The Bektashis were originally one of many Sufi orders within Sunni Islam. By the 16th century, the order had adopted some tenets of Twelver Shia Islam—including veneration of Ali (the son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad) and the Twelve Imams—as well as a variety of syncretic beliefs.
The Bektashis acquired political importance in the 15th century when the order dominated the Janissary Corps.[8] After the foundation of the Turkish Republic, the country's leader, Kemal Atatürk, banned religious institutions that were not part of the Directorate of Religious Affairs, and the community's headquarters relocated to Albania. Salih Nijazi was the last Dedebaba in Turkey and the first in Albania. The order became involved in Albanian politics, and some of its members, including Ismail Qemali, were major leaders of the Albanian National Awakening.
In addition to the spiritual teachings of Haji Bektash Veli, the Bektashi order was later significantly influenced during its formative period by the Hurufis (in the early 15th century), the Qalandariyya stream of Sufism, figures like Ahmad Yasawi, Yunus Emre, Shah Ismail, Shaykh Haydar, Nesimi, Pir Sultan Abdal, Gül Baba, Sarı Saltık and to varying degrees more broadly the Shia belief system circulating in Anatolia during the 14th to 16th centuries. The mystical practices and rituals of the Bektashi order were systematized and structured by Balım Sultan in the 16th century.
According to a 2005 estimate made by Reshat Bardhi, there are over seven million Bektashis worldwide, though more recent studies put the figure as high as 20 million.[11] In Albania, they make up 9% of the Muslim population and 5% of the country's population.[12] An additional 12.5 million Bektashis live in Turkey.[13] Bektashis are mainly found throughout Anatolia, the Balkans and among Ottoman-era Greek Muslim communities.[14] The term Alevi–Bektashi is a currently frequently used expression in the religious discourse of Turkey as an umbrella term for the two religious groups of Alevism and Bektashism, despite the distinct origins and separate belief systems of both.[15]
Bektashism originated in Anatolia as the followers of the 13th-century scholar Bektash,[16] who himself studied under Central Asian mystic Ahmad Yasawi.[17] The doctrines and rituals of the Bektashiyya were codified by the mystic Balim Sultan, who is considered the pīr-i thānī ('the Second Elder') by Bektashians.[16]
It was originally founded as a Sufi movement.[18][19] The branch became widespread in the Ottoman Empire, their lodges scattered throughout Anatolia as well as in the Balkans. It became the official order of the Janissary corps, the elite infantry corp of the Ottoman Army.[20] Therefore, they also became mainly associated with Anatolian and Balkan Muslims of Eastern Orthodox convert origin, mainly Albanians and northern Greeks (although most leading Bektashian babas were of southern Albanian origin).[21][failed verification] In 1826, the Bektashian order was banned throughout the Ottoman Empire by SultanMahmud II for having close ties with the Janissary corps.[20] Many Bektashian dervishes were exiled, and some were executed.[20] Their tekkes were destroyed and their revenues were confiscated.[20] This decision was supported by the Sunni religious elite as well as the leaders of other, more orthodox, Sufi orders. Bektashis slowly regained freedom with the coming of the Tanzimat era. After the foundation of the Turkish Republic, Kemal Atatürk shut down the lodges in 1925. Consequently, the Bektashian leadership moved to Albania and established their headquarters in the city of Tirana. Among the most famous followers of Bektashian in the 19th century Balkans were Ali Pasha[22][23][24][25][26][27] and Naim Frashëri.
Dedebabate
After lodges in Turkey were shut down, the order's headquarters moved to Albania.[28] On 20 March 1930, Salih Nijazi was elected as the Dedebaba of the Bektashian community in Albania. Prior to Nijazi, the Dedebaba was Haxhi Fejzullah in Turkey.[29] Njazi established the Bektashi World Headquarters in Tirana.[28] Its construction was finished in 1941 during the Italian occupation of Albania.[28] Nijazi promoted Bektashian Islam by introducing major ceremonies at popular tekkes.[28] After he was murdered, Ali Riza succeeded him as the Dedebaba.[28]
Despite the negative effect of the ban of lodges on Bektashian culture, most Bektashians in Turkey have been generally supportive of secularism to this day, since these reforms have relatively relaxed the religious intolerance that had historically been shown against them by the official Sunni establishment.
