The article examines the history of the oldest Safavid mosque of Shah Ismail I (1501–1524) in Tbilisi and the attempt to transform the religious landscape of Georgia.

   The aim of the research is to reconstruct information about the Shi‘a mosque built in 1522, which became a symbol of the political presence of the Safavids (1501–1722).

   Analyzing the circumstances of the construction of this monument helps better understand the strategic goals of the dynasty aimed at strengthening their positions through religious institutions. The study was conducted based on primary sources including Georgian and Persian historiography: “Kartlis Tskhovreba”; “Description of the Kingdom of Georgia” by Vakhushti of Kartli; “Tarikh-i alamara-yi Ismail” (“The Chronicle of Ismail – the Adornment of the Universe”) by an anonymous author; “Tarikh-i jahanara” (“The Chronicle of the World-Adorning One”) by the qadi Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Ghaff ari; “Ahsan at-tawarikh” (“The Best of the Chronicles”) by Hasan Beg Rumlu; as well as travelogues by French travelers Jean Chardin and Joseph Pitton de Tournefort, among others. The loss of this historical landmark during the Soviet period makes the study of its past even more valuable and contributes to preserve the memory of the Iranian heritage in Georgia.

   The article is devoted to the description of the set of hadiths “Masabih al-Sunnah” by one of the most famous encyclopedist scholars in the history of Islam, Husayn al-Baghawi. This work formed the basis of the collection of hadiths “Mishkat al-Masabih”, which became widespread throughout the Muslim world and was used in the Tatar public education system in the 19^th century. The work provides a table of contents of “Masabih al-Sunnah” and, moreover, the detailed contents of some of its chapters for a more complete picture of the collection. It also describes the additions of the author of “Mishkat al-Masabih” al-Tabrizi to the work by al-Baghawi. The paper reveals some biographical information about al-Baghawi and presents a fragment from his work “Sharh al-Sunnah” as an illustration of the author’s scholarship. “Mishkat al-Masabih” was a source of reliable Sunnah in Tatar religious schools and introduced students to a signifi cant volume of hadiths.

   The article is devoted to the analysis of the views and arguments of the Tatar scientist Jamal Walidi (Validi) on the problems of national identity. In the scientifi c literature, J. Walidi is better known as a literary critic and linguist. However, the scientifi c legacy of the researcher included socio-philosophical studies on complex issues of “nation-building” and national identity. These almost “forgotten” articles and a separate work “Millat wa millyat” (Nation and national) are considered to be the best studies on this issue among the scientists of their time. His writings undoubtedly demonstrate that J. Walidi was a theorist and an original thinker. Currently, the appeal to the forgotten legacy of the past and the study of the problem of national identity is becoming relevant, since this topic remains relevant to the public, and, moreover, it requires a new modern view and analysis.

   The subject of our research is the history of Tatar national identity, the object of study is the works of J. Walidi on this issue.

   The goal is to show the contribution by J. Walidi into the study of the problems of national identity in Tatar historiography.

   The article describes the history of the formation and development of the problems of self-identification and the study of identity issues. Scientific activity of J. Walidi, his views and arguments are revealed in the context of similar studies by other scientists and thinkers of the early 20^th century. The author also emphasizes such important issues as the naming of the ethnonym, the meaning of the concepts “nation” and “national”, and the fundamental factors of the nation in the vision of the scientist J. Walidi.

   The article examines the work of the classical scholar, legalist of the provisions of Arabic grammar Abu al-Fatah Uthman ibn Jinni, in the context of his contribution to the science of Tafsir. In particular, this article focuses on the role of particles. These examples support the thesis that particles, as one of the sections of grammar, are an important aspect in interpreting the text of the Holy Quran. The use of a particle in the context of a particular Quranic fragment can affect its meaning and give a deeper understanding. For this reason, Ibn Jinni included the subject of particles in the Tafsir, also considering this section of the grammar of the Arabic language capable of enriching the interpretation of the Holy Quran and revealing its deeper meanings. It is noted that the subject matter of particles in the interpretation of the Quran does not always act as an object of judgment. Often in the works of Ibn Jinni, the Quranic text itself acts as an argument supporting linguistic theses. The conclusions of this article point to the importance of using the works of medieval Arabic linguists for an in-depth understanding of the Quran.

