Bektashi Order Research Articles

Music in the Bektashi Order in RN Macedonia: Aspects of Performance

The spiritual tradition of the Turkish population in RN Macedonia is rich and still nurtures some segments of Sufism from the Ottoman period such as the Bektashi dervish order. In the period before the arrival of the Ottomans (around the 13th century), numerous Sufis were active in these territories, which in some way represented a transition point for the conquest and settlement of the Turks. Numerous Bektashi tekkes were built during the Ottoman period, several of which are still active today. Depending on the ethnic composition of the followers, the linguistic dominance of these Sufi structures also changes. The only Bektashi tekke whose members are Turks is the tekke ‘Dikmen Baba’ located in the village Kanatlarci near Prilep. This tekke is one of the few in the Bektashi orders that, despite several divisions in the spiritual leadership, has operated without interruption since its founding in the 16th century. Such divisions did not affect the essence of the spiritual beliefs nor the ritual forms of this dervish order which remain almost identical to those practised at the very beginning. The main focus of this paper will be the musical tradition of the ritual, and for the following reasons: 1. music, as the main activity of the Bektashi rituals, is the essential vehicle for spreading and reinforcing beliefs and wisdom for everyday community life, 2. its importance as a fundamental tool in the expression of mystical theosophy, and 3. variations in the repertoire as a result of drawing upon and integrating sacred music from local populations. For this purpose, field research, interviews, and the analysis of audio materials from the sacred rites of the Bektashi tekke Dikmen Baba in the village of Kanatlarci have been carried out.

A THEMATIC AND STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF TEKHAYYULĀT: THE PROMINENT PERSIAN POETRY COLLECTION BY NAIM FRASHERI

The spread of Islam in the Balkans under Ottoman rule along with the emergence of Sufi sects, including the Bektashi order, paved the way for the expansion of Persian literature as a source of Sufi literature in this region and especially in Albania. Over the centuries, the Persian language and literature have maintained their presence and function in the Balkans, and several Sufi figures and intellectuals have chosen Persian as the medium for the expression of their literary creations. Among them, The most well-known Albanian who wrote Persian poetry in the late 19th century is undoubtedly Naim Frasheri (1846-1900). He published his collections of Persian poems, entitled “Tekhayyulāt” in 1885 in Istanbul. In this paper, after an overview of the spread and development of the Persian language and literature in the Balkans and in Albania, Naim’s poems in “Tekhayyulāt” are presented and analysed. The study is grounded on the theory of formalism in literature and aims to apply structural analysis to Naim’s Persian poems. To this end, employing a qualitative approach as the research methodology, two types of analyses are conducted, thematic analysis which reviews the content and the themes of his poems, and then structural analysis which is based on Leech’s theory of linguistic deviation (1969), focuses on the application of three types of linguistic deviations, namely phonological, lexical and grammatical, to enable a structural analysis of the poems. The results of the analysis show that Naim’s Persian poems have limited ranges of themes, and the main theme in his poems is about ‘nature’ while the structural analysis of linguistic deviations in his poems indicates his mastery of the Persian language to express his thoughts in poetic form.

BEKTAŞİ BİR HALK ŞAİRİ ALİ İLHAMİ VE DİVAN’I

Bektashi order has a deep-rooted tradition, and a long history. This situation was reflected in the Bektashi literature and led to the emergence of rich Bektashi literature. Bektashi poets reflected their cultural background, beliefs, traditions and lives in their poems. Ali İlhami, who was a member of the Bektashi order and who had been a Shaikh for the Seyyid Battal Gazi Lodge for many years, was one of the folk poets who successfully used the methods and principles, subtleties, beliefs and traditions of this order in his poems. It is seen that his poems focus on the love of Allah, Hz. Ali, Hz. Hasan, Hz. Hüseyin, Twelve Imams, Haci Bektashi Veli, Battal Gazi, the Karbala incident, and devotion to the founders of the order and mentors. The topics such as nature, the transience of the world and human love are also handled in his poems. He shaped his poetry with advices such as not following the soul, not seeing the fault of anyone, and abandoning the love of the world. Considering Ali İlhami’s poems, it is seen that these are the poems that overlap with the principles of Bektashi order and support the rites of this path. Ali İlhami's poems were collected by Şükrü Efendi, the grandson of the poet, and arranged as Dîvân-ı Şeyh İlhâmî and Seyyid Battal Gazi. In this study, it is aimed to add a new and rich source to the Turkish folk poetry treasury by transferring 49 poems in the in the printed copy of Ali İlhami’s Divan, one of the 19th century folk poets, written in Ottoman Turkish to Latin letters. In addition, based on the poems in the Divan, how the Bektashi doctrine was handled in İlhami's poetry and how it was expressed was also emphasized. Keywords: Tasawwuf, Bektashi Order, Ali Ilhami, Divan, Poem.

THE PERCEPTION OF HACI BEKTAS IN THE POEMS OF ÂŞIK MEHMET ÇİL OF AKSARAY IN THE CONTEXT OF LIVING BEKTASHISM

Various beliefs and practices of the Bektashi order, which was founded by the followers of Hacı Bektaş-i Veli, one of the leaders of Turkish mysticism, are still alive in some Turkmen settlements in Anatolia. Gaziemir village of Aksaray, where Bektashism continues to exist as a way of life, is one of them. The village is close to Hacı Bektaş-i district of Nevşehir, to Yūnus Emre Tomb, and to the village and tomb of Taptuk (Emre) in Ortakoy district of Aksaray, which accounts for the vitality of the belief and practice regarding the three great mystics in the village. Gaziemir village is 100 kilometres to the Hacı Bektaş-i Veli Complex, 87 kilometres to the Yūnus Emre Tomb, and 50 kilometres to the Taptuk Emre Tomb. The residents of Gaziemir village visit the Hacı Bektaş-i Veli Tomb in their daily lives for various reasons such as having a child and making vows, and regularly participate in the annual Hacı Bektaş-i Veli Commemoration Festival. Âşık Mehmet Çil, who was born into the Alevi-Bektashi culture in the village of Gaziemir, served regularly as baba (a religious title granted to the helper of the spiritual leader dede in Alevism) for a long time, and represented dede, who came to the village once a year. Mehmet Çil, who spent most of his life in his village dealing with animal husbandry and farming, apart from some short leaves for military service and business purposes, is one of the strongest representatives of Bektashism, regarding the culture he was born into and the duty he assumed in this culture. This study aimed to make evaluations about Bektashism in the example of Gaziemir village and to determine the effect of the concrete existence of Hacı Bektaş-i Veli Complex on the continuity of living Bektashism. The method used in this study is field research based on natural observation, and text-centred analyses were carried out on Mehmet Çil’s poems related to the subject. The result of the study revealed that the cultural vitality in the village and the concrete existence of Hacı Bektaş-i Veli Complex contributed significantly to the continuity of the belief. Keywords: Hacı Bektaş-i Veli, Alevism-Bektashism, Aksaray, Âşık Tradition, Mehmet Çil.

ARKĀN-NĀME OF BABAGÂN BEKTASHI ORDER DESCRIBING A SHAVING RITUAL: AN INITIATION RITUAL OF BEKTASHI TARIQA

Arkān-nāme titled Der Beyân-ı Erkan-ı Tırâş ve İntisâb-ı Tarîk-ı Bektâşiyye, which is the subject of our study, is in the library of Hacı Bayram Veli University, The Application and Research Centre for Hacı Bektaş-ı Veli Studies in Terms of Turkish Culture with archive number B-311-183 and registered under the name of Albania Arkān-nāme. There is no information about the author or the copyist of the work written in the same handwriting. There is also a record of the date on which it was written. The beginning and the end of the text missing and it was written in Ottoman Turkish. There are Arabic verses and prayers and short Persian quotations in the text. In the section that starts with the title Der Beyân-ı Erkân-ı Tırâş and İntisâb-ı Tarîk-i Bektaşiyye, which is among the 32b-35b leaves of the manuscript, the shaving practice of the people who belonged to the Bektashi order is described. In the Bektashi sect, there are various ceremonies in which the shaving method is practiced. One of these ceremonies is arkān applied to people who join the sect. As can be understood from the title, in the manuscript, the shaving practices of those who joined the Bektashi order are described in this section. For this reason, this part of the manuscript was transcribed and the shaving practice applied to people who belonged to the sect rather than other shaving practices was evaluated. Naturally, our work is not only a translation work, but also includes research on the shaving method in the Bektashi order and the content analysis of the text. Der Beyân-ı Erkan-ı Tırâş and İntisâb-ı Tarîk-i Bektâşiyye gives a brief and concise statement and tells the shaving practice of the soul who will enter the Bektashi order. It is important to translate the written sources of Bektashism into the language used today. It is extremely important to translate all the arkan-nāmes containing the shaving arkān into today’s language in terms of revealing their common and different aspects. Increasing studies on this subject will greatly contribute to reveal common and different aspects among ṣūfī orders.

