The article is devoted to an important and relevant topic of reflection of pagan customs and rituals in the traditional culture of Dagestan (using the example of traditional Islam). The authors set a goal to differentiate the purely religious-canonical and actually surviving, pagan forms in this religion. As a result of the analysis of a whole complex of pagan customs and rituals: a pilgrimage to the mountains, the cult of saints, graves, the cult of deceased ancestors, magic, and comparing them with the existing norms of Islam, it was found that pagan rudiments were firmly entrenched in folk, traditional Islam. It has been established that at the present stage, these vestiges and cults continue to influence the ethical and moral norms of the peoples of Dagestan, since they are often perceived as purely canonical norms of Islam. This circumstance is often caused by numerous disputes and discussions in modern society. The essence of the discussions usually boils down to the following. The religious concept of Islam clearly defines the thesis of rejection of any innovations in religion. As a rule, innovations or new teachings mean everything that was somehow superimposed on Islam over many centuries, and that has nothing to do with early Islam of the period of the righteous caliphs. Hence the question is whether this or that phenomenon in religion is a pagan relic, a rudiment, or this canonically justified view is of particular relevance.