The Bektashi Sufi Order

38 Pages·2014·0.39 MB·English

by  Hajreddin Hoxha

The Bektashi Sufi Order
Introduction to its History and Beliefs

By

Dr. Hajredin Hoxha
Assistant Professor of the Islamic Studies
College of Community - Taibah University,
al-Madinah al-Munawarah - Kindgom of Saudi Arabia

Chapter one:

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BRIEF HISTORY OF THE ORDER

A- The first period from the founding of the order about 1250 to the time
of Sultan Balim about 1500

1-The condition of Anatolia in the thirteenth Century

To get a better understanding of any phenomenon or belief, it is necessary
to have a look at the social and religious conditions existing at that time.
(See: The Bektashi Orders, by John Kingsley Birge, p. 22). In order to get
some clear and crucial information about the Bektashi Order, we have to
study even shortly some historical events which took place at that time of
its rise. In the case of Bektashism as a “conglomeration-mixture of many
different beliefs” (Islam Ansiklopedisi – the latest version, vol. 1, p. 46)
from Christian, Islamic, Greek and pagan ideas.
By understanding its historical background we may be able to find out
how this Sufi Order arose, and also we will be able to find the sources of
its growth.
Yet, Anatolian history seems to be a very difficult and complicated issue
and study. Finding out the truth and the origins of the old Turks,
respectively Seljuks and their heterodox beliefs was not an easy task for
me and for others also. This is because of the lack of important sources
and references, and many of them were lost or burned as the most famous
Turkish orientalist writer pointed out. Also the studies on the subject were
quite limited. (See: Islam In Anatolia after the Turkish Invasion, by
Mehmet Fuad Koprulu, tr. Gari Leiser, p. 3), and also there were some
important reasons like political, economical, and conflicts which led the
Turks to emigrate to Anatolia from different parts of Asia. (See
Anadoluda Islamiyetin Yayilisi by: Dr. Osman Cetin, pp. 61-85).

We are going to rely on the study of the most famous Bektashi researcher
in the West, Mr. John Kingsley Birge, with which he obtained his Ph.D.
dissertation in Istanbul. We will refer to his study as much as we can,
because of lack of the sources and references regarding this crucial issue.
So let us get started with what wrote and studied regarding this subject.

He was quoted saying that:
“Long before the beginning of the century the penetration of Asia
Minor by hordes of Moslems had begun. Forces of Oguz Turks had
entered Asia Minor as early as 1037 when they defeated on the shores of
the Lake Van a Byzantine force, killing 24.000 of the Christian foe. The
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chief invasion of the country by Turkish peoples, however, came almost
immediately after the battle of Malazgirt in 1071. After the Byzantine
Emperor, Romanus Diogenes, had been defeated by Alp Arslan, the
Great Seljuk, at Malazgirt, the conquest and hereditary command of the
provinces of the Roman Empire from Erzurum to Constantinople were
entrusted by Alp Arslan to Sulejman, the son of Kutlmush, descendent as
Alp Arslan himself was from Seljuk. Sulejman with his four brothers
crossed the Euphrates and in incredibly short time traversed the length of
Asia Minor and established his camp at Kutahya. He later set up palace in
Nicea, his forces in six years having extended themselves from the
Euphrates almost to Constantinople and from the Black sea to Syria. (The
Bektashi Order of Dervishes, pp. 22-23).
After this short historical introduction, the author began analyzing
some internal factors which made them advanced over territory which the
Seljuk commander had not planned to invade..
He said :
“First there was the breakup of the Byzantine army. It had been
severely defeated in battle and its commander captured under Isaac
Comnenos, the general who succeeded to authority. The army in its own
strength was no longer able to offer effective resistance. Social
conditions prevailing among the poor peasantry tended also to alienate
the local inhabitants from the Byzantine authority. A considerable part of
these peasants had been completely under the power of the rich
landowners and were ready to listen to promises of a rival power. Many
estates were worked by slaves. Suleiman declared them free on payment
of a certain tax and so won their sympathy for the invader. A third factor
was the accrete, frontier guards, upon whom the responsibility was
placed for defending the empire from Muslim invaders and from the raids
of the appellate, or outlaws who roved in bands and were ready to fight
for either side.. Corresponding to the acritae on the Byzantine side were
the gazis, or conquerors for the faith, on the Moslem front. Dr. Wittek in
his lectures on the History of the Turks in Rum has shown us how
important were these fighters, and how the gazi mentality animated the
Danishments, the Seljuks and all Turkish invaders at least down to the
time of Muhammad the Conqueror.
A fifth factor was the nomadic Turkmen peoples. How early this
penetration by Turkmen tribes began is uncertain, but the Turkish
historian Prof. Fuad Koprulu has indicated in his Les Origines de
L’Empire Ottoman that by the middle of the thirteenth century Anatolia
was in large part, perhaps predominantly, Turkish, a population made up
principally of these Turkmen peoples. (The Bektashi Orders of
Dervishes, p. 24) and also see (Islam Ansiklopedisi, 2-Cilt, 461).