In the Balkans the Bektashian order had a considerable impact on the Islamization of many areas, primarily Albania and Bulgaria, as well as parts of Macedonia, particularly among Ottoman-era Greek Muslims from western Greek Macedonia such as the Vallahades. By the 18th century Bektashism began to gain a considerable hold over the population of southern Albania and northwestern Greece (Epirus and western Greek Macedonia). Following the ban on Sufi orders in the Republic of Turkey, the Bektashian community's headquarters was moved from Hacıbektaş in central Anatolia, to Tirana, Albania. In Albania, the Bektashian community declared its separation from the Sunni community and they were perceived ever after as a distinct Islamic sect rather than a branch of Sunni Islam.
Bektashism continued to flourish until the Second World War. After the communists took power in 1945, several babas and dervishes were executed and a gradual constriction of Bektashian influence began. Ultimately, in 1967 all tekkes were shut down when Enver Hoxha banned all religious practice. When this ban was rescinded in 1990 the Bektashism reestablished itself, although there were few left with any real knowledge of the spiritual path. Nevertheless, many "tekkes" (lodges) operate today in Albania. The most recent head of the order in Albania was HajjiReshat BardhiDedebaba (1935–2011) and the main tekke has been reopened in Tirana. In June 2011 BabaEdmond Brahimaj was chosen as the head of the Bektashian order by a council of Albanian babas. Today sympathy for the order is generally widespread in Albania where approximately 20% of Muslims identify themselves as having some connection to Bektashism.
There are also important Bektashian communities among the Albanian communities of North Macedonia and Kosovo, the most important being the Arabati Baba Teḱe in the city of Tetovo, which was until recently under the guidance of Baba Tahir Emini (1941–2006). Following the death of Baba Tahir Emini, the dedelik of Tirana appointed Baba Edmond Brahimaj (known as Baba Mondi), formerly head of the Turan Tekke of Korçë, to oversee the Harabati baba tekke. A splinter branch of the order has recently sprung up in the town of Kičevo which has ties to the Turkish Bektashian community under Haydar Ercan Dede rather than Tirana. A smaller Bektashian tekke, the Dikmen Baba Tekkesi, is in operation in the Turkish-speaking town of Kanatlarci, North Macedonia that also has stronger ties with Turkey's Bektashis. In Kosovo, the relatively small Bektashian community has a tekke in the town of Gjakovë and is under the leadership of Baba Mumin Lama and it recognizes the leadership of Tirana.
In Bulgaria, the türbes of Kıdlemi Baba, Ak Yazılı Baba, Demir Baba and Otman Baba function as heterodox Islamic pilgrimage sites and before 1842 were the centers of Bektashian tekkes.[30] Bektashis continue to be active in Turkey and their semi-clandestine organizations can be found in Istanbul, Ankara and İzmir. There are currently two rival claimants to the dedebaba in Turkey: Mustafa Eke and Haydar Ercan. A large functioning Bektashian tekke was also established in the United States in 1954 by Baba Rexheb. This tekke is found in the Detroit suburb of Taylor and the tomb (türbe) of Baba Rexheb continues to draw pilgrims of all faiths.
Arabati Baba Teḱe controversy
In 2002, a group of armed members of the Islamic Religious Community of Macedonia (ICM), a Sunni group that is the legally recognized organisation which claims to represent all Muslims in North Macedonia, invaded the Bektashian Order's Arabati Baba Teḱe in an attempt to reclaim this tekke as a mosque although the facility has never functioned as such. Subsequently, the Bektashian Order of North Macedonia sued the government for failing to restore the tekke to the Bektashians, pursuant to a law passed in the early 1990s returning properties previously nationalized under the Yugoslav government. The law, however, deals with restitution to private citizens, rather than religious communities.[31]
The ICM claim to the tekke is based upon their contention to represent all Muslims in North Macedonia; and indeed, they are one of two Muslim organizations recognized by the government, both Sunni. The Bektashian community filed for recognition as a separate religious community with the Macedonian government in 1993, but the Macedonian government has refused to recognize them.[31]
Diagram showing Bektashi as well as other Sufi orders.
