Mūsā Jārullāh Bigiev (1875-1949): Political Thought of a Tatar Muslim Scholar

Elmira Akhmetova

doi:10.31436/id.v16i1.30

Authors

Elmira Akhmetova

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31436/id.v16i1.30

Abstract

Abstract: The “forgotten” Muslim Tatar scholar, Mūsā Jārullāh, struggled to make Islam relevant to contemporary times. An analysis of his writings and his activities found in various archives show that he was interested in the unity of Russian Muslims during the times of colonialism, nationalism and communism. Jārullāh condemned the divisive influence of nationalistic currents, such as “Turkism” or “Soviet nationalism,” on the identity and unity of Muslims but applauded the innate type of nationalism that motivates people for further progress and serves the ideal of Islam. As against the partitioning of Russian Muslims into petty nationalities by the Soviet regime, Jārullāh believed in maintaining the spiritual unity of all Russian Muslims and their affiliation with the world-wide ummah.