Abstract
<jats:p>The article examines the religious views of Kazakh enlighteners of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries – Chokan Valikhanov, Ibrai Altynsarin, Abai Kunanbayev, Shakarim Kudaiberdiev, Alikhan Bukeikhanov, Akhmet Baitursynov, and Mirzhakyp Dulatov. The aim of the study is to identify the specific features of their attitudes toward religion and to determine the role of religious views in shaping public consciousness and Kazakh national identity amid socio-political transformations. The methodological framework is based on historical-comparative, cultural, and analytical approaches. The findings show that most enlighteners regarded religion as an essential component of the spiritual life of the people, contributing to the preservation of moral values and social stability. At the same time, they criticized religious fanaticism, superstition, and dogmatism, emphasizing the need to integrate faith with enlightenment, science, and cultural progress. In particular, Valikhanov advocated a rational understanding of religion; Altynsarin emphasized its educational function; Abai and Shakarim sought moral renewal through religious-philosophical reflection; whereas Bukeikhanov, Baitursynov, and Dulatov viewed religious values as a foundation in the struggle for national revival. The novelty of the article lies in a comprehensive comparative analysis of the religious ideas of Kazakh intellectuals, revealing the contradictory yet productive interaction between tradition and modernization. The practical significance of the study consists in the applicability of its results to academic courses in history, philosophy, and religious studies, as well as to understanding the evolution of spiritual values in Kazakh society.</jats:p>