Alevism

The Alevi in Turkish , .

Introduction

Geographical Distribution of Alevis in Turkey.

Alevism had a fundamental impact in history, religion and culture of peoples Turks of Turkestan .

Thus there are 4 current respectively the largest marginal at best:

• Traditionalists: originally attached to the orders (odjak) and brotherhoods, are related to Islam esoteric (known batinite) whose knowledge was transmitted from master to disciple by the Twelver Imams. They organized themselves into "master-disciple".
• Traditionalists Turkist: Islam claims a "tailored" to the Turks, are substantially similar traditionalists on the practice etc..
• Traditionalist Orthodox were attached to the orders (odjak) but include the Shiite jurisprudence Usul.
• New Alevi: drawn largely from leftist political movements (atheists, rationalists) have broken with the esoteric spiritual parentage, are reclaiming the past fifteen years the Alevism associating it with a cultural movement, philosophical, political (nationalist Kurdish Turkish or leftist) syncretistic. These theories syncretistic (rationalists) were first put forward by researchers who were not alevits (Mlikoff. ..) and qualified long ago by religious officials, Sunni political, excluding them from Islam. They currently organized civil association (cultural, political).

History

In the early centuries of the Islamic era Alevism and Shia were one . The discrepancy occurred when the Turks were converted to Islam. It must also be said that the Turks have fought the ^seventh to ^ninth century , empires Umayyad and Abbasid Sunni .

Alevi Islam was born in Central Asia but took final form in Anatolia , with the influences of ancient Anatolian religions and movements such as the Paulician or Bogomilism.

Around 800, ^the 8th of the 12 imams of Ehlibeyt (the Prophet's family), Imam Reza , came to Khorasan (now Turkmenistan and north-eastern Iran ) because of the persecution that he was subjected Sunni dignitaries . Shortly thereafter, he began training disciples and send them Turkic peoples of Khorasan and Turkestan. The Turks were converted by these students because they served the cause of Ehlibeyt therefore non-Sunnis.

At the same time, 860 to 931 a state Alevi was founded in the south of the Caspian Sea by Hasan bin Zeyd , a descendant of Imam Hassan. This fact shows the importance of the supporters of Ali in the region. Circa 941 - 942 The Arab traveler Abu Dulaf, who was in Central Asia, spoke for the first time the Turkish Alevi (Alawi in Arabic ).

Hajji Wali hnkar Bektash (Veli) is the source of the brotherhood Bektashi (Babagana) founded 3 centuries after his death by Balim Sultan's Tchelebi ( elebi ), meanwhile, claim their lineage directly from the progeny of Holy.

The 1500s, the Ottoman oppression towards Alevis became unbearable and they support the Shah Ismail ^I.. His supporters call themselves Qizilbash. In 1514 the Shah Ismail loses the battle against Sultan Selim. The Ottomans who were Arabized and Persianized (themselves do not consider themselves Turkish) hated Kizilbash (Alevi) of Turkmen origin ...

Throughout the ^sixteenth century and the first half of the ^seventeenth century there were dozens of uprisings. Alevis had two options, convert to Sunni Islam or die. Both were converted and the others withdrew into the mountains.

Alevis living in rural areas. The Sunni Ottoman pressures forced them to stay and / or hide. In the 1960s , with the rural exodus, they began to emigrate in large cities like Istanbul , Ankara , Izmir etc..

Today, Alevis are between fifteen and twenty million in Turkey.

In 1923 thousands of Alevis supported Atatrk 's reforms, believing that they can gain access to secularism and thus be able to practice their culture at large. But during the years 1950-1990, the stronghold of Sunni religious structures of the state has failed to move towards official recognition.

Today in Turkey

Consequently, the Alevis today are faced with two types of discrimination:

Religious discrimination

The main problem is that the Alevi Religious Affairs Directorate (Diyanet) is under the control of Sunni and Alevis, who pay their taxes like all Turkish citizens do not enjoy the services of this directorate, as, for example, Building Cem evis , training of Dede , etc.. Alevis are still awaiting government recognition.

Cultural Discrimination

In school books there is no reference to Alevism belief that both the history and literature. Currently, the government of continuing to deny the Alevis (and therefore an important element of Turkish culture and Kurdish) and this situation becomes increasingly disturbing and creates unease in Turkish society.

Ethnicity

The majority of Alevis are Turkish and Turkmen but there are also Kurdish Alevis Kurmanji or zazas. In the Balkans, an important part of small groups of Albanian and Bosnian Bektashi. There are also Alevi communities in Bulgaria.

Beliefs

Alevi belief is based on faith in Allah , Muhammad (Prophet) and Ali (Holiness), Prophecy being closed, Holiness is still present in time. They are called "Ucler" (Three). In its significance, it confirms that there is only one God (the Godhead), Mohammed is his prophet (prophecy), Ali is the saint, the friend of God, the Commander of the Faithful (mumin) (Imamate). Other celestial hierarchies:

• "Besler" (Five), Muhammad , Ali , Fatima , Hasan and Hussein also said or
• "Onikiler" (Twelve), the twelve Imams.
• "We sleep Masum Paklar-u", the fourteen pure innocent: they are the fourteen children of Imams, died in infancy.
• "Forty Saints," The Forty: they are part of the cosmic hierarchy, they order the world and remain hidden. Their numbers are constant in time. When one of them dies, a member of the "Three Hundred" replaces it.

