Cause their army to scatter, their economy to collapse! Give them their just reward! True God, answer our prayer! Amen.
English