Uzbekistan is a Muslim country which means Islam is the major religion followed there. A recent report shows that about 90% of the population is Muslim. Islam came into the country and gained popularity when scholars traveled here. These conquerors and migrants include some famous people, including Muhammad al-Bukhari, Al-Tirmidhi, Ismail Samani, al-Biruni, Avicenna, Tamerlane, Ulugh Begh, and Babur. These known personalities played an important part in the history of the spread of Islam in the country. Sahih Bukhari, a book by Imam Bukhari, is considered the most authentic compilation of hadith for Sunni Muslims.
Since the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic was founded, following the principles and values has become less common in the country. The religion followed in Uzbekistan is not uniform, and people follow their version of Islam. This has led people to construct self-made laws and ideas about Islam, which they follow based on their convenience. The strict laws of Islam taught in the Quran and Sunnah and followed by the rest of the Muslim world are mostly not observed here.
In the past, the government had restricted performing a few acts of worship and openly expressing and talking about Islam. This contributed to the downfall of Islamic culture in Uzbekistan. However, after the death of President Karimov, things have changed. Islam is now openly celebrated as a dominant religion, and its culture and heritage are followed by the people of Uzbekistan.
To find out about the correct prayer time in Uzbekistan or any other country in the world is an essential first step towards praying. In Islam, praying five times a day is an important pillar, and these prayers need to be performed at the specified time. The prayer time keeps changing depending on your location and can be different in different weathers. Hence, tracking the time can be difficult sometimes, especially when you are not surrounded by mosques or you are new to a place.
The MuslimandQuran website is an essential tool that can solve your problem if you are planning to travel anytime soon. The information provided by this website is tailored according to your live location. You can also sign in on the app to get a notification when it is the exact time to pray. The MuslimandQuran website and app take their information from reliable sources; hence, you can blindly trust them.
If you look back to more than 12 centuries, Uzbekistan has a great history of Islamic education. The country was populated with a lot of madrassas in the history. After the downfall and restrictions of Islam, these educational institutions decreased in numbers. If we talk about it now, educational institutions are under development to restore the knowledge and history the country has to offer. This includes big and small mosques, schools, universities, and madrassas that are made to cater to the Mulsim community.
Located in the capital city of Uzbekistan, The International Academy of Uzbekistan is a well-known institute. The academy offers various subjects, including Islamic economics and international relations. Students can take various programs to secure bachelor's, master's, and PhD degrees. Studies of the Quran and hadith, the history of Islam, and Islamic values and principles are also taught in the academy. The students here not only learn about general knowledge but also learn to follow their religion and spend their lives according to it.
Uzbekistan has more than 80% of the Muslim population; hence, the culture and heritage of the country are highly influenced by religion. Over the centuries, the culture and traditions of Uzbekistan remained constant even though many invaders and migrants traveled here. The Arabs greatly influenced the culture, and later, it expanded through Central Asia. Uzbekistan has produced great scholars, poets, and writers whose heritage has enriched the culture of society. These people highly contributed to the expansion of Islam in Central Asia, and they left a rich history for the people, which is now passed from generation to generation.
Like in other Asian countries, the culture of birth and wedding is greatly celebrated. These celebrations are done on a greater level in which all the relatives and guests and even neighbors are invited to celebrate together. Uzbekistan has a tradition of being hospitable and they make collective efforts to enhance the unity of the community. The music here is mostly classical composition similar to other countries in Asia. Other than this, Uzbekistan has great mosques and monuments, including palaces and tombs of renowned people from history.
The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) is one of the major organizations in the country which was first established in 1989. The main objective of developing this organization was to remove President Karimov and to form an Islamic state in the country. In later years, the organization was reconstructed by a group of militants who came from Central Asia and Europe. The organization had almost 500 members who were encouraged by the Al-Qaida. The group also maintained relations with the Afghan Taliban in the 1990s. They received their funds from Usama bin Laden to run IIMU for the expansion of Islamic laws in the country. However, later on, relations between the Afghan Taliban and the IMU started declining.
Other than the IMU, there are a few more organizations that not only work to protect the rights of the Muslim community but also run the objective of spreading the word of religion all across the country. This helps make the community united and helps Muslims know and follow the true essence of religion.