The Role of Sufi Tariqats in the Balkans (s)
from
a talk by
The events of the
last two and a half years have brought Bosnia- Hercegovina into the
forefront of the attention of the Muslim community world-wide. Nearly
every well-informed indivudual has become familiar with the
geo-political aspects fo the violent struggle that has engulfed the
region. Unfortunately, this unfortunate notoriety has mostly to do
with the crimes of aggression committed on the Muslims. Little is
still known by the world-wide Muslim Ummah of the rich and spiritual
Islamic culture that once thrived throughout the Balkans and its
attempt now to do so again.
It is a well-known
fact that the first real Islamic presence in the Balkans came after
the Ottoman conquests that began in the early fourteenth century and
continued until 1683 CE, when the armies of Islam were repulsed from
the gates of Vienna for the last time. The complete conquest of
Bosnia occurred in 1463 and within a century of this date, nearly
seven out of ten Bosnians had become Muslim.
As in India,
Indonesia and sub-Saharan Africa, the role of the Sufi Tariqats in
the spread of Islam in the Balkans was tremendous. The dervishes of
the Balkans, as their modern-day counterparts in America are doing
today, spread the love of Islam into the hearts of the largely
Orthodox Christian population of the region. Countless generations of
Bosnians, Greeks, Serbs, Croats, Bulgar- ians, Albanians and other
ethnic groups were drawn into the faith by the sincerity, wisdom and
love that typified dervish behavior and practice.
Nearly every large
tariqat could be found in the Balkans during the heyday of the
Ottoman Empire. First the Naqshbandiyya and second the Qadiriyya were
the dominant tariqats in Bosnia-Hercegovina. This was mainly due to
the strong Sunni Orthodox estblishment that was well- entrenched
there, which emphasized the strong practice of the shari'ah and the
establishment of the Sunnah of the Prophet (s) in all aspects of
daily and communal life.
The Khalwati tariqat
(with its various branches) was also widespread in most of the
Balkans. Their tekkes were found in certain regions of Bosnia and
Serbia, but their real concentration lay in Albania and Macedonia.
The Rifa'i also found popularity among the Albanians of Kosova and
Macedonia, the they never really were able to gain a foothold among
the sober-minded Bosnians.
The Mevleviyya were
primarily a tariqat of the urban upper class, and their tekkes were
found in nearly every major city from Thessolonika (Greece) to
Budapest. In Sarajevo, the famous Mevlevi Tekke of Benbasa stood
until the the communists demolished it in the late 1950's.
On the opposite of
the social spectrum lay the Bektashi Order, which was a popular Sufi
movement among the rural peasants. This tariqat spread throughout
Northern Greece, Macedonia and Bulgaria mainly due to the settlements
of Turks in the above-mentioned areas of the presence of large
Janissary garrisons. The Bektashi later found their stronghold in
southern Albania.
Some minor heterodox
groups, such as the Hamzawi movement, flourished in Eastern Bosnia in
the late sixteenth century, but these were outlawed by the Ottoman
authorities due to the fact that they overstepped the bound of the
Shari'ah.
Jediler
Nakshibandi Masjid and Tekke, Sarajevo, Bosnia-Hercegovina
The tekkes
(zawiyahs) of the Sufi tariqats became beacons of faith and love for
the Holy Prophet (s). Unfortunately, the tide of history destroyed
much of the tariqats' activity as communism and Serbian Nationalist
fanaticism came to dominate the region. As strong- holds of Islamic
faith and belief, the Sufi tekkes and mosques were often the primary
targets of the Serbian and communist' venom as they have lately also
been targetted by their guns.
However, Sufism
still survives today, albeit in a much diminished role. In Bosnia, a
great revival of tariqah has occurred both prior to and during to the
war. In the late 70's through the 80's Sufism enjoyed some small
revival, which has grown now due to the war. Many shaikhs of the
Naqshbandiyya, Rufa'i and Qadiriyya were active in reviving the
spirit of Islam and jihad during these years. Prominent among them
was Shaikh Nazim al-Qibrisi, who every in his traveling from London
back to Turkey after the month of Ramadan, would visit each and every
tekke and mosque on his way through Yugoslavia, spreading the light
of his teachings and the Naqshbandi silent dhikr whereever he stayed.
Both the Naqshbandis
and the Qadiris are quite active in the Army of Bosnia-Hercegovina,
warding off Serb and Croat aggression. Among the generals and
commanders are several Sufi shaikhs. And the role of the tariqats in
establishing relief convoys from all over Europe to the beseiged
regions of Bosnia-Hercegovina are immeasurable.
The teachings and
work of the tariqat in daily life of the people are served through
the tekkes. These buildings dedicated for spreading the teachings of
shari'ah and tariqat, peforming dhikr and feeding the poor used to
number in the thousands throughout the Balkan region. Most of them
date from Ottoman times, where the great architects and builders
participated in their design and construction. Among them were
several architected by the great Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan.
However, during the communist era, most mosques and tekkes fell into
disuse and disrepair and now unfortunately, most of them are no
longer functional.
In Kosova there are
seven functioning Naqshbandi, Rifa'i and Khalwati tekkes. Macedonia
has four working Naqshbandi and Khalwati tekkes in operations. In
Albania, a revival of the Bektashi, Naqshbandi and Khalwatiyya has
taken place within a general Islamic revival.
Celebration of the Mevlud in the Balkans
One of the most
enduring legacies of the impact of Sufism in the Balkans is the
celebration of the Mawlid an-Nabi (s) or as it is known there,
Mevlud. The practice of giving Mevlud celebrations in the region is a
well-established and time-honored tradition and it has always enjoyed
the support of the 'ulama and other Islamic scholars. Never has there
been a question of the legitimacy of the Mevlud. Many important
figures in Balkan Muslim history have recognized the importance of
the Mevlud, especially in keeping the spirit of Islam and the love of
the Prophet (s) alive in the hearts of the people, under the
ever-increasing pressure of modern- izing and irreligious propangada.