8 muftis and 4 locations – a look into the history of the Muslim Board
In 1943, scholars led by Sheikh Ishan Babakhan initiated the proposal to unite the Muslims of Central Asia and Kazakhstan under a single religious board. These days mark the 83rd anniversary of the establishment of the Muslim Board of Uzbekistan.
8 Muftis and 4 Locations – A Look at the History of the Muslim Board
On October 20, 2026, 83 years have passed since the establishment of the Muslim Board of Uzbekistan.
According to the Muslim Board, this structure was founded on this exact day in 1943 at a congress of scholars and religious figures held in Tashkent.
The Board was established during World War II, at a time when the Soviet government began to relax restrictions on religion. In the summer of 1943, scholars led by Tashkent scholar Eshon Babakhan ibn Abdulmajidxan initiated a proposal to unite the Muslims of Central Asia and Kazakhstan under a single religious board. They appealed to Mikhail Kalinin, Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, and official permission to open the board was obtained in July of that same year.
The first congress took place on October 15–20, 1943, at Eshon Babakhan's courtyard on Qarasaray Street. At the event, more than 160 representatives from five republics unanimously elected Eshon Babakhan as the Chairman of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Central Asia and Kazakhstan, and the Mufti of the five republics.
Throughout its history, the Board has changed its name several times. During the Soviet period, the Muftiyat was called the "Spiritual Administration." In the early 1990s, each republic in the region established its own spiritual administration.
In 1992–1995, the body in Uzbekistan was known as the Muslim Board of Mawarannahr, and since 1996, it has been named the Muslim Board of Uzbekistan.