Islamic Sects differentiation and belief field in Northwest China: acase from the Hui-inhabited areas (Kangle County)

The sectarian divisions and doctrinal landscape of Islam constitute a complex yet critically important subject of scholarly inquiry and practical relevance. Sufi mysticism was introduced to China and gradually formed the Islamic Sects and Sufi Orders with Chinese characteristics, began to enter the phenomenon of sectarian diversity. Menhuan is a unique religious organisation in Northwest China, it is a relatively stable structural system composed of textual religious ideas, standardised religious rituals, and hierarchical religious authority organisations. Taking Kangle County, a typical Islamic nation distribution area as an example, the paper analyzes the topic through three interrelated dimensions: historical development, Menhuan differentiation, and the belief field. This is helpful for understanding the mechanism by which religions adapt to society and preventing external forces from exploiting sectarian conflicts to undermine social stability.