Çankırı Müzesi’nde Bulunan Tekke Şamdanları

Dini ve sivil mimaride birer aydınlatma aracı olmaları açısından işlevsel olarak kullanılan şamdanlar özellikle ışık simgeselliği çerçevesinde birçok inançta sembolik anlamlar yansıtmış ve bu sembolizm eserlerin tasarımını da etkilemiştir. Seramik, cam, maden gibi malzemelerden üretilen şamdanlar kullanıldıkları yere göre farklı boyutlarda üretilmiş ve buna bağlı olarak isimlendirilmiştir. Türk İslam toplumlarında dini ve sivil mimaride kullanılan şamdanlar tekkelerde de işlevselliğin yanı sıra sembolik anlamlar ifade edecek şekilde yer almıştır. Bu çalışmada tasavvuf ve tarikatlarda şamdan-kandil-çerağ kavramlarının işlevsel ve sembolik yönleri konusunda bilgiler verildikten sonra Çankırı Müzesi’nde yer alan ve Çankırı Taş Mescid Mevlevîhânesi’nden müzeye getirilmiş olan on üç adet tekke şamdanı sanat tarihi disiplini çerçevesinde malzeme-teknik-süsleme açısından tanıtılmış, tarihlendirilmeleri yapılarak değerlendirilmiştir. Bu çalışma ile tekke şamdanlarının tasavvuf literatüründeki sembolik ifadelerinin yanı sıra eserlerin sanat tarihi disiplini çerçevesinde incelenerek Türk İslam sanatındaki yerinin tespiti ve bu konuda yapılmış çalışmalarla birlikte sonraki araştırmalar için literatüre katkı sunulması amaçlanmıştır. Kaynaklarda tekkelerde kullanılan aydınlatma araçlarından çerağ ve kandiller fazlaca zikredilse de gerek yazılı gerekse görsel eserler ve müzelere farklı dergâhlardan gelen, 13-14. yüzyıl civarına tarihlendirilen örnekler şamdanların da tekke aydınlatma aracı olarak erken dönemlerden itibaren kullanıldığını göstermektedir. Bitkisel, geometrik, figür ve yazılı kompozisyonların yer aldığı bu eserler önemli bir sanat objesi olarak karşımıza çıkmaktadır. Günümüzde farklı müze ve koleksiyonlarda yer alan tekke şamdanları biçimsel olarak farklılık göstermektedir. Genel olarak meydan-ı şeriflerdeki şamdanlar benzer olmakla birlikte Bektaşiyye’deki Kırk Budak Şamdanı ya da Mevleviyye’deki on sekiz kollu şamdan gibi farklı örnekler de mevcuttur. Bu farklı formların oluşumunda genelde tasavvuf literatürünün özelde ise ilgili tarikatın İslam inancı çerçevesindeki sembolik yansımaları etkili olmuştur. Şamdanların formunu etkileyen sembolik unsurların yanı sıra bu eşyaların temsil ettikleri bazı anlamlar da vardır. Tekkelerdeki şamdanlar tıpkı çerağ ve kandiller gibi dervişe seyr-i sülûkunda sürekli takip etmesi gereken ve yolunda yürümesini sağlayan Allah’ın nûrunu, Hz. Peygamber’i (s.a.v.), Kur’ân-ı Kerîm-i, ilgili tarikatın pirini hatırlatan bir unsurdur. Tekkelerdeki aydınlatma araçlarından kandil ve çerağlardan özellikle Bektaşiyye tarikatına ait olanlar özel isimlerle adlandırılmaları ve tasarımlarındaki sembolik yönler ile farklı araştırmalara konu olmuştur. Gerek tasarımları gerekse kandil ve çerağlar gibi yansıttıkları sembolik anlamlarla Türk İslam sanatının önemli örnekleri olan tekke şamdanları hakkında çalışmalar azdır. Bu makalede incelenen tüm şamdanlar madeni (pirinç) olup dövme ve döküm teknikleri ile üretilmiştir. Farklı mumluk, gövde ve kaide formlarına sahip eserlerden bazıları çift olarak üretilmişken tek olan örnekler de vardır. Eserlerden bazılarında mumluklarda görülen lale formu ve bir eserdeki yazı dışında süsleme unsuru yoktur. Üzerlerinde tarih ibaresi bulunmayan şamdanlar farklı müzelerde yer alan benzer vakıf ve tekke şamdanları ile karşılaştırıldığında ve Çankırı Mevlevîhânesi’nin tarihi süreci dikkate alındığında 19. yüzyıla ait örnekler olduğu görülmektedir. Yine farklı koleksiyonlarda yer alan birçok şamdanın üzerindeki ibareden vakıf eseri olduğu anlaşılırken çalışmadaki eserlerde böyle bir kayıt da yoktur. Tarihlendirme dışında önemli bir durum da sanatçı konusudur. Eserlerin üzerinde sanatçı-usta ibaresi mevcut değildir. Ancak eserler aynı döneme ait farklı alanlarda kullanılan şamdanlarla karşılaştırıldığında 19. yüzyıl şamdanlarında rastlanan ortak formları sergilemelerinden dolayı dönemin ortak dilini yansıtan eserler oldukları görülmektedir. Üretildikleri devrin özelliklerini yansıtan bu eserler gerek formları gerekse sembolik anlamları ile Türk İslam maden sanatının önemli örneklerindendir.

