The following article appeared in an edition of the Russian magazine Ogonyok featuring a series of pieces on Russians who convert to Islam. (My translation).
“The fashion for Islam has spread from Europe and the USA to Russia. Among the ranks of our native Russian Muslims everyone can be found, from nationalist radicals to members of the liberal intelligentsia.
“Recent sociological research has shown that Islam has become the most dynamic world religion. In the USA, for example, millions of Afro-Americans whose ancestors knew nothing of the Prophet Muhammad [s.a.w.s.] call themselves the “Nation of Islam”, whereas in Germany the native German Muslim community already numbers hundreds of thousands. The remarkable phenomenon of Euro-Islam has sprung up. The contemporary mode for Islam resembles the hippy fashion for Buddhism or Krishnaism of the sixties and seventies: this exotic culture with its spiritual practices has great allure, especially when its followers are you compatriots and can tell you about it in your own language. Sooner or later Euro-Islam will be preached in our land — and most likely it will be accepted as the latest height of European fashion in the style of “ethno-techno”. Today we can already speak of how our own native “Russian Islam” is establishing itself as a cultural-political phenomenon.
“The main bulk of Russian Muslims, prosaic as it may sound, is made up of Russian girls who marry Muslims. As a rule, prior to marriage, they were indifferent to religion, therefore they accepted the faith of their husbands without any great difficulty; moreover, “traditional Islam” in Russia is extremely liberal and does not demand rejection of the usual way of life. The second noticeable group of Russian Muslims is made up of nationalist radicals. They come to worship Allah in two ways — either through political extremism or through a religious quest based on the soil of fervent anti-Semitism. For example, in Eduard Limonov’s National Bolshevik Party thirty Russian warriors have already entered Islam. They say that the leader of the NBP is himself not far from officially converting to Islam. Less involved in the political struggle are the followers of the National Organisation of Russian Muslims (NORM) — some of them have come to the faith of the Prophet through a rejection of Judaic Christianity and after wandering through the labyrinths of Slavonic neo-paganism. As is characteristic of neophytes, radical Russian Muslims try to follow their new religion with full commitment — genuine Russian Wahhabi jamaats with over two hundred Russian adherents have already been created.
“Lastly, the smallest in number but the most striking group of Russian Muslims is composed of liberal members of the intelligentsia who have rejected Christianity at a mature age and even under the influence of liberal ideas. Here we must mention first of all Vyacheslav Polosin, the former archpriest of the Russian Orthodox Church, who has taken the Islamic name Ali. His sensational conversion to Islam was accompanied by a whole P.R. campaign, which roused the benevolent interest of the Russian intelligentsia int he religion of the Prophet. Arty connoisseurs of the Orient — underground poets and artists — are more drawn to the esoteric Sufi tarikats — the Nimatullahi or Tijaniyya.
“Broadly speaking, if those who call our epoch post-Christian are right, then intellectuals and politicians would do well to take a closer look at Russian Islam. And the main thing is to understand how to build it in such a way so that the Russians, prone as they are to wild self-sacrifice, should not pick themselves as their “guides and leaders” some new “Taliban”…”
Russian-Style Islam, written by Alexander Soldatov
August 26, 2007 at 6:46 am
salaam.
thanks for sharing it.
August 30, 2007 at 2:01 am
JazaKallahKhair for the informative article!
-YM
August 31, 2007 at 12:15 am
Islam is Dean “religion” universal God who created Heaven and Earth and whatever in between and he mention in his holly book and he protects his religion that why its spreads all over the corner of the world today.
September 8, 2007 at 10:31 pm
Salaam Alaikum,
Thanks for sharing this article and visiting my blog. We don’t often hear about Muslims in Russia.
Barak Allahu Feek
September 8, 2007 at 10:34 pm
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February 6, 2008 at 2:08 am
Ya Haqq!
April 22, 2008 at 9:27 pm
This is very very beautiful. I am Russian as well, and I have recently converted to Islam. This religion is so beautiful and I feel more alive because of it.
Walikum Assalam friends!
April 29, 2008 at 4:53 pm
Wa aleykum as salam, Samir.
Thanks for your comment.
June 23, 2008 at 12:03 pm
slm aleyküm
allahın selamı üzerinize olsun
July 18, 2008 at 2:28 pm
visit this site
http://www.islamyat.org
tell to all the friend ans parent to visit it
baraka ALLAH fik
salam
July 21, 2008 at 11:14 am
Assalamu alaykum, fadhl
The site you recommend is spreading discord among the Muslims. The Prophet of Islam (saws) told us NOT to spread discord among the Muslims. I cannot approve of such discord.
The worldwide campaign to slander the so-called “Wahhabis” is vicious. They are our brothers.
There is a mountain of scientific evidence that “Wahhabis” did not blow up the three World Trade Towers in New York, and did not kill civilians in London on 7 July 2005. Investigate for yourselves.