Prayer is the appointed Cem (pronounced jam djemaa from Arabic which means gathering, communion). The jam is based on the visit of the latter among the Forty Saints, "the Forty" heaven after his ascension (Miraj). Alevis call Krklar Cemi, the Assembly of Forty, with forty people in the Assembly. There are several rituals "jam" and by including the rituals, prayers, invocations, the sama ' , the commemoration of the martyrdom of Hussein bin Ali ...

The spiritual leader is the dede , or Seyyid (Sayyed), a descendant of Muhammad through one of the 12 Imams (between, whose role is to enforce religious law, to conduct ceremonies and preaching.

Alevis are avail oral transmission of spiritual knowledge (soul to soul), this quest for truth engaging in self-knowledge, of Rights ("To know oneself is to know its essence his lord "). Thus the Book (Kitab) to read is The Man Who Talks: the Koran.

The sacred writings which refer to the Alevis are more Qur'an (written) that is recited during the ceremonies of jam, collections of sacred books in Turkish / Persian whose commandments Alevis, treaties and other saints. The Shrine of Alevis is cemevis or house jam (Jam-ul-Bayt), a house adapted to communion. Alevis do not go to the mosque.

The various fasts:

• 10/12 day fast of Muharrem, to commemorate the martyrdom of Hussein.
• 3 days Masum-u Pak
• 3 days Madad Muruwwat
• 0/1/3/9 days (based Ocak) during Ramadan to commemorate the martyrdom of Ali, cousin and son of Muhammad and the descent of the Koran.
• 3 days of fasting Hizir (In Arabic: Khidr, in honor of the Prophet Hizir
• Thursday the 48 fasting of the lunar year

Hizir (Khidr) is very present in Alevism and Islamic mysticism, the "tasawwuf".

Alevis in formal Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca ) is no longer a ritual obligation supporting the real pilgrimage around the Kaaba True, the Heart of Man. And pilgrimages to the tombs of Saints prevail.

The major lesson of Bekta Veli Hnkar is Dort Kap kirk makam Road and initiation of Bektashism Alevism.

We may also note many parallels between different heterodox religious movements (often regarded as heretical by the dominant state religion: Catholicism, Orthodox Judaism, Sunni) belief from Asia Minor, including Paulician the Bogomil , the Cathars , the Jewish Kabbalists, and other esoteric beliefs.

Orders and brotherhoods Alevi / Bektashi

• The Bektashi Tchelebi
• The Bektashi order Babagana (founded by Sultan Balim)
• The odjakzade (order Ocak / odjak)

1 - Kureyanllar

2 - Baba Mansurlular

3 - Pir Sultanlar

4 - Auanlar (AGU enler)

5 - Sar Saltklar

6 - ryan Hzrlar

7 - Dervi Cemaller

8 - Seyitsabunlar

9 - Sinemilliler

10 - Ahmet eyh Dedeli

11 - Dede Karknlar

12 - Hidir Abdal Ocagi

Literature

Alevi literature has deeply influenced Turkish literature in general and Shiite literature.

The hymns sung with or without accompanying balama (saz) are called nefes (breath). The religious and spiritual songs sung with balama are called deyi (said). The hymns dealing martyr Hussein are called mersiye. The hymns that tell the heavenly ascension of Muhammad are called miralama. The hymns addressed to the 12 imams are called duvaz-Imam (12 Imams in Persian). The hymns dealing with cycles of incarnation of prophecy and holiness are called devriye (Arabic dawr, revolution / cycle). Hymns chanted the day Nevruz (Newroz) (March 21) Recalling the birth of Ali in the Kaaba, the day of prophetic revelation, the marriage of Ali and Fatima, are called Nevruziye.

Since this is a very extensive literature in space and time, the Turkestan in the Balkans, it must be divided by region and century. Alevi great literature was born in the ^twelfth century.

Turkestan is the first representative Ahmed Yesevi ( XII ^century ).

In Azerbaijan 's representatives are:

• Seyyid Nesimi ( XIV ^century )
• Shah Ismail Khatai ( XVI ^century )
• Qurbani ( XVI ^century )
• Mehemmed Fuzuli ( XVI ^century )

In Anatolia we have:

• Said Emre ( XIII ^century )
• Yunus Emre ( ^XIII and XIV ^centuries )
• Kaygusuz Abdal ( ^fourteenth and ^fifteenth centuries )
• Virani ( ^XV and XVI ^centuries )
• Pir Sultan Abdal ( XVI ^century )
• Kul Himmet ( XVI ^century )
• Teslim Abdal ( XVII ^century )
• kr kul ( XVIII ^century )
• Dertli ( XIX ^century )
• Harabi ( ^nineteenth and ^twentieth )

Balkan representatives are:

• Yemini ( XVI ^century )
• Kazak Abdal ( XVII ^century )
• Bosnevi ( XIX ^century )

Fuzuli poet was also a Shiite. Nesimi, Yemini were at the same time poets Houroufis. Virani also considered himself a poet Nusayri. There are also other poets called Alevis halk ozan that is to say, "Bards of the people" because they were not dervishes or abdala , among them include Krolu, Karacaolan, Kerem Garip, Gevheri, Dadalolu.

Notes

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