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Later on the author of this study provides us some details and information
about the Seljuk state and some other rival Islamic states which have been
invaded, and also what happened with some rulers and princes. Let’s see
how the author elaborated these historical important events shortly.
Mr. John Kingsley Birge writes:

“By the opening of the thirteenth century the capital of the Seljuk state
had been removed to Konya, and seven Seljuk rulers had set on the
throne. Rival Islamic states, the Danishments of Sivas and Malatiya in
particular had been conquered and before the century opened, Kilic
Arslan II felt so secure that he divided his empire between his eleven
sons (Encyclopedia of Isalm, Seljuks). Following the Latin Empire in
Constantinople in 1204, the Turks became the natural allies of the Greeks
and the enemies of both the Crusaders and their allies, the Armenians.
The golden era of the Seljuks came in the reign of Alaeddin Keykubat I
whose reign extended from 1219 to 1236. Having spent several years as
an exile in Constantinople, Alaeddin was a well educated man, familiar
with Christianity. During his enlightened reign occurred the great
building era which has left to our own day architectural remains of great
splendor. Konia, Sivas, and Alaja in particular were beautified by places,
mosques, theological colleges and other buildings constructed when
Seljuk art was at its best.” (The Bektashi Order of Dervishes, pp. 24-25)

And later on Alaeddin also did some great deeds and actions. He extended
his territory up to Seleucia and compelled Armenian princes to pay taxes,
and also gained some cities like Ahlat on Lake Wan, and in 1230 he also
moved against the Harezm Sah Celalledin who wanted to capture Ahlat
and Asia Minor, and when the fierce battle took place near Erzinjan,
Alaeddin was victorious. And later on in 1243 Alaeddin’s successor
Giyasuddin Keyhusrefe II at one place called Kosedag was defeated badly
by the Mongol Emperor Hulagu, and was forced to pay same tributes and
taxes. From that time the Seljuks lost their independence. Later on the
Seljuks sought help from the Mamluks of Egypt against Mongols. The
Mamluks victory was followed by heavy defeat, and the cities like Sivas
and Cesarea were captured by the Mongols in 1243, and the people of that
city were massacred and underwent genocide and the cities were torched 1
P0F P
and since that time (1248) Asia Minor was under Mongols. (Ibid, p:26)

1 Exactly like the Serbs did in the two wars in the twentieth century in Bosnia and Kosova. In the
Kosova’s case they burned more than 300 villages, more than 20.000 people were massacred and
killed, more than 200.000 were displaced as refugees in different parts of the world, more than 7000 are
still missing in Serbian jails, more than 1.000.000 were deported from Kosova to the neighboring
countries in Macedonia, Albania and some in Bosnia. This was done intentionally by Serbian
government ruling machine, as a large Serbian project for "Great Serbia" and that required the ethnic
cleansing of Albanian and Bosnian Muslims.
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As a result of Mongols victory over the Seljuks, Turkish emirs finally set
up independent states in other parts of Anatolia, and what was known as
united states in the time of Alaeddin in 1300 that was broken up and
divided into many principalities. (Ibid, p. 26)

