Religion in Uzbekistan
Encyclopedia
Islam
is by far the majority religion in Uzbekistan
with a 96.3% Muslim
population.
was brought to ancestors of modern Uzbeks during the 8th century when the Arab
s entered Central Asia. Islam initially took hold in the southern portions of Turkestan
and thereafter gradually spread northward. In the 14th-century, Tamerlane constructed many religious structures, including the Bibi-Khanym Mosque
. He also constructed one of his finest buildings at the tomb of Ahmed Yesevi
, an influential Turkic Sufi saint
who spread Sufi Islam
among the nomads. Islam also spread amongst the Uzbeks with the conversion of Uzbeg Khan
. Converted to Islam by Ibn Abdul Hamid, a Bukharan sayyid and sheikh of the Yasavi order, Uzbeg promoted Islam amongst the Golden Horde
and fostered Muslim missionary work to expand across Central Asia
. In the long run, Islam enabled the khan to eliminate interfactional struggles in the Horde and to stabilize state institutions.
During the Soviet era, Moscow greatly distorted the understanding of Islam among Uzbekistan's population and created competing Islamic ideologies among the Central Asians themselves. The government sponsored official anti-religious campaigns and severe crackdowns on any hint of an Islamic movement or network outside of the control of the state. Moreover, many Muslims were subjected to intense Russification
. Many mosques were closed and during Stalin's reign, many Muslims were victims of mass deportation. In Uzbekistan the end of Soviet
power did not bring an upsurge of fundamentalism
, as many had predicted, but rather a gradual reacquaintance with the precepts of the faith. Currently, according to a Pew Research Center
report, Uzbekistan's population is 96.3% Muslim.
.
have remained in Uzbekistan.
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
is by far the majority religion in Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
with a 96.3% Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
population.
Islam
There are more Sunnite than Shiite Muslims among the residents. IslamIslam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
was brought to ancestors of modern Uzbeks during the 8th century when the Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
s entered Central Asia. Islam initially took hold in the southern portions of Turkestan
Turkestan
Turkestan, spelled also as Turkistan, literally means "Land of the Turks".The term Turkestan is of Persian origin and has never been in use to denote a single nation. It was first used by Persian geographers to describe the place of Turkish peoples...
and thereafter gradually spread northward. In the 14th-century, Tamerlane constructed many religious structures, including the Bibi-Khanym Mosque
Bibi-Khanym Mosque
Bibi-Khanym Mosque is a famous historical Friday mosque in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, whose name comes from the wife of 14th-century ruler, Amir Timur.-Features:...
. He also constructed one of his finest buildings at the tomb of Ahmed Yesevi
Ahmed Yesevi
Khoja Ahmat Yssawi , was a Turkic poet and Sufi , an early mystic who exerted a powerful influence on the development of mystical orders throughout the Turkic-speaking world. Yasavi is currently the earliest known Turkic poet who composed poetry in a Turkic dialect...
, an influential Turkic Sufi saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
who spread Sufi Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
among the nomads. Islam also spread amongst the Uzbeks with the conversion of Uzbeg Khan
Uzbeg Khan
Sultan Mohammed Öz-Beg, better known as Uzbeg or Ozbeg , was the longest-reigning khan of the Golden Horde, under whose rule the state reached its zenith...
. Converted to Islam by Ibn Abdul Hamid, a Bukharan sayyid and sheikh of the Yasavi order, Uzbeg promoted Islam amongst the Golden Horde
Golden Horde
The Golden Horde was a Mongol and later Turkicized khanate that formed the north-western sector of the Mongol Empire...
and fostered Muslim missionary work to expand across Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
. In the long run, Islam enabled the khan to eliminate interfactional struggles in the Horde and to stabilize state institutions.
During the Soviet era, Moscow greatly distorted the understanding of Islam among Uzbekistan's population and created competing Islamic ideologies among the Central Asians themselves. The government sponsored official anti-religious campaigns and severe crackdowns on any hint of an Islamic movement or network outside of the control of the state. Moreover, many Muslims were subjected to intense Russification
Russification
Russification is an adoption of the Russian language or some other Russian attributes by non-Russian communities...
. Many mosques were closed and during Stalin's reign, many Muslims were victims of mass deportation. In Uzbekistan the end of Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
power did not bring an upsurge of fundamentalism
Fundamentalism
Fundamentalism is strict adherence to specific theological doctrines usually understood as a reaction against Modernist theology. The term "fundamentalism" was originally coined by its supporters to describe a specific package of theological beliefs that developed into a movement within the...
, as many had predicted, but rather a gradual reacquaintance with the precepts of the faith. Currently, according to a Pew Research Center
Pew Research Center
The Pew Research Center is an American think tank organization based in Washington, D.C. that provides information on issues, attitudes and trends shaping the United States and the world. The Center and its projects receive funding from The Pew Charitable Trusts. In 1990, Donald S...
report, Uzbekistan's population is 96.3% Muslim.
Christianity
Most of the Christians in Uzbekistan are ethnic RussiansRussians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
.
Judaism
The number of Jews in Uzbekistan is below 10,000. Only a small minority of Bukharan JewsBukharan Jews
Bukharan Jews, also Bukharian Jews or Bukhari Jews, or яҳудиёни Бухоро Yahūdieni Bukhoro , Bukhori Hebrew Script: יהודיאני בוכאראי and יהודיאני בוכארי), also called the Binai Israel, are Jews from Central Asia who speak Bukhori, a dialect of the Tajik-Persian language...
have remained in Uzbekistan.