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: 1 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 2 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). 3 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. 4 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 5 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- 6 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) 7 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. 8 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 9 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. 10