From the History of Turkish Popular Literature: The Novel of Peyami Safa “A Young Girl Among The Bektashi”

This article centers around the figure of Peyami Safa, a classic of Turkish literary modernism, and particularly around his creative activities that have not yet received enough attention in Turkish studies in Russia, especially his contribution into Turkish mass (popular) literature. Under examination is the story “A Young Girl Among The Bektashi”, which combines erotic, detective, and gothic plot lines. The story was published in 1927 under the name Server Bedi, a widely known pseudonym of Peyami Safa. In this work he manifests as a writer extremely sensitive to the political situation, to government ideology, and to state policy. A decree aimed at secularization of the state was issued in Turkey in 1925, according to which dervishes’ tekkes were to be closed. Even though the struggle against “popular” forms of Islam started much earlier, in the late 19th century, when Sultan Mahmud II took steps to eradicate the Bektashi Order of dervishes, the Republican government was still in need of legitimizing its activities at all levels and in all forms of social influencing, including such media as literature and fiction. To further discredit the Alevi and Bektashi religious minorities, Peyami Safa builds his story around (and actively uses) various misconceptions about dervishes’ customs, rituals, and religious practices, misconceptions that were purported and widely circulated among the Sunni Turks. The novelty of the paper lies in the fact that it gives the fullest biography of the writer available in Russian, which, in turn, reveals major underlying reasons that determined the author’s choice of narrative strategies. Due to Peyami Safa’s personal features that were exacerbated by a serious disease he suffered, he failed to create a literary piece of mass literature of the same high quality which characterizes modernism writings created under his own name.

An Essay on the Pre-Islamic Beliefs Narrated in the Legends of Bektashi Order in the Balkans

Türklerin dinlere karşı duydukları ilgi dünyadaki büyük dinlerden çoğunu bulundukları coğrafyaya göre, art arda ya da aynı anda benimsemelerine neden olmuştur. Türklerin diğer dinleri kabul etmeleri neticesinde eskiden kalma inançları birden kaybolmamış, bu inanç ve geleneklerin izleri ve etkileri birçok konuda merkezden taşraya doğru gidildikçe ton değiştirerek günlük hayatın içerisinde daha belirgin hale geldiği müşahede edilmektedir. Binaenaleyh eski dünyanın tanınmış ibadet yerlerindeki dinsel törenler çoğunlukla yöresel eski dinlerin kalıntılarını da yansıtır. Daha da önemlisi Fatih bir ırk veya bir misyoner örgütünün dinsel üyeleri tarafından yabancı ülkelere getirilen yeni dinsel söylemlerin gücü ile yerli dinsel törenler biçim değiştirerek yeni dinin malı olur. Türklerin evliya ile ilgili dinî düşüncelerinin kaynağı, İslâm’a kadar; ağırlıklı olarak atalar kültü, Şamanizm sonra kısmen etkili olan, Hristiyanlık, Budizm, Mazdeizm ve Maniheizm gibi inançların etkisiyle oluştuğu gözlenmektedir. İslam’ın Türk halkları arasında tasavvufi boyutuyla kabul görüp yaygınlaşması ve gelişmesi XII. yüzyıldan itibaren Müslüman Türk evliya tipini de etkilemiştir. Bundan böyle gelecekten haber veren, hastaları iyileştiren, göklerde uçabilen ve ateşte yanmayan bir evliya tipi İslam dairesi içerisinde dinî ve tasavvufi metinlerde yerini almıştır. Çalışmada, Türk kökenli halkların inanç tarihine bir nebze de olsa katkıda bulunabilmek için XVII. yüzyıl büyük Türk seyyahı Evliya Çelebi’nin Balkanlarda kayıt altına aldığı, Bektaşi menkıbelerinden hareketle, İslam öncesi inanç unsurlarını irdeleyerek kutsalın değişen morfolojisi, tarihi gelişimi ve dinler arasındaki senkretizm, ana hatlarıyla değerlendirilecektir.

