Were you Muslim from the day you were born? Hui was asked this question often by new friends—and her answer begins with something honest: yes, she was born Muslim. But she also explains that simply being born into a faith is not the same as understanding what it means to live it.
In this personal narrative shared by EatAi亦太 (halalfoodie), Hui reflects on growing up as one of China’s Muslim ethnic minorities, spending her formative years in Lanzhou, Northwest China, where Muslim communities are said to be more concentrated. She speaks about Islam being “around her” from childhood, yet not something she truly understood until much later—shaped by family, real-life change, and the heavy question of what faith means when life becomes complicated.
Growing up Muslim felt like “normal life”
Hui describes her early years as familiar and ordinary. Islam was present in the rhythms of her community, and she notes that China traditionally includes multiple ethnic groups that practise Islam, making the overall Muslim population significant. Still, she emphasises that she didn’t immediately feel different—faith was simply part of her environment.
The mosque lessons she didn’t want
One of Hui’s most vivid memories involves her grandfather. During school holidays, he would send Hui and her little sister to learn the Quran at the masjid. But as a child, she admits they disliked it. At times, once her grandfather left, they would run off to play and return later “like nothing happened”—a small but telling detail that reveals how faith can exist beside youthful resistance.
Even so, Hui’s family connection to Islam was not purely academic. Her grandfather—on her mother’s side—was an Imam, and when she and her sister visited, he would share Quran stories. Hui says they especially loved these stories when he told them in Chinese. That balance—discipline outside, warmth within—set the foundation for her relationship with faith, even if she didn’t understand it at the time.
Two different examples at home
As Hui grew older, she noticed something important inside her own home: two contrasting examples of faith. Her mother was described as a very devout Muslim, while her father’s youthful life included drinking, gambling, and anger.
As a child, Hui admits she didn’t like her father. Yet there is one moment she never forgot: her mother crying during her prayers. Years later, her mother shared the reason—she had been asking Allah to “get your father back to Islam.”
Hajj changed everything
Hui’s story turns at a key moment. When her father was 38, he decided to take her grandparents and her mother on Hajj. Before leaving, Hui says her father stopped drinking and gambling and gave up bad habits. When he returned from Hajj, Hui felt like a different man had come back—gentle, patient, and loving.
For Hui, the transformation wasn’t abstract. She “watched a human being completely change in front of her eyes.” In her words, it felt like magic, because within a short time the father she had once hated became the hero of the family—and her hero too. She couldn’t explain the full meaning of it then, but she knew something profound had happened.
Success, timing, and shock
Alongside her father’s return, something else happened: Hui describes how large amounts of coal were discovered around her hometown. She says her father saw the opportunity at the “right time,” and his business skyrocketed. As a child, she was shocked by the image of him bringing home cash in huge sacks.
Hui connects these events as overlapping chapters in the same period—when faith seemed to reshape her father, and life circumstances shifted dramatically too. Her childhood perspective framed it as “everything felt like magic,” even though she couldn’t fully interpret what was happening emotionally.
Faith tested again during hardship
Many years later, Hui faced her own trial. During COVID, her business failed and she lost almost everything, entering one of the darkest periods of her life. At that point, her father’s story returned to her—an emotional reminder of how people change, and how faith can become more than background noise when life demands strength.
Hui notes that this is only part of her journey, hinting she may share more later. But even within this account, one theme stays clear: understanding faith is not a one-time moment. It’s something lived, questioned, resisted, and rediscovered—especially when the stakes are real.
What this story teaches about faith
- Being born Muslim isn’t the same as practising meaningfully. Hui’s childhood shows faith can be “around you” without being “inside you”.
- Family examples matter. Her mother’s devotion and her father’s transformation gave Hui contrasting lessons she couldn’t forget.
- Change can be sudden and deeply human. Hui describes her father’s return from Hajj as a complete shift in character.
- Hardship is when faith becomes personal. Her darkest period during COVID brought these memories back with new weight.
Ready for your next meaningful journey?
If stories like this inspire you to explore places shaped by faith, family and resilience, Sakina Tours can help you plan a trip that feels purposeful. Whether you’re travelling to experience sacred history, community life, or simply to grow through new experiences, we’ll craft a curated itinerary around what matters to you.
Contact Sakina Tours to start planning your next adventure—guided by warmth, care, and journeys that stay with you long after you return.
