Islam Islam (Arabic: الإسلام al-’islām, pronounced [ʔislæːm] [note 1]) is a strictly monotheistic religion articulated by the Qur’an, a text considered by its adherents to be the verbatim word of God (Arabic: الله, Allāh), and by the Prophet of Islam Muhammad's teachings and normative example (which is called the Sunnah in is currently the second most widely professed religion in the Russian Federation. According to a poll by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center, 6% of respondents considered themselves Muslim.[1]. Muslim A Muslim or Moslem is an adherent of the religion of Islam. Literally, the word means "one who submits (to God)". Muslim is the participle of the same verb of which Islam is the infinitive. All Muslims observe Sunnah, but differences in the definition of what is and what is not Sunnah has led to the emergence of sectarian movements.[ communities are concentrated among minority nationalities residing between the Black Sea The Black Sea is an inland sea bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects it to the Aegean Sea region of the Mediterranean. These waters and the Caspian Sea The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. The sea has a surface area of 371,000 km2 (143,200 sq mi) (Not including Garabogazköl Aylagy) and a volume of 78,200 km3 (18,800 cu mi). It is in an endorheic basin (it has no outflows) and is bounded by: Adyghe, Balkars The Balkars are a Turkic people of the Caucasus region, the titular population of Kabardino-Balkaria. Their Karachay-Balkar language is of the Ponto-Caspian subgroup of the Northwestern (Kypchak) group of Turkic languages, Chechens S. Mansur • K. Kishiev • P. Zakharov • T. Tchermoeff • , Circassians Circassians are a North Caucasian nation and an ethnic group who belong to one of the oldest indigenous peoples of the Caucasus and are among the original inhabitants of the Caucasus. They dwelled and inhabited the whole Northwestern region of the Caucasus and were once among the majority living in the Caucasus before the Russian conquest of the, Ingush, Kabardin Adyghe , other "Circassian" peoples, Karachay The Karachays are Turkic people of the North Caucasus, mostly situated in the Russian Karachay-Cherkess Republic, and numerous Dagestani peoples. Also, in the middle of the Volga Basin reside populations of Tatars Sunni Islam with Orthodox Christian and Irreligious minorities and Bashkirs The Bashkirs are Turkic people indigenous to Bashkortostan, Russia. Groups of Bashkirs also live in the republic of Tatarstan, as well as in Perm Krai and Chelyabinsk, Orenburg, Kurgan, Sverdlovsk, Samara, and Saratov Oblasts of Russia, the majority of whom are Muslims. There is also a sizable number of Russian Other Slavic peoples, especially East Slavs converts to Islam, some of whom have participated in the Chechen conflict The Second Chechen War, in a later phase better known as the War in the North Caucasus was launched by the Russian Federation starting August 26, 1999, in response to the Invasion of Dagestan by the IIPB against Russian troops.[citation needed]
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History of Islam in Russia
Further information: Circassian ethnic cleansing and Caucasian WarThe first Muslims within current Russian territory were the Dagestani people (region of Derbent Derbent is a city in the Republic of Dagestan, Russia, close to the Azerbaijani border. It is the southernmost city in Russia, and it is the second most important city of Dagestan. Population: 101,031 (2002 Census); 78,371 (1989 Census). The Lezgins are the main ethnic group (32%), followed by Azeris (31%) and Tabasarans (15%)) after the Arab Arab people or Arabs (العرب al-ʿarab) are an ethnic group whose members identify as such on one or more of linguistic, cultural, political, or genealogical grounds. Those self-identifying as Arab, however, rarely do so with it as their sole identity. Most hold multiple identities, with a more localized prioritized national identity — such conquests in the 8th century. The first Muslim state in Russia was Volga Bulgaria Volga Bulgaria, or Volga-Kama Bolghar, is a historic Bulgar state that existed between the seventh and thirteenth centuries around the confluence of the Volga and Kama rivers in what is now Russia. Today, both the Turkic Republics of Tatarstan and Chuvashia are considered to be descendants of Volga Bulgaria (922). The Tatars Sunni Islam with Orthodox Christian and Irreligious minorities inherited the religion from that state. Later most of the European and Caucasian Turkic peoples Islam , Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Shamanism, Tengriism, Atheism, Agnosticism and Syncretic religion also became followers of Islam Islam (Arabic: الإسلام al-’islām, pronounced [ʔislæːm] [note 1]) is a strictly monotheistic religion articulated by the Qur’an, a text considered by its adherents to be the verbatim word of God (Arabic: الله, Allāh), and by the Prophet of Islam Muhammad's teachings and normative example (which is called the Sunnah in. However, Christianity Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. Christianity comprises three major branches: Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy (the two split from one another in 1054 A.D.), and Protestantism (which came into existence during the Protestant Reformation of the 16 had the strongest influence on the Russian empire outside of areas adjacent to the Islamic empires. However, there was still contact between Russian and Islamic peoples. In what is perhaps an apocryphal story, Prince Vladimir the Great Vladimir Svyatoslavich the Great, also sometimes spelled Volodymyr Old East Slavic: Володимеръ Святославичь was the grand prince of Kiev who converted to Christianity in 987, and proceeded to baptise the whole Kievan Rus. His name may be spelled in different ways: in modern Ukrainian as Volodymyr (Володимир), in Old entertained Muslim scholars trying to convert Russia to Islam. However, on the basis of Islam's prohibition of alcohol An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol . Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits, the prince was unwilling to convert his country, and instead chose Orthodox Christianity Note: The Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches preserve ancient church traditions but are not in communion. As such, the term Orthodox Christianity when used inadvisably to refer to these two Churches collectively refers more to a common eastern influence than to doctrinal matters.[2]
Islam in Russia has had a long presence, extending at least as far back as the conquest of the Khanate of Kazan The Russo-Kazan Wars was a series of wars fought between the Khanate of Kazan and Muscovite Russia in the 15th and 16th centuries, until Kazan was finally captured by Ivan the Terrible and absorbed into Russia in 1552 in 1552, which brought the Tatars Sunni Islam with Orthodox Christian and Irreligious minorities and Bashkirs The Bashkirs are Turkic people indigenous to Bashkortostan, Russia. Groups of Bashkirs also live in the republic of Tatarstan, as well as in Perm Krai and Chelyabinsk, Orenburg, Kurgan, Sverdlovsk, Samara, and Saratov Oblasts of Russia on the Middle Volga into Russia. The period from the conquest of Kazan in 1552 to the ascension of Catherine the Great Catherine II , also known as Catherine the Great, born 2 May [O.S. 21 April] 1729 as Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst-Dornburg in Stettin, Pomerania, reigned as Empress of Russia from 9 July [O.S. 28 June] 1762 until her death (17 November [O.S. 6 November] 1796). Under her direct auspices the Russian Empire expanded, improved its in 1762, was marked by systematic repression of Muslims through policies of exclusion and discrimination as well as the destruction of Muslim culture by elimination of outward manifestations of Islam such as mosques A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam , which literally means a place of prostration. The word "mosque" in English refers to all types of buildings dedicated for Islamic worship although there is a distinction in Arabic between the smaller, masjids dedicated for daily five prayers and the larger masajid where the daily. The Russians initially demonstrated a willingness in allowing Islam Islam (Arabic: الإسلام al-’islām, pronounced [ʔislæːm] [note 1]) is a strictly monotheistic religion articulated by the Qur’an, a text considered by its adherents to be the verbatim word of God (Arabic: الله, Allāh), and by the Prophet of Islam Muhammad's teachings and normative example (which is called the Sunnah in to flourish as Muslim clerics were invited into the various region to preach to the Muslims, particularly the Kazakhs The Kazakhs are a Turkic people of the northern parts of Central Asia (largely Kazakhstan, but also found in parts of Uzbekistan, China, Russia, and Mongolia) whom the Russians viewed as "savages" and "ignorant" of morals and ethics.[3][4] However, Russian policy shifted toward weakening Islam by introducing pre-Islamic elements of collective consciousness.[5] Such attempts included methods of eulogizing pre-Islamic historical figures and imposing a sense of inferiority by sending Kazakhs to highly elite Russian Russia (pronounced /ˈrʌʃə/ ; Russian: Россия, tr. Rossiya, pronounced [rɐˈsʲijə] ( listen)), also officially known as the Russian Federation (Russian: Российская Федерация, pronounced [rɐˈsʲijskəjə fʲɪdʲɪˈraʦəjə] ( listen)), is a state in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, military institutions.[5] In response, Kazakh religious leaders attempted to bring religious fervor by espousing pan-Turkism Pan-Turkism is a political movement started more than 100 years ago aiming to unite the various Turkic peoples into a modern political state, though many were persecuted as a result.[6]
