National values and religious traditions

The word “qadriyat” (value) comes from Arabic “qadr” (worth, rank) and means the significance of something for people and society. According to the textbook, “bayram” comes from the Turkic sense “large gathering, feast” and is a solemn day widely celebrated; a traditional festival such as Navruz is tied to the life of the people, while religious festivals such as Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha are tied to the set rites of a religion; both Eids are public holidays in Uzbekistan. The family institution is a national value protected in the Constitution; the mahalla, hashar (communal work) and neighbourliness are also among such values. The Law on Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organisations (2021 edition) gives the right to hold religious rites freely, but it must be exercised in compliance with laws, public order and the rights of others: rites are usually held in houses of worship, shrines, cemeteries and citizens’ homes, and mass events outside designated places follow the procedure set by law. The textbook also discusses customs linked with death: from the Islamic viewpoint it mentions as actions benefiting the deceased the prayer of a righteous child, continuing charity and useful knowledge, and it also says that some ceremonies (the seventh, twentieth, fortieth day and so on) are local customs with no basis in the shari’a; a scholar of religion neither takes the religious ruling nor the local custom as his own judgement but states the source and who is interpreting.