Recently, a 470-page textbook-monograph authored by Komiljon Rahimov, Chair of the Scientific Seminar in History at Bukhara State University, was published at the prestigious Khutut va Zilol publishing house in Amman, Jordan. The book, titled Roots of Sufism in Transoxiana (History): The Formation and Systematization of the Doctrine (8th-11th Centuries), was prepared in cooperation with Ahl al-Bayt University in Jordan and will also be used as a textbook. This marks not only international recognition of the achievements of BukhSU scholars but also a reflection of the high reputation of the university’s scientific school.
The ancient region of Transoxiana holds a special place as one of the lands where Sufism first took shape and spread. The early period of Central Asian Sufism, up to the 12th century – before the emergence of formal Sufi orders – played a crucial role in laying the foundation for its later development.
In the 9th century, Hakim Termizi began the process of systematizing Sufism. By the late 10th and early 11th centuries, this work was completed by Kalabadhi Bukhari and Mustamli Bukhari. This process later became the theoretical basis for the formation of Sufi orders in Transoxiana and other regions from the 12th century onwards.
In the foreword to the monograph, Professor Amin Yusuf Awda of Ahl al-Bayt University (Jordan) and Professor Sa’d Abdulgaffor of Alexandria University (Egypt) gave the following assessment:
“In Komiljon Rahimov’s monograph, the pre-Sufi period of Central Asian spiritual history, its unique features, and key ideas are thoroughly studied. The works of Kalabadhi Bukhari (At-Ta‘arruf) and Mustamli Bukhari (Sharh at-Ta‘arruf) are analyzed in detail, highlighting their significant place among Sufi sources.”
Although Sufism has been widely studied in world Oriental studies, many foreign scholars have approached the subject from the perspective of their own academic traditions or ideological views. As a result, the existence and importance of the Transoxiana school of Sufism within the broader Islamic intellectual tradition has often been overlooked. In Uzbek scholarship, most research has focused on the period beginning in the 12th century with the Yasaviyya and Khwajagon-Naqshbandiyya orders, leaving the 8th–11th centuries largely unstudied.
Komiljon Rahimov’s monograph fills this scholarly gap by providing evidence that a distinct Central Asian school of Sufism emerged and developed in Transoxiana during this early period.
The book emphasizes that our Sufi ancestors were not only engaged in spiritual practice but also authored works that gave Sufism a strong theoretical and scientific foundation. This demonstrates that Central Asian Sufism developed as a genuine intellectual school.
The monograph not only sheds light on a little-studied stage in the history of Sufism in Transoxiana but also shows how this period laid the groundwork for the later emergence of great orders such as the Khwajagon-Naqshbandiyya.
Today, the research of BukhSU scholars is recognized not only within Uzbekistan but also across the wider Islamic world. Komiljon Rahimov’s work once again demonstrates the potential of the university’s scientific school on the global stage.
Such prestigious works prepared by our scholars strengthen BukhSU’s international academic partnerships and inspire young researchers to engage in new studies. Bukhara State University is proud of these achievements and will continue to expand its presence in the international academic community.