   Knowledge and action are fundamental categories in Islamic thought; however, their examination in researches on Persian Sufi literature remains fragmentary. The legacy of Farid al-Din Attar, in this regard, is especially understudied.

   This article aims to explore how knowledge, action and related concepts (gnosis and certainty) are treated in the works by Farid al-Din Attar.

   The research focuses on the texts’ corpora by this medieval author.

   To compile the corpus, the attribution of Attar’s poetic heritage was conducted using the Burrows’ Delta method. Based on a co-occurrence matrix derived from Attar’s collected works, the most representative quotations illustrating the relevant thesaurus were selected. An auxiliary objective was to test, on specifi c material, a methodology of combined reading that integrates “distant reading” and “close reading.” We suggest that this approach may help to reduce subjectivity in the selection of quotations for analysis. The study reveals that the medieval author does not advocate rationalism; rather, his goal is to call the reader toward mystical supra-rationalism via transcending partial knowledge to attain metaphysical Mystery. Nevertheless, the practical dimension of this experience remains crucial for him. This is not the passivity of mystical determinism often attributed to Sufi sm but rather an appeal to active action, interpreted by the author in the context of masculinity, martial heroism, and self-sacrifice.

   This article discusses the methodology followed by the scholars of the Shafi‘i school of jurisprudence in determining the offi cial opinion (fatwa) within the madhhab. It explains the reasons why the majority of jurists from the 7^th century AH onwards adopted the opinions of the two great Imams, al-Rafi‘i and al-Nawawi, over others. The article also touches on the approach taken by the jurists from the 11^th century AH onwards, who relied on the opinions of prominent theorists such as Shaykh al-Islam Zakariyya al-Ansari, as well as the scholars like Shihab al-Din Ahmad ibn Hajar al-Makki, Jamal al-Din Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Ramli, and the others. Additionally, the article clarifi es whose opinion should be followed in case of disagreement among the mentioned scholars and provides some rules for preferring (tarjih) one opinion over another. All of this is supported by the quotations from the works of authoritative researchers of the madhhab, with the aim of compiling their scattered statements in one place.

   The article is devoted to the problem of perception and interpretation of forms of Muslim mysticism among various strata of the Muslim population of the Volga-Ural region using the example of R. Fakhreddin's work “Istimdad and Karamat”. In the overwhelming majority of cases, mysticism or esoteric practices in Islam are somehow connected with Sufism. And perhaps this connection is the reason why different social strata perceive these practices differently. The main question of the study is how the inhabitants of the Volga and Ural regions perceived and projected Muslim mysticism in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries, since it was during this period that the “Jadid” movement gained wide popularity. This also becomes relevant due to the fact that Rizaeddin Fakhreddin was a signifi cant fi gure in the Jadid movement. Through this reception one can also see the theologian’s views on Sufi sm in general and the intellectual influence of the reformist direction on the understanding (rationalization) of mystical elements in tasawwuf.

   The author, through a multidimensional analysis of scientific research, studies the specifi c features of a set of activities carried out by Muslim educational institutions of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (hereinafter KBR) aimed at introducing the Islamic youth of the republic to the religious and cultural heritage of the Kabardian and Balkarian ethnic groups. The paper examines the role of the cultural policy of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the KBR and the republican system of Islamic education in countering the spread of ideas of religious fundamentalism, neo-pagan and sectarian concepts. The author examines the characteristic features of cooperation between the North Caucasus Islamic University named after Imam Abu Hanifa and Pyatigorsk State Linguistic University in the late 2000^s – mid-2010^s and their role in educating the Muslim youth of the KBR.

   The article examines the phenomenon of ideological confrontation between Islamic fundamentalists and Sufi Tariqas in the North Caucasus. The paper also defi nes the term fundamentalism and Salafism and considers the activity and characteristic features of Salafists in the North Caucasus. The author investigates the mosaic and the diversity of Salafi branches characteristic of the North Caucasus in particular and for the whole of Russia. In the study, the author pointed out the distinctive characteristics of Salafi st trends. He revealed the heterogeneity of Salafists in relation to terrorist activities. All Salafi branches can be divided into two groups: peaceful and militant. The work separately and in detail examines the activities of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Dagestan, its eff orts to counter the spread of radicalism and strengthen Sufi traditions both in the republic and abroad. The main ideological components of the confrontation between Salafis and Sufis are also highlighted separately.

   The paper is devoted to the compliance of the confessional dissertation councils’ operation with the rules and practices of the state system of scientific attestation in its current state. The main focus is on the study of the Russian Orthodox, Islamic and Protestant systems of theological academic certification, within which confessional dissertation councils are established and operate, and theological degrees are awarded and recognised. The extensive source base included domestic and foreign regulatory and legal acts, internal regulations of religious organisations, documents and materials on the operation of dissertation councils and on the awarding of theological degrees. The study demonstrated that confessional and secular scientific attestation are conducted according to similar principles, in accordance with comparable requirements. It is revealed both in organisational aspects and in the issues of quality assessment of candidate and doctoral theses. This state of aff airs is related to the general attitude of confessional systems towards the convergence with actual state formats. The similarity is mostly revealed in case of comparing the operation of dissertation councils established on the basis of leading educational and scientific organisations, which have received the right to independently award state academic degrees.

   The article provides a rationale for Political Theology as an independent scientific discipline. Much has been said about the relationship between the religion and politics since the ancient times, but there is no specific discipline that systematically studies the interaction between religion and politics and has its own research methodology and terminology. Political activities are carried out by the individuals who have their own motivations. These motivations are shaped by the dominant values in society, which are infl uenced by religion and the laws of perception studied by an individual and social psychology. Today, science faces the task of a systemic interdisciplinary disclosure of the meaning of the phrase “political theology”, i.e. the study of the entire mechanism of the infl uence of a religious factor on the motivation and on the perception of the political process by the subjects of this process, since such research involves a combination of methods of Philosophy of Religion, Philosophy of Politics, Politology, Theology and Psychology.

   Political Theology is a science where the subject is the study of the regularities of the relationship of the political process with the religious factor from the standpoint of teleological epistemology.

   The article examines intergenerational relationships in an extended family; it shows the positive dynamics of psychological work based on Ingush culture and religious values. Using the example of a specifi c case of psychological counseling for the Ingush daughter-in-law towards her relationship with her mother-in-law, the culture of providing psychological assistance is described, considering the cultural and spiritual heritage of the client. Due to the growing demand for spiritual counseling from Muslims, focused on finding meaning and improving the quality of life, it became necessary to show the role of cultural and religious practices in the healing process. Cultural and religious commitment contributes to the spiritual and physical well-being of the client. Religious beliefs help a person to fi nd support, stability and solace in times of uncertainty or crisis.

   The article presents the results of a comparative analysis of life strategies for Tajik women entrepreneurs and employees. The study was attended by 59 respondents who are young Muslim women of Tajikistan involved in working and leading their own business between the ages from 18 to 35 years. The average age of respondents is 25 years. The analysis of the results of the study confi rmed our hypothesis that there are differences in the choice of life strategies by the women engaged in entrepreneurial activities and the working one: the women engaged in entrepreneurial activity demonstrate a higher orientation on the “the strategy for life success”. The study also revealed that the “the strategy for the desire for life well-being” is more pronounced among the working women. This indicates that the objective conditions of the activity of small and medium-sized entrepreneurs in Tajikistan, where there are the limited resources, high level of competition and the need for a constant search for decisions, which often force them to sacrifice comfort for the professional goals.