Bektashis believe in God and follow all the prophets.[33] Bektashis claim the heritage of Haji Bektash Veli, who was a descendant of Ali, Husayn ibn Ali, Ali al-Sajjad and other Imams.[33][34] In contrast to many Twelver Shia, Bektashis respect all companions of Muhammad, including Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Talha and Mu'awiya, though consider Ali to be the superior of all companions.[10]
Bektashians follow the teachings of Haji Bektash, who preached about the Twelve Imams. Bektashis differ from other Muslims by also following the Fourteen Innocents, who either died in infancy or were martyred with Husayn.[35]Abbas ibn Ali is also an important figure in Bektashism, and Bektashians visit Mount Tomorr to honor him during an annual pilgrimage to the Abbas Ali Türbe on August 20–25.[36]
In addition to the Muslim daily five prayers, Bektashians have two specific prayers, one at dawn and one at dusk for the welfare of all humanity.[33] Bektashism places much emphasis on the concept of Wahdat al-Wujud (Arabic: وحدة الوجود, romanized:Unity of Being) that was formulated by Ibn Arabi.
Malakat is an important text of Bektashian written by Haji Bektash.[37] Bektashis also follow the Quran and Hadith.
Bektashis follow the modern-day Bektashian Dedebabate, currently headed by Baba Mondi. Bektashis consider the dedebaba as their leader overseeing the entire branch.
Bektashism is also heavily permeated with Shiite concepts, such as the marked reverence of Ali, the Twelve Imams, and the ritual commemoration of Ashura marking the Battle of Karbala. The old Persian holiday of Nowruz is celebrated by Bektashis as Ali's birthday (see also Nevruz in Albania).
The Bektashian Order is a Sufi order and shares much in common with other Islamic mystical movements, such as the need for an experienced spiritual guide—called a baba in Bektashian parlance — as well as the doctrine of "the four gates that must be traversed": the "Sharia" (religious law), "Tariqah" (the spiritual path), "Marifa" (true knowledge), "Haqiqa" (truth).
There are many other practices and ceremonies that share similarities with other faiths, such as a ritual meal (muhabbet) and yearly confession of sins to a baba (magfirat-i zunub مغفرة الذنوب). Bektashis base their practices and rituals on their non-orthodox and mystical interpretation and understanding of the Quran and the prophetic practice (Sunnah). They have no written doctrine specific to them, thus rules and rituals may differ depending on under whose influence one has been taught. Bektashis generally revere Sufi mystics outside of their own order, such as ibn Arabi, al-Ghazali and Rumi, who are close in spirit to them despite many of being from more mainstream Islamic backgrounds.
As with other Muslims, Bektashis do not consume pork and consider it haram ("prohibited") and in addition, also do not consider rabbit.[38][39]Rakia, a fruit brandy, is used as a sacramental element by in Bektashism,[40] where it is not considered alcoholic and is referred to as "dem".[41]
Poetry plays an important role in the transmission of Bektashian spirituality. Several important Ottoman-era poets were Bektashis, and Yunus Emre, the most acclaimed poet of the Turkish language, is generally recognized as a subscriber to the Bektashian order.
Like many Sufis, the Bektashis were quite lax in observing daily Muslim laws, and women as well as men took part in ritual wine drinking and dancing during devotional ceremonies. The Bektashis in the Balkans adapted such Christian practices as the ritual sharing of bread and the confession of sins. Bektashi mystical writings made a rich contribution to Sufi poetry.[42]
A poem from Bektashi poet Balım Sultan (died c. 1517/1519):
İstivayı özler gözüm, (My eye seeks out repose,)
Seb'al-mesânîdir yüzüm, (my face is the 'oft repeated seven (i.e. the SuraAl-Fatiha),)
İrşâdımız sırdır bizim. (Our teaching is a mystery.[43])
Community hierarchy
Like most other Sufi orders, Bektashism is initiatic, and members must traverse various levels or ranks as they progress along the spiritual path to the Reality. The Turkish names are given below, followed by their Arabic and Albanian equivalents.[44]
First-level members are called aşıks عاشق (Albanian: ashik). They are those who, while not having taken initiation into the order, are nevertheless drawn to it.
Following initiation (called nasip), one becomes a mühip محب (Albanian: muhib).
After some time as a mühip, one can take further vows and become a dervish.
