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The Importance of the Ahl-Bayt According to Giritli Ali Baba
The Importance of the Ahl-Bayt According to Giritli Ali Baba
by A. Yilmaz Soyyer
The first step one must take on the path of
Tasawwuf
, according to the Uyūn al-Hidāyat, is to become initiated asa
murid
or
talib
. In addition the
murid
must develop a deep and profound love for the
Ahl al-Bayt
. If a
murid
who isnot decent of Muhammad-Ali (
sayyid
) enters into the Bektashi Order, he will be same degree to Kamber and Salman who not decent too. If a person loves to Ahl al-Bayt he (or she) will bear a resemblance to the two historical figuresKamber and Salman. If an individual is devoid of love for the
Ahl al-Bayt
they are no better than the Umayyad rulers Yazid and Marwan, whose opposition to the Prophet’s family is well-known. Those who openly are fond of Yazid, the murderer of ImamHusayn, are no better than unbelievers,
fasid
(vicious mischief-maker). Taking the
Ahl al-Bayt
as one’spatrons (
tawalla
) and disassociating with their enemies (
tabarra
) is considered by Ali Baba to be a necessary religious requirement (
wajib
). If one fails to mak e
tabarra
to Yazid one has spiritually attained the rank of hypocrite (
munafiq
), unbeliever (
mushrik
), oppressor (
zalim
) and murderer (
qatil
). Ali Baba disapproved thepractice of other Sufi tariqats instructing the neophyte to recite the
kalimat ut-tawhid
(i.e.
La ilaha il Allah
) insteadof making use of
tabarra
and
tawalla
at time of initiation. Giritli writes that any mother can teach a child to recitethe
kalimat ut-tawhid
, but that a
murshid
must instruct
tabarra
and
tawalla
to the
murid
at timeof
bay’at
(initiation). Giritli Ali Resmi Baba based his on position on being a
mürid
on the actions of the Sahabah who took bay’at toProphet Muhammad. In his writing he brings forward an
ayat
(verse) of the Qur’an in order to validate this: “Lo!
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those who swear allegiance unto thee ( Muhammad), swear allegiance only unto Allah. The Hand of Allah isabove their hands. So whosoever breaketh his oath, breaketh it only to his soul's hurt; while whosoever keepeth hiscovenant with Allah, on him will He bestow immense reward.” Giritli calls attention to another
ayat
in order tostrengthen the importance of
bay’at
: “Allah was well pleased with the believers when they swore allegiance untothee beneath the tree, and He knew what was in their hearts, and He sent down peace of reassurance on them, andhath rewarded them with a near victory.” Giritli states that the “tree” mentioned in this
ayat
is none other than theone referred to in the Qur’an as being “a blessed tree, an olive neither of the East nor of the West.” Accordingto Giritli the “tree” in this
ayat
signifies the
Shajarat ul-Insaniyyah
, the Tree of Humanity.The
bay’at
that was give to either the Prophet or a
murshid
is the first step in reaching the level of
Insan-ī Kāmil
. Giritli writes that the
murid
must give himself to the murshid unconditionally. He draws attention to one ayat toindicate importance of speech of the
murshid
, “Nor doth he speak from (his own) desire.” Giritli says that the“
murshid
doesn’t say of his own desire, as was with the Prophet.”In this spiritual approach the role of the
murshid
is of the utmost magnitude. Having the right master, thetrue
murshid
, is more imperative than right of one’s natural parents. Ali Baba writes that if a person only followsthe customs of their parents he or she remains as if locked in an egg. If the person wants to be hatched from thisegg to become a bird, he or she is in need of a new “parent”. The new “parent” will train and educate the novice and he willabandon the custom of his birth parents. Giritli interestingly quotes a passage from the Gospels where Jesusexclaims, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” TheBektashi initiation ceremony (
ikrar-i cem
) symbolizes this new birth. According to Giritli the Prophet Muhammad is wellspring of the Bektashi
silsilah
(initatic chain). He points outthe
Hadith-i Qudsi
where Allah states, “O Muhammad! If it were not for you I would have not created.” He writes thatProphet Muhammad was God’s Beloved (
Mahbūb-ī Khudā
). According to Giritli Ali Baba, Allah exalted the Prophetin the two
ayats
, “And We sent thee not save as a mercy to all” as well as, “When thou threw, it was not thy act, butGod’s.”
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Curiously Giritli incorporates (perhaps reluctantly, in order to appease the dominant Sunni sensibilities of Ottomansociety) the three Caliphs (
Khulafa’ ar-Rashidah
) into the spiritual system. He writes that, “The Prophet Muhammadhas four dearly loved ones. They are the elements of prophethood (
anāsir-ī nubūwwat
) similar to the four naturalelements (
anāsir-ī arbaca
). Abu Bakr is as water, Umar is as fire, Uthman is as air, and Ali is as soil. They areequally comparable to the four prophets. Abu Bakr is like Noah, Umar is like Musa,Uthman is like Jesus and Ali is like Adam and Muhammad is their soul.” It is important to note that Ali here symbolizes earth as well as Adam (i.e.humanity). Muhammad symbolizes soul of humanity.Naturally the Prophet’s cousin, Ali ibn Abi Talib, holds a place of particular importance for Giritli Ali Baba. It was Allah, writes Giritli, who proclaimed Ali to be the “Lion of God” and who sent the
ayat
, “Hath there come Upon man (ever ) any period of time in which he was a thing unremembered?” to. Additionally he affirms the praises of theProphet Muhammad for Ali which can be found in numerous Ahadith such as, “
Lā fata ila Ali! Lā sayfa ila Dhū’l-fiqār
!”, “I am the city of Knowledge and ‘Ali is the Gate.”, “O Ali! Your soul is of my soul, your flesh is of my flesh, and your blood is of my blood.” Giritli Ali Baba points out that Allah lifted up the
Ahl al-Bayt
(i.e. ‘Ali, Fatima, Hasan,Husayn) in the
ayat
, “Allah’s wish is but to remove uncleanness far from you, O People of the Household, andcleanse you with a thorough cleansing.” To prove the claims of the Twelve Imams, he notes a Hadith of the ProphetMuhammad where he said, “I am the chief of the Prophets and ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib is the chief of successors, and afterme my successors shall be twelve, the first of them being ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib and the last of them being al-Mahdi.”
Approach to Sufism
[1]
The Importance of the Ahl-Bayt According to Giritli Ali Baba
[2]
Giritli Ali Resmi Baba's Outlook on the Concept of Wahdat al-Wujud
[3]
Giritli Ali Baba's Outlook on Mankind
[4]
Giritli Ali Baba's Approach to Being
[5]
Giritli Ali Baba's Outlook on Istidat
[6]
Giritli Ali Baba's Approach to the Concept of Dawriyyah (Cyclical Existence)
[7]
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Source URL (retrieved on
09/15/2012 - 5:13pm
):
http://bektashiorder.com/importance-of-alh-bayt
Links:
[1] http://bektashiorder.com/approach-to-sufism[2] http://bektashiorder.com/importance-of-ahl-bayt[3] http://bektashiorder.com/wahdat-al-wujud[4] http://bektashiorder.com/outlook-on-mankind[5] http://bektashiorder.com/approach-to-being[6] http://bektashiorder.com/outlook-on-istidat[7] http://bektashiorder.com/concept-of-dawriyyah
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