According to Kingsley’s understanding there should be some kind of
internal, or racial, or cultural relationship between the local people and the
invaders. The problem is that Turkish rulers sometimes were involved
politically in a very close relationship with Byzantine rulers and because
of Crusades and finally with Mongols, by 1300 the whole Asia Minor was
Turkified. (Ibid, p. 26)

So at this complicated issue two main factors were behind the beginning
of mystical secret religious life. Firstly the lack of political security
because of the wars which led people to the insecurity and temporary life,
and a dislike of this world and the burning love and desire for God, which
led many people to seek some kind of internal or inner peace in religious
life.
Secondly, in contrast with the first factor, there was something what the
author called a militant impulse and desire to conquer the world in the
name of religion), and this second characteristic factor has been seen at
Gazis when they first invaded Anatolia, and later in Turkish princes when
described themselves (Ibid, p. 27, taken from: Wittek’s Deux Chapters,
Byzantium XI, 1936, p. 302 off).

These two factors mentioned above can be found in the Bektashi literature
until today. We may refer to the poetry of Yunus Emre, The Fevaitname of
Haxhi Bektash, there are expressions and a big interest for the next world
(al-akhira). Also in the stories of the conquest of Ali, the traditions of
Seyit Gazi Bottal and the Vilayetname of Haji Bektash Veli, and the
Vilayetname of Seyit Ali Sultan there are expressions of the “Gazi”
mentality. As a result of that, the first factor helped the people to produce
some mystics like Jalal al-Din Rumi, and the second one was seen clearly
when the Bektashi followers tried to built, organize and, to spread the
Order (The Bektashi Order of Dervishes, pp. 27-28).

These two factors can be as a strong foundation to understand a very
important issue in this context. That is, Islam and Christianity were
spreading and growing together.

When the Crusaders passed through Minor Asia they occupied Konia
under Frederick Barbarossa. From that time in contact with Crusaders the
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Muslims were under their influence, and this influence can be seen when
some Turkish princes began imitating the Christians in coining money
like Christians. Yet another case where the brother of the Turkish famous
prince Ruknuddin Suleiman in 1196, was in exile and he took refuge
under the Christians, and he was nearly to become Christian, and he got
married with a Christian lady. When his successor Alaeddin lived in
Constantinople he was not against Christianity, and in war his main trust
was upon his Christian soldiers in army, and he gave a lot of privileges to
Christian Merchants. The same thing could be said forJalal al-Din Rumi
the patron saint of the Mevlevi Tarikat which was himself tolerant and
friendly towards Christians.

Some of those who studied the history of the order like the author of the
book The Bektashi Order of Dervishes and the German famous Orientalist
Babinger and others, tried to ensure that type of Islam which was adopted
by the Seljuk Rulers was like a Shi’ite doctrine because of the influence of
the Safavids (The Bektashi Order, p. 29). For more details about the rise
of Safavids see the article: “Muslim Religious Trends under the Timurids
and the Rise of the Safavids”, in Mehmet Fuad Koprulu, Islam in Anatolia
After Turkish Invasion, p. 39).

However, this idea was denied by some Turkish Orientalists, like Fuad
Koprulu, and he agrees particularly with Dr. Osman Cetin’s statement
from Ibn Battuta, like the respect of Twelve Imams and Veneration of
Sayyidina Ali, the dervish respect of the Sheikh’s etc.

But I have founded in some Turkish literature something which
contradicts the first statement, which was saying that the Seljuks almost
all of them were Shi’ite and Alevis.