While total expulsion as in other Christian nations such as Spain Spain (pronounced /ˈspeɪn/ spayn; Spanish: España, pronounced [esˈpaɲa] ( listen)), officially the Kingdom of Spain (Spanish: Reino de España), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.[note 6] Its mainland is bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea except for, Portugal Portugal /ˈpɔɹtʃʉɡəl/ (Portuguese: Portugal, Mirandese: Pertual), officially the Portuguese Republic (Portuguese: República Portuguesa; Mirandese: República Pertuesa), is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and and Sicily Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, comprising an autonomous region of Italy. Minor islands around it, such as the Aeolian Islands, are part of Sicily. Its official name is Regione Autonoma Siciliana (English:Sicilian Autonomous Region) was not feasible to achieve a homogenous Russian Orthodox The Russian Orthodox Church ; or The Moscow Patriarchate (Russian: Русская Православная Церковь (Russkaya Pravoslavnaya Tserkov), or Московский Патриархат (Moskovskiy Patriarkhat) (the latter designation being another official name) since 1943, Поместная Российская Православ population, other policies such as land grants and the promotion of migration by other Russian and non-Muslim populations into Muslim lands displaced many Muslims making them minorities in places such as some parts of the South Ural region to other parts such as the Ottoman Turkey The Ottoman Empire was a regime that lasted from 1299 to 1923, and almost annihilating the Circassians Circassians are a North Caucasian nation and an ethnic group who belong to one of the oldest indigenous peoples of the Caucasus and are among the original inhabitants of the Caucasus. They dwelled and inhabited the whole Northwestern region of the Caucasus and were once among the majority living in the Caucasus before the Russian conquest of the, Crimean Tatars Crimean Tatars or Crimeans (sg. Qırım, Qırımlı, pl. Qırımlar, Qırımlılar) are a Turkic ethnic group originally residing in Crimea. They speak the Crimean Tatar language. They are not to be confused with the Volga Tatars, and various Muslims of the Caucasus. The Russian army rounded up people, driving Muslims from their villages to ports on the Black Sea, where they awaited ships provided by the neighboring Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire was a regime that lasted from 1299 to 1923. The explicit Russian goal was to expel the groups in question from their lands.[7] They were given a choice as to where to be resettled: in the Ottoman Empire or in Russia far from their old lands. Only a small percentage (the numbers are unknown) accepted resettlement within the Russian Empire The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia, and the predecessor of the Soviet Union. It was the second largest contiguous empire in world history, surpassed only by the Mongol Empire, and the third largest empire behind the British Empire and the Mongol. The trend of Russification Russification is an adoption of the Russian language or some other Russian attribute (whether voluntarily or not) by non-Russian communities. In a narrow sense, Russification is used to denote the influence of the Russian language on Slavic, Baltic and other languages, spoken in areas currently or formerly controlled by Russia, which led to the has continued at different paces in the rest of Tsarist and Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR, Russian: Союз Советских Социалистических Республик, tr. Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik IPA: [sɐˈjus sɐˈvʲeʦkʲɪx səʦɨəlʲɪˈstʲiʨɪskʲɪx rʲɪsˈpublʲɪk] , abbreviated СССР, SSSR), informally known as the Soviet Union (Russian: periods, so that today there are more Tatars living outside the Republic of Tatarstan than inside it.[2]
