Sufism in Modern Kazakhstan: Continuation of the Yassawi Tradition?

Sufism is one of the cultural, religious, and social bases of the Turkic culture that has existed for centuries until the modern day. The religious renaissance after forced secularization that followed the independence of Central Asian states was accompanied by the revival of cultural and religious practices. The Sufi leaders of Kazakhstan are also active actors of religious life in the country. This article examines modern Sufi groups of Kazakhstan and social portraits of their leaders through the prism of the continuation of the Yassawi’s tradition, teachings and practices. Materials of article are based on field research in Kazakhstan and Turkey (in-depth interviews with leaders and followers of Sufi groups) and participant observation in the Sufi communities of Kazakhstan. This study’s results showed that modern Sufi communities continue Yassawi’s teachings, employing his rhetoric and the dhikr practices of this school in different ways. However, there are not always legitimate grounds for this. For the first time, it is reported that verified field data results point to a current legitimate sheikh of the Kh.A. Yassawi tradition. Previously, scholars believed that the Yassawi Sufi school had fulfilled its historical mission in the region.