September 24, 2008 at 12:25 pm
I need ziarat aleyasin in Russia language
please help me and send it to my e-mail
mostafashirafkan@yahoo.com
October 2, 2008 at 5:40 am
AlHamdullillah that Islam is gaining a massive following in Russia and elsewhere. This Faith has been slandered, attacked in the media, millions spent on prpaganda against it, yet it still grows rapidly. SubhanAllah.
June 6, 2009 at 2:52 pm
why do u all muuslims become slaves of arabs by adoptiing arabic names and language wen u convert 2 islam …. i think islam is an evil arab cult which will destroy da world
November 16, 2009 at 2:31 pm
i think you are in grave error…read your vedas,mahabharat,manusmriti and then have a look at quran. you ‘ll know that your scriptures are in support of our basic fundamentals. And no one becomes a slave of arab or brahmins by adopting a sanskrit or arabic name and actually hindus are slave of brahmins,pundits and it is a fact. we hear of many news of how ingnorant hindus are fooled by brahmins and pundit. HINDUS have a fashion of adopting western culture and think it is an honour to speak in english,their children are ashamed of their sanskrit and hindi names and adopt english nicknames & shall i give you a extremely long list of some evil superstitious practice found in hindu culture
December 28, 2013 at 2:42 am
As a Muslim from India, I think that Anil needs to travel, first & foremost in India, meeting real, not virtual people!
As a beginning, Muslims in India have names such as Patel, Chaudhary & Shah, not really Arab are they? How about Khan, Mirza & Pathan?
So “Aryan Hindu” names were indigenous to all the peoples of the subcontinent & not spread by adverse power relations?
Arabs include Christians, so are non-Arab Muslims slaves of these people too, I doubt it!
The world is global & many people are not such parochial bumpkins with inferiority complexes speaking just one language. Are you a slave of white Englishmen for your mangled attempts at English?
You are entitled to “think” whatever you wish, but it is better to use discernment/critical thinking & reflection as alluded to by the alternative title of the Quran & its numerous exhortations.
June 7, 2009 at 8:15 pm
Anil, kindly get your facts right before commenting.
Not all Muslim converts adopt Arabic names. And not all Arabic names are Muslim names. Some Arabic names are forbidden to Muslims.
Each Muslim nationality has its own national culture, they are certainly not all Arabic. What about Persia, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Ethiopia, China? Are all these Arab countries?
November 26, 2009 at 12:13 pm
Salaams. The article is very informative and inspirational.As for Anil K’s e-mail, it’s an example of how the media whips up Islamophobia. despite this, AllAh’s deen is strong,especially among the youth. But quality of Muslims is more important than quantity.Let us all ensure that we always perform our Salaah in its appointed time.
February 24, 2010 at 11:23 pm
Thank God that Muslims are in nations where the Gospel of Jesus Christ can be freely shared with them – and where they can convert to followers of Jesus Christ without the fear of persecution. Jesus promises eternal life & forgiveness as a gift to all who believe in Him as the only begotten Son of God. God does beget. That is what the name “Emmanuel” (or Immanuel) means – God with us. God came among us as the only acceptable sacrifice for our sins. Heaven is a free gift to those who submit to Jesus Christ, the alpha & omega. He said “I am the way, the truth & the life & no one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6. Come to Jesus Christ.
March 15, 2010 at 11:45 pm
Muslims accept Jesus (peace be upon him) and hold him in the deepest esteem.
It is rude of you to visit a Muslim site in order to try to convert Muslims to your church. If you do so again, your posts will be deleted.
Show some courtesy. And tolerance.
August 23, 2010 at 2:32 am
Salam Alaykom
I’m Hamza,, I live in Tunisia..
I’m Muslim..I’m 21 years old
I like Russia so much and special Daghestan 🙂 this is best country
and I like visit Daghastan ..
my dream is to married a Daghestan women ..and live in Daghestan..
I like Russia and the peoples of Russia.
❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤
–and this is my MSN : hamzalion1@hotmail.fr
–this is my phone number : +216 25 87 42 77
Salam Alaykom
connection with me
November 28, 2010 at 3:44 pm
Assalam Walekum To All
Alhamdulillah nice to read articles, please continue….
liyakatali76@yahoo.com
February 6, 2011 at 11:09 am
I am from Libya and I loved Islam in Russia and Qrat a lot about him .. and I hope to get married from Russia .. and God bless you
Ginwaair @ yahoo. com
October 13, 2011 at 5:22 am
bahasa inggeris…
[…]The Spread of Islam to Russia « ADAMITE[…]…
April 22, 2012 at 7:14 pm
http://www.rachidm.blogspot.com
Islam is a universal religion based on the teachings of all prophets starting from Adam , Abraham , Moses , Jesus and Muhammad
October 31, 2013 at 8:55 am
alhamdolillah, very good site.It gives freshness to iiman