Central Asian women preachers are spiritual masters and exemplars of Islamic piety. They serve as respected teachers and guides in the same way as Muslim scholars. They often surpass them in their understanding of the Qurʾān, Islamic spirituality, and Sufi doctrine. Whether they are otnae (spiritual teachers), otincha (Qurʾān reciters), founders of Sufi women's sects, or individual mystics and ascetics, they embody a wisdom that cannot be concealed. Central Asian women preachers kept the spirit of Islam intact in society during the Soviet er…