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Official Review by E.A. Rezvan
Official Review
of the dissertation titled “Mawlid Bayram among Muslims of the Middle Volga Region” by M.I. Shamshutdinova, submitted for the degree of Candidate of Philosophical Sciences in the specialty 09.00.13 — Religious Studies, Philosophical Anthropology, Philosophy of Culture.
At the turn of the millennium, a profoundly polarized humanity faces the challenge of defining the contours of the future world. Global culture today is significantly shaped by traditions of intercultural dialogue and spiritual-religious interactions. Consequently, interest in cultural and religious traditions has markedly increased, as these traditions, amidst globalization, can serve as a mobilizing force to foster new forms of cooperation in the dialogue of civilizations.
In Russia, over its thousand-year history, a system of cultural and religious values and norms of life has emerged, which influences and will continue to impact the functioning of the Russian state. In this context, studying the role and significance of confessional communities in the spiritual life of Russia’s peoples, examining the state of religiosity and its manifestations, and exploring prospects for their peaceful coexistence have become particularly relevant.
Islam, as one of Russia’s traditional confessional communities, plays an increasingly prominent role in the country’s socio-political life. As a factor in shaping public consciousness and behavioral patterns, Islam significantly influences political developments, including conflicts occurring within the country. However, it must be noted that Islam in the Middle Volga region has contributed to the formation of principles of peaceful coexistence among representatives of different confessions and has not hindered the integration of universal democratic values into Tatar society. This underscores the universality of Islam as an ethno-confessional factor, which manifests differently in various contexts. When studying the diverse expressions of the Islamic factor, particularly its role in public consciousness, it is essential to recognize that Islam in Russia is not a monolithic socio-cultural entity. Islamic traditions vary across regions, exhibiting numerous differences and nuances. Thus, alongside identifying general trends in the functioning of Islam in Russia, studies analyzing religious traditions in specific, especially multi-confessional, regions are of great importance. The Middle Volga region, where peoples have lived in neighborly harmony for centuries, is one such region.
In this regard, the relevance of M.I. Shamshutdinova’s study, “Mawlid Bayram among Muslims of the Middle Volga Region,” dedicated to analyzing the religious and spiritual practices of Muslims in this region, is evident. The topic explored by the dissertation represents a complex scientific problem, focusing on the philosophical and theoretical examination of Muslim religious holidays in the Middle Volga region, specifically Mawlid Bayram. The study’s relevance is further underscored by the under-explored nature of the topic and the need to identify the national distinctiveness of religious holidays.
M.I. Shamshutdinova’s research is undoubtedly a serious and comprehensive scholarly work, distinguished by its depth of analysis and broad coverage of significant issues in Islamic studies. The subject of the dissertation is a socio-philosophical analysis of the role of religious holidays in the spiritual life of Muslims in the Middle Volga region, with a particular focus on the place of Mawlid Bayram, one of the most widespread religious holidays.
Religion, as a form of public consciousness, manifests externally through specific religious elements, including religious consciousness, activities, relationships, and institutions. One form of religious activity, closely intertwined with other religious elements, is the religious cult. Directed toward the spiritual engagement of believers with the world, the cult objectifies religious imagery. The author highlights that rituals and holidays, as key components, address both religious and aesthetic needs. These are accompanied by specific symbolic actions—religious rituals—that facilitate bilateral relations between the individual and the religious object.
The scientific novelty of M.I. Shamshutdinova’s dissertation lies in its comprehensive historical and religious analysis of the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday celebration among Tatar Muslims in the Middle Volga region. The study identifies regional peculiarities of this holiday, shaped by spiritual-ideological, political, and socio-economic processes occurring both in Russia and within Tatar society. It also delineates the place of Mawlid Bayram in the spiritual life of the Tatar people. For the first time, the dissertation provides a detailed analysis of primary sources that reveal the essence and forms of Mawlid Bayram’s manifestation.
The author examines the interplay of emotional states, morality, and ethical behavior of individuals and the Tatar Muslim community as reflected during the celebration of the Prophet’s birthday, thereby identifying aspects of the development of behavioral patterns among Muslims in the Middle Volga region.
