Ghabdennasir Qursawi

Who was Ghabdennasir Qursawi?

Ğäbdennasír İbrahim ulı Qursawí, sometimes spelled Kursavi or Koursavi was a Tatar educator and an Islamic theologian or Jadidist. He was a brother of Ğäbdelxaliq Qursawí. He studied at Machkara village madrassah and later at Mir-Arab madrassah in Bukhara. From 1794 to 1808 he was imam of the mosque in Yughary Qursa village of Kazan Governorate, Russian Empire and the headmaster of his own madrassah. His surname is, actually, a derivative of "Qursa" in Arabic manner, which means "from Qursa". He is credited with the revival of Islam among the Tatars, and was the author of numerous articles about religion. He died during the hajj and is buried in Istanbul.