The Turkish writter Dr. Osman Cetin in his book in Turkish Anadoluda
Islamiyetin Yayilasi, p. 163 has written:
“Ibn Batutan in asagidagi ifadeleri herhangi bir karineye ihtiyac
duymadan Anadollunun suninlige sehadet eder: “Ulke Anadalu halki
butunuyle Imam Ebu Hanife Allah (c.c.) ondan razi olsun, mezhebinden
(Hanefi ) olup Ehli Sunnetir. Aralarinda ne Rafizi, ne Mutezili, ne Kaderci,
nede bid’at ehli bulunmaktadir. Allah Teala Hazretleri onlari bu faziletleri
ile ustun kilmistir… Fakat koylerde ... Turkmenlerde ve Iranli unsurlari
buluduyu as cok.”

Which means: From the Islamic famous traveler Ibn Batuta we cannot
find any single indication which confirms that they were Alevi or Shi’ite.
Ibn Batuta said: The entire population of Anatolia was of the Maz’hab al-
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Imam Abu Hanifa, may Allah be pleased with him, and all of them were
Sunnis. Among them we cannot find anybody who belongs to the Rafidi,
Mutezili, Qadari sects. Also there were no people of Bid’ah (heterodoxy).
This was Allah will and protection for them. There was some influence in
some villages, but rather small.

2-The relationship between the Kalenderis and Bekatshis

After the Mongol invasion a great number of Dervishes from Turkistan,
Buhara and Harezm who sought the refuge under the Seljuks was greatly
increased. According to Prof. Fuad Koprulu the majority of dervishes
were of the Kalenderiye sect, and he considers this Kalenderiye
movement one of the most religious events. They withdrew from the
world and cared not for tomorrow, and they were travelling a lot. Their
aim and tendency was towards Alevi theology, and their influence among
the Turkmen was very great, and with their Shi’i doctrines and secret
mysteries they played a great role also in the political situation. (The
Bektashi Order, p. 32, also see Islam Ansiklopedisi, C-5, 375)

According to the above statement and also to some other historical
references we can see that:

In the relationship between the Kalenderi and Bektashi Orders we can
find that the leader of the Kalenderi Order was Baba Ilyas al-Horasani.
He had to important successors and they were: Baba Is’haq and Haci
Bektas. They both were among Kalenderi orders. After some time, there
seemed to be some kind of dispute and disagreement among them. This
dispute made them (Baba Is’haq and Haci Bektas) to rebel from this
order and to establish their own order, which later was known as
Bekatshi Order. (See: Ahmet Yasar Ocak, Kalenderiler- Osmanli
Imperaturlugunda Marjinal Sufilik, XIV-XVII- Yuzyillar, p: 205), and
also see Islam Ansiklopedisi, C-5, p. 373), and for further details see the
article: Muslim Religious Life In Anatolia in the Eighth century and the
Rise of the Ottomans in: Islam In Anatolia after the Turkish Invasion,
p:25).

B-The Life of Haji Bektash Veli (Founder of the order)

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Haji Bektash Veli was described by his followers:

“O honorable Patron Saint, Seyit Sultan, Haji Bektash Veli, may God
the Most High bless his mystery. He rode lions, talked with birds and
deer, walked on the sea, flew to the heavens on a lion skin, raised the
dead, gave sight to the blind, and cured the sick.”

John Kingsley Birge further writes in his The Bektashi Order of
Dervishes:

”As an aid to the memory and in accordance with a wellknown
universal custom in the Moslem east the life of Haji Bektash Veli is
summarized among Bektashis in four sentences, certain words of
each sentence containing letters whose numerical value accounts for
one fact or another in the chronology of the Saint's life. These four
sentences are as follows:

1. Hazreti Pirin veladeti müruvvet,
2. Horasandan Ruma tesrif eder, reft,
3. Müddeti ömrü Muhammad dir cemali,
4. Bektasiye tarih asvabi rihlet,

1. Hazreti Pirin veladeti müruvvet, ``The birth of the Patron Saint,
generosity of soul.'' The word müruvvet with its four Arabic letters:
mim - 40,
re -200,
ve- 6,
and,
te -400
The sum of these numbers results in 646, which is accepted as
the traditional date for his birth, 646 A.H. (1248 A.D.)

