The State, ‘Official’ ʿUlamāʾ and Tatar Qur’an Commentary-Translations in Russia

This chapter traces the history and contemporary issues of Qur’anic commentary (tafsīr) and translation (tarjama) among the Kazan Tatars in Russia, from the nineteenth century to the present day. It emphasizes the interaction between the institution of the muftiate, which emerged during the Russian colonial period in the eighteenth century, and Russian state authorities. This interaction manifests as a central theme and remains discernible in contemporary Qur’an translations such as that associated with the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Tatarstan (Muftiate DUMRT). The muftiate’s dominant role in determining normative religious interpretations and translations has been shaped against the backdrop of existing political agendas. The chapter underscores shifts in Tatar Qur’an commentary over time, especially noting the emergence of modernist and anti-colonial interpretations in the early twentieth century and the ongoing influence of the Russian state in the post-Soviet era.