Mir-i-Arab Madrasah (university) in Bukhara, Uzbekistan, is one of the oldest educational institutions in the Islamic world. Mir-i-Arab was founded in 1530 during the reign of the Shaibanid Uzbek dynasty. The madrasah was named after Sufi Sheikh Mir-Arab, who was renowned for his knowledge of Islamic sciences and was a respected teacher among many students. The university is located in the historical centre of Bukhara, near the Po-i-Kalyan complex.
Mir-i-Arab Madrasah is famous for its high academic reputation and conventional educational approach, which was inherited from its founders. Students at madrasah study the fundamentals of Islamic philosophy, theology, literature and sciences. The educational process is conducted in the Arabic language.
Mir-i-Arab University has many peculiarities that make it unique in the world of Islamic education. One of these peculiarities is its traditional approach to learning, which has been used in Islamic education since ancient times. These methods include reading and study of Islamic texts in a traditional format, as well as teaching students the oral transmission of knowledge from teacher to student.
Another peculiarity of Mir-i-Arab University is its international status. The university welcomes students from all over the world, making it one of the most international universities in the world of Islamic education. Many graduates of Mir-i-Arab University have become famous scholars and leaders in their countries and in the world.
Throughout its history, Mir-i-Arab Madrasah attracted students from different countries, including Türkiye, Iran, India and Russia. Notable scholars who studied at madrasah include Alisher Navoi, a well-known Tajik writer and scholar, and Ibn Sina (Avicenna), a great scholar and philosopher.
From Russia, many prominent scholars and religious figures studied at Mir-i-Arab University (Bukhara), including:
• Gabdulkhak Samatov – a theologian, chief qadi of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Tatarstan from 1998 to 2006;
• Muhammad Yusuf, Muhammad Sadyk – a Soviet and an Uzbek religious figures and theologians;
• Nafigulla Ashirov – a Soviet and Russian Muslim activist, mufti, chairman of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Asian part of Russia;
• Talgat Tadzhutdin – a Soviet and Russian religious and public figure, chairman of the Central Spiritual Administration of Muslims, supreme mufti of Russia.
This is not a complete list of Russian scholars and activists who were educated at Mir-i-Arab University. However, all of them made a significant contribution to the development of Islamic culture and activities in Russia.
Mir-i-Arab Madrasah became one of the centres of Tatar intelligentsia in the XIX century. Many Tatar scholars and enlighteners were taught at this educational institution and became popularizers of Islamic culture and education in Tatarstan and other regions of Russia.
One of the most famous Tatar scholars who studied at Mir-i-Arab Madrasah was Shigabutdin Marjani (1818-1889). He studied for 10 years (1838-1849) at the Kukeltash Madrasah, Mir-i-Arab Madrasah in Bukhara and Shirdar Madrasah in Samarkand.
Marjani was an outstanding representative of the XIX century Tatar intelligentsia, who preached tolerance and peaceful coexistence of different religions and cultures. At Mir-i-Arab Madrasah Shigabutdin Marjani received classical Islamic education and profound knowledge in various sciences, including theology, philosophy, law and literature. His teachers were prominent Islamic intellectuals of the time, such as Muhammad Sharif Khan, Muhammad Shigabutdin Marjani and Abdurauf Fitrat.
Educated at Mir-i-Arab Madrasah, Shigabutdin Marjani became one of the leading enlighteners of the Tatar people and a leader of their spiritual life. He wrote many books and articles on various topics related to Islamic culture and history, as well as contemporary social and political issues. His works still remain relevant and in demand in Tatar society and beyond.
Mir-i-Arab Madrasah remained an important centre of education and culture for Tatar intellectuals till the end of the XIX century, when Russian authorities launched a series of reforms aimed at secularizing and modernizing society. Despite this fact, many Tatar scholars continued to study at this educational institution until the beginning of the XX century, and its influence on the development of Tatar culture and education remained significant.
In the 1920s, the madrasah was closed by Soviet authorities within the framework of social reforms, which were introduced into Uzbekistan. However, in 1946 the educational institution was restored and continued to function.
Today, Mir-i-Arab Madrasah is one of the main sights of Bukhara and attracts many tourists from around the world. In addition to it, it continues to play an important role in the teaching of Islamic theology and culture.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
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