To the participants of the international scientific and practical conference on the topic: "Maturidism – A Doctrine of Generosity, Moderation, and Enlightenment".

To the participants of the international forum, dear guests!

First and foremost, I sincerely congratulate you, dear participants, on the opening of the international conference dedicated to the 1155th anniversary of the birth of the great thinker Imam Abu Mansur Maturidi. It is a pleasure that this event is taking place in Uzbekistan, in one of the most ancient cities – the majestic Samarkand, which has made a tremendous contribution to the development of science and progress.

Welcome to our beloved homeland, to the beautiful city of Samarkand – the land of great scholars and thinkers!

Imam Maturidi, who was honored with such high titles as "Sultan of the Science of Kalam" and "Reformer of the Muslim Creed", created unique scientific and educational works during the Middle Ages – a time of intense ideological struggle. His writings reveal the humanistic essence of the Islamic religion and demonstrate his unwavering fight against harmful currents and ignorance, which undoubtedly serves as a model of true spiritual courage and dedication.

It is commendable that the school and teachings of Maturidism, founded by our great compatriot, have for centuries served as a symbol of generosity, moderation, and enlightenment in matters of faith and belief.

Today, as new forms of subversive activity aimed at distorting the noble ideas of our sacred religion and using them for destructive purposes continue to emerge, this enduring doctrine becomes even more relevant. We deeply appreciate that you, dear conference participants, understand this well.

Dear friends,

In New Uzbekistan, significant efforts are being made to comprehensively study and widely promote the instructive life path and rich scientific and spiritual legacy of thinkers who made invaluable contributions to the development of Islamic civilization, as well as to educate the youth in the spirit of love for the Motherland and respect for national and universal values.

Institutions such as the Center of Islamic Civilization, international research centers named after our great ancestors – Imam Bukhari, Imam Maturidi, Imam Termizi – and the International Islamic Academy of Uzbekistan are actively functioning in our country.

The scale of work carried out in this area is evidenced by the fact that, in a short period, these research centers have discovered unique manuscripts of the Quran and other sacred religious texts preserved in foreign collections, brought their copies to our country, and translated numerous works of great personalities who made boundless contributions to the development of science and enlightenment into Uzbek. In particular, it is worth noting that for the first time, Imam Maturidi’s books "Ta’wilat al-Qur’an" and "Kitab at-Tawhid" have been translated into Uzbek and presented to the wider public.

Together with international research institutions and esteemed scholars like yourselves, who are highly respected in the Muslim world, we are paying special attention to an even deeper study of the multifaceted life and scientific legacy of Imam Maturidi and the contemporary significance of his teachings.

To this end, we adopted a resolution on the wide-scale celebration of the 1155th anniversary of Imam Maturidi’s birth, clearly defining tasks for future work in this direction – in particular, expanding the memorial complex of our outstanding ancestor and thinker in Samarkand and turning it into an even more developed and revered place of homage.

It is known that, based on the proposal of the participants of the international conference held in 2020 in Samarkand, the International Research Center of Imam Maturidi was established under the International Islamic Academy of Uzbekistan.

I would especially like to note that, considering the growing global significance of the rich scientific and educational heritage of our great ancestor, and with the aim of further enhancing the status and authority of this Center, the International Research Center of Imam Maturidi has been reorganized under the Cabinet of Ministers, in accordance with a recently signed decree.

I am confident that this center will serve as an international platform uniting scholars and Islamic scholars from various countries around the world in the deep study of the teachings of Maturidism and the invaluable contribution of Hazrat Imam Maturidi to the development of Islam.

Taking this opportunity, I express my sincere gratitude to you, dear scholars, who have devoted your lives to this noble cause, for your diligent work, constant pursuit of knowledge, and efforts in studying the rich scientific and religious legacy of Imam Maturidi and other great thinkers nurtured by Uzbek soil. I wish you all good health, new achievements in your future endeavors, and success in the work of the conference.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev
President of the Republic of Uzbekistan