Muhibbân Dergisinin II. Meşrutiyet Dönemi Sosyal Hadiselerine Yaklaşımı

When the Abdülhamid’s despotic rule was abandoned, freedom of the press in the Second Constitutional Era’s earlier times paved the way for the emergence of numerous periodicals. The newspaper Muhibbân owned and edited by Hacıbeyzâde Ahmed Muhtar [Yeğtaş], a baba of the Bektashi Order, was one of the periodicals, which was born in 4 September 1909 in Istanbul, covering topics ranging from religion, literature, mysticism (Ṣūfī in this context), to sociology. In this study, Muhibbân’s 26 issues published in the three periods of publication were examined regarding the newspaper’s attitude towards social life in the Second Constitutional Era and social events. Our study concluded that the newspaper created by the Alevi and Bektashi tradition tried to favor Bektashism, embraced ethnic and sectarian diversity, had a tolerant publication policy, and presented social events of the time. It had news about news from tekke (dervish lodges) and ṭarīqas (the Ṣūfī paths) and events such as weddings, funerals, fires, and strikes in Ottoman society. This shows that the newspaper placed importance on actuality. Muhibbân, which also had an interest in events taking place outside of the Ottoman Empire, approached these events in terms of Islam, ṭarīqa, freedom of religion and praying. In accordance with the journalism mentality of the time, it used to publish articles written in plain and clear Turkish so that everyone can understand. It strongly criticized Abdulhamid the Second and this era since it supported Constitutional Administration. It advocated that problems within society should be solved by law and justice.Keywords: Second Constitutional Era, Muhibbân, Alevi and Bektashi, Social Events, Hacıbeyzâde Ahmed Muhtar.

The Bektashi Order, Sufism, and Shī’īsm in the Work of Baba Rexheb, a Bektashi Sufi of 20th Century

The Bektashi order is known for its Shī’ī roots. However, there are contradictory interpretations in determining the origins or teachings of the Bektashi order. This paper studies the Bektashi order focusing on Mysticizma Islame dhe Bektashizma by Baba Rexheb (1901-1995). I argue that his work plays a vital role in explaining traditional Bektashithought and its transition to the modern era. This paper attempts to illustrate the Bektashi order’s pertinence to Sufism and Shī’ī Islam through his work. Albert Doja (2006) and Yuri Stoyanov (2012) have criticized Mysticizma Islame dhe Bektashizma for attempting to “drastically change the Bektashi Order” or “what they can manage to do with theirideological schemes when their prestige is at stake”. This paper will access those claims by considering Baba Rexheb’s works, and the account of his life portrayed in The Sufi Journey of Baba Rexheb (2009) and other resources. In what continues, it tries to explain that those modern claims in discrediting Baba Rexheb’s work are historically unlikely.

Music in the Bektashi order in Kosovo

Abstract: The paper Music in the Bektashi order in Kosovo, has as a subject of research and study the Bektashi order, perspectives, rituals of the Bektashi and in particular presents and analyzes the nefes musical structure of the Bektashi order in the region of Kosovo. The development process of this sect is being researched more and more day by day. Since the nineteenth century this subject has attracted the attention, especially of Western researchers. The research of Bektashi life, perspective and behaviors in different environments is of great importance in determining further activity both religiously and nationally. The paper will include the rituals and customs that are related to Sufi music (in the Bektashi order) in a specific area like Kosovo. Key

