Religion in Central Asia

 

Religions of Central Asia:

Twelver Islam (Shia)
Shia Ismaili
Zaydi Islam
Sufism
Zoroastrianism
Tengriism
Nestorian
Russian Orthodox
Burkharan Jews
Buddhism

Islam

The two main branches of Islam are Shia and Sunni. Shia Islam recognizes the Prohphet Mohammad's son-in-law and cousin, Ali, as the his sucessor and first Caliph. Sunni Islam holds that the Prophet Mohammad's companion Abu Bakr is the the Prophet's true sucessor. There are three main subsects of Shia Islam : Twelver, Ismaili, Zaydi.

Twelver Islam

Twelvers believe that 12 Imams succeed the Prophet Mohammad, starting with Ali and ending with Muhammad al-Mahdi who lives in occultation and will one day return as the Mahdi.

Shia Ismaili

Ja'far al-Sadiq, the 6th Imam, was the last Imam to be recognized by all the Shia sects. The Isamili recognize Ja'far's oldest son, Isamil ibn Ja'far, as the 7th Imam. The Twelvers recognize a younger son, Musa al-Kadim as the 7th Imam because Ismail pre- deceased his father.
Another difference between Twelver and Ismaili thought is that the Isamilis focus on the mystical path and nature of God, whereas the Twelves focus on the divine law and the deeds and saying of the Prophet.

Zaydi Islam

The Zaydi emerged out of Shia Islam in the 8th century and is named after Zayd ibn 'Ali. It emerged after a failed uprising against the corruption of Ummayd Caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik

Zaydi's are different from Twelvers and Ismailis in that they don't believe in the falability of Imams nor in the Mahdi. They also don't believe that Imams have to follow a strict decendent line. In Zaydi Islam, any male decended from 'Ali can be Imam.

Sufism

Sufism, or Tasawwuf, is the inner, mystical, or psycho-spiritual dimension of Islam.

Zoroastrianism

Zoroastrianism was founded by an Iranian Prophet in the 6th century B.C.E. The Avesta is one of the primary religious texts. The religion focuses on the responsibility of man and the opposition between good and evil, light and dark. Ahura Mazda is the creator.

Tengriism

Tengriism is the Central Asian religion characterized by features of shamanism, animism, totemism, both polytheism and monotheism, and ancestor worship.

Nestorianism

Nestorianism emphasizes the disunion between the human and divine nature of Jesus. The Persian Empire had a strong Nestorian Church that sent missionaries to Central Asia and China.

Russian Orthodox Church

During much of the Soviet Era, the Russian Orthodox Church was heavily suppresed. A revival started in the 1980s, but recently the church has faced a lot of competition in the form of Evangelical Christianity.

Bukharan Jews

In 1620, the first synagogue was constructed in Bukhara City. Prior to this, the Jews of the city had worshipped alongside Muslims at the Mosque Magori Attoran. In the 18th century Jews faced much discrimination and persecution. This along with forced conversion, closing of Jewish centers and isolation from the rest of the Jewish community led to a widespread lack of knowledge of how to practice the Jewish faith. There was a revival from 1876-1916 where Jews were able to freely practice their religion and were also able to hold many prestigious jobs. This ended with the establishment of Soviet rule. Today, most Bukharan Jews live outside of Bukhara.

Buddhism

Buddhism spread in Central Asia along the Silk Road. The Dharmaguptaka Sect spread outside China more than any other sect and was the first to send missionaries into Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Iran.