last pages of an erkânname (book of ceremony and ritual) a list of books belong to the
library of an unknown Bektashi tekke was catalogued. The late Dr. Bedri Noyan (d.
1997), who was dedebaba of the Babagan Bektashis in Turkey, cited a quote from
Giritli Ali Baba in his important work Bütün Yönleriyle Bektaşilik ve Alevilik.
My examination of the work is based on two manuscript copies of the Uyūn al-
Hidāyat: being a copy found in the Yapi ve Kredi Bank’s library and the other a copy
from the Süleymaniye Library. Girtli Ali Baba’s spiritual philosophy present quite
extensively in the Uyūn al-Hidāyat. It is a philosophy rooted both in love of the Ahl
al-Bayt as well as the concept of Wahdat al-Wujud, the former being a clear influence
from the great medieval Sufi, Ibn Arabī.
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE AHL AL-BAYT ACCORDING TO GIRITLI ALI BABA
The first step one must take on the path of Tasawwuf, according to the Uyūn al-
Hidāyat, is to become initiated as a murid or talib. In addition the murid must
develop a deep and profound love for the Ahl al-Bayt. If a murid who is not 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 figures Kamber 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 Imam Husayn, are no better than
unbelievers, fasid (vicious mischief-maker). Taking the Ahl al-Bayt as one’s patrons
(tawalla) and disassociating with their enemies (tabarra) is considered by Ali Baba
to be a necessary religious requirement (wajib). If one fails to make tabarra to Yazid
one has spiritually attained the rank of hypocrite (munafiq), unbeliever (mushrik),
oppressor (zalim) and murderer (qatil). Ali Baba disapproved the practice of other
Sufi tariqats instructing the neophyte to recite the kalimat ut-tawhid (i.e. La ilaha il
Allah) instead of making use of tabarra and tawalla at time of initiation. Giritli
writes that any mother can teach a child to recite the kalimat ut-tawhid, but that a
murshid must instruct tabarra and tawalla to the murid at time of 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 to Prophet Muhammad. In his writing he brings forward an
ayat (verse) of the Qur’an in order to validate this: “Lo! those who swear allegiance
unto thee ( Muhammad), swear allegiance only unto Allah. The Hand of Allah is above
their hands. So whosoever breaketh his oath, breaketh it only to his soul's hurt; while
whosoever keepeth his covenant with Allah, on him will He bestow immense reward.”
Giritli calls attention to another ayat in order to strengthen the importance of bay’
at: “Allah was well pleased with the believers when they swore allegiance unto thee
beneath the tree, and He knew what was in their hearts, and He sent down peace of
reassurance on them, and hath rewarded them with a near victory.” Giritli states that
the “tree” mentioned in this ayat is none other than the one referred to in the Qur’an
as being “a blessed tree, an olive neither of the East nor of the West.” According to
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 to indicate 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, the true murshid, is more imperative than right of one’s natural
parents. Ali Baba writes that if a person only follows the customs of their parents he or
she remains as if locked in an egg. If the person wants to be hatched from this egg 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 will abandon the custom of his birth parents. Giritli
interestingly quotes a passage from the Gospels where Jesus exclaims, “Truly, truly, I
say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” The Bektashi
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 out the Hadith-i Qudsi where Allah states, “O Muhammad!
If it were not for you I would have not created.” He writes that Prophet Muhammad
was God’s Beloved (Mahbūb-ī Khudā). According to Giritli Ali Baba, Allah exalted the
Prophet in 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, but God’s.”
Curiously Giritli incorporates (perhaps reluctantly, in order to appease the dominant
Sunni sensibilities of Ottoman society) the three Caliphs (Khulafa’ ar-Rashidah) into
the spiritual system. He writes that, “The Prophet Muhammad has four dearly loved
ones. They are the elements of prophethood (anāsir-ī nubūwwat) similar to the four
natural elements (anāsir-ī arbaca). Abu Bakr is as water, Umar is as fire, Uthman is
as air, and Ali is as soil. They are equally 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 the Prophet 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, and cleanse you with a
thorough cleansing.” To prove the claims of the Twelve Imams, he notes a Hadith of
the Prophet Muhammad where he said, “I am the chief of the Prophets and ‘Ali ibn Abi
Talib is the chief of successors, and after me my successors shall be twelve, the first of
them being ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib and the last of them being al-Mahdi.”
GIRITLI ALI RESMI BABA’S OUTLOOK ON THE CONCEPT
OF WAHDAT AL-WUJUD
Giritli Ali Resmi Baba enthusiastically embraced the philosophy of wahdat al-wujud.
In his writing he used the example of a mirror to explain that creation is a nothing but
a mirror reflecting of God’s emanations (tajalliyat). Moreover he states that the
Prophet Muhammad is a component of this reflection. To explain this further Giritli
Ali Baba related one story, “One day Prophet Muhammad asked the Archangel Jibril,
‘O my brother Jibril! Are you seeing who transmits to you the revelation you bring me?’
Jibril answered, ‘It is comes to me from behind a veil of emerald hue. Other than that I
do no know.’ The Prophet replied, ‘On the next occasion of revelation, lift up the veil.’
Later on Jibril did the Prophet said and behind the veil he saw Muhammad. Jibril
exclaimed, ‘It is Muhammad who gives the revelation to be delivered to Muhammad!’
Jibril comprehended Muhammad’s rank and he kept silent forever.” According to
Giritli this status is an inner reality (batin), though in the outward reality (zahir)
Muhammad was apparently given the revelation from Jibril. He justifies using ayats,
“Ar-Rahman. He has taught the Qur’an. He created Man. He taught them the
Elucidation.” When unbelievers asked the Prophet Muhammad who sent down the
Qur’an, he answered that it is Allah. They then asked if the Qur’an was sent down as a
sound or as letters. Prophet Mohammad replied that, “Allah created human beings in
order to explain the Qur’an. The face of Adam (i.e. humanity) is an attribute of God (i.
e. ar-Rahman, the All-Compassionate). Human beings are distinguished from other
creatures in their very nature. In reality the Qur’an and humanity are twins. “O Allah!
Teach me Qur’an found in the face of Adam,” prays Giritli Ali Baba
GIRITLI ALI BABA’S OUTLOOK ON MANKIND
Another important element in Giritli’s tasawwuf is in regards to the nature of
humanity (i.e. Adam). It is known through the Qur’an that God, the Most Merciful,
commanded the angels to prostrate themselves to the form of Adam in Bezm-i Ezel,
the period in the past eternity when Man was created. According to Giritli the
Command and commander are identical given that prostration (sajdah) was, in
reality, to God alone.
He describes human beings not only as Adam: “Although the visage of Eve (Hawwa) is
21 letters because she deficient in sifat (attributes), the two are identical in dhat
(essence).” According to Giritli, Adam is a tajalli (effulgence) of 32 letters, while Eve
is a tajalli of 28 letters; Adam is the dhat, while Eve is the sifat. Although clearly less
significant in grade, Adam cannot exist without Eve and Eve cannot exist without
Adam. In fact the Universe cannot exist without them both. All of them are a mirror to
each other.
Giritli mentions a Hadith Qudsi where God proclaims, “I was a concealed treasure. I
wished known so I created.” He also quotes a saying of the Prophet Muhammad, “The
believers are mirrors of each other.” Giritli expounds in this by writing, “Adam is a
mirror of the Truth (Haqq). If you wish to see your true being you must look into the
mirror. You understand that you are a human (Adam) when you see yourself at the
mirror. If you have no mirror, what can you do? Understand this: the mirror is like the
sifat (attributes) and your actual figure is the dhat (essence). This is the analogous to
the position of Eve (sifat) to Adam (dhat). To be able to make a “mirror” is a hidden
wisdom. This secret is the similar to the expression “al-waladu sirri abihi” (i.e. the
child is the secret of his father). This secret is a secret that emerges from your being.
Sifat and dhat are as one. The Qur’an and Adam are as one. Haqq and Adam are as
one. If Adam did not exist, Haqq could not be known. If Haqq does not exist, how
could Adam have been created? If sifat does not exist, how can the dhat be aware that
he is Haqq? If dhat does not exist how can sifat give life? If the mirror does not exist,
everything would be silent and Adam could not speak.”
According Giritli Adam exists as a result of Creation and Creation exists because of
Adam and both of Adam and Creation exist by the will of God. He states in one distich:
The manifestation of Attribute and Essence
In Creation and Adam are found.
At times Adam is the Creation, at times the Creation is Adam.
Truth upholds His reign over Creation in this way.
Lacking Adam Creation cannot be.
Lacking Creation Adam cannot be.
Giritli tried to simplify his explain wahdat al-wujud in a straightforward allegory: “If
a man says ‘I am able to see sun,’ while he only sees the sun’s light, he hasn’t really
seen the sun.” Recognizing the tajalli of God is the same.
GIRITLI ALI BABA’S APPROACH TO BEING
While elucidating on his approach to being, Giritli Ali Resmi Baba writes that
separating its origin (asil) from its branches (far') is erroneous. He states, for
example, that the sun and sunshine aren’t truly separated from each other. In this
context Adam is not separated from Haqq, and Haqq is not separated from Adam; an
egg is not independent of a bird, and a bird from an egg. It should not be accepted that
the Universe and egg are the asil while Adam and bird are its results. Giritli writes
that this way belongs to the man who has eyes to see, and that Haqq belongs to the
man who accepts it. If a man were a true muwwahid (monotheist) and arif billah
(knower of God) it would be impossible for his to see the asil and far' as being distinct.
If he were to see such things as separate, he would become a mushrik (one who
associates partners with Allah). According to Giritli when Adam was in the ālam al-
mufradāt (the world of uniqueness) he was not known as Adam. After he was formed
into a compound (tarkīb) and sent into the ālam al-ajsām (the material universe), he
become a human being. Because his dhat and sifat are in unity likewise is Haqq and
Adam.
According to Giritli the human beings are unified in their shared bodily composition
and construction. There are no real physical differences among themselves.
Divergence is only in istidat (aptitude), khilkat (disposition) and tajalli (effulgence).
The awliyullah are different from other human beings in these properties. In order
to gain kamāl (i.e. perfection), istidat is very much needed. An individual’s talent is
based on the tajalli of the hurūf. Thus males possess 32 hurūf making them superior
to women, who enjoy 28 hurūf. It is because of this that women can never be a
murshid. Nevertheless women can reach the level of insān-i kāmil, perfected human.
GIRITLI ALI BABA’S OUTLOOK ON ISTIDAT
An individual cannot absorb knowledge or master an art if he hasn’t talent. However
he can learn anything if he has within his reach a distinguished master. A man who
has talent can lead others along the path of guidance (hidayat). If a dervish is an
ecstatic (majdhūb) he can’t become a murshid. Giritli give an example for this
situation.
Bu kadar nasîbi aşk-i hakîkiden ey gönül
Şol sâlik ki mürşidi nâkıs ukûl ola
O heart! His lot of real love is this much
Because his murshid deficient reason
According to Giritli every individual has aptitude and ability (istidat) which is not
dependent on disposition (khilkat), effulgence (tajalli) and characteristics
(mazhariyet). God’s names and attributes are brought into the open through the
manifestation of humanity and influence them. According Giritli, human propensities
–such as generosity, subtlety, excellence as well as tyranny – exist only through God’s
names and attributes. He quotes the Qur’anic verse, “Whatever good happens to you,
is from God; but whatever evil happens to you, is from yourselves…” While all
ultimately originates from none other than God, Ali Baba states that “to accept this
verse is from good manners (adab)” since it is not fitting for man to associate evil with
God.
Giritli asserts that a person must not travel this path saying, “I will find my goal and
arrive at it.” He must not run after imaginations and illusions. He must try to
comprehend signs and symbols revealed by the Prophets (anbiya’) and Saints
(awliya). However if he has true aptitude as well as submission (taslimiyyat) he can
find his true nature and come to know the self. Such a person can comprehend that
his soul is from God. For these individuals, writes Giritli, their attributes are the Sifat
ur-Rahman and his temperament is that of the ashan ul- takwim, the best of creation.
According to Ali Baba a lover (āshiq) must see Haqq (reality) with Allah. A lover must
first give his devotion to Allah, then at last he will recive blessing via Allah’s names of
aziz, lâtif, jamîl rather than being involved in trifiling love (cüzî ashk) where he
would suppose himself to be a lover. He is not a real lover of God. If a person loves
Allah he does not give his love away at a whim to anyone.
According to Giritli if a person see other than Allah in all things and people this is a
form of shirk. A lover of God or lover to people is ultimately loving Haqq . A Hadith
Qudsi states, “I was a secret treasure, I had wished that I was known”. The hadith
must be understood to mean: “Haqq loved you and wanted to create you.”
GIRITLI ALI BABA’S APPROACH TO THE CONCEPT OF DAWRIYYAH (CYCLICAL
EXISTANCE)
The concept of dawriyyah is essentially when a “being” is descends to earth at first as
jamâd (inanimate object), then plant, animal, human being and finally as Insan-i
Kamil. Giritli starts to describe this by explaining the nature of the soul. The soul is
from Allah and exists through the command “Kun,” i.e. be. The soul pass first from the
Arsh and the Kursi (the divine throne and footstool), through the seven heavens and
arrives in the dimension of the four material elements. The four elements are
contained within a sphere (âlam) which is under the heavenly moon (ay feleği). After
that, the soul beings to pass through the mawalid ul-thalatha (the three “births”)
which are plant, animal and human.
According to Giritli dawr is an act of creation. Allah had created Adam 40,000 years
before he sent him to this earth (i.e. one day has the equivalence of one year). The
command of “Kun fa yakun” apparently stretched on for 40,000 years. If an individual
has istidat he or she can see this process that at first with an order of “kun” human
pass from the âlam-i ijmal to the âlam-i tafsil and then can see with the order of “fa
yakun” humanity pass from âlam-i tafsil to âlam-i ijmal again. At last he can see
human arrive back at the Arsh as the Ahsan ul-Taqwim (Best of Forms).
In this process of descent and ascent human beings go from Ahlaq-i Zamîma (moral
degeneration) to Ahlâq-i Hamîda (moral praiseworthiness). He abandons distrust,
suizan, and gains good opinion, hüsnüzan. Having gone through this whole process,
according to Giritli, an individual will reach the stage of Insan-i Kamil. The cycle
(dawr) is peculiar to the human soul. Angels do not go through such a process
although they would wish so. It related through one poem:
On the Night of Mi’raj, Ahmad beheld an angel and asked,
“How long hast thou existed?”
The angel replied, “There is a star that rises only every 1,001 years.
I have seen it rise hundred times a hundred times.”
The Prophet then asked, “What is it you desire from the Exalted?”
The angel replied, “He has a excellent house bedecked and ornamented.
For this house all the stars rotate around the spheres of heaven.
My longing is for this place, my ultimate aspiration.
I desire to enter this house and attain my goal.
To see and hear this house is my one desire.
It is a house in the shape of Man in which the Merciful is concealed.
The generations must come and be a guest.
So much for a thousand years, you go and come back in yearning of this house
Alas! You forgot your own origin (aslını) when you entered the house.
In this house, gaze at your soul and see that Reality is seen in you from you.
Don’t attach to the lowly world), only God is absolute.
In this house you arrive on your Mi’raj.
You can drink wine that renders you drunk!”
Giritli is saying that Man is the house of God. The utmost goal of Man is to become one
in Perfect Unity.