The Concept of Faith in «The Fundamentals of Islam» and «The Book of a Muslim» (A Theological Comparative Analysis)

Abstract

This article is devoted to an Islamic comparative analysis of the concept of iman in the works of Ybyray Altynsarin “The Fundamentals of Islam” and Shakarim Kudaiberdiev “The Book of a Muslim”. Despite the fact that the level of religious extremism in our country has decreased, the threat of radicalism remains one of the major concerns problems. These features are reflected in the two works that have become the subject of our research. The purpose of the article is to identify the features of traditional Kazakh Islam through the analysis of these works. To achieve this objective, the concept of iman in both works was comprehensively revealed through textual analysis. The study revealed common and distinctive features of the worldview of Ybyray Altynsarin and Shakarim Kudaiberdiyev in the understanding of iman. In addition, the views of both thinkers were compared with the positions of well-known Islamic theologians. The meaning of the concept of iman in the Kazakh worldview has also been examined through the prism of the opinions of other researchers. Thus, the peculiarities of understanding Islam and Iman in the Kazakh spiritual tradition were revealed in detail. A comparison of the views of Ybyray and Shakarim with the positions of the authors of classical works on the Islamic faith made it possible to assess the level of their religious knowledge and theological training. In addition, the results of the study can find practical application in modern religious education programs, in the development of domestic theological science, in the process of promoting national education and spiritual values. The article contributes to the scientific presentation of traditional Islamic values in the fight against religious radicalism and destructive movements.

Keywords: the Concept of Faith, Islamic Theology, Ybyrai Altynsarin, Shakarim Kudaiberdiuly, Kazakh Religious Thought