Why Some Muslims Follow Traditions Tied To Zoroastrian
(Photo by Heerea Kaur Rikhraj)
Soon after Aziza Saidova and her husband performed their Islamic wedding ceremony, the pair walked three rounds around a small fire that was lit outside their home before entering it.
This step is something that Zororastrians do before entering homes as a way to ward off any evil. However, Aziza and her husband, who are both Muslim, made it a point to incorporate it into their ceremony. Both from Samarkand, Uzbekistan, a city with a rich history along the Silk Road, they live among generations of Muslims who incorporate Zoroastrian traditions into their daily lives.
Zoroastrianism — an ancient monotheistic religion that predates Christianity and Islam — found a home in Uzbekistan in the 6th century when Persians established a base in the region. The religion has roots in Persia, and followers are spread out in places like Iran, India and Central Asia. It was widely practiced in Uzbekistan for years before Arabs-Muslims conquered the Silk Road in the 7th and 8th centuries. Today, over 90% of the country is Muslim, however Zoroastrianism still has a large influence in the region.
READ: In Muslim-Dominated North Ghana, Christians See An Explosion Of Baptisms
Persian prophet Zarathustra founded Zoroastriansim in the early 6th century. He claimed that followers should only follow one god, Ahura Mazda the Lord of Wisdom. The struggle between “good and evil” is central to the religion, and concepts like heaven, hell and judgement day are emphasized. Elements also play a large role in Zoroastrianism. Many of the rituals involve fire, which represents purity and an illuminated mind, and water, which represents spiritual cleansing.
In Samarkand, Zoroastrian religious traditions are still practiced alongside Islam. The city has a large population of Persian Uzbeks, some of whom also speak the Persian dialect of Tajik. Traditions like kissing the stone of Saints when people visit their tombs and making a wish when drinking water from the spring are some Zoroastrian traditions that are still performed today.
These practices, however, are slowly fading as the country has been becoming more Islamic in the last few years since the fall of the previous dictator Islam Karimov in 2016. He took control of the state when the Soviet Union fell in the early 1990s.
When the Soviet Union initially took control of the country in 1925, they tried to strip religion from the country. During this time, Muslims could not outwardly express their faith, and many in the country adopted many Russian cultural traditions like saluting with vodka. However, this practice is not traditional in Islam, as alcohol is forbidden.
While the country gained independence in 1991, the former dictator Islam Karimov kept up this regime, cracking down on specific Islamic traditions and practices. However, since his passing, there has been a rise in Islamic piety, with more folks following Islamic teachings as an expression of their faith. Some Muslim families who used to drink culturally have stopped, and others have stopped practicing traditions from other faiths like Zoroastrianism.
Zuxriddin Esanov and his family, who were born in Samarkand, said Muslims should only practice traditions that are laid out in the Quran, the holy text in Islam.
“We are Muslim, we should only practice Islam in the way it is said,” Esanov said.
While the country has engaged in sweeping transformations since the fall of the previous dictator, the country is backsliding on some of its religious commitments to freedom.
The current regime still cracks down on faith and The Human Rights Watch and other sources noted that the current government, which is still authoritarian, has restricted certain religious practices in various areas of the country.
Instances like being told to lower the call to prayer and detentions for outwardly expressing faith have been becoming more common in the last year. Earlier this year, 21 year old Sardor Ramankulov was sentenced to five years in jail for sharing an Islamic song (nasheed) to his friend via Telegram.
The country — which at one point used to be on the U.S. State Department’s “Special Watch List” for violating religious freedoms — is currently being monitored again by international organizations for these acts. There is no telling of what's to come in the future, but those who practice faith are treading lightly.
Running now through Dec. 31, NewsMatch will match your donations up to $1,000. Your generosity will help keep Religion Unplugged going in 2024 and beyond. You can donate here.
Heerea Kaur Rikhraj is a New York-based journalist who covers religion, health, Indigenous and foreign affairs. She is currently an intern for New Mexico in Depth.