The present article is devoted to the issue of determining the disciplinary boundaries of Islamic theology in the context of the ‘Western’ views on nature and place of theological thought in the framework of intellectual subjects. The author emphasizes the historical dependency of the terms used in academic study of religion (religious studies) on the religious teaching of religion, as it has formed in Christian tradition. It is shown that the further progress of critical optics of social sciences and humanities is tied with decolonization of the scholar’s thinking. The urgent need for dialogue between different intellectual traditions is substantiated, for it is necessary to create a conceptual framework that is to be adequate to heterogeneous nature of the historical forms of religion. It is being proven in the article presented that there is only one alternative to the scholar’s consideration of the inner connections and the structure of discursive tradition of Islam itself: a covert ‘missionary contention’ conducted by the scholar against those belonging to the other tradition. It is stressed that any genuine (as opposed to formal) solution to the problem of unequivocal classification of Islamic theology in Western academic system may only be conditional. In conclusion the author turns to the essential affinity in the nature of authority of Islamic theologian, on the one hand, and that of Western scientist or philosopher, on the other.

The Tatar thinker Sh. Marjani’s basic ideas on the origin of the world were outlined in his several works: “Haqq al-Bayan … (True Explanation …)”; “Kitab al-Hikma al-baliga …” (The Book of Mature Philosophy…), “Kitab al-Azb al-Furat wa-l-ma al-zulal …» (The Book About Fresh, Refreshing, Spring Water…) and “Risala bi al-tariq al-musli …” (A Treatise Worthy of Imitation…). Basically following the beliefs of falasifa on the eternal creation of the world, criticizing some ideas of the mutakallims concerning relationship between God and His attributes, Marjani has developed his own theory of the world origin. He affirmed that only God, who is true eternal as well as simultaneously transcendent and immanent to the finite world, creates it eternally, as the falasifa had understood it earlier.

The paper deals with the interpretation of the Qur’anic ayats (53: 3–4), which represent the key point of controversies between Qur’an-focused and hadith-focused theologians. Hadithocentric theologians constantly use these Qur’anic, in order to justify Sunna as the second source of Muslim law and doctrine. The goal of paper is, first, to examine theological interpretations, presented in the main corpse of Sunnite tafsirs; second, to reconstruct true Sunnite understanding of these verses in the context of the classical Sunnite tradition. The opinions of early Islamic interpreters and Hanafite authors are considered in separate way.

This article deals with the views of the American scholar of Palestinian origin Ismail Raji Al-Faruqi (1921–1986), specialist on the interfaith dialogue. Al-Faruqi’s contribution to the development of interfaith communication could be considered both as his academic activity as well as the result of his personal convictions. In this regard the special attention is paid to Al-Faruqi’s analysis of the concept of “natural religion” (din alfitrah) and his looking for universal principles permitting to begin a conversation. The author comes to the conclusion that (1) the idea of al-Faruqi’s Islamic humanism depends from his positive interpretation of human nature (fitrah), and that (2) al-Faruqi consider ethics as the basis for the formation of a common platform for interfaith communication.

The article investigates cultural memory of a very long islamization happened in the Caucasus from the 7th through the beginning of the 19th centuries as it was reflected in the cult of Muslim saints, namely in the case of sheikh Abu Muslim who is believed to have converted Caucasus highlanders into Islam in the early Islamic period. His name appears in countless chronicles and memorials. The sheikh, his relatives and companions are credited with dozens of shrines. The study is based on the texts of Arabiclanguage chronicles and commemorative notes (tawarikh), compared with the data of epigraphy and field materials of the author he collected mainly inDagestan. After the works of Russian classics in Islamic studies from Kazembek to Bartold and M.-S. Saidov nobody confuses this hero of Caucasus Islamization with the famous religious leader from Khurasan who helped the ‘Abbasids to seize power in the Caliphate in the middle of the eighth century and was never to theCaucasus. However, as the author argues, one should not deny his existence and therefore reject his cult as an odd historical mistake. A comparative analysis of the chronicles, memorials, and oral traditions devoted to his deeds suggests that different Islamic missionaries of foreign and local origin fused in the figure of Abu Muslim. A study of his cult in terms of cultural memory allows answering a number of important research questions concerning main stages and actors of Islamization in the Caucasusho operated in the region under study from the Middle Ages through the modern times, its social and cultural background as well as changing directions and networks.

The purpose of this article is to show the dynamics of Islam using the history of Islam in the North-East Caucasusas an example. The Islamic tradition has never remained static; it has historically changed in accordance with the requirements of the time and rational expediency. Using the example of the history of Islam in the Caucasus and especially in Dagestan, we can trace the logic of the complex interaction of various factors of history, primarily political, ethnic and religious, which have most influenced the multiple social transformations in this region. The question of the cultural complexity of socio-political and ethno-confessional processes in heterogeneous societies that have experienced numerous influences at various stages of Islamization, starting from the period of early Islam, is connected with the question of the political expediency of disseminating certain ideological and worldview interpretations of the Muslim religion.

Based on documents that have been declassified in recent years in the central archives of the Russian Federation, the article analyzes the policy of the Soviet state during the Great Patriotic War regarding its citizens who professed Islam. Based on declassified documents, the contribution of the Muslims of the USSRto the defeat of Nazi Germany and its allies is shown. The author argued his own view on the reasons for the change in the policy of the Soviet state during the war years in relation to Muslims of the USSR, which could be considered from the point of view of circumstances of an internal and external nature. The knowledge of the historical truth is an effective tool to struggle against falsifications aiming to separate ideologically the peoples of the post-Soviet states.

The article deals with events related to the situation and activities of the Muslim Tatars of Russia after the February 1917 revolution. The revolution divided the Muslim Tatars of Russia of all strata and views into the opposing groups and movements that actively pursued their policies. Socio-political organizations and institutions were created, some of which supported the Provisional Government, while the others supported the Bolshevik Party. Initially, the Muslim clergy, headed by Mufti of Orenburg Spiritual assembly Muhammad-Safa Bayazitov, did not support the February revolution, that is why the assembly was dissolved by leaders of the Tatar bourgeoisie and nobility of Ufa. In May 1917, the First all-Russian Muslim Congress took place in Moscow, at which a number of important decisions were made, including the recognizing of equality of women and the land commodification. In contrast to the Kazan Muslim Committee supporting the Provisional Government, the Kazan Bolshevik Party in early April 1917 organized the Muslim Socialist Committee, headed by the revolutionary Bolshevik Mullanur Vakhitov, led his work among the working Muslims of the Tatars. The Kazan Muslim Committee relied on the intellectuals, the wealthy peasants, the clergy, the Tatar-Muslim bourgeoisie, and the Muslim Socialist Committee did more stakes on the Tatar workers. The October Revolution led to the victory of the Bolsheviks, who were supported by Muslim left socialists.

The article is devoted to the situation concerning Islam and Muslims in St. Petersburgin the 2000s. The paper analyzes the number of Muslims have been living then in the city. The author attempted to reconstruct demographical dynamics concerning people/nationalities traditionally professing Islam for the intercensal period 2002–2010.The characteristic of Muslim religious organizations existing in St. Petersburgis also given and explained. Considerable attention was paid to the functioning of two centralized religious organizations existing in the region. The article contains description of the main objects of Muslim religious infrastructure in St. Petersburg

The article is devoted to the analysis of non-violent elements in the anti-terrorist approach of Saudi Arabiaat the present stage. The article consists of three thematic parts. First of all, the authors considered several main factors, leading to the radicalization of the partisans of political Islam. Second, they pointed out some preventive measures that could prevent the dissemination of radical ideas among the Muslim population. The final stage was the consideration of the direct deradicalization program used by Saudi Arabiaagainst those accused of religious terrorism and extremism. The analysis, which had been made, showed that the program of deradicalization used in Saudi Arabiahad demonstrated quite impressive results. Apparently, Saudi Arabia is seriously trying to play a leading role in the middle East, strengthening its position not only through military operations against Islamist radicalism, but also paying great attention to the reasons for the growth of radical convictions among the Islamist groups in the region.