The article continues the study “A Brief Overview of the Historical Development of the Hanafi School of ‘Aqida from the 8^th Century to the Early 14^th Century”, published in the previous issue of the scientific journal (Islam in the modern world. 2025. Vol. 21. No. 2, pp. 23–45). This paper analyzes the development of the Hanafi School of ‘aqida from the 14^th century to the first half of the 20^th century. It examines subsequent periods of the doctrinal school’s development and defi nes the main directions of its theological thought. The study relies on the analysis of the key doctrinal texts from the period under consideration and contemporary historiography.

The paper provides a detailed examination of the concept of bid‘ah (“innovation”) in Islamic religious thought. It considers the term’s origin and its usage in theological-legal literature. An analysis of the diversity of interpretations of the concept of bid‘ah by various representatives of Muslim theological-legal thought is conducted, with particular attention to Russian Muslim theologians. The most important features and determining factors that influence the practical application of this concept in religious life have been identified. Alongside this, the relationship between the concepts of bid‘ah and al-masalih al-mursalah (“unrestricted benefits”) is examined in detail, including the boundaries of their intersection and the separate domains of application for each concept. This provides a better understanding of the nuances distinguishing these two concepts in the legal and ethical dimensions of Islam. In addition, this paper focuses on contemporary trends in the perception of bid‘ah among neo-modern Muslims living in the context of global cultural and civilizational integration. It discusses the problems of compatibility of the traditional understanding of Islamic law with the evolving social environment.

The article is devoted to the consideration and general description of the St. Petersburg printed editions of the Qur’an (Catherine’s Qur’ans) found in the library collections of the world. The present paper provides data for the future union catalogue of all known St. Petersburg editions of the Qur’an owing to the source study analysis of various library catalogues and the examination of the bibliographical description of each copy, its title, place and year of publication, physical attributes (format, binding), identification of the call number and the history of its storage. The study results present the historical distribution path of each copy, its geography (Russia, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, France, and Australia) and the chronology of its publication from 1787 to 1796). In conclusion, the author raises issues and considers the prerequisites for the creation of the union catalogue of St. Petersburg editions of the Qur’an, which will describe their storage locations and provide a complete or updated bibliographic description for each copy of the Catherine’s Qur’an found. The findings of the study open avenues for further research into the history of presence, the current state, and theological exploration of the St. Petersburg editions of the Qur’an in Western Europe and even in Australia.

This paper analyzes the thirty- ninth chapter of the encyclopedic work “Al-Itqān fī‘ulūm al-Qur’ān” (Perfection in the Qur’anic Sciences) by the last of the classical Muslim exegetes, Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti (1445–1505). The encyclopedic work summarizes the entire tradition of Sunni scholarship on the Qur’an, known as al-wujūh wa-n-nazā’ir. The study shows that, in defi ning these terms, the theologian generally follows Ibn Taymiyyah’s formulation, as interpreted by his disciple Ibn alQayyim, and distinguishes the categories of wujūh and nazā’ir. The former includes homonyms, while the latter comprises univocatives. At the same time, when providing examples of words, Suyuti does not classify them according to this criterion, but rather according to the number of meanings they possess. The fi rst section of the chapter presents examples of words with three or more meanings; the second, words that have a single exception from the general rule; and the third, unambiguous words of the Qur’an. The vast majority of meanings across all groups are contextual connotation and exegetical interpretation, while only a small number of meanings arise from linguistic polysemy. The examples of unambiguity presented in the work are supported by the strongest arguments across all three groups, and these arguments are based on traditions attributed to the Prophet Muhammad and to the “ancient fathers of the Ummah”.

The article presents several documents and printed publications related to the works and social activities of Musa Bigiev. These materials were found in the Directorate of State Archives of the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey and the Library of the Turkish Historical Society in 2019. In addition, one of the recently declassifi ed documents is included in the paper. The chronological framework of the described documents ranges from 1905 to 1926, covering the period of M. Bigiev’s life both in his homeland and in exile. This body of documentary information is introduced into scientific discourse for the fi rst time and provides insight not only into the little-known pages of M. Bigiev’s biography, but also into a relative of his, who has remained unknown until now, his fate and his active participation in the distribution of M. Bigiev’s books in Turkey. Of particular interest are examples of interdepartmental correspondence between the government authorities of the Ottoman Empire and Republican Turkey concerning various aspects of M. Bigiev’s public activities. The documents presented in the article provide a vivid picture of the reaction of the highest-level authorities to the appearance in Turkey of works by M. Bigiev, such as Tarikh al- Qur’an wa al-Masahif (1905) and Islam Milletlerine (1923). They reflect their increased attention to his publications in his homeland, providing an overview of the attitudes of high-ranking government officials towards M. Bigiev. The article reflects the peculiarities and nuances of the paperwork in Turkish government bodies and inter-agency document flow.

