Muslim Atheism in Central Asia

In the languages spoken by the Muslims in Central Asia, atheistic writing developed into a setting not for attacking religion, but for documenting it. 'Muslim Atheism in Central Asia' argues that scientific atheism, an ideology hostile to Islam, was itself Islamized during the decades following World War II. Drawing on a substantial and neglected body of literature in these languages, this study shows how atheist writers described and catalogued prayer, pilgrimage, ritual, and sacred geography with breathtaking detail. Ranging from anticlerical satire, to travelogues, to explications of Muslim dogma, to encyclopedic catalogues of rites, and more, these texts reveal an imperative to record and document Muslim life. Rather than simply seeking to eliminate Islam, Muslim atheism absorbed and redefined the anti-religious imperative, transmitting Islamic knowledge in the process. The book highlights atheist authors' engagement with the Central Asian muftiate (SADUM), whose dogmatic pronouncements they often applauded, in spite of themselves. Thanks to the vast body of data and information embedded within atheistic texts, it also provides an account of Muslim practices in Soviet society. By recovering this forgotten literature, the book reshapes our understanding of both Central Asian history and the world of Muslim life under late socialism.