Shariatization and Its Influence on the Transformation of Funeral and Memorial Rites among the Karachays

This article discusses the issues related to the process of gradual shariatization (the spread of the norms of Islamic law in everyday life and their replacement of adat prescriptions) of Karachay society and its influence on the evolution of funeral and memorial rites of this ethnic group. It is noted that in the post-Soviet period, part of the customs of the established funeral and memorial rite began to be sharply criticized by some of the clergy and Salafi religious activists. They demanded to get rid of rituals that did not correspond, from their point of view, to Islamic norms. The paper notes that, funeral rites are the first to undergo transformation. The practice of distributing khyzens (packages with memorial food) and skhat (pieces of sacrificial animal in memory of the deceased), as well as deur (distribution of part of property and/or money to atone for the sins of the deceased) was severely criticized; there were calls for the cancellation of commemorations on the 3rd, 52nd days and on the anniversary of death, of reading memorial prayers after burial. The practice of holding lavish memorial feasts also began to be condemned. It should be noted that this process takes place unevenly, and today one can observe very diverse variations of the interweaving of ordinary and Sharia prescriptions in this area among various strata of the Karachay population. As a result of all these events and discussions, the modern funeral and memorial rites of the Karachay people have actually lost their internal ethnic unity. Part of the population, despite all the exhortations and appeals that guided believers to abandon funeral rites that have nothing to do with the Islamic religion, continues to conduct funeral and memorial rites in accordance with the popular canons established by the end of the XX century. The other part has moved away from the traditional rite and introduces certain innovations into funeral and memorial practice, arguing for their introduction by the prescriptions of the Islamic religion

Ethnic group · Everyday life · Islam · Religious life · Rite · Rite of passage · Sharia · Diverse Musicological Studies · Emergency Medicine Education and Research · Halal products and consumer behavior