[3][4][5] The origins of Han Kitab literature can be traced back to the establishment of the scripture hall education (jingtang jiaoyu) system created by scholar Hu Dengzhou in the 16th century.
[6] Initially the Han Kitab was composed of Chinese translations of Sufi texts and other religious material originally written in Persian or Arabic.
[8] Within a few generations, the instructional system spread throughout China, and subsequent scholars began writing Islamic literature within a Chinese cultural context.
[6] In July 2023, the United Front Work Department's Central Institute of Socialism developed a plan to "meld Islam with Confucianism" using the Han Kitab texts as a guide.
[10] The works of Wu Zunqie, Zhang Zhong, and Wang Daiyu were also included in the Han Kitab.