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The Zaqabannaya mosque and an Inter-Ethnic Cultural Center

«If the revival of Russia is determined by its destiny -  let it arise purified from its sins and errors of the past. Let it get up free and prosperous on the Islamic way of service to our Lord! Allahu Akbar!»

Iskhaq hazrat Lutfullin

Undoubtedly, the Zaqabannaya mosque is a unique monument of architecture of federal importance. But first of all it is a mosque, the house of Allah, which should become a place where any Muslim would attain Faith and knowledge. On the base of the mosque an Inter-Ethnic Cultural Center carries out an important spiritual and social work, spreading true information about Islam and helping those who are in need.

The history of the center is entirely connected with a history of foundation of the mosque. In 1912 the well known Islamic Tatar scholar Rizaetdin Fahretdin suggested building a mosque in the land of Bulgar, dedicated to the 1000th anniversary of adoption of Islam in the region. But the October revolution of 1917 suspended the construction plan for almost 10 years. The mosque of Islam’s millennium was built in 1926 on the donations of people according to the design of civil architect Pechnikov, worked out back in 1914. The anniversary mosque became the only temple in Russia built in first years of Soviet power after the personal permission of Stalin. The mosque is located on the eastern shore of Qaban lake and holds its name – Zaqabannaya.

At the height of the struggle of state against religion in the 1930s the mosque was closed down. In the years of Soviet power the mosque building often changed hands. The DOSAAF (Voluntary Society for Assisting Army, Air Force and Navy) center of Vahitov district was its last recent owner. In 1990 on the initiative of Iskhaq hazrat Lutfullin the Zaqabannaya mosque was reopened for Muslims and began its important social work. Iskhaq hazrat Lutfullin put in a lot of effort and money on the revival of the mosque. So, Zaqabannaya mosque is named after him. Iskhaq hazrat Lutfullin paid much attention on the breeding of spirituality among people. Since 1991 a primary madrasah was opened at the mosque and in 1993 a higher Muslim madrasah was organized. It became the first licensed muslim education institution of this class. In 1997 this madrasah was transferred to the Rozovaya mosque and the muslim college began to function at Zaqabannaya mosque. The 2-year course began to train imam khateebs (Islamic priests and preachers) and muezzins. A course of training Quran-hafizes (people that know all of the Quran by heart) was also opened here. All of the activities of the mosque were dedicated to the spiritual revival of people, to the breeding of young people and teaching them the basics of Islamic faith and ethics. The mosque began to play a large role in the life of the city. Social and charity work, educational activities and spiritual assistance were set up. The council of imams of Kazan, women’s Muslim club and sports department have appeared. Later all those departments were united under the Inter-Ethnic Cultural Center and all those activities at the mean time are being carried out here. There are specialists of the center who help people to get rid of an alcohol dependence and attraction to smoking. The center renders assistance to young families, organizes courses preparing young women to pregnancy and child birth. Since 2007 the Inter-Ethnic Cultural Center has taken patronage of the three orphanages. In the month of Ramadan as well as during the other religious holidays charity dinners are being organized for the orphanages of Kirov, Volga and Derbishki districts of Kazan city. Also presents and basic essentials are handed out. Besides the mentioned contributions the imams of the mosque and the employees (as well as volunteers) of the center set the goal of focusing the attention of society to the problems and hard life of the children devoid of parental love. The center adapts children to the life of modern society. The present imam of the mosque Saidjafar hazrat is convinced that the most essential thing – is a spiritual education that would assist becoming a real personality. It’s a manual to start feeling a fear of our Lord the Creator, but not a fear of His creations, nor of life’s hardships. Only the spiritual development can help an orphan child to find an appropriate place in his/her life.

Another direction of the center’s activities is a work with teenagers. The employees of the center justly consider that there can be no proper spiritual development without physical health, as it’s well known – in sound body sound soul. Therefore a department of sports has been opened at the center. Here for all those who wish, with no matter what their nationality and religious conscience and practice are, different sports are organized: soccer, freestyle wrestling, ice-hockey and table tennis. Every year the center organizes sport contests among orphanages. Also there are soccer matches among teams of Islamic educational institutions. At one of such the matches in 2007 the boys of the Zaqabannaya mosque team won a victory. Another sports activity was a marathon that took place on the streets of Kazan on the 26 of October of 2007, in which the children of the orphanages took part alongside with Olympic champions. The children found attention to them and realized themselves as participants of the great achievements. Zaqabannaya mosque took part in the organization of that event, thinking that the sports events help teenagers to come close to one another and establish firm friendly relationships between the teens. In their free time children from sports teams and any others come to the Inter-Ethnic Cultural Center and have all facilities for an interesting and useful leisure. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday professional lecturers have organized different kinds of lectures.  Finding themselves in that spiritual atmosphere and watching the Muslims’ attitude to one another the teenagers learn more about the religion.

The center observes religious holidays. During the whole month of Ramadan the Tent of Ramadan’s is being pitched in the yard of the mosque. Each day about 200 people broke their fast in that tent. Orphans are regularly invited to those iftar majlises (religious feasts after sunset). The charity work of wide range, such as helping poor, disabled people, low-wage pensioners and all others who are in need of care and concern (these people constitute the majority of the parish) has been practiced in Zaqabannaya mosque beginning from the 90-s of the 20th century and up to now. Every day at the canteen of the mosque the parishioners and the needy are provided with hot meals for free. The mosque renders special assistance to the veterans of the Great Patriotic War (II WW) and the victims of the repressions and humanitarian tragedies. Zaqabannaya mosque leads its work to satisfy needs and solve problems of the people for the sake of Almighty. It works on the way to achieve wellbeing and prosperity and promotes education for young people. We sincerely hope that the Inter-Ethnic Cultural Center has a great future and its activity will continue to serve on the way of God, helping those who are in need and spreading true information about Islam.