The next level above dervish is that of baba. The baba (lit. father) (Albanian: atë) is considered to be the head of a tekke and qualified to give spiritual guidance (irshad إرشاد).
Above the baba (Albanian: gjysh) is the rank of halife-baba (or dede, grandfather).
The dedebaba (Albanian: kryegjysh) is traditionally considered to be the highest ranking authority in the Bektashian Order. Traditionally the residence of the dedebaba was the Pir Evi (The Saint's Home) which was located in the shrine of Hajji Bektash Wali in the central Anatolian town of Hacıbektaş (aka Solucakarahüyük), known as the Hajibektash complex.
Traditionally there were twelve of these hierarchical rankings, the most senior being the dedebaba (great-grandfather).
The World Bektashi Congress, also called the National Congress of the Bektashi, a conference during which members of the Bektashi Community make important decisions, has been held in Albania several times. Since 1945, it has been held exclusively in Tirana. The longest gap between two congresses lasted from 1950 to 1993, when congresses could not be held during Communist rule in Albania. A list of congresses is given below.[44][47]
Haji Bektash Veli was an Islamic scholar, mystic, saint, sayyid, and philosopher from Khorasan who lived and taught in Anatolia. His original name was Sayyid Muhammad ibn Sayyid Ibrāhim Ātā. He is also referred to as the "Sultan of Hearts" and the "Dervish of the Dervishes".
Rexheb Beqiri, better known by the religious name Baba Rexheb, was an Albanian Islamic scholar and Sufi. He was the founder and the head of the Bektashi Sufi lodge (tekke) located in Taylor, Michigan, United States.
The Zall Tekke or Asim Baba Tekke is a Bektashi teqe in Gjirokastër, Albania. It is a Cultural Monument of Albania.
The Tekke of Frashër or Nasibî Tâhir Baba Tekke is a Bektashi shrine and Albanian Bektashi tekke founded in 1781 and registered Cultural Monument of Albania, located in Frashër, Gjirokastër County in southern Albania. The tekke was crucial to the Albanian National Awakening, particularly in the nationalist movements of the late 19th century, and it was one of the wealthiest and revered tekkes in Albania.
al-Hajj Dedebaba Reshat Bardhi was Dedebaba of Bektashism from 1991 to 2011.
Edmond Brahimaj, commonly known as Baba Mondi, is an Albanian religious leader and the eighth Bektashi Dedebaba of the Bektashi Order. He is the leader of the Bektashi Muslims. If the planned nation of the Sovereign State of the Bektashi Order is approved, Baba Mondi will serve as the head of the country in his role as spiritual leader.
Baba Shemimi, also known as Kemaledin Shemimi Ibrahim, Baba Shemim, Baba Shemimi of Fushë-Krujë or Baba Shemimi of Krujë, was an Albanian Bektashi bejtexhi and martyr.
The Tekke of Melan is a khanqah and a famous pilgrimage site of the Bektashi Order of Sufism. It was built in 1800 in Libohovë, near Gjirokastër in southern Albania. The site lies on a hill overlooking the Dropull plain south of Gjirokastër, on the east side of the valley near the small village of Vlaho Goranxi.
Bektashi Dedebabate is the religious leadership of Bektashi Islam. The dedebabas are the spiritual and religious leaders of the Bektashi community. Bektashis do not consider them as divinely appointed leaders. The current and eighth Bektashi debebaba is Baba Mondi.
Salih Nijazi was Dedebaba of the Bektashians from 1930 until his death in 1941. He was the last Dedebaba of Turkey and the first Dedebaba of Albania.
Ali Riza of Elbasan or Ali Riza Dede (1882–1944) was the 2nd Dedebaba of the Bektashi Order.
Kamber Ali (1869–1950) was the 3rd Dedebaba of the Bektashi Order. He served as Dedebaba for only several months in 1944, and was arrested by the Communists in December 1944 since he had fought for the Balli Kombëtar. He died in prison in Tirana in 1950.
Xhafer Sadik was the 4th Dedebaba of the Bektashi Order. He served as Dedebaba for only 3 months during the summer of 1945.
Abbas Hilmi was the 5th Dedebaba of the Bektashi Order.
