At one time, the ancestors of Tajik Arabs actively participated in the spread of Islam in the region of Central Asia. Today their Tajik neighbors often ask themselves: What kind of faith do they adhere to and are they really Arabs?
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In the south of Tajikistan, in Shakhritus and Kabodiyon regions, a small community of Arabs lives. Many myths have been rooted among locals about the origin and even religious affiliation of this community. However, scientists unanimously confirm that they are the descendants of those Arabs who arrived in the region during the spread of Islam.
Tajik Arabs slightly differ in their identity and appearance from Tajiks and Uzbeks living in this territory. The community leads a rather secluded way of life, and therefore even their neighbors sometimes wonder what religion their members follow.
Fazilat Rajabova, a 58-year-old resident of the Shakhritus district of the Khatlon region, says she is an Arab. However, in the passport she is recorded as a Tajik in the “nationality” section. Tajik Arabs now speak Tajik, although their dialect is distinct. Radjabova says that they are Muslims, adhere to the Imhab Abuhanifah’s madhhab, pray five times a day, and comply with fasting rules. They are born in Tajikistan and today they live closely to Tajiks, but some of their traditions and rituals differ from their Tajik neighbors. For example, according to Rajabova, they never let their daughters marry men of any other descent.
“We are Arabs, born and raised in Shahritus. Arabs have their own mosques, and most of them recite namaz (prayer). We do not know our roots and ancestors, and where we came from. But, we know that we are Arabs,”said Rajabova.
Rahib Toshmatov, a 35-year-old resident of the village of Aivadzh, jamoat them. Dzhury Nazarova, of the Shakhritus region, says that the village of Aivaj (considered the southernmost point of Tajikistan, on the border with Afghanistan – approx. Ed.) – is the original place of residence of the Arabs in southern Tajikistan. Other representatives of this ethnic group also live in neighboring areas – Kabodiyan and Nosiri Khusrav regions.Some local residents of their neighboring settlements say that the “Arabs” do not have the same Islam as traditional Tajik one, most of them do not pray (“namaz”) and do not hold fast (“uraza”). But, when this material was being prepared, the journalist who came to Aivaj saw their mosque and graves, and also watched another mazar (the grave of a Muslim saint) – Tillochalochi, which Arabs venerate as a holy place which as they believe possesses healing abilities. In a separate corner of the mazar, Arabs put the lights.
In the local office of the State Committee on Religion, Rites and Traditions of the Shakhritus region, it was confirmed that these people have Tajik passports, where their ethnicity is indicated as Tajik. During weddings and other events, they, like other Tajikistani citizens, take permission to conduct them in accordance with applicable law.
According to CABAR.asia’s interlocutors, up to 8 thousand Arabs live in Aiwaj, but in other villages arab communities are much smaller. They also live in two neighboring districts of Kabodiyansky and Nosiri Khusravsky, however, local authorities do not have any data regarding their numbers.
Local Arabs in rural areas, as well as Tajiks, are engaged in agriculture. Another source of income for arabs, as well as for their neighbors, is labor migration. Rahib Toshmatov, a farmer, who grows and sell cotton and wheat for living, works on 6 hectares of land he rents. He has three children who work along with him.
“We have traditionally developed good relations with Tajiks. There are no disagreements between us on ethnic grounds. Sometimes we pray in their mosques together, ”says Toshmatov.
The Saudis did not recognize Tajik Arabs as their compatriots?
Dilovar Aslonov, deputy chairman of the jamoat in the village named after Talbaka Nazarov, said that officially all representatives of this group are recorded in documents as Tajiks. According to Aslonov, several years ago, some representatives of this nationality turned to the Saudi embassy with a letter inviting for a visit.
“The Embassy accepted the invitation and a group of its representatives arrived in the Shakhritus region and met with them. But after this meeting, the guests (Saudis – approx. Ed.) Said that they are not Arabs, ”Aslonov said.
Ethnographer from Khatlon Oblast Aziz Fattokh also talked about the arrival of Saudi diplomats.
“Recently, representatives of the Arabian embassy met with them, but the Tajik Arabs did not understand their language. Therefore, the guests said: what kind of Arabs are they if they do not understand the Arabic language,”says Aziz Fatokh.
According to him, members of the community do not have a single document that would confirm their Arab origin.
From the scientific point of view
Tajik religious scholar Saidahmad Kalandarov believes that the Arabs arrived in Central Asia during the Umayyad caliphate to spread Islam, after which they settled not only in Tajikistan but also in other countries of the region.
“The Arabs of the southern Tajikistan mainly come from the Banu Tamim tribe which lived in the territory of modern Iraq and Syria. During the rebellion on the Arabian Peninsula, they were expelled to other countries, ”Kalandarov said.
According to him, part of the local Tajik population does not believe in the Arab origin of their neighbors.
But, Kalandarov said that in Soviet time a lot of scientific literature was published that confirmed their Arab origin.
“In particular, the Soviet philologist Georgy Tsereteli wrote about the dialects of the Arabs of Central Asia,” Kalandarov noted.
He added that near the famous Chiluchorchashma spring in southern Tajikistan, there is Arabkishlak, populated by descendants of Ali, a comrade-in-arms and close relative of the prophet Muhammad.
“So, they actually come from the tribes of the Arabian Peninsula. But, of course, after several centuries, Tajik Arabs forgot their language,”Kalandarov said.
Tajik Arabs, he said, were once good merchants and maintained ties with their fellow tribesmen right up to the Tahor in Afghan and the modern Mary in Turlmenistan (historical Merv).
Kuvvat Dodov, a historian engaged in the study of southern Tajikistan, expressed a similar opinion. In an interview to Cabar.asia, he said that Tajik Arabs are from Syria who arrived in Tajikistan during the spread of Islam.
Kiyomiddin Sattori, secretary of the Center for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Tatarstan, confirmed that according to scientific studies, the Arabs of southern Tajikistan virtually come from Arab tribes. Some of them arrived in the region during the spread of Islam. For several centuries, the Arabs retained their language and did not mix with the local population. However, after several centuries, they mastered the language of their neighbors and now speak Tajik. Sattori said that their ancestors were mostly from nomadic tribes and were not connected with the urban population of the Arabian Peninsula.
– “During the spread of Islam, the Arabs, took their wives with them when going to war. As a result of the conquest, part of the Arabs went to other countries, including modern Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan. A small part of this tribe speaks Uzbek in other regions of Tajikistan, for which they are called Uzbek-speaking Arabs. At the time of the Soviet Union, they maintained their culture and customs, but now they often marry the local population,”said Sattori.
This publication was produced under IWPR project «Forging links and raising voices to combat radicalization in Central Asia».