The article describes some aspects Tatar- Muslim community life in the Moscow region in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In the prePetrine era, several local Tatar groups formed in the Moscow region, but they all disappeared in the 17th century. Subsequently, such communities were noted in the cities and districts of the Moscow province after the 1860s, particularly in Podolsk. They became widespread from the 1890s, including in Bogorodsk / Noginsk, Zvenigorod, Shchelkovo, and Mytishchi). In the absence of mosques, Muslim cemetery became the fi rst infrastructure facilities. The article, based on newly discovered archival documents, considers the history of the Muslim cemetery in Mytishchi. The life of the TatarMuslim communities in the Moscow region in the first post-revolutionary decades is analyzed based on notes from the communist press of the 1920s.

The article explores the history of the oldest preserved stone mosque in the village of Krasny Ostrov, Nizhny Novgorod Region (which has been in operation since 1901), in terms of studying local centers for preserving Islamic identity in an ethnically diverse environment. Such objects represent unique “microcosms” that refl ect not only the evolution of architectural forms, but also the survival strategies of the religious community during imperial and later Soviet modernization. The research goes beyond a purely architectural analysis, encompassing issues of historical memory, the transformation of religious practices, and the interaction of the local community with state institutions over three centuries. The mosque’s history is inextricably linked with the socio- cultural history of the Tatar community in Krasny Ostrov and the entire Nizhny Novgorod Region. Archival evidence convincingly attests to its key role not only as a religious center, but also as the most important educational institution (with a madrasah present since the beginning of the 19th century), attracting the attention of provincial inspectors. The tragic pages of the 20th century, including repressions against the clergy (such as the execution of Imam Ahmed Nejmetdinov in 1937), the mosque’s closure in 1938 and its subsequent secularization (when it functioned as an orphanage, maternity hospital, and a medical aid post), vividly illustrate the dramatic impact of state policies on religious life and material heritage. The mosque’s return to the faithful in 1989 and its restoration in 2011 mark an important stage in religious revival and the recovery of historical memory. Throughout its history, even during the period of secularization, the mosque has remained a center of attraction for the residents of the village, performing not only religious functions, but also educational, charitable, and social roles during Soviet times. This continuity of public role underlines the deep-rootedness of the mosque institution in the life of the Tatar village. 

The article deals with the pivotal role of Russian Muslims as cultural intermediaries in the development of Russian- Egyptian intercultural relations from the 19th century to the early 20th century. Drawing on the travel notes (haj-nameh) of Russian pilgrims and Egyptian travelers’ writings, the author points out how these contacts shaped a positive image of Russia in Egypt and an objective representation of Muslim life in the Russian Empire. The paper makes an important contribution to the study of Russian- Egyptian relations by highlighting the relevance of “people’s diplomacy” and interfaith dialogue. The author concludes that the complex activities of Russian Muslims provided a solid foundation for mutual intelligibility and cooperation between the two countries, a historical experience that remains relevant in the current environment.

The article is devoted to the organizations existing in Tunisia that associate themselves with Islam. In this publication, the author explores the features of Islamic institutions’ activities, their impact on the country and its population. The article is structured in several parts. At the beginning, it defi nes the position of Islam in Tunisia, for which purpose the general information about the country’s population was collected, and the legal acts of the republic were analyzed. Following this, the existing state organizations and the purposes of their activities are outlined. Similar work was carried out regarding informal associations. The paper is a compilation of information about the existing organizations that relate their activities to Islam. After the Arab Spring, followers of political Islam attempted, to some extent, to implement Islamic religious values into public consciousness, at the state level, and even prioritize religious norms over civil law. Despite the efforts of supporters of political Islam, Tunisia remains a secular state today. Religious life is under state control, and all organizations interact, to a certain extent, with the republican bureaucracy, which is, among other things, responsible for achieving the ideals of Islam as prescribed in the Constitution of Tunisia. The paper states that, at present, religious institutions in Tunisia are undergoing active development. Other researchers can use this work as a codifi ed source of information about the peculiarities of the Tunisian legal framework and about the main institutions associated with Islam in the Arab republic.