Ahmet Myftar Dede was the 6th Dedebaba of the Bektashi Order in Islamic Sufi mysticism. He was the final dedebaba to have served during the People's Socialist Republic of Albania.
The World Headquarters of the Bektashi or Bektashi World Center is the international headquarters of the Bektashi Order, a Sufi order. It is located on Dhimitër Kamarda Street at the eastern edge of Tirana, the capital of Albania. It serves as the centre of the Albanian Bektashi Order. The site is proposed to form the territory of the Sovereign State of the Bektashi Order.
The World Bektashi Congress, formerly called the National Congress of the Bektashi before the 1990s, is a conference during which leading members of the Bektashi Order make important decisions. It has been held in Albania since 1921.
Baba Ali Tomorri was an Albanian Bektashi religious leader.
The Bektashi Order is an Islamic Sufi order that spread to Albania through Albanian Janissaries during the period of Ottoman control in Albania. The Bektashi make up 5% of the country's population. In regards to ethics, the Bektashi adhere to the line "Be master of your hands, your tongue, and your loins" which essentially means do not steal, do not lie or speak idly, and do not commit adultery.
The Teqe of Baba Ali, or Teqe of Baba Abdullah, is a Bektashi tekke in the village of Alipostivan, Qendër Piskovë, Përmet municipality, Albania. It sits upon a hill overlooking the Vjosa valley and the Nemërçka mountain, and the name of Alipostivan itself is said to derive from Ali, post i vendit. The tekke of Baba Ali is known for the preservation and development of Bektashi traditions, particularly in spreading Bektashism to the Deshnica area and along the border villages of Skrapar. Historically, it has cooperated closely with the tekke in Frashër.
↑ Ayhan Kaya (2016) The Alevi-Bektashi order in Turkey: syncreticism transcending national borders, Southeast European and Black Sea Studies, 16:2, 275–294, DOI: 10.1080/14683857.2015.1120465
↑ Miranda Vickers (1999), The Albanians: A Modern History, London: I.B. Tauris, p.22, ISBN9781441645005, archived from the original on 19 May 2016, retrieved 20 October 2015, Around that time, Ali was converted to Bektashism by Baba Shemin of Kruja...
↑ Robert Elsie (2004), Historical Dictionary of Albania, European historical dictionaries, Scarecrow Press, p.40, ISBN9780810848726, OCLC52347600, archived from the original on 28 April 2016, retrieved 20 October 2015, Most of the Southern Albania and Epirus converted to Bektashism, initially under the influence of Ali Pasha Tepelena, "the Lion of Janina", who was himself a follower of the order.
↑ Stavro Skendi (1980), Balkan Cultural Studies, East European monographs, Boulder, p.161, ISBN9780914710660, OCLC7058414, archived from the original on 2 May 2016, retrieved 12 November 2015, The great expandion of Bektashism in southern Albania took place during the time of Ali Pasha Tepelena, who is believed to have been a Bektashi himself
↑ Algar, Hamid. The Hurufi Influence on Bektashism: Bektachiyya, Estudés sur l'ordre mystique des Bektachis et les groupes relevant de Hadji Bektach. Istanbul: Les Éditions Isis. pp.39–53.
Doja, Albert. 2006. "A political history of Bektashism from Ottoman Anatolia to Contemporary Turkey." Journal of Church and State 48 (2): 421–450. doi=10.1093/jcs/48.2.423.
Muhammed Seyfeddin Ibn Zulfikari Derviş Ali; Bektaşi İkrar Ayini, Kalan Publishing, Translated from Ottoman Turkish by Mahir Ünsal Eriş, Ankara, 2007 Turkish
Saggau, Emil BH. "Marginalised Islam: Christianity's role in the Sufi order of Bektashism." In Exploring the Multitude of Muslims in Europe, pp. 183–197. Brill, 2018.
Yürekli, Zeynep (2012). Architecture and hagiography in the Ottoman Empire: the politics of Bektashi shrines in the classical age. Farnham, Surrey Burlington, VT: Ashgate. ISBN978-1-4094-1106-2. OCLC776031990.
Frashëri, Naim Bey. Fletore e Bektashinjet. Bucharest: Shtypëshkronjët të Shqipëtarëvet, 1896; Reprint: Salonica: Mbrothësia, 1909. 32 pp.
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