An analysis of the trinity and principle beliefs within the Bektashi Alavi order

The Bektashi Order is from amongst those orders whose teachings are based upon Shia thought, but whose practices have drastically transformed because of the influence placed upon it by the Christians and Sunnis in the Balkans and Anatolia. Their ontological view is centered on the concept of Imamate and according to them all the grace that is seen in the world is because of the Infallibles as they are the channel of Divine Grace. So in addition to having a legislative role, the Imam has an influence on the system of natural law as well. This research, which relies upon the sacred scriptures of the Bektashi Alavi Order, aims to show that their fundamental beliefs were based upon Shia thought and that they have faith in the pillars and subsidiaries of religion; even though they may differ from the Shia in certain practices and apparent rituals, there is no difference between them regarding the pillars and fundamentals of religion. Furthermore, the attempts of certain Sunni scholars to try and separate this Order from its Shia roots and introduce it as a Sunni order in the form of academic articles will be shown to be incorrect and invalid. Furthermore, the attribution of a Christian trinity like concept to this order is a baseless and unfair claim and essentially flawed. In this paper, light will be thrown on certain important discrepancies regarding the beliefs of the Bektashi Alavi Order that were previously overlooked and the unity of their belief system with that of the Shia's will be attempted to be proven by means of content analysis of the main sacred scriptures of the Alavis such as the Buyruks, Husniyyah and the Divan of the Seven Poets, as these texts act as interpreters for their beliefs.

The World of Alawite-Bektashi Culture: Kısas Village and A Living Master Âşık Sefâî

AbstractSanliurfa, which has hosted many civilizations throughout history, has important cultural featuresin its lands. Sanliurfa, in terms of folklore, also has a rich treasure. Alawite-Bektashi culture inSanliurfa is seen in the settlements of Kisas, Akpinar and Sirrin. The most extensive settlement of“âsiklik (minstrelsy) tradition” is Kisas Village. In Kisas, traditional family structure and friendshiprelations are at an excellent level and traditions are still partly maintained. In this study, Alawite-Bektashi culture in Kisas and minstrelsy tradition which are still on going was examined. Around 50saz poets (minstrels who sing with their instruments called “saz”) have been raised in Kisas from pastto present. Minstrels from Kisas sing their folk songs (deyis) in djemevi, village rooms and Ashurafestivals in the village. Furthermore, they perform their folk songs in various ceremonies held locallyand abroad, especially in Hacibektas district. The “Kisas Semahi”, which shows features specificto the region, has survived by preserving its originality until today, and is a very good examplewith its arrangement and lyrics. Another subject focused in this study is Âsik Sefâi from Kisas.Sefâi has successfully continued the tradition of minstrelsy, which he learned from his ancestorsand grandfathers for 45 years. Sefâi, as a zākir, sings semah, nefes (hymn) and folk songs in cem,which is performed in the Turkmen Alawite-Bektashi Sufism tradition in Kisas. Âsik Sefâi is also afolklore researcher, local historian and resource person. Alawite-Bektashi poems and folk songs arethe cornerstones of Turkish folk literature and music. In the enrichment and spreading of folk music,minstrels have a great role. The poems and folk songs produced by the minstrels are a significantcultural heritage. Keywords: Sanliurfa, Kisas Village, Alawite Sect, Bektashi Order, Semah, Âsik Sefâi, Mehmet Acet.

Human Face in the Art of Writing and Painting in Alawi and Bektashi Method

In this article, it has been discussed on the place and importance of the art of writing and painting, which transforms soul to image and image to soul, in Alawi-Bektashi method. These works had been produced by the Babagan (Mucerret) branch of Bektashi order, which was distributed in 1826. They had been entered private collections and museums in 1925 and majority of this works had been falsified. In this paper, it has been clarified that it does not emerge from the Hurūfīsm effect; they are not pictograms or good writing calligraphy, but a manifestation of pantheism. Although the art of writing and painting produced by the Alawi and Bektashi method has been called Hurūfīsm because of writing in letters, it has been explained in the article that it is not a product of Hurūfīsm, but rather a reflection of the pantheism. It has been discussed why with a symmetrical understanding realized writing-paintings are preferred, which has been known as a type of writing in calligraphy as musannā (dual) mirrored writing. The relation of the pantheism to the art of writing-painting, which has a symbolic reference to the apparent (outer) and abdominal (inner) images of being, has been explained. This paper also tackles with the plastic values of the works made in the form of human, which have an important place in the text and pictures, how to be a human in the Alawi-Bektashi way, and how to transform the human image into a soul. It evaluates how the names of Allah-Muhammad-Ali images in human form have been transformed from invisible to visible. Besides, the information have been given about why the prostration to Man has been done since the day of prostration to Adam and what it meant in the Alawi-Bektashi way. Keywords: Alawi, Bektashi, pantheism, writing-painting art, human.

