The win in Kazan, the capital of the Russian republic of Tatarstan, increased the Tatar side's lead to nine points with nine games to play. Dynamo remain second, with the Siberians, Amkar, and CSKA Moscow close behind.
Rubin now need six wins to guarantee themselves the championship. If they are successful in their title bid, it will be only the third time, after Alania Vladikavkaz in 1995 and Zenit St. Petersburg last year, that a team from outside Moscow has won the Russian championship.
After scoring right at the start of the game, Rubin then withheld a barrage of attacks from Dynamo to hold on for all three points.
"That was the toughest game of the season," said Rubin goalkeeper Sergei Rizhkov, who made a number of fine saves to keep the Muscovites at bay.
Last season's champions, Zenit St. Petersburg, beat Terek 4-1. The game was played in Makhachkala, the capital of Daghestan, after the Chechen side was banned from using its stadium in Grozny for one game following an attack on the referee at a home game in August.
Zenit, who are 14 points behind Rubin but only four points off a Champions League place for next season, begin their debut campaign in Europe's most prestigious competition with an away game against Juventus on Wednesday.
"I think we are ready now for the Champions League," said Pavel Pogrebnyak after the Terek game. Indeed, with Andrei Arshavin and new signing Danny in fine form, Zenit have every chance of getting out of a group that also contains Real Madrid and the champions of Belarus, BATE Borisov.
Spartak Moscow, who unveiled Danish soccer legend Michael Laudrup as their new manager on Monday, lost 2-1 away to Moskva FC.
Results -
Rubin 1 - 0 Dynamo Moscow
Terek 1 - 4 Zenit
CSKA Moscow 4 - 1 Luch Energiya (Vladivostok)
Saturn 2 - 0 Tom Tomsk
Krilya Sovetov 3 - 0 Khimki
Shinnik 1 - 2 Amkar
Spartak Nalchik 0 - 1 Lokomotiv Moscow
FC Moskva 2 -1 Spartak Moscow
Table (21 games unless stated - top three teams into Champions League, bottom two down)
Rubin - 45
Dynamo - 36
Amkar - 35
CSKA Moscow - 35
Spartak Moscow -33
Krilya Sovetov - 33
Zenit - 31 (20 games)
Lokomotiv Moscow - 28 (20 games)
FC Moskva - 26
Spartak Nalchik - 25
Terek - 25
Saturn - 24 (20 games)
Tom Tomsk - 22
Luch Energiya - 18
Shinnik - 15 (20 games)
Khimki - 14
