Yihewani

Yihewani (Chinese: 伊赫瓦尼; pinyin: Yīhèwǎní), or Ikhwan (Arabic: الإخوان‎‎), (also known as Al Ikhwan al Muslimun, which means Muslim Brotherhood, not to be confused with the Middle Eastern Muslim Brotherhood) is an Islamic sect in China. Its adherents are called Sunnaiti. It is of the Hanafi school, one of the six major schools of Islam. It is also referred to as "new sect" " or "Latest sect". Ikhwan (Yihewani), together with Qadim (Gedimu) and Xidaotang, are the three major sects of Islam in China. The Yihewani sect was labeled as the new teaching (xinjiao). In 1937 it divided into two groups.

It was the end of the 19th century when the Dongxiang imam Ma Wanfu (1849–1934) from the village of Guoyuan in Hezhou (now the Dongxiang Autonomous County was founded in Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu Province) - who had studied in Mecca and was influenced by the Salafi movement. After his return to Gansu, he founded the movement with the ten major Ahong. He claimed that rites and ceremonies not standing in line with the Quran and the Hadith should be abolished. He campaigned against grave and Murshid (leader / teacher) worship and advocated against preaching and dawah in Chinese.

The follower of the sect radically opposed Qadeem's tradition which was influenced by Chinese culture.They put emphasis on the principle of "following the book and eliminating customs". Though the founder of the movement was inspired by the salafi movement, this reform movement, unlike that of the Wahhabis, did not oppose Sufism, but rather rejected the excessive veneration to Sufi masters and to their graves.They strictly follow Hanafi school of fiqh and emphasize the Ash'ari and Maturidi creeds.

...
Wikipedia