The paper presents for the fi rst time the original text of the introduction to the Book ‘‘Al- Qur’ān by the Arab Mohammed …’’ (1790), together with its modern translation into Russian. The author of the introduction is the Russian educator, writer and translator M. I. Verevkin (1732–1795). The publication continues a series of studies by the Moscow Islamic Institute in collaboration with the Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts on the existence of the text of the Qur’ān in Russia and Europe. The conceptual basis of the preface is formed by two principles: the classic French translation of the L’Alcoran de Mahomet (1647) by André Du Ryer (ca. 1580–1660?) and the personal vision of the Russian translator M. I. Verevkin.
The article presents a systematic analysis of the nature of divine revelation (waḥy) in the Islamic tradition at the intersection of three dimensions: lexical- semantic, historico- biographical, and theological. Based on early Arabic lexicography (al- Khalīl, Ibn Manẓūr) and pre-Islamic poetry, the semantic core of the root w–ḥ–y is reconstructed as hidden intentional communication. The study systemizes the 78 Qur’ānic occurrences of the lexeme waḥy and identifi es its semantic registers, using Q. 42: 51 as the basic typology of the modes of waḥy. А functional distinction is drawn between waḥy and tanzīl. The ontology of revelation, as formulated in the doctrine of double descent (al- Lawḥ al- Maḥfūẓ — Bayt al-Izza — the earth), is reconstructed. The article examines the classical debate on the createdness and uncreatedness of the Qur’ān, the Ash‘arī distinction between kalām nafsī and kalām lafẓī, and the concept of i‘jāz as a theological consequence of the accepted model of waḥy. It substantiates the comparability of the doctrine of double descent and the Ash‘arī distinction: both models differentiate between the pre-eternal status of the Qur’ān and its historical and linguistic manifestation. Overall, this allows us to consider waḥy not as a term with a single meaning, but as a semantic field within which the сlassical schools address the issue of the correlation between the divine and the linguistic dimensions of revelation in different ways.
The study is devoted to M. I. Verevkin’s translation of the Qur’ān (1790) — a landmark work of the Russian Enlightenment that had a decisive infl uence on the reception of the Qur’ān in Russia in the late 18 th and the first half of the 19 th centuries. Based on the classic French edition of the Qur’ān by A. du Ryer, M. I. Verevkin’s work refl ected the fundamental principles of the source text: a focus on a secular interpretation of the meanings of the Muslim Holy Scripture and a distancing from the polemical paradigm. On the other hand, the work on the translation of the Qur’ān provided M. I. Verevkin, one of the founders of the Russian literary language, with a unique opportunity to demonstrate that the language norm established by Russian Enlighteners can express profound religious and philosophical meanings.
The article analyzes the key directions of the theological interpretation of the ritual narrative of the “Farewell Sermon” (khuṭbah al-wadā‘) of the Prophet Muḥammad. The study focuses on the content and moral signifi cance of the sermon’s text, the question of its authenticity, and the specific representation of this corpus in hadith literature and in classical sīrah genre devoted to the Prophet’s biography. Khuṭbah al-wadā‘, the Prophet’s last public speech, was delivered in the Plain Arafat (present-day Saudi Arabia) on the 9th day of the month of Dhu al- Hij jah in the 10 th year of the Hij rah (6 March 632 CE) during the Farewell Pilgrimage (ḥajjat al-wadā‘). It contains key ritual, ethic, and legal principles of Islamic doctrine: the establishment of the sacred status of certain days and places; the inviolability of life, property, and honor; human equality; women’s rights; and the prohibition of usury (ribā) and blood feud. The article summarizes the main theological discussions related to this text and outlines potential directions for its further study, particularly in the context of interreligious dialogue.
