First Quranic Conference of Russia
Shaykh Nazim Visits Daghestan

MOSCOW - April 6 - 8, 1997.

His Eminence As-Sayyid Shaykh Mohammed Nazim al-Haqqani, leading authority on Hanafi fiqh in Turkey and world leader of the Naqshbandi tariqat, addressed the First Sacred Quranic Conference of Russia speaking of the need for introducing a new vision of Islam to the Russian and Orthodox masses who for too long have been fed propaganda depicting Islam and Muslims as the source of all evil. The theme of the conference was "The Sacred Koran in Russia - Spiritual Heritage and Historic Destiny."
The gathering of over 250 `ulama from around the world was the first Islamic conference to be held in Russia. Sponsored by the Grand Mufti of Russia, His Eminence Talat Tajuddin, and by the Chairman of the Union of the Moslems of Russia, Nadirshakh Khachilaev, more than 25 Muftis were present at the conference. Coming from the former USSR republics of Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Albania,Uzbekistan, Daghestan, Crimea, Kyrgystan, as well as from Pakistan, Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, Jordan, Bahrain, Bosnia, Egypt, Sudan, Djibouti, Somalia, Malaysia, Indonesia and many other countries.

His Eminence As-Sayyid Shaykh Mohammed Nazim al-Haqqani addresses the Quranic Conference of Russia.
Over three days, the muftis and `ulama addressed the question of interpreting the Quran for the 21st Century and the need for growing the population of Islamic scholars to accomodate the expanding needs of the growing Muslim populations as well as to address the Quran in the light of modern knowledge. Local problems were also addressed in break-out sessions. The `ulama praised the host country Russia for the recent religious rights reforms that have provided access of the `ulama to the Muslim masses of Russia, whose numbers may be as high as 30 million. The growth of Islamic schools and mosques is the clearest sign that Islam is spreading rapidly among the youth as well as among the older generation.

Turkish News headlines mention the great progress and spread of mosques in Russia after the introduction of new religious freedoms. However, the Wahabi influence has proven to be a great evil.
Shaykh Nazim addressed the need for providing da`wah and Islamic literature in Russian language which would prove attractive to the mindset of the Russian youth, who for so long have been steeped in the communist teachings of atheism and hatred for religion. Pointing that the Holy Quran was first translated into Russian at the order of HRM Peter the Great, Shaykh Nazim emphasized the great influence the Qur'an and its knowledge have had on the Russian people over hundreds of years.  

 

Naqshbandi women from around the world attended the First Quranic Conference in Russia, and then gathered for the Naqshbandi leadership summit
On April 7th, the mayor of Moscow, Mr. Y. Luzhkov met with the conference participants and sat with them to discuss the economic and social situation of Russia vis-a-vis the Muslim world.

After the conference, HE Shaykh Mohammed Nazim al-Haqqani convened a summit of Naqshbandi leaders and`ulama whom had come to attend the Quranic Conference from neighboring countries. The meeting discussed the problem of the Wahabi influence which has begun to attempt to infiltrate even into the Naqshbandi strongholds of Uzbekistan (where are located the madrasas of more than 500 Naqshbandi scholars in Samarkand and Bukhara), Daghestan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Chechnya--especially after the war with Russia and the influx of Saudi dollars--Bosnia, Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt. The attending `ulama and shaykhs were able to confirm a determined strategy to foil the effects of the influx of Wahabi da`ees and literature into the Naqshbandi stronghold nations.


Naqshbandi scholars and shaykhs convene under the leadership of HE Shaykh Mohammed Nazim al-Haqqani
The Russian Grand Mufti Talat Tajuddin spoke out against the severe poison being administered to the Muslim masses peddled by the pressure of petro-dollars. He condemned in no uncertain terms the effect of Rabita and their massive propaganda efforts to spread the Wahabi religion.

From Moscow, HE Shaykh Mohammed Nazim flew to Daghestan by private jet. Stopping at Makhachkala first, he then proceeded to the city of Derbent, called "the Northern Gate of the Islamic Caliphate." HE Shaykh Nazim, accompanied by many of the `ulama from the conference then paid their respects to the 40 Sahaba who are buried there.

Later, the group toured the maqams and madrasas of the great Naqshbandi awliya and shaykhs who established the Islamic jihad in the early 19th century and continued up until last year against the Russian and later communist crusaders. He visited the fort at Akhdi which Imam Shamyl had stormed and visited Shamyl's fort high up in the mountains of Daghestan. The Shaykh then traveled to Vedeno, in Chechnya, where he led the Naqshbandi Khatm Khawajagan in the home of a local ghazi. Later, the group flew from Gounib, another famous Shamyl center back to Moscow. From there Shaykh Nazim returned to Turkey.

Grand Mufti of Russia: His Eminence Talat Tajuddin "The Wahabis have inflicted great harm..."