The structure of the dissertation is determined by its stated objectives and consists of an introduction, two chapters, a conclusion, a bibliography, and appendices. A notable strength is the extensive bibliography, including rare sources in Old Tatar and Turkish. The author has undertaken significant work in analyzing primary sources that form the basis of Mawlid Bayram among Turkic peoples. A substantial number of oral and manuscript sources, discovered during fieldwork, have been introduced into academic circulation. Notably, the study utilizes a previously unknown version of Suleiman Chelebi’s poem “Mawlid an-Nabi,” edited by the orientalist Alexander Kazembek.
In the first chapter, “Muslim Holidays among Tatars,” the functions of religious holidays as components of the Muslim cultic system are explored. The ritual system, including holidays among Muslims of the Middle Volga region, represents a traditional means of preserving both religiosity and the functioning of religious institutions. In the first section of this chapter, the author identifies the main stages of Islam’s penetration and its forms of functioning in the Middle Volga region. The study highlights the distinctive features of the Tatar people’s religious worldview at each stage and for the region as a whole. The author’s personal observations, descriptions of canonical Muslim holidays (pp. 37–41), and the conclusion that pre-Islamic customs and beliefs have persisted within the Islamic cultic system are particularly noteworthy. The author argues that a key feature of the cultic-ritual system of Muslims in the Middle Volga region is the adaptation of Islamic and ethnic consciousness norms, transforming religious canons into democratic folk traditions (pp. 37–48). The primary conclusion of the chapter is the consistent religious tolerance of Tatar Muslims toward other confessions across all examined periods.
In the second chapter, “The Role of Mawlid Bayram and Mawlid Kitaby in the Spiritual Life of Tatars,” the author undertakes the reconstruction of this holiday. To achieve this, the author examines the genesis and typology of the holiday in the Muslim world (pp. 50–63) and conducts a structural analysis of oral, manuscript, and printed Tatar and Turkic sources (pp. 68–128). Based on years of observations, material collection, and meticulous analytical work, the author identifies the main components of the holiday and constructs several variants of its celebration among Tatar Muslims (pp. 129–191). Of particular interest is the interlinear translation of materials collected during fieldwork, provided in the appendix (pp. 239–286), along with an impressive list of informants (pp. 238–239). The conclusion presents the study’s main findings.
Recommendations: The multifaceted and multilevel nature of the research objectives posed significant challenges for the researcher, requiring knowledge of the language, mentality, religious worldview of Muslims in the studied region, Islamic principles, the historical processes of the ethnic group, and the peculiarities of the people’s musical-poetic thinking. Given the author’s extensive empirical source base, it would be desirable for the study to more clearly emphasize the psycho-emotional nuances of the Mawlid Bayram ritual among Tatar Muslims.
The author’s enthusiasm for citing extensive knowledge on the topic occasionally overshadows the analytical work. However, these minor remarks do not diminish the dissertation’s value. Overall, the dissertation leaves a positive impression, with the stated goals and objectives successfully achieved.
Based on the above, the following points should be noted: The scientific novelty of the dissertation lies in identifying the internal patterns of Islam’s functioning in Tatar society from the 9th to the 20th centuries. The author elucidates the internal mechanisms and peculiarities of Mawlid Bayram among Tatars and its place within the system of religious holidays and the broader spiritual life of Tatar society.
The study’s relevance is evident in light of contemporary global events. The author’s conclusion that Muslims in the Middle Volga region have consistently rejected religious fanaticism and extremism is particularly noteworthy.
The practical and theoretical value of the work lies in its original approach to addressing the interaction of disciplines in studying religious traditions, rituals, and practices that shape a people’s worldview. The dissertation’s findings can be utilized in teaching religious studies, ethnology, art history, and specialized courses on Islamic studies, as well as the history and philosophy of Muslim communities in Russia. The results are also valuable for research on Islamic studies issues.
The dissertation’s main findings are reflected in published scholarly works. The dissertation abstract, which outlines the study’s core content, is written in a clear and competent academic style, employing standard scientific terminology and definitions, fully meeting the requirements of the Higher Attestation Commission (VAK).
The foregoing provides grounds to conclude that M.I. Shamshutdinova’s dissertation meets all requirements for doctoral dissertations and merits the awarding of the Candidate of Philosophical Sciences degree in the specialty 09.00.13 — Religious Studies, Philosophical Anthropology, Philosophy of Culture.
Doctor of Historical Sciences E.A. Rezvan
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