The First Copy of the Holy Quran Printed in Tatar Turkish in Japan, Signed by Sheikh Muhammed Abdulhay Kurbanali

Authors : Higashitotsu Kutluk

Pages : 33-48

Doi:10.37697/eskiyeni.1791028

View : 579 | Download : 588

Publication Date : 2025-12-31

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :During Japan’s integration with the Western world, the rapid proliferation of Western books provided Japanese society with information shaped by Western perspective. The Christian missionary activities albeit being intensified in that period, faced significant challenges due to the indigenous religions of Japan resisting against exclusive faiths. The spread of Islam faced the same challenge. Furthermore, due to the added challenge stemming from the lack of the Islamic books published in Japan and reliance on the Western perspective, the promotion of Islam within Japanese society remained limited, and Islam appears to have spread more slowly in Japan than in other countries. Having been influenced by Western civilizations, the Japanese followed many written documents from Western sources. Considering that information regarding Islam and Muslim identity was disseminated through Western sources, it can be interpreted that their views on Islam and Muslims were shaped by the viewpoints of Western nations. Following the October Revolution in Russia, the Japanese people encountered Muslim Turkic communities, such as the Bashkir and Tatar Turks who fled their ancestral homelands and migrated to Japan, thus gaining access to an Islamic society for the first time. Furthermore, the Uyghur Turks who settled in Japan after the collapse of the First East Turkestan Republic also had a significant impact on the Japanese understanding of Islam. These Turkic communities, forced to seek refuge in Japan for various reasons, likely opened a new door for Japanese perceptions of Muslims. The social and cultural activities of these Turkic Muslim communities can be considered the first step in Japanese socialization with Muslims. In light of earlier documents, the present study aims to evaluate the cultural activities of Tatar Turks who settled as migrants in Japan, focusing on their efforts to preserve and pass their national and religious values to future generations.
Keywords : İslam Tarihi, Tokyo Matbaa-i İslâmiye, Kur’an-ı Kerim, Tokyo Mekteb-i İslamiye, Tatar Türkleri, Başkurt Türkleri, Muhammed Abdulhay Kurbanali

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