HACI BEKTÂŞ-I VELÎ’NİN BESMELE TEFSİRİ İSİMLİ ESERİNİN KAYNAK VE YÖNTEM AÇISINDAN DEĞERLENDİRİLMESİ

As a primary source, the first specific interpretation of basmala in Anatolia is “Tafsīr of Basmala”. It was written by Hāccī Bektāş Velī who was the founder of the Bektashi order. This source was written in a geography where Turkmens lived a nomadic or semi-nomadic life. While Turkmen tribes has gradually penetrated into Anatolia and struggled to settle there under difficult conditions, the prominent scholars tried to give hopes to these tribes. They wanted these tribes to combine with each other and to resist against their difficult social lives. For their effort, the leading Sufis of the period such as Mawlānā Jalāl al-Dīn Rūmī (öl. 672/1273), Yūnus Emre (öl. 720/1320 [?]) and Hāccī Bektāş Velī, brought the tolerant and embracing qualities of Islam to the fore. Hāccī Bektāş Velī serves this purpose by highlighting two names of Allah; “Rahmân” and “Rahim” which refer the mercy. His work was shaped around this theme from start to finish. Therefore, it can be said that the aim of the writing of this book was to bring the Turkmen tribes united around the religion of Islam by emphasizing the including, promising and embracing aspect of Islam. In addition, it is a proof that Hāccī Bektāş Velī to write his work in Turkish and to state this especially in the introduction. At the same time, it had importance that it aimed to provide a practical benefit to the religious life of Muslim Turks. Hāccī Bektāş Velī had an important place in shaping the perception of Allah, the Quran and tafsīr in the early Anatolian folk culture. Therefore, identifying the sources used in his work can help determining some resources of Anatolian lore. It is also aimed to determine relationship between conditions of the social and economic condition of the period in which the work was written and the content of this work. It is important to determine whether these narratives have any correspondence in tafsīr sources and the position of the work in the tafsīr literature. In this study, It is tried to determine the sources of the narrations in this work by using the literature review method.. Tafsīr of Basmala written by Hāccī Bektāş Velī is a work that interprets the verse of Basmala including the names Allah, Rahman and Rahim. It also explains the help of the most beneficent and Merciful Allah to his sinful servants; and usually bases on the speeches between Allah and his prophet Muhammad in the night of Mirac. In this book, the truth that Allah will treat his servants who believe in him, sincerely beg and prey , with an infinite mercy in the world and the hereafter is determined by interpreting the verse basmala. Without analyzing words and sentences, which differs the tafsir from classical tafsīr works , this work contains the virtues and the beneficences of the Basmala, in addition to raise the spirituality of the people and to connect them to the religion. It is also the first tafsīr written in Turkish language. In his work, the author preferred a narrative style based on verses, narrations, words and stories. In the work, nineteen verses were given in order to interpret basmala, and about twenty-five verses were used in preference without giving the text. Therefore, it can be said that the main source of the work is the Quran, and he frequently uses verses in the author’s comments. Hāccī Bektāş Velī was benefited the stories and words of famous Sufis. They were designed to make it easier for the publics to understand the idea. In this respect, the source was written for the public in order to teach the merits and importance of baslama. This source was aimed to give information to the people. At the same time, we can observe that this source aimed for the people to keep religious sensitivity and strengthen their ties with religion. In our study, literature review were done about the source of the narrations in the book about the virtue of beslama. It is seen that some narrations were received from the sources of authentic hadith. In addition, we could find that some narrations could not be found in the hadith sources. However, the other narrations were included in the same or similar words in other works. Therefore, many comments of the author were based on the inferences made from hadiths. In his comments, the author refers to the views and works of his previous scholars and sufis.

