Durham E-Theses The Halveti-Jerrahi : a Su order in modern Turkey. Buckley, Robert J. How to cite: Buckley, Robert J. (1992) The Halveti-Jerrahi : a Su order in modern Turkey., Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/1175/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk THE HALVETI-JEFRAHI A SUFI ORDER IN MODERN TURKEY by Robert J. Buckley B. A. (Newcastle), M. A. (Dunelm) A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of the University of Durham The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without his prior written consent and information derived February 1992 from it should be acknowledged. Centre for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies University of Durham 9 -5 JAN 1993 ABSTRACT This is a study of the teachings and practices of the Halvet- Cerrahi sufi order and the place of the order within Islam and In the secular Republic of Turkey. -- A brief introductory chapter outlines the legal and constitutional position of sufi orders within the Republic of Turkey and records the research methods adopted. Attention is then turned to the way suftsm developed, the place that it now occupies within the religion of Islam and how some leading commentators account for its existence. - The study then notes the history of the Halveti Order, looking at the credentials of its fourteenth century founder and following the progress of this major order and some of its many branches before focusing directly upon the Jerrahi branch from its eighteenth. century origins to the present day. In view of their predominant role, the emphasis throughout this part is on the sheikhs who directed the affairs of the order. The underlying Ideas of the Halveti-Jerrahis are discussed in a chapter entitled The Sufi Path" - the path whose proclaimed destination is union with God. This chapter indicates where Halveti-Jerrahi path takes devotees through territory not entered by by ordinary believers. Sufis require a guide along this path, and the next chapter examines in detail the role of the spiritual guide and Includes reference to the two Halveti-Jerrahi sheikhs who have been in charge of the order during the course of research for this thesis. Rituals practised by members of the order go beyond the rituals common to all Muslims. In the chapter devoted to this topic the rituals are listed and details are given of the teachings of the order with regard to these obligations. The order's spiritual guides give detailed instructions to devotees not only on how they should perform their rituals but also on how they their lives The should conduct . order's teaching on social and political matters forms the subject of a separate chapter. The study concludes with a discussion on the sociological categorisation of sufi orders and then points to aspects worthy of further study. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT A NOTE ON TRANSCRIPTION PREFACE CHAPTER PAGE 1. INTRODUCTION 8 2. ISLAM AND SUFISM 13 3. HISTORICAL OUTLINE OF THE HALVETI ORDER 27 4. HISTORICAL OUTLINE OF THE JERRAHIS 94 5. THE SUFI PATH 126 6. THE SPIRITUAL GUIDE 190 7. RITUAL 227 8. POLITICAL AND SOCIAL TEACHING 298 9. SUFI ORDERS AND-SOCIOLOGICAL CATEGORIES 327 10. AREAS FOR FURTHER STUDY 342 APPENDIX 345 GLOSSARY 348 NOTES 351 BIBLIOGRAPHY 396 ILLUSTRATIONS facing page 12 1. Funeral of Sheikh Muzaffer Ozak 213 2. A dervish respectfully kissing Sheikh Muzaffer's palm. 3. Ecstatic Halveti-Jerrahi dervishes during dhikr 256 2 COPYRIGHT The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without the author's -prior written consent and information derived from it should be acknowledged. 3 NOTES ON THE TRANSCRIPTION AND PRONUNCIATIONOF TURKISH WORDS Except for those with an established English form, Turkish words are given in the text in modern Turkish spelling. The Turkish alphabet is phonetic and presents few problems, but readers unfamiliar with it should note particularly the pronunciation of the following letters: c- Is pronounced like the English j In jam; c- is pronounced like the English ch in church; g- is always pronounced hard like the English g in gun; - after e, 1,8 and U is pronounced like the English y in yes, after a, i, o or u it is silent and serves only to lengthen the preceding vowel; I- Is pronounced like the English i in fit; i- is pronounced rather like the English I in fir 6- is pronounced as it is in German q- is pronounced like the English sh in ship 4 ü- Is pronounced with the lips forward and rounded as in the French tu. A circumflex over a vowel denotes a slight "y" sound between it and a preceding g. k, or 1. Otherwise the circumflex serves to lengthen the vowel. 5 F'F;EFACE Prior to embarking on this research I to the prepared an M. A. thesis for submission University of Durham. There I provided a survey of the development and nature of secularism in Turkey. That study, among other things, highlighted the position of the Sufi orders in Turkey which survived, and often prospered in spite of being proscribed by law. The present thesis, in part, grew out of my research into secularism and presents a picture of a sufi order which continues to function in modern Turkey. I should like to acknowledge my debt to the Jerrahis in Istanbul who welcomed me into their meetings and answered my questions with, on the whole, remarkable openness. A study of this kind would have been impossible to complete without the cooperation of the Jerrahis, it is to their credit that they never sought to frustrate my efforts though they could have done with ease. I should also like to thank my 6 supervisor, John D. Norton, of the Centre for Turkish Studies. His encouragement, care and guidance have been invaluable. The views expressed in this thesis, however, are my own. I wish to record my gratitude to the British Academy for the State Studentship that financed my first two years of full-time Ph. D. research (following a previous year of funding for my M. A. ) and to the Turkish Government for the award of a summer language course scholarship that helped me consolidate the Turkish I had learned in Durham -a prerequisite for this research. Finally, I should thank my wife, Helen, for her patience and constant encouragement. 7 CHAPTER ONE 'a INTRODUCTION The Halveti-Jerrahi is a sufi order whose main centre is in Istanbul. The order which was founded during the Ottoman Empire remains active to this day, with adherents in Europe and to a far greater extent in the United States. The present study concentrates on the order within Turkey, examining its history, beliefs, teachings and practices. In the secular Turkish Republic of today, religion remains a sensitive and a contentious issue, both politically and socially. For most of the period of my research Sufi activity was proscribed by Turkish law. Although the relevant articles of the Penal Code were rescinded in April 1991, the Constitution still declares secularism to be an irrevocable characteristic of the Republic (see Articles 2 and 4) and prohibits any attempt to make religion the basis of the government system (Article 14). All 8 expressions of religious sentiment are closely monitored by the state, particular note being taken of the speech and action of religious groups which deviate to whatever extent from Sunni Orthodoxy, the dominant Islamic Orthodoxy in Turkey. Sufi Orders, despite often being tolerated by orthodox Sunni Islam, cannot be described as part of orthodox Islam in any strict understanding of that phrase. In Turkey, while Islam was merely dis-established, the Sufi Orders were actually proscribed by law. Sufi Orders have often been depicted by the champions of secularism as reactionary movements which will seek to overthrow the secular state and " to establish a truly Islamic society and polity in Turkey. The result of this has been a lasting suspicion and mistrust of the Sufi Orders among Turkish secularists and intellectuals. Some Sufi in movements modern Turkey could be seen as looking for the overthrow of the secular state and the establishing of an Islamic one, but this is not true, as I shall show, of the Jerrahis. The present study thus has a relevance to the social and political development of Turkey and to the preconceptions, often unfounded, of the intellectual elite within Turkey regarding Islam 9 and the Sufi Orders. T"he word "modern" as it appears in the title of this study perhaps needs some F. explanation. I do not intend this word to denote any particular period in history with a specific date at one end and today at the other. This would be inappropriate as the primary focus of this study is not historical.