On June 5-6, the defense of master’s theses took place at Bolgar Islamic Academy. The graduates of the Academy chose the most relevant issues and problems in the field of Islamic law, Quranic studies, Islamic history, hadith studies, domestic theological heritage, and others for their dissertations.

Today, a solemn ceremony was held to award diplomas to the fifth cohort of Islamic studies masters. This year, out of 21 graduates, 7 received diplomas with honors.

In his farewell speech, the rector of the Bolgar Islamic Academy, Farkhat Khusnutdinov, noted that students made a difficult, but very important choice at their time.

“I believe that it was not accidental, but the result of a well-thought-out and only correct life strategy aimed at serving the Ummah and Russian society. Do not forget that only those who respect the traditions and commandments of our righteous predecessors can become successful in the religious field, but at the same time are open to everything new, ready to improve and deepen their knowledge,” instructed the head of the academy.

Congratulations also to the  teaching staff on this significant day, the rector noted that today the Academy is at the forefront of the Islamic education development system by many indicators, and it also holds authority as a producer of qualified personnel.

On behalf of the Chairman of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Russia, the Chairman of the Council of Muftis of Russia, Sheikh Ravil khazrat Gaynutdin, the first deputy, Rushan khazrat Abbyasov, addressed the graduates with warm words. In his speech, he noted the depth of the topics raised in the graduation works, which are particularly relevant for our society today, for the development of Russian theological thought.

“Our Prophet (peace be upon him and the blessings of the Almighty) said that the path of knowledge is the duty of every Muslim, and we must constantly improve ourselves. Today in Russia, there are all the necessary conditions for us to develop in the scientific field. This is important not only for our Ummah, because the level of knowledge and competencies that the imam will possess directly affects the level of society,” says Rushan khazrat.

In turn, the Vice-Rector for Research at the Russian Islamic university of the spiritual administration of Muslims of Russia, Ruslan Sayakhov, noted that the Bolgar academy is progressively growing from year to year, implementing key tasks, one of the main ones being the revival of the domestic theological heritage.

“This is evidenced by the fact that about 75% of scientific papers were devoted to the theological-textological study of the works of our ancestors. Even a cursory analysis of the presented studies indicates that the academy is acquiring its originality, forming its own handwriting, style, and identity, which distinguishes it from many other similar educational institutions,” emphasized Sayakhov.

The director of the council on Islamic education, the rector of the Russian Islamic institute and the Kazan Islamic university, professor Rafik Mukhametshin, addressed the graduates with words of greeting. According to him, what is happening today at the academy is another step towards achieving the high task set by the president of the country, Vladimir Putin. It concerns the establishment of an international-level theological center.

Askar Gatin, chief counsellor of the state and confessional relations division of the department for interaction with religious associations of the department of internal policy of the Rais of the republic of Tatarstan, speaking to the students, noted that the Bolgar Academy gives an opportunity to obtain not only basic knowledge of Islam, but also to expand it, improve knowledge of Arabic language, acquire practical communication skills and form scientific, research skills and competences.

With a farewell speech, the teachers of the Academy, Sheikh Anwar Ahmad and Sheikh Badig al-Lyahham, also congratulated the students on successfully completing their studies, they gave some words of advice, urging the graduates to continue their academic research in the academy’s doctoral program.

Remembering the moments of the 3-year education at the academy, the master of Islamic studies, the imam-khatib of the mosque “Jamig” in Zelenodolsk, Ildar khazrat Gatayullin, noted that, if it were not for the help of Allah, the prayers of parents, and the generosity of respected professors, the graduates would not have been able to achieve such high results.

“In all languages: I express my sincere gratitude to you for the immense role you play in spreading goodness and enlightenment. You have illuminated our path with new knowledge and new goals. I thank the Academy for its constant support and care that has been shown in everything. And I am proud to be one of its graduates,” noted Ildar khazrat.

Thus, the graduation of the fifth group of masters of Islamic studies has become another significant event in the history of the Bolgar Islamic Academy, confirming its status as one of the leading centers of Islamic education in Russia.