Imom Buxoriy xalqaro ilmiy-tadqiqot markazi bukhari.uz
The Imam Bukhari International Scientific Research Center, in collaboration with the Bahauddin Naqshband Scientific Research Center and Marmara University (Türkiye), has launched a new international academic initiative entitled “Sufism: Past, Present and Future.”
The project aims to promote international scholarly cooperation in the study of the historical foundations of Sufism, its contemporary spiritual and educational significance, its role in shaping the moral values of younger generations, as well as the lives, scholarly legacy, intellectual centers, and written heritage of prominent Sufi masters.
The inaugural online seminar of the series was held on 2 July, bringing together researchers from the Imam Bukhari International Scientific Research Center and the Bahauddin Naqshband Scientific Research Center, along with professors, scholars, and independent researchers representing leading universities and research institutions from Uzbekistan, Türkiye, and Kyrgyzstan. More than forty participants joined the event from different locations.
Opening the seminar, Professor Shovosil Ziyodov, Director of the Imam Bukhari International Scientific Research Center, congratulated the academic community on the official launch of the new project. He noted that the Center continues its systematic efforts to conduct scholarly research on the rich heritage of Sufism and to present its authentic essence and educational values to the wider public. He also emphasized that this new international seminar series would serve as an important platform for strengthening academic cooperation, exchanging views on current research issues, and developing future joint research projects.
The keynote lecture, entitled “The Naqshbandiyya and Social Life,” was delivered by Professor Dr. Nejdet Tosun, a distinguished scholar of Islamic studies from Marmara University.
In his presentation, Professor Tosun examined the historical development of the Naqshbandi Order, tracing its expansion from Transoxiana (Mawarannahr) to the Indian subcontinent. Drawing upon historical sources, he analyzed the contribution of Sufi scholars to the spiritual life of society, the advancement of learning, and the development of social relations.
Professor Tosun also highlighted the lives and scholarly contributions of renowned Sufi figures, including Khwaja Bahauddin Naqshband, Yusuf Hamadani, Abdulkhaliq Gijduvani, Khwaja Ali Rāmitani, and Khwaja Ubaydullah Ahrar. He emphasized that these great masters never promoted isolation from society; rather, they advocated earning an honest livelihood, living among the people, and serving the community as essential principles of the Sufi path.
“Figures such as Abdulkhaliq Gijduvani and Khwaja Ali Rāmitani never sought to depend on others or establish exclusive groups. Khwaja Ali Rāmitani, for example, combined spiritual guidance with his profession as a weaver, earning his living through honest work while serving society,” Professor Tosun noted.
The lecture also addressed the translation of Sufi literature into various languages, the scholarly legacy of Muhammad Parsa and Alauddin Attar, the educational traditions of the madrasas of Bukhara, and a number of important historical sources related to the subject.
Reflecting on the contemporary relevance of Sufism, Professor Tosun pointed to the experience of Türkiye, where Sufi traditions continue to make a positive contribution to society through educational institutions, charitable foundations, and publishing activities.
The seminar concluded with an engaging discussion and question-and-answer session. Participants emphasized that further international collaboration in researching the Sufi tradition – an integral component of the spiritual heritage of the Turkic world – remains one of the important scholarly priorities of our time.
As the inaugural event of the “Sufism: Past, Present and Future” series, the seminar attracted considerable interest from the international academic community. The organizers plan to continue the initiative by regularly hosting international online seminars devoted to the history of Sufism, its intellectual legacy, and its relevance in the contemporary world.
Imam Bukhari International Scientific Research Center
Press Service