2. Horasandan Ruma tesrif eder, reft. He came from Khorasan to
Rum, the outgoing. Reft has the numerical value as follows:
re -200,
fe 80-
and,
te - 400;
gives 680. 680 A.H. (1281) is therefore taken as the date of his
coming to Anatolia at the age of thirty-four.

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3. Müddeti ömrü Muhammad dir cemali. ``The length of his life
is the beauty of Muhammad.'' This time not the final word but
the word Muhammad gives the number of yers of his life:
mim- 40,
ha- 8,
mim - 40,
and,
dal- 4
which gives 92.
This number is therefore accepted as the number of years he lived.

4. Bektasiye tarih asvabi rihlet. The date of his death 738 A.H.
(A.D. 1337) is represented by the fourth sentence “The
Bektash’s date of death, very true.'' In this sentence both word
Bektasiye and the words asvabi rihlet equal 738:
be -2,
kef -20,
te -400,
elif- 1,
sin -300,
be -10, and
he -5 gives 738

and;

elif -1,
sad -90,
vav -6,
elif -1,
be -2,
re -200,
ha -8,
lam -30,
te -300 gives 738.( See: The Bektashi order of Dervishes, p. 34)

He was one among those spiritual leaders who gained a high reputation
for miraculous powers among the (credulous) people ﻖﻳﺪ�ﺼﺘﻟﺍ ﻲﻌﻳﺮ�ﺳ both
Muslim and Christian. The Bektashi ancestry goes back to the Prophet
Muhamed peace be upon him. This is mentioned at the Vilayetname of
Haji Bektash Veli, and the descent is as follows:

1. Muhammed
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2. Fatma the wife of Ali
3. Imam Huseyn
4. ImamZeynulabidin
5. Imam Muhamed Bakir
6. Imam Cafer Sadik
7. Imam Musa Kazim
8. Seyit Ibrahim El-Mucab
9. Seyit Musa Sani
10. Seyit Sultan Ibrahim Sani
11. Haji Bektash Veli

His father is shown to be Seyit Sultan Ibrahim who was ruler of a state in
Khorasan. When the future saint was born he was given the name Bektash
which means “Companion in rank” or “an equal with a prince.” As a
baby in the cradle he was heard to recite the word of testimony to God’s
unity. (The Bektashi order of Dervishes, p.36).

He was born in the city of Nishabur in Khorasan. His father is Seyyid
Ibrahim from Khorasan and his mother is Khatem Khatun of Nishabur.

Haci Bektas Veli had spent the first 25 years of his life in Nishabur where
he learned philosophy, physics, literature and other sciences from noted
scientists of Turkistan, headed by Lokman Perende. He bolstered his
knowledge with extensive travels in Turkistan, Iran, Baghdad, Kerbela,
Mecca and Syria.

He then moved on to Anatolia and settled at Sulucakarahuyuk, whose
current name is Hacibektas, upon an invitation from Ahmet Yesevi. He
developed his thought at the Turkish culture center that he established
here, raised untold numbers of pupils and played the leader of military,
social and religious unity among the Anatolian Turks by also tiding up
the problems of the people and the army.
Marrying Fatma Nuriye Hanem (Kadincik Ana), daughter of Îdris Hoca,
Haci Bektas Veli travelled extensively the regions where the Turks had
settled Anatolia, studied the Turkish customs and traditions as maintained
intact until then, amalgamated the Islamic faith and Turkish culture, in the
culture center that he had erected and founded his philosophy on this
vector of consensus. Known also as the founder - saint of the Janissary
group, he was instrumental in creating the Turkish unity in Anatolia,
raised the status of the woman in the social life and continued for his
entire life his efforts to protect the Turkish language and culture from
foreign influences and heretic intrusions. He is believed to have died in
1337. Haci Bektas Veli is buried in his shrine at Hacibektas town.
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