Vakfiyeler Işığında Hacı Bektaş Veli Tekkesi ve Bazı Bektaşi Tekke ve Türbeleriyle İlişkileri

Dervish lodges (tekke) and monasteries (zāwiyah), which played an important role in the foundation period of the Ottoman Empire, were organized on the basis of futuwwat (bravery) understanding and encouraged to be established as a religious endowment in the areas assigned by the state. In this way, most of the lands have been enriched and improved, as well as contributing to the production. On the other hand, these institutions, which became outposts in ensuring the security of the state,provided some other services, such as hosting travellers, catering, meeting other needs, and warming their hearts to the religion of Islam. Thanks to these endowments, the architectural elements, such as dervish convent, hangars, and hospitals, which classified according to their functional features and shaped by the teachings of the order, were appeared. An important part of these organizations, which are generally defined as tekke and zāwiyah, were established by the followers of Bektashi order. In this study, the places where the endowments in question were founded, the purposes of their establishment,the charity services they provided, their management and related issues, and the practices carried out by the political authority to solve their problems in managing the lodge, were determined.These endowments were established between the 15th and 19th centuries, especially in cities, namely Istanbul, Izmir, Edirne, Tokat, and, now foreign cities, Crete, Macedonia, Greece and Belgrade. Some of these were established by notable names in the Bektashi order and the rest by Pashas. The property of the endowments were generally consists of personal and real estates, money and animals. Their taxes were paid from the income, the rest was spent for maintenance of the lodges and shrines, and needs of the poor who shelter in lodges and stay over. Generally, the first person to set up theendowment was trustee in the management, then his/her children or some one or an authority askedby the endower. In the event that the child or the person to whom the stipulation was inserted, becameextinct, a person who is post-niche or who is from the Bektashi order is usually required in the Haci Bektashi Lodge in Kirsehir.

Historicising Alevism: The Evolution of Abdal and Bektashi Doctrine

The history of Alevi piety is embodied in the large body of works known under the title of 'Alevi-Bektashi literature', a neglected corpus that is in fact vital for our understanding of the development of vernacular religious traditions in Anatolia and the Balkans. This article presents an overview of the historical evolution of Alevi doctrine between the 14th and 17th centuries, via the study of the literary works written by authors belonging to two major constituents of Alevism: the dervish groups of the Bektashis and the Abdāls of Rūm. The study contains a doctrinal analysis of the works of six abdāls (all of them also Bektashis except for Yemīnī) ranging from the 14th to the 17th centuries, at which time the abdāls had been fully integrated into the Bektashi order. These works are: The corpus of Ḳayġusuz Abdāl (fl. late 14th – early 15th century) consisting of eleven works; the Dīvān of Ṣādıḳ Abdāl (the end of the 14thc. – 15th c.); the Fażīlet-nāme of Yemīnī (d. after 925/1519); the Deh Murġ by Şemsī (d. after 919/1513), the Dīvān of Muḥyiddῑn Abdāl (16th c.); and the Risāle and the Dīvān of Vīrānī (late 16th – early 17th c.). The research demonstrates that, contrary to the generally accepted view, 'extremist' and Twelver Shi'i beliefs existed in the Anatolian Turkmen milieu long before Safavid propaganda. In fact, the doctrine of Muḥammad-ʿAlī was already established in these circles in the late 14th century. On the other hand, antinomian tendencies, expressed by open criticism of exoteric notions of Islam, were a major marker of Abdāl and Bektashi piety since their early days and remained so in the 17th century.

Reading Matter in a Sufi Tekke: Book Lists of Bektashi Tekkes in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries

The present paper examines library stocks of Bektashi tekkes from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The focus is mainly on hitherto unknown book lists of nine tekkes from Albania during the late 1920s. The library stock of the tekkes gives an insight into the intellectual heritage and circulated book-based knowledge of the Bektashi order. The analysis of different tekke libraries provides general assumptions concerning translocal overlaps. Simultaneously, the study reveals local characteristics and differences of particular tekkes. By comparing the aforementioned book lists with others of Bektashi institutions from different regions and periods, we can infer continuities and discontinuities in the transmission of written knowledge. Furthermore, the book stocks exemplify the religious negotiation within the officially forbidden order since 1826 between conformity with the predominant Islamic discourse and nonconformism.

The Bektashi order of dervishes in Macedonia during socialism

The proposed paper aims to offer the reader certain data on the most significant features and specifics of the Bektashi dervish order in Macedonia during the socialist period. Certain political decisions are included, as well as social occurrence and processes that will directly affect on the (non)existence of certain Bektashi tekkes (lodge), but also on the course of bektashi life in general.

Elements of the Bektashi Order

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