The article presents correspondence previously unknown in Russian historiography by the prominent Russian Tatar Islamic theologian and religious philosopher Musa Jarullah Bigiev (1875–1949), written during his exile in 1930–1949 and addressed to Weli-Ahmed Hakim (1882–1970), his friend and associate, who served as the imam of the Tatar diaspora in Finland from 1914 to 1962. This body of documents was introduced to the scholarly community thanks to the translation and editorial work of Yusuf Uralgiray (1915–1986), a Crimean Tatar scholar, educator, translator, and biographer, as well as a disciple and follower of Bigiev. Uralgiray included the letters in his Turkish- language edition of Bigiev’s work “Fasting in Long Days”, which he prepared and published in Ankara in 1975. The article also provides biographical information on Uralgiray, who was not only a close friend of Bigiev but also one of the few people who participated in the Tatar theologian’s funeral in Cairo. Bigiev’s letters, presented to the Turkish public by Uralgiray, constitute a valuable source of information about his life, activities, social contacts, experiences, and spiritual state in exile. They also refl ect the evolution of Bigiev’s religious and philosophical views, and his assessment of the contemporary socio-political situation in various regions of the Muslim world. The paper presents Bigiev’s instructions and advice to his fellow Tatars living in Finland. The significance of these recommendations is underscored by his eloquent comparisons between the realities of life in Muslim countries and the living conditions of Tatars in this Scandinavian state. In conclusion, the article emphasizes the scholarly value of Bigiev’s epistolary heritage and outlines prospects for further research in this area.
The Provisional Muslim Committee for Assistance to Soldiers and Their Families was the fi rst attempt in the Russian Empire to establish a nationwide Muslim charitable organization operating on democratic principles and initiated by Muslims themselves. However, its activities and outcomes are fragmentarily covered in the existing literature due to the scarcity of archival documents. The purpose of the article is to identify various viewpoints on the committee’s goals and strategies, based on an analysis of the Tatar periodical press in 1914–1916, and to trace how these opinions correlated with the actual decisions of the committee. The study relies on a historical-comparative analysis of publications in the newspapers Il’ (“Country”), Vakyt (“Time”), Tormysh (“Life”), and Suze (“Word”), as well as on materials from the Russian State Historical Archive. It has been established that two main positions emerged in the public discussion: the “idealistic” and the “pragmatic”. The study demonstrates that, despite the management crisis and criticism in the press, the committee succeeded in dispatching an ambulance detachment named after Russian Muslims, with the support of the Committee of the State Duma. For the fi rst time, the article introduces newspaper and archival materials into scholarly discourse, enabling the reconstruction of the chronology of the Provisional Muslim Committee for Assistance to Soldiers and Their Families’ work, the tracing of developments within it, and to observe how its activities were covered and evaluated by society.
The article is devoted to the role of the Tatar educator and theologian Khusain Faizkhanov (1823–1866) in the study of the Kasimov Khanate. Based on an analysis of his epistolary heritage, field reports, and V. V. Velyaminov- Zernov’s work “Research on the Kasimov Tsars and Tsarevichs”, the author reconstructs Kh. Faizkhanov’s visit to Kasimov in the summer of 1860. It has been established that he not only recorded the epigraphic monuments of the Khanate but also acted as a philological and theological advisor during their subsequent publication. Through his work, Arabic-script epitaphs of the Kasimov khans and nobility, including the tombstone of Khan Uraz-Muhammad (1600–1610), have entered scholarly discourse. The author shows that Kh. Faizkhanov did not limit himself to material collection: he refi ned the translations of Qur’ānic verses, corrected the mistakes of his predecessors, and analyzed complex Turkic lexemes. Thus, Kh. Faizkhanov eff ectively became a co-author of the source analysis rather than merely a technical assistant. The joint work of the theologian and the orientalist created a source base for the scientifi c study of the history of the Kasimov Khanate and laid the foundation for the fi rst studies on this topic.
The article, for the first time, traces the evolution of the architectural types of mosques in the historical territory of Ingush settlement, based on a range of published and archival sources, the materials of the First General Census of the Russian Empire of 1897, field ethnographic data, and offi cial statistics. The study does not aim to consider the interior decoration and building materials used, limiting the analysis to the architectural styles of the mosques. The chronological scope of the study covers the period from the late 18 th century (the time of the appearance of the first stone mosques) to 2025. Three main periods are identifi ed: the prerevolutionary (late 18 th — early 20 th century), the Soviet (1920–1990), marked by a disruption of tradition, and the post- Soviet (from the 1990s to the present). Within the post- Soviet period, two stages are distinguished: the dominance of the Turkish Ottoman style (1990 s -2010 s ) and the modern synthesis with elements of national tower architecture (2010 s -2025). It is demonstrated that early mosques developed within the framework of vernacular mountain architecture, characterized by flat-roofed rectangular buildings, columnar minarets of undressed stone, and ascetic decor. During the post- Soviet period, the Turkish Ottoman style (domes, round minarets, rich interior decoration) became dominant due to the disruption of tradition and external financial support. Since the 2010s, a new tendency has been developing: the synthesis of Islamic religious architecture with elements of Ingush tower architecture (minaret towers, pyramid- shaped roofs, and allusions to the ancient Myat- Seli Temple). The article concludes that a distinct regional architectural style is taking shape, which can contribute to the global history of Islamic architecture.
The article off ers a reconstruction of the theological understanding of the concept of ādab (etiquette, good conduct) in the heritage of the Shādhilī Sheikh Ibn ‘Aṭā’ Allāh al- Iskandarī (c. 658 AH / 1260 CE — 709 AH / 1309 CE) as an ethical ontology — a special doctrine of being whereby ādab is not a set of external requirements, but the way of actualization and realization of ‘ubūdiyya (the being of man as a servant of God). Based on the textual analysis of al- Iskandarī’s works, Tāj al-‘Arūs al-ḥāwī litahdhīb al-nufūs (“The Bride-Groom’s Crown Containing Instructions on the Self”), Miftāḥ al-falāḥ (“The Key to Salvation”), ‘Unwān al-tawfīq fī ādāb al-ṭarīq (“The Sign of Success in the Etiquette of the Spiritual Path”), Laṭā’if al-minan (“The Subtle Blessings”), and al-Tanwīr fī Isqāṭ al- Tadbīr (“The Book of Illumination on the Abandonment of Self- Direction”), the paper shows that the multi-level teaching on ādab, which comprises the distinction between its “external” (zāhir) and “internal” (bātin) dimensions, the binding of spiritual discipline to the bodily organs and the heart, and the metaphysical defi nition of ādab as the “soul” in relation to the “body” of human existence, originates in the heritage of al- Iskandarī. In contrast, the three-part model (ādab al-sharī‘a / ādab al-khidma / ādab al-ḥaqīqa) represents a later terminological treatment and systematization of al-Iskandarī’s ideas in the commentary tradition of Zarrūq A. (d. 899 AH / 1493 CE) and Ibn ‘Ajība (d. 1224 AH / 1809 CE). The article situates the concept of ādab within the context of its Ṣūfī genealogy, including the reconstructed fourfold structure of ādab in Ibn ‘Arabī (d. 638 AH / 1240 CE). It is argued that the specifi city of the Shādhilī ontologization of ethics lies not in the recognition of the divine origin of the norms of ādab, which is characteristic of Islamic theistic ethics in general, but in the particular understanding of the relationship between ādab and ‘ubūdiyya. As an ontological given, “servitude to God” precedes every human action; however, as a conscious and spiritually realized state, it is revealed and actualized through the practice of ādab.
The digital transformation of higher education raises the question of combining traditional methods of Islamic pedagogy (the “ustādh–shākird–environment” system) with e-learning tools. The article presents the results of a theoretical analysis and a synthesis of practical experience regarding the integration of electronic educational resources into the professional training of theologians in Islamic higher education institutions in Russia. The study employs methods of theoretical analysis (content analysis of scientific literature and a comparative approach) and empirical generalization (analysis of practical application). The article systematizes key approaches to the defi nition of e-learning, identifi es the main advantages and pedagogical risks of using electronic educational resources in the context of theological education, and summarizes practical models for the use of learning management systems in Islamic higher education institutions. It substantiates the key role of organizational and pedagogical support as a condition for the harmonious synthesis of traditions and digital technologies and outlines prospective directions for development, considering the capabilities of artificial intelligence and virtual reality. The study identifies and describes four models of integrating electronic educational resources (ranging from fragmentary use to a comprehensive educational ecosystem) and clarifies the content of the concepts of e-learning and organizational and pedagogical support for students as applied to the digital environment of Islamic education. The recommendations and development prospects presented in the article can be applied in the design and modernization of the electronic information and educational environment in Islamic educational institutions in Russia.
The article is devoted to one of the most important achievements of European Oriental Studies in the 17th century — the first published complete translation of the Qur’ān into the living spoken language, made directly from the original Arabic text. It refers to the Alkoran of Mohammed by the French scholar and statesman André du Ryer (c. 1580–1660), published in Paris in 1647. The work by A. du Ryer had a great influence on the reception of Islam in Europe and Russia, as well as on the establishment of translation traditions of the Qur’ān not only into French, but also into English, Dutch, German, and Russian. In particular, A. du Ryer’s translation of the Qur’ān is the basis for the first three translations of the Qur’ān into Russian, made in the 18th century. The article examines the scientist’s biography, the history of his work, key features of the translation, as well as the history of editions and translations into European languages. The study relies on the analysis of the translated text, archival materials, and extensive foreign historiography. A. du Ryer’s work represents a transition from the medieval polemical tradition to the secular scientific approach in European Qur’ānic studies. The purpose of this article is to lay the foundation for studying this work in the context of Russian- language science.
The subject of this study is a unique Arabic- script manuscript of a translation of the Qur’ān created in Minsk by Imam Uryash ibn Ismā‘īl Shlemovich in 1686. The aim of the work is to introduce complete data about this artifact into scientific circulation, prove its authorship and protographic nature, and determine its place in the history of Islamic thought in Europe. A comprehensive approach was applied in the study, including codicological, paleographic, and comparative textual analysis of the Arabic, Ottoman, and Old Belarusian texts. The results are as follows: first, the author, Mullah Uryash Shlemovich, was identified based on archival sources (the Magistrate books of Minsk, 1679); second, a Turkic protograph from the 1580s was discovered, which explains the manuscript’s bilingualism; third, the translation’s affiliation with the Māturīdī school of kalām was established through textual comparison with Tabṣirat al- Adillah by al- Nasafī); and finally, a scribal error (homoioteleuton) was detected, marking subsequent manuscripts as copies of this manuscript. The scientific novelty of the research lies in qualifying the Minsk translation for the first time as an independent tafsīr that integrates classical Islamic exegesis into a European linguistic context. This finding confirms the existence of an autochthonous Muslim tradition of Qur’ān translation into a European language beyond polemics. The significance of the study consists in introducing a source that revises preconceived notions about the boundaries of Islamic scholasticism and makes it possible to determine the place of the Polish- Lithuanian Commonwealth in the history of Qur’ānic hermeneutics.
The article is devoted to the historical analysis of the early stage of the formation of the Ḥanafī School of ‘aqīda on the territory of Russia (10th–15th centuries). Based on the analysis of fragmentary sources, the works of Muslim historians (Sh. Marjani, Kh. Faizkhanov, M. Ramzi and R. Fakhreddin), and modern studies, the authors reconstruct the key stages of the Ḥanafī tradition’s development in the Khazar Khaganate, Volga Bulgaria, and the Golden Horde. The article identifies the main periods in the formation of the doctrinal school and determines the possible intellectual centers of influence and the regions of its development (Khorezm, Maverannahr, Bukhara, Saray, and Crimea). It analyzes the personalities of Bulgar and Golden Horde theologians. Special attention is given to the process of institutionalization of the Ḥanafī-Māturīdī tradition during the Golden Horde era. In conclusion, the authors outline the prospects for further research related to the introduction of new sources and the study of the Khorezmian theological heritage.
The article is devoted to the activities of Muslim religious organizations in the Republic of Tatarstan amid the special military operation (SMO) from 2022 to early 2026. It continues a series of studies dedicated to the Muslim community of Tatarstan, covering the period from the 2000s to the early 2020s. Based on the analysis of official websites, media materials, and unstructured interviews, the author examines the role of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Republic of Tatarstan in supporting SMO participants, including the delivery of humanitarian assistance, the construction of mobile and makeshift mosques located in military dugouts, the revival of the institution of regimental imams, and the publication of specialized religious literature. Particular attention is paid to the representation of these activities to the authorities of the Republic of Tatarstan and the region’s Muslim community. The author concludes that the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Republic of Tatarstan has managed to combine religious initiatives with the nationwide support for the army.
The study examines the first women’s column Khanymnar kyyseme (“Women’s Column”) in the newspaper Kazan Mukhbire (“Kazan Herald”) as a unique phenomenon in the formation of women’s political and educational discourse during the profound transformation in the Russian Empire at the beginning of the 20th century. The column existed during a period of unprecedented socio- political instability, including the aftermath of the Russo- Japanese War (1904–1905) and the revolutionary upheavals of 1905–1907. The study aims to present the social position of a Tatar Muslim woman and her role in society at the beginning of 20th century, as well as to conceptualize the socio- political problems faced by Tatar women, and the Muslim community in Russia as a whole. The novelty of the article lies in the fact that the author, based on an analysis of Tatar periodicals of the early 20th century, for the first time comprehensively examines the activities of the Kazan Muslim women’s movement in advancing women’s rights (including political rights) and their participation in public life. No prior studies of this kind have been conducted.
The arrangements of the Russian Army Colonel Ravil Syrtlanov (1877–1916), who heroically died in June 1916 during the First World War (1914–1918), and the coverage of this event in the Tatar periodicals represent an atypical but illustrative example of effective state- Islamic interaction in shaping public opinion among Muslims in the Russian Empire and in promoting state propaganda within their community. The article, based on the analysis of materials from the Moscow newspaper Suz, the Kazan newspaper Koyash, the Orenburg newspaper Vakyt, and the Ufa newspaper Tormysh for the period of June–August 1916, reconstructs the chronology of the funeral ceremony, and examines the symbolic interaction between the military department and the Muslim community. The author concludes that this case stands in stark contrast to the mutual distrust between the imperial authorities and the Muslim community, which is characteristic of the period under review, and refers to the model of dialogue between the government and Muslims, dating back to the ideas of the founder of Jadidism, Ismail Gasprinsky (1851–1914). In conclusion, it is noted that the case in question remains relevant for modern state- Islamic interaction, particularly in the context of forming a Russian civic identity and working with public opinion.
The article is devoted to studying of the activities of the muftiates of the Republic of Bashkortostan amid the special military operation from 2022 to 2026. Based on the analysis of media platforms (websites, social media, media mentions), the article presents a chronology of events and the main forms of interaction between Islamic organizations, society and the state. The study focuses on how religious leaders convey the current agenda on behalf of the Muslim community while reacting to changing social and political conditions. The muftiates are viewed as institutional structures that use media platforms to present their work and influence public opinion, especially during crises. The article emphasizes the importance of media strategies and the role of the clergy in mobilizing the population and supporting state policy. The conceptual framework of the study includes approaches to examining the relationship between religion and the state, religion and politics, interreligious dialogue, and the mediatization of religion. The results of the research reveal the areas of activity of the muftiates in socio- political life: humanitarian assistance to participants of the special military operation, fundraising, participation in political, scientific and practical events, public support for state decisions, and spiritual and psychological assistance to soldiers and their families.
This article examines the methodological shift in the work of the European Council for Fatwa and Research (ECFR), a body for collective ijtihād for Muslims in Europe. Drawing on a corpus of resolutions and policy documents from the early period (1997–2010), as well as the set of resolutions from the Council’s 34th Ordinary Session (Istanbul, 2023), the article describes the transition from the predominantly reactive paradigm of “Fiqh of Muslim Minorities” (fiqh al-aqalliyyāt), focused on the adaptation through relaxations in Sharia (rukhaṣ), the principle of necessity (ḍarūra), and the regulated facilitation (taysīr), to the integrative concept of “Fiqh of Presence” (fiqh al-ḥuḍūr), aimed at naturalization and civil integration and constructive participation while preserving religious identity. The methodology of the study includes textual analysis of the ECFR’s regulations, content analysis of the key terminology, and a comparison of the set of resolutions 1/34–7/34 and recommendations with the documents of early period. It shows that elements of the “Fiqh of Citizenship” (fiqh al-muwāṭana) are already formed in early materials through the concept of social contract, public good (maṣlaḥa), and civic participation. The analysis of the regulations of the 34th Session reveals a systematic methodological framework, namely, the focus of ijtihād on the objectives of Sharia and taking into account the consequences (ma’ālāt), a limited application of the principle of facilitation, rejection of fanatical commitment to any single madhhab and the institutionalization of fatwā revision (murāja‘at). It also includes the development of predictive fiqh (fiqh al-istishrāf), as well as the legitimation of selective ijtihād and an ordered selection of opinions within the tradition. The article concludes that the “Fiqh of Presence” of the ECFR constitutes a coherent regulatory and methodological model for Muslims’ sustainable and law-abiding presence as part of European society within the modern European legal order.
The life of the Muslim community revolves around the mosque. Due to the antiquity of Moscow’s Muslim community, the study the history of the Russian capital’s old mosques is essential. Based on the archival documents, the article examines the mosques of Moscow that existed prior to the construction of the stone Historical Mosque in Zamoskvorechye district, including the wooden mosques of the Tatar Sloboda: Ozerkovskaya, Staro-Tolmachevskaya and Ovchinnikovskaya. The study introduces from the mid-18th to the early 19th centuries pertaining to these mosques including a report from 1748 by priest F. Vasilyev about the mosque on A. I. Tevkelev’s land.
