Review on the Theory of Self-Cultivation of Islamic-Confucian

It is commonly understood that "Kungfu" (功夫or工夫) refers to Chinese martial arts. However, this term has diverse interpretations, including the exertion of effort or time in the pursuit of objectives and accomplishments, which also connote technical and cultural achievements. Therefore, the study of virtue and its potential in traditional Chinese culture, termed as the Theory of Self-cultivation or Kungfu theory, involves a combination of skills, practice, and spirituality. This concept serves as a guiding principle for individuals in their journey of self-improvement and transcendence, holds both practical and theoretical significance within Neo-Confucianism during the Song and Ming Dynasties.
 
Kungfu is discussed in the texts and practices of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism in China, and is also present in the philosophical system of Chinese Muslims. The self-cultivation theory in Islamic-Confucian, also known as Huiru (回儒) , is a comprehensive study that integrates practical and spiritual elements, aiming to cultivate virtues in all aspects of life, including religious obligations and ethical standards. Chinese Muslim scholars in the Ming and Qing Dynasties such as Wang Daiyu (王岱輿), Ma Zhu (馬注), Liu Zhi (劉智), and Ma Dexin (馬德新) integrated faith (Iman) with moral practice into their works. They placed considerable emphasis on self-cultivation within the Chinese Muslim community, and their Self-cultivation Theory delves into the practical methodologies and spiritual dimensions within Chinese Islam context. This theory begins with an emphasis on understanding and returning to Allah, aiming to reveal conscience, demonstrate the essence of virtue, improve morality and spiritual realms, pursue ultimate goodness, and finally re-establish connection with Allah. Huiru Theory of Self-cultivation explores how Chinese Muslims acquire virtue from different perspectives, which reflects the shared logic and universal values inherent in Islamic and Confucian civilizations.
 
Huiru's theory of self-cultivation draws upon Confucianism's kungfu theory for its structural framework. While in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Muslim scholars' writings contain extensive content on self-cultivation, their vocabulary, concepts, and expressions are influenced by Neo-Confucianism, and their overall logical structure and system construction are similar to or even richer than those of Confucianism. Nevertheless, there are few comprehensive works specifically exploring the Islamic-Confucian kungfu theory, unlike the well-established studies in Confucianism dating back to the 1950s. Therefore, it will be helpful to take it as a reference to construct a framework of Islamic-Confucian Kungfu theory and compare it with Confucianism, which will not only enrich the study of Confucianism but also provide a new perspective on self-cultivation theory.
 
The Confucian Kungfu theory is a method for individuals to pursue both inner moral excellence and outward societal leadership, which not only attaches importance to inner transcendence but also involves the transcendent dimension in it. There was a lot of discussion about the study. However, the study of kungfu theory was marginalized in the field of Chinese philosophy from the 1950s to the late 1970s due to Western philosophy's influence on research classification and the dominance of subjects like the theory of human nature, the theory of mind, metaphysics, and cosmology. Kungfu theory during this period was sporadically mentioned in scholars' works but didn't receive dedicated independent attention. From the 1980s onward, owing to the promotion of Chinese studies, the excavation of unearthed documents and the opening up of more interpretation perspectives, the Confucian Kungfu theory has been recognized by the academic community and emerged as a subject worthy of independent investigation. In the 21st century, significant scholarly contributions have bolstered the recognition and value of Kungfu theory, transforming it into a crucial field within Chinese philosophy.
 
During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Muslim scholars who spoke Chinese as their native language used the concepts, terminologies, and categories of Confucianism to formulate and develop the Chinese Islamic thought system. The subject matter of Kungfu theory constituted a significant segment of the Chinese Islamic philosophy system. The discourse on the religious practices and moral cultivation of Chinese Muslims originated from the study of Sufism and was also mentioned in the texts of Jingtang Education (經堂教育) and Han Kitabs (漢克塔布). Since the late 1980s and early 1990s, scholars have mentioned the characteristics, ethical essence, philosophical principles, and stages of spiritual exercise in their publications, in which the thoughts of Liu Zhi, Ma Zhu, and Ma Dexin were included. However, scholars did not delve into their thoughts in detail. Simultaneously, discussions arose concerning the methods and customs of Sufi practices, offering a broad overview of the spiritual exercises of Chinese Muslims. Since the year 2000, scholars have increasingly engaged in the study of various indigenous Chinese Sufi orders, known as Sufi Menhuan (門宦) in Chinese, along with their branches, representatives, and works. Most of these studies have simply described the universal ritual and organizational forms. After 2010, research ventures began focusing on exploring the contents of Jingtang Education. Within these thirteen traditional classics, six discuss themes related to self-cultivation and spiritual practices, encompassing the essence of Kungfu. These texts not only accentuate the religious dimension but also address Islamic ethical philosophy, with a special emphasis on guidance for clergy or ordinary adherents. Around 2005, research related to Kungfu appeared in the studies of Han Kitabs and their authors during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Especially in the last decade, scholars have discussed core issues within Kungfu theory, like the mind, the relationship between body, heart, nature, and mandate. Importantly, there has been a growing body of research comparing Islamic-Confucian Kungfu theory with that of Song and Ming periods and modern Neo-Confucianism, along with the traditional practices of Sufism.