Events in honour of Kunta-haji Kishiev's birthday in Grozny, July 11, 2019. Photo: Lom-Ali Lorsanov / Grozny news agency

13 July 2019, 09:56

Orientalists tell about Kunta-haji's role in preserving Islam in the Caucasus

The mass events in honour of Kunta-haji Kishiev's birthday were organized in Chechnya through the use of administrative resources, residents of the republic report. The ideas of Kunta-haji had helped residents of the Caucasus not to abandon their faith during the years of repressions and atheistic propaganda, Islamic scholars have pointed out.

Sheikh Kunta-haji Kishiev is one of the most revered saints in Chechnya. Ramzan Kadyrov and most of the officials and religious leaders of Chechnya are the followers of Kunta-haji.

Kunta-haji Kishiev is an Islamic mystic and preacher of the Caucasian War times. He is called "Chechen Gandhi", as he advocated the non-resistance to evil by violence.

On July 11, on the occasion of the 207th Kunta-haji's birthday, the mosques of Chechnya organized readings of the Koran, the republic's Muftiate has informed. Large-scale religious events took place in Shali, where many Kunta-haji's followers, who perished in clashes with the tsarist troops in 1864, are buried.

"All communities were to send as many people as possible to such events. Participation therein was mandatory," said Khasan, a local theologian.

Efim Rezvan, an Islamic scholar, believes that the personality of Kunta-haji and his teachings helped Islam to survive in the Caucasus, both in the tsarist and Soviet times.

Makka Albogachieva, an ethnographer, has noted that Kunta-haji's followers had always occupied an active civil position. According to her story, the teachings of Kunta-haji contributed to the unification of different people, and not only on the tribal (clannish), but also on the spiritual basis.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on July 12, 2019 at 11:14 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Source: CK correspondents

All news
НАСТОЯЩИЙ МАТЕРИАЛ (ИНФОРМАЦИЯ) ПРОИЗВЕДЕН И РАСПРОСТРАНЕН ИНОСТРАННЫМ АГЕНТОМ ООО “МЕМО”, ЛИБО КАСАЕТСЯ ДЕЯТЕЛЬНОСТИ ИНОСТРАННОГО АГЕНТА ООО “МЕМО”.

November 13, 2024 23:56

November 13, 2024 23:16

  • Kabardino-Balkarian resident fined for discrediting Russian Army

    The Prokhladnensky District Court has found the allegations that local resident Viktor Marchuk had spoken in a negative way about the special military operation (SMO) in Ukraine proven. The man has been fined 30,000 roubles under the article on discrediting the Russian Armed Forces.

November 13, 2024 22:25

  • Court in Georgievsk holds hearing on Makhachkala riots

    A court hearing was held in Georgievsk on the case of five residents of Dagestan, whom investigators treat as participants in the riots that broke out at the Makhachkala Airport. At the request of the advocate of one of the defendants, the judge removed a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent from the courtroom.

November 13, 2024 20:22

November 12, 2024 23:37

News archive