Beliefs of the Chechens

Chechens are Moslems-sunnites of Shafi kind. Before Islam Chechens were greatly influenced by the neighboring Orthodox Georgia, Christianity started to penetrate from there beginning from the 8th century. Most likely it was the strongest in the Argun canyon (there remained the ruins of the temples, the remains of the objects of Christian cult). At the same time Chechens kept the old pagan beliefs. Their pantheon of gods was headed by the ?father of gods? Dela and included the Thunderer Sela, the goddess Tusholi, the god of underground world Eshtra etc. Since the 15-16th centuries Islam was promoted among the Chechens by the preachers from the neighboring Dagestan. Sufism played an important role in bringing Islam to Chechnya, first it had the form of nakshbandi branch. During the Caucasus war Chechens lead the struggle for Islam having joined the imamat of Shamil. In 1850-60-ies another branch of sufism spread among them - kadiria (the so-called zikrizm). Loud services (zikr) of the kadirits accompanied by dances caused the anger of Shamil and were forbidden. Nevertheless zikrism spread all around the Mountainous Chechnya; nakshbandia order kept its positions mainly among the valley Chechens.

Repression against the religion in the years of the Soviet power and the forced deportation of Chechens in 1944 strengthened the positions of Islam among them, religion became one of the most powerful factors of ethnic self-preservation.

When religion became free in the end of 1980-ies, the influence of Islam strengthened in Chechnya. There was formed an independent Ecclesiastical management of Moslems of the Republic. Islam was included in political life, in 1992 there was formed a pro-governmental Islam center (as an alternative to the opposition muftiat). The war of 1994-96 served for the further strengthening of Islam, religious slogans had an important role in it.

Like all Moslems, Chechens celebrate the main Moslem holidays - Uraza-bairam and Kurban-bairam as well as the birthday of the Prophet (mavlid). The celebration of mavlid sometimes lasts for a month; mavlid is also organized on the other especially important occasions.

Islam in Chechnya has a non-orthodox sufi special features. Sufi societies (virds), intermingled with the clan (teip) organization are one of the foundations of Chechen society. They worship the holy places, often these are the tombs of important sufi sheikhs. There are still pre-Islamic beliefs among the Chechens intermingled with the Islamic beliefs.

In the recent years the ideas of vakhabism got spread in Chechnya.