Abstract

This article examines the concept of "earth" in Burhān al-Din Rabghuzi's work known as "Qisas al-anbiya". In this study, the fundamental substances considered in the world mystical traditions and naturphilosophy, including the substance of the Earth (soil), are reviewed. Rabghuzi's ideas about man's connection with the transcendental world, his existential states and relations with natural reality were analysed. It is important to note the universality of the concept of ‘creation of man from clay’, which, being independent of religious beliefs, goes back to the biblical pair of Adam and Eve and represents a common beginning, forming the basis of world mystical teachings. In the religious-scholastic and metaphysical perspective, the human body, consisting of soul and mind, is created from earth matter, which explains man's respect for it and emphasises the existential significance of the earth. This aspect is particularly pronounced in Turkic-Muslim, particularly Kazakh culture, where the concept of soil is presented in a comparative analysis with similar worldview models. In addition, the concept of ‘earth-soil’ in the national consciousness manifests itself in the form of certain archaic mystical values. Given that the ideas presented in Rabghuzi's work require the study of nomadic traditions, they were compared with modern narrative religious judgements and scholars' opinions about the concept of soil. The study shows that representations of the soil contribute to a deeper disclosure of religious and mystical aspects of the ancient worldview of the Turkic-Kazakh people. Thus, the article outlines the main directions and prospects for the study of the concept of soil and mystical ideas about the creation of man from soil in interdisciplinary and comparative aspects.