Under Communist rule, Islam was oppressed and suppressed, as was any other religion. Many mosques—much like their Christian counterparts, the churches—were closed at that time. For example, the Marcani mosque was the only acting mosque in Kazan Kazan is the capital city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. The sixth largest city of Russia, it lies at the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka Rivers in European Russia. The Kazan Kremlin is a World Heritage Site. In April 2009, the Russian Patent Office granted Kazan the right to brand itself as the "Third Capital" of Russia. In 20 at that time. During Stalin's reign, Crimean Tatar Muslims were victims of mass deportation. The deportation had begun on 17 May 1944 in all Crimean Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea (Ukrainian: Крим, Автономна Республіка Крим Avtonomna Respublika Krym; Russian: Крым, Автономная Республика Крым, Avtonomnaya Respublika Krym; Crimean Tatar: Qırım, Qırım Muhtar Cumhuriyeti, Къырым, Къырым Мухтар Джумхур inhabited localities. More than 32,000 NKVD The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs , abbreviated NKVD (Russian: НКВД listen (help·info)) was the public and secret police organization of the Soviet Union that directly executed the rule of power of the Soviets, including political repression, during the era of Stalin troops participated in this action. 193,865 Crimean Tatars were deported, 151,136 of them to Uzbek SSR, 8,597 to Mari ASSR, 4,286 to Kazakh SSR The Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic , also known as the Kazakh SSR for short, was one of republics that made up the Soviet Union. At 2,717,300 square kilometres (1,063,200 square miles) in area, it was the second largest constituent republic in the USSR, after the Russian SFSR. Its capital was Alma-Ata (today known as Almaty). Today it is the, the rest 29,846 to the various oblasts Oblast is a type of administrative division in Slavic countries, including some countries of the former Soviet Union. The word "oblast" is a loanword in English, but it is nevertheless often translated as "area", "zone", "province", or "region". The last translation may lead to confusion, because of RSFSR The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (Russian: Росси́йская Сове́тская Федерати́вная Социалисти́ческая Респу́блика , transliterated as Rossiyskaya Sovetskaya Federativnaya Sotsialisticheskaya Respublika [RSFSR]), also called the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic,.
From May to November 10,105 Crimean Tatars died of starvation in Uzbekistan (7% of deported to Uzbek SSR). Nearly 30,000 (20%) died in exile during the year and a half by the NKVD data and nearly 46% by the data of the Crimean Tatar activists. According to Soviet dissident information, many Crimean Tatars were made to work in the large-scale projects conducted by the Soviet GULAG The Gulag or GULAG was the government agency that administered the main Soviet penal labor camp systems. While the camps housed a wide range of convicts, from petty criminals to political prisoners, with large numbers convicted by simplified procedures, such as NKVD troikas and other instruments of extrajudicial punishment, the Gulag is recognized system.[8]
Today
There was much evidence of official conciliation toward Islam in Russia in the 1990s. The number of Muslims allowed to make pilgrimages to Mecca increased sharply after the embargo of the Soviet era ended in 1990. In 1995 the newly established Union of Muslims of Russia, led by Imam Khatyb Mukaddas of Tatarstan, began organizing a movement aimed at improving inter-ethnic understanding and ending Russians' lingering misconception of Islam. The Union of Muslims of Russia is the direct successor to the pre-World War I Union of Muslims, which had its own faction in the Russian Duma. The post-Communist union has formed a political party, the Nur All-Russia Muslim Public Movement, which acts in close coordination with Muslim imams to defend the political, economic, and cultural rights of Muslims and other minorities. The Islamic Cultural Center of Russia, which includes a madrassa (religious school), opened in Moscow in 1991. In the 1990s, the number of Islamic publications has increased. Among them are two magazines in Russian, "Эхо Кавказа" (transliteration: Ekho Kavkaza) and "Исламский вестник" (Islamsky Vestnik), and the Russian-language newspaper "Исламские новости" (Islamskiye Novosti), which is published in Makhachkala, Dagestan.
Newly constructed mosque in GroznyKazan has a large Muslim population (probably the second after Moscow urban group of the Muslims and the biggest indigenous group in Russia) and is home to the Russian Islam University at Tatarstan. Education is in Russian and Tatar. Copies of the Qur'an are readily available, and many mosques are being built in regions with large Muslim populations.
Talgat Tadzhuddin is the Chief Mufti of Russia. Since Soviet times, the Russian government has divided Russia into a number of Muslim Spiritual Directorates. In 1980 Talgat Tazhuddin was made Mufti of the Euopean USSR and Sieberia Division. Since 1992 he has headed the central or combined Muslim Spiritual Directorate of all of Russia.
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