Conforming Haji Bektash: A Saint and His Followers between Orthopraxy and Heteropraxy

Abstract

Since his death in the 13th century, the Anatolian Sufi saint Haji Bektash Veli has been the subject of a debate as to whether he conformed to the sharVa, different parties hav ing at different times portrayed him as either an antinomian charismatic mystic or a s/iarfa-abiding Sufi scholar. This paper traces the course of the debate from the 14th century until today, situating the various interpretations in their historical contexts. As will be seen, interpretations of Haji Bektash's character are often influenced by that of his followers, the Bektashis, who have come to be known as antinomian. Because this non-conformity poses a problem for sharVa-mmàeà commentators, the debate is usu ally framed in terms that can be summarized as a dichotomy between orthopraxy and heteropraxy. Responding to this, Bektashis have instead reframed the dichotomy as one between what we can call esopraxy and exopraxy. The debate is still active today, show ing that the concern for this 13th-century saint's praxis is still relevant in modem Turkey.

Blicke in den Spiegel des Koran

“…Zarcone, 2016, 26;mit den Alevit:innen vgl. Soileau, 2014, 426, 449f, 456. 76 Baba Mondi, 2018zum [Rūmī], und Abū Saˁīd Abī l-Ḫair, sie sind keine Sufis in dieser Hinsicht, [denn] sie machen keinen Orden.79 Aber zum Beispiel jetzt im Iran haben wir fünf oder sechs Orden des Sufismus, aber die heißen, oder nennen sich selbst nicht mehr Sufi, wegen jener religiösen Gelehrten, die begonnen haben, sie zu attackieren nach (oder seit) den Safaviden, nach der safavidischen Herrschaft.…”