This publication presents the first part of the commented translation into Russian of the Introduction (muqaddima) to the tafasir “Jami‘ al-bayan ‘an ta’wil al- Qur’an” [The Comprehensive Exposition of the interpretation of the Qur’an] by Muhammad ibn Jarir at- Tabari (839–923). This multi- volume work is one of the first complete written commentaries on the Qur’an. For many centuries it has had unquestionable authority among Muslim theologians and religious scholars in Islamic studies. In the Introduction to the tafsir for the first time in history of Muslim science, is detailed the theory and methodology of Qur’anic exegesis. This exposition became the basis for all subsequent Sunni interpretations of the Muslim Holy Scripture. The presented part contains translation of the preface, which describes the importance, goals and objectives of tafsir, as well as of the first two chapters devoted to the Arabic language as the language of the Qur’an and to the words “that coincide in the speech of the Arabs and the languages of other peoples”.

This paper is devoted to the analytic consideration of Russian Qur’an translations, which were made in the 1980–90s, — this period was probably one of the most fruitful for Qur’anic Studies in general. There are some influential Russian Qur’an translation projects (that of V. Porokhova, F. Karaogli, T. Shumovskiy, M. Osmanov, Lahore Ahmadiyya Community, A. al- Mansi & S. Afifi). The paper deals with history of their emergence, their important traits and further opportunities to improve the translation of Qur’an meanings and contexts into Russian in future.

Jamal ad- Din al- Afghani is aprominent representative of Islamic modernism and especially of anti-imperialist activism. His views became widely known after his death, and many Islamist organizations rely on the ideas he proposed. However, over time, the views of the Islamic reformer have become a kind of axiom, beyond criticism. However, as will be shown in this article, not all of his statements are firmly grounded and have a solid foundation. In this paper the author considers the material of the treatise “The Answer to the Materialists” containing Jamal ad- Din al- Afghani’s criticism of ‘materialism’ in general and the Isma‘ilism in particular. Relying on the ontological system, al- Afghani reproached the Isma‘ilis for godlessness. Turning to the original works of Isma‘ili philosophers, one could understand, what is actually inherent in Isma‘ili philosophy and to what extent the criticism of al- Afghani is justified.

This research is devoted to the problem of application of secular laws in religious legal field on the example of dissolution of a religious marriage in civil court. In Russia the issues of regulation of family relations of Muslims are within the competence of religious organizations. However, if family life does not work out, then obtaining an official divorce, which would be legal, is possible only in a civil court. Going to civil court is often the only way for a married woman to obtain a divorce when traditional ways have been futile. This research is the first work in the Russian-speaking space on this problem and offers an option for solving family problems.

The Khorezm encyclopedist Abū Reyhān Muhammad bin Ahmad al- Bīrūnī (973–1048) is one of the most famous thinkers and scholars in the Muslim world. But only few people still know on his Arabic translation from Sanskrit of the second part of which is published below — “Kitāb Bātanjali al- Hindī” (“The Book of the Hindu Patanjali”). Before us is an Arabic exposition or transcription of “Yoga- Sūtras” of Patañjali, along with an explanatory commentary. The text is dated to the first quarter of the XI century, starting, obviously, from the chronology of the Indian campaign of Mahmud of Ghazni, with whose army the author came to India. The Arabic text of Bīrūnī is so reader- oriented that it is practically devoid of any “Indian” or scientific specifics, which, by the way, is often an insurmountable obstacle in translations to the perception of the source text and its spiritual impact on the reader. In the few studies of this text, one can find the statement that “Kitāb Bātanjali” by al- Bīrūnī is an Arabic translation of the Sanskrit text of Patañjali, which is absolutely not true. The only thing that can be noted is the formal structural correspondence of al- Bīrūnī’s paraphrase to Patañjali text: the text contains a division into four parts, but at the same time includes an extensive prologue, which is not in original Patañjali’s text. Al- Bīrūnī uses adialogical format, while Patañjali text is aset of sūtras, aphoristic sayings that are convenient for memorizing by heart, but require a detailed commentary for their understanding.

An analysis of the works of foreign authors on the problem of state- Muslim relations in the Soviet state shows the possibility of their classification on various grounds. The article gives several options for the author’s classification of works of foreign researchers studied state- Muslim relations in the Soviet Union not only during the existence of this state, but also after its collapse. One of the motives that guided the author during the preparation of the article is the belief in the importance and urgent need to draw the necessary lesson for the Russian Federation — its authorities and the scientific community. The need to formulate such a lesson is due to the fact that in the works of a significant number of foreign scholars who analyze state- Muslim relations in the Soviet state, there is a number of negative trends: the substitution of concepts, the lack of a verified source base, conclusions one-sidedly characterizing the religious policy of the Soviet state in general and state- Islamic relations in particular. At the same time, despite the collapse of the USSR, authors from various foreign countries continue to be interested in the history of its state- Muslim relations. The most striking content of these works, published in recent years by foreign authors, is analyzed in the article, along with works published back in the years of the existence of the USSR.

The article deals with an episode from the life of Moscow Tatars in 1841–1842, associated with the theft from the house of influential Tatar merchant M. Abdulov. The main themes of research are Tatar Muslim (separate ethno- confessional) community in Moscow in general, and religious life in Zamoskvorechye district, role of imams, everyday life of mid-19^th century Muscovites, cases of Muslims christianising, in particular. For the first time in Russian Muslim Studies the author uses some unpublished documents of the Central State Archive of Moscow and the National Archive of the Republic of Bashkortostan.

The article analyzes the role and place of Islamic education in the multi- confessional Kazakh society. It is shown that Islam has been one of the essential factors in the development of Kazakh culture, education and science for many centuries. Taking into account the peculiarity of Kazakhstan as a state with a historically big Muslim population, the traditions of religious tolerance, as well as the penetration of various extremist organizations into the country, the government decided to train domestic specialists in Islamic studies within the country, to open Islamic universities and faculties. One of the flagships of Islamic education is the International Kazakh- Turkish University named after H. A. Yasawi, Nur- Mubarak International University, Al- Farabi Kazakh National University and others. Many major universities in the country open educational programs in Islamic studies and Islamic theology.

Astrakhan province (guberniya) within the Russian Empire was a region with a significant Muslim population. In the pre-revolutionary period, a third of the region’s population were Muslims who were part of the OMDS structure. The system of Muslim education in the region has passed a long way, and since the second half of the XIX century it began to play a huge role in the education of Muslim children. In the counties and in Astrakhan itself there were mektebes and madrasas operated, in which could study male as well as female children. Based on archival documents, the article presents an analysis of the state of development of the primary Muslim education system in the Astrakhan province before the Russian Revolution of 1917. The author considers problems of its formation and development, the history of the spread of Jadid education, its quantitative and qualitative characteristics.

The article is devoted to the main aspects of the activities of UNESCO and ICESCO— two international organizations dedicated to science, education and culture, which are involved in the implementation of projects on intercultural, interfaith, and, in general, intercivilisational dialogue. The paper studies the specific features of their activities and the common work on the implementation of the ideas of non-violence, cultural and historical diversity of the ways of development of different countries and nations. Emphasis is placed on the fact that in today’s controversial world, ‘fractures’ do not go along areligious line only, but also along awhole range of value orientations that today make up certain ideologies: ultra- liberal and moderate conservative, both at the global and local levels. The conclusion states: it is namely international educational platforms that today can become akind of laboratory for the search for moral, ethical and legal norms common to the whole mankind.