The Development of Islamic Religious Education in Russia over Centuries

Abstract

Based on primary and secondary sources, this paper explores the historical and contemporary Islamic educational developments in the extensive territory that is now the Russian Federation, highlighting the critical shifts in the avenues and practices associated with Muslim religious instruction. The initial parts of the paper focus on the advancement of Islamic education since the tenth century onward when Islam became the official religion in the Volga-Urals region. It subsequently delineates the challenges encountered in providing Islamic education throughout the Russian colonial era, encompassing the phases in which Islamic reform movements surfaced among the Muslim subjects of the empire. The subsequent part of the paper focuses on the current state of Islamic religious education in modern Russia and finds it as a well-structured and state-funded formal instruction system that provides education and certification to imams for mosques, as well as offers training programs for professional Muslim officials and experts in the field of Islam.