Religious Council of the Caucasus

Religious Council of the Caucasus (until 1992 — "The spiritual administration of the Muslims of Transcaucasia") is the highest spiritual and administrative organ of the Muslims of the countries of the Transcaucasian region located in Baku.[1]

Religious Council of the Caucasus
Founded atTbilisi
HeadquartersBaku
Allahshukur Pashazadeh
Websitehttps://qafqazislam.com/?lang=en

History

Period of the Russian Empire

The history of the administration begins in 1823. Thus in 1823, the post of religious leader shaykh al-Islam was established in Tbilisi to lead Transcaucasia Shias.[2] 9 years later in 1832, the position of mufti the head of Caucasian Sunnis, also was established in Tbilisi. The first mufti was proposed by russian general Georg Rosen.[2]

In 1872, Alexander II of Russia created the Transcaucasian Muslim spiritual administrations of Sunni and Shia schools. Madrasas (schools) were solemnly opened on January 2, 1873 in Tbilisi.[3] In the South Caucasus two Muslim administrative organs were created the Sunni Spiritual Administration headed by the Mufti and the Shia Spiritual Administration chaired by the Sheikh.[3] Each of these two subdivision located in Tbilisi consisted of a chairman (mufti or shaykh al-Islam), 3 members of the board, a secretary with 2 assistants, a translator, a scribe and an archivist.[3] Shaykh al-Islam and the mufti could be appointed by the Caucasian viceroy.Until 1867 only shaykh al-Islam and the mufti received salaries from the government, but from that year other high-ranking Muslim clerics began to receive it.

The spiritual jurisdiction of these institutions extended to the Muslims of Baku, Elisavetpol, Tiflis and Erivan governorates.

Period of the Republic

After the declaration of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic on May 28, 1918, the government of Azerbaijan faced such an issue: the Spiritual Administration of the Muslims of the Caucasus (Transcaucasia) located in the city of Tbilisi should be transferred to the city of Baku and the post of shaykh al-Islam, which was abolished in 1917 should be re-established.[4]

Thus, at the beginning of 1918 the Administration was transferred to Baku, and akhund Agha-Alizadeh became the only candidate for the highest clerical rank, Sheikhul-Islam. During the republic, the spiritual administration was called Mashkhati-Islamiyya.[4]

Soviet period

On April 14, 1944, it was established on the initiative of the leadership of the USSR as the Spiritual Administration of the Muslims of Transcaucasia.[5] On May 25-28, 1944, the First Congress of Muslims of Transcaucasia took place.[5] At the congress, Agha-Alizadeh was re-elected chairman of the Spiritual Board of Muslims of Transcaucasia and again received the religious rank of shaykh al-Islam.[5] He is also the first shaykh al-Islam elected in the history of the administration, until then sheikhulislams were appointed by the state.[5] At that congress, the Charter of the Spiritual Administration was approved and its leadership (the mufti and the members of the spiritual administration, along with shaykh al-Islam) were elected.[6]

At the time of independence

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, it received its modern name — "Religious Council of the Caucasus" (Caucasian Muslims Board).[3] In 1992, Haji Allahshukur Pashazadeh was elected chairman of the Supreme Religious Council of the Caucasian Peoples by the religious figures of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Dagestan, Kabardino-Balkaria, Ingushetia, Chechnya, Karachay-Cherkessia and Adygea Republics.[7]

Shaykh al-Islam Haji Allahshukur Pashazadeh at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. January 10, 2001

According to the charter, the head of the Caucasian Muslims Office must be a Shia and his deputy a Sunni. This is the only such hierarchy among the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the former Soviet Union.

In 2003, Haji Allahshukur Pashazadeh was elected shaykh al-Islam for life at the 11th Congress of Muslims of the Caucasus.[8] The last 12th Congress of Caucasian Muslims was held in Baku on August 12, 2009.[8]

In Georgia, where 800,000 Muslims live, a representative office of the Administration of Caucasian Muslims was also opened.[9] In August 2011, a new Islamic institution was established in Georgia, which was not subordinated to the Administration of Caucasian Muslims.

Leaders

The head of the Shia community shaykh al-Islam is the chairman of the Caucasian Muslims Broad. The Mufti, who is the head of the Sunni community is his deputy.[10]

Shaykh al-Islams

The first rank of shaykh al-Islam in the Caucasus was established in 1823. So far, 12 people have become shaykh al-Islam. The period of their tenure is given in the following table:[11]

# Name
1 Mahammadali Huseinzadeh 1823–1846
2 Fazil Iravani 1846–1862
3 Ahmad Huseinzadeh 1862–1884
4 Mirza Hasan Tahirzadeh 1885–1894
5 Abdussalam Akhundzadeh 1895–1907
6 Mahammad Hasan Movlazadeh Shakavi 1907–1909
7 Mahammad Pishnamazzadeh 1909–1918
8 Agha Alizadeh 1918–1920

1944–1954

9 Muhsin Hakimzadeh 1954–1966
10 Ali-Agha Suleymanzadeh 1968–1976
11 Mirgazanfer Ibragimov 1978–1979
12 Allahshukur Pashazadeh 1980–present

Muftis

The first mufti of Muslims belonging to the Sunni Islamic school in the Caucasus was established in 1832. Until now there have been 11 muftis. Their tenure is shown in the table below:[11]

Meeting of Richard Morningstar and Haji Salman Musayev during the Iftar table opened by the US Embassy. July 10, 2014[12]
# Name Period
1 Tajuddin Mustafin 1832–1840
2 Osman Velizade 1842–1847
3 Muhammed Muftizadeh 1847–1880
4 Abdul Hamid Efendizadeh 1872–1880
5 Mirza Huseyn Afandi Qayibov 1883–1917
6 Ibrahim Efendizadeh 1944–1955
7 Asadulla Dibirov 1956–1959
8 Sharif Velizade 1960–1966
9 Ahmad Bozgeziev 1968–1969
10 Ismail Ahmedov 1969–1986
11 Salman Musaev 1989-present

See also

References
  1. "Islam in Azerbaijan - Azerbaijan". www.azerbaijans.com. Retrieved 2023-01-26.
  2. Nurullayev, Fuad. ""Şeyxulislamlıq zirvəsi: Hacı Allahşükür Paşazadə — The peak of Sheikhulism: Haji Allahshukur Pashazadeh"" (PDF). Wayback Machine. Baku: Nurlar. p. 113. ISBN 978-9952-490-50-3.
  3. "Dinlərin tarixi — History of religions". Wayback Machine.
  4. Nurullayev, Fuad. ""Şeyxulislamlıq zirvəsi: Hacı Allahşükür Paşazadə — The peak of Sheikhulism: Haji Allahshukur Pashazadeh"" (PDF). Wayback Machine. Baku: Nurlar. pp. 82–90. ISBN 978-9952-490-50-3.
  5. Nurullayev, Fuad. ""Şeyxulislamlıq zirvəsi: Hacı Allahşükür Paşazadə — The peak of Sheikhulism: Haji Allahshukur Pashazadeh"" (PDF). Wayback Machine. Baku: Nurlar. pp. 82–90. ISBN 978-9952-490-50-3.
  6. Ahadov, Abdulla (1991). Religion and religious institutions in Azerbaijan (in Azerbaijani). Baku: Azernashr. p. 97.
  7. Əhlibeyt. "Azərbaycan və İslam bu gün — Azerbaijan and Islam today". ahlibeyt.az (in Russian). Retrieved 2023-01-26.
  8. "Qafqaz Müsəlmanları İdarəsi — Administration of Caucasian Muslims". qafqazislam.com (in Azerbaijani). Retrieved 2023-01-26.
  9. "Учреждено представительство Управления мусульман Кавказа в Грузии — Office of Caucasian Muslims established in Georgia". azertag.az (in Russian). Retrieved 2023-01-26.
  10. Shaykh al-Islam, Azerbaijan Soviet Encyclopedia (in Azerbaijani). Vol. 10. Baku. 1987. p. 490.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  11. Nurullayev, Fuad. "Şeyxulislamlıq zirvəsi: Hacı Allahşükür Paşazadə — The peak of Sheikhulism: Haji Allahshukur Pashazadeh" (PDF) (in Azerbaijani). Baku: Nurlar. ISBN 978-9952-490-50-3.
  12. "Richard Morningstar: Ramadan is a time to be aware of the plight of those in need". Wayback Machine. 2014.

Sources
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