SPIRITUAL ADMINISTRATION OF MUSLIMS OF THE REPUBLIC OF BASHKORTOSTAN

SPIRITUAL ADMINISTRATION OF MUSLIMS OF THE REPUBLIC OF BASHKORTOSTAN, religious organization that unites some of the RB Muslim parishes (mahalla) and coordinates their activities. Located in Ufa (in 1917—23 it was located in Sterlitamak). Main fields of activity include religious organizations, and groups administrative and canonical guidance, combined with constitutional rights implementation in the field of the Islam; the Muslims’ spiritual life and religious education guidance and clergy training; administration of religious ceremonies and forums; assisting believers in performing Muslim rites; construction and maintenance of religious buildings and structures; production and distribution of religious literature, etc; charity; establishing religious schools and creation of educational courses, etc. The RB Muslim Clergy Congress is the supreme body of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the RB, which convenes 1 time every 5 years. It is a part of the Higher Coordination Centre of the Central Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Russia. Created in December 1917, at the 3rd All-Bashkir Kurultay (Congress) in Orenburg as the Central Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Bashkurdistan (Bashkir Muf tiyat) for purposes of the Bashkir Muslim clergy’s independence from the Central Muslim Spiritual Board of Inner Russia and Siberia, which did not recognize it (ref. Central Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Russia). At the beginning of 1920s, the All Bashkir Muslim Congresses approved the Bashkir DUM (Spiritual Administration of Muslims) Regulations, the Charter, etc. Since 1924, it’s official name has been the Central Muslim Spiritual Board of the BASSR. Being closed in 1936, it was re established in 1992 as the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the RB. Simultaneously, the Charter (note that since 1999 it has a new one) and other founding documents were adopted. In 1994, the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the RB controlled 17 mukhtasibats (which, in their turn, coordinated the activity of over 200 Muslim parishes) and 6 madrassas. In 2011, it controlled 36 mukhtasibats (583 parishes) and 3 madrassas. In 2018, it controlled 47 mukhtasibats (over 600 parishes), the Maryam Sultanova Madrassa (Islamic College) and Galiya Madrassa in Ufa, and the Nur al Iman Madrassa in Sterlitamak. The Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the RB is the publisher of The Risalyat newspaper.