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- He is the leader of
Bektaşi sect. He was born in Nisabur city of Horasan in 1216. His real name is Mehmet,
but he is known as Bektaş. Rumors have it that his origin comes from Imam Huseyin and he
is the sixteenth generation grandson of Ali. He performed his education in Nişabur. He
settled down in Suluca Karahöyük in the vicinity of Kırşehir. He spread his ideas from
here. He died in 1310. His grandson Balim Sultan founded Balim Sultan Bektaşi sect after
his death. His tomb is still in the district known with his name.
Hadji Bektaş Veli, the leader and patron saint of Bektaşis did not think of founding a
sect and leading it as its patron saint. He only tried to spread as an instructor his love
of humanity and his belief in precedence of humanity in the word.
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Some say that Hadji Bektaşi Veli was
commissioned by his hodjas, the student of Ahmet Yesevi Lokman-ı Perende and Seyyid
Mohammed to teach the reality to Turkish people settled down in Anatolia. Undertaking an
additional task of uniting the Turks and lifting discord between them, he had left Horasan
together with his brother Menteş. The first stop of Haci Bektaş was Sivas in Anatolia.
He passed on to Amasya. He stayed in Amasya until death of his sheik Baba İshak, the
sheik of Babai sect of which he was the caliph. Then he went to Suluca Karahöyük, in the
southeastern part of today's Kırşehir. This city was a little town given to a soldier
named Horasanlı Yunus as "habitation". He settled down in this place consisting
of merely seven houses, as the guest of İdris, son of Horasanli Yunus. Hadji Bektaşi
Veli was a saint, a philosopher, a sociologist, a spiritualist, and an agriculturist and
Turkist. He could easily find a place in the hearts of people with his such properties. |
Hadji Bektaş turned
Suluca Karahöyük into a public university. At the same time, he brought up several Sufis
and scholars of future there. He sent those students to "Forty Houses" he opened
in various regions, commissioning them there. In his efforts to separate his ideas, such
students played an important role.
Taptuk Emre, who was
the hodja of Yunus Emre and who called so because he said to Hadji Bektaş "Taptuk
(we found) My Sultan", Sarı Saltuk, Geyikli Ahmet Baba, Abdal Musa, Ahî Evren, Kızıl
Deli Sultan who served much in Balkan countries (other name Seyyid Ali), Kaygusuz Abdal
and Pîr Sultan Abdal were among his students.
As per Bektaşi
belief, Orhan Ghazi took advantage of the opinions of Hadji Bektaş while establishing the
first Ottoman army, he prayed for the army and the Janissaries new him as "Patron
Saint". Even, it is said that in the memory of his sleeve hanging down from the back
when he prayed by putting his hand on the head of a soldier, the caps of Janissaries were
hanged down towards the back like his sleeve. Since Hadji Bektaşi Veli passed away long
before establishment of Janissaries, and even birth of Sultan Orhan, it is definite that
this is not possible. However, it is a fact that Bektaşi sect dominated in Janissary
center and the Janissaries called themselves "The Group of Bektaşis". Also it
is known that Yavuz Sultan Selim, who abode by such tendency of Janissaries, entered the
Bektaşi Sect. Yavuz is the only sultan in Ottoman dynasty to accept Bektaşi sect.
Hadji Bektaş said:
Hararet "nar"dadır, "sac"da değildir.
Keramet "baş"dadır, "tac"da değildir.
Her ne arar isen kendinde ara,
Kudüs'te, Mekke'de, Hac'da değildir.
Sâkin ol, kimsenin gönlünü yıkma,
Gerçek erenlerin izinden çıkma,
Eğer adam isen ölmezsin, korkma
Âşığı kurd yemez, "uc"da değildir.
He gained much more
importance after his death.
Because of such
importance, one of his grandsons, Balim Sultan, established a sect being inspired by his
opinions naming it Bektaşi sect. Then Suluca Karahöyük gained importance and began to
be called as Hacı Bektaş. The environs of the place where Hadji Bektaş Veli's tomb
resides was turned into a visiting place and a center of Bektaşi sect.
The tomb where Hadji
Bektaş Veli was buried called "Huzur-ı Pir" was constructed by Yavuz Sultan
Selim. "Human being is holier than all creatures and existence. Sublime God formed
Adam with his own light and beauty. God is in the essence or heart of dignified
person". This idea constitutes a major principle of Bektaşi sect. Bektaşis, who
recognize Allah and Prophet and who are linked to Ali, believe the following seven
principles: Humanity, goodness, justice, freedom, equality, hardworking and love for
humanity.
The life of Hadji
Bektaş is full of various rumors. His remarks, conversations were rebuilt with
extraordinary events, ascribing many miracles. These remarks and conversations were
compiled by his students and two books named Makalat and Fevaid were produced. It is said
that apart from these two books, he has a Turkish verse book named Şathiye. The
book named Velayetname on the sagas of Hadji Bektaş in an atmosphere of an epic prepared
by Bektaşis long after Hadji Bektaş' death is very famous. Hadji Bektaş aimed at
reaching the true love, Allah's friendship by not fearing Allah but loving him with a
unsatisfied love and a pure heart. For him this love is in the essence of human. First one
should know himself, and love his companion. And he warned: "If you want constant
happiness, be friend to everyone, do not feel grudge and envy against anyone".
A poem said to belong
to Hadji Bektaş depicts such ideas as follows:
Dervişlik hırkada, taçda değildir,
Hararet nardadır, saçta değildir.
Her ne arar isen kendinde ara
Kudüs'te, Mekke'de, Hac'da değildir.
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Sakın bir kimsenin gönlünü yıkma
Gerçek erenlerin sözünden çıkma
Eğer insan isen ölmezsin korkma
Aşığı kurt yemez, uç'ta değildir.
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