Ahmad Yasawi (, قوجا احمەت ياساۋى; ; 1093–1166) was a Turkic peoples[, page 373][ I.Melikoff, 'Ahmad Yesevi and Turkic popular Islam' , EJOS, VI (2003), No. 8, 1-9, ] He was a Hanafi scholar like his murshid (spiritual guide), Yusuf Hamadani.[The Foundation of the Presidency of Religious Affairs, TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, Vol. 2, pp. 159-161 (in Turkish), İstanbul, 1989.]
Early life
Ahmed Yesevi was born to Ibrahim in Sayram at the end of the 11th century. He lost his father at the age of seven and was then raised by .
By then, Yasawi had already advanced through a series of high spiritual stages and, under the direction of Arslan Baba, the young Ahmad reached a high level of maturity and slowly began to win fame from every quarter. His father Ibrahim had already been renowned in that region for performing countless feats and many legends were told of him. Consequently, it was recognized that, with respect to his lineage as well, this quiet and unassuming young boy, who always listened to his elder sister, held a spiritually important position.
Yesevi later moved to Bukhara and followed his studies with Yusuf Hamadani.[Y. N. Öztürk: The Eye of the Heart (Redhouse Press Istanbul 1988), p.49] Upon the demise of Yusuf Hamdani, first ʻAbdullah Barki and then Hassan-i Andākī became the head of Hamadani's khanqah.
Influence
Ahmad Yasawi made considerable efforts to spread Islam throughout
Central Asia and had numerous students in the region. Yasawi's poems created a new genre of religious
folk poetry in Central Asian Turkic literature and influenced many religious poets in the following countries.
[John L. Esposito, ed., The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Islamic World, Volume 1, New York: Oxford University Press, 1995, p. 271] Yasawi turned the city of Iasy into the major centre of learning for the
Kazakh Steppe, then retired to a life of contemplation at the age of 63. He dug himself an underground cell where he spent the rest of his life.
Turkish scholar Hasan Basri Çantay noted: "It was a Seljuq dynasty who brought Rumi, the great Sufi poet, to Konya; and it was in Seljuq times that Ahmed Yasawi, another great Sufi, lived and taught. The influence of those two remarkable teachers has continued to the present."[The People of the Secret by Edward Campbell (1983) ] as a member of the Khwajagan. Yasawi also influenced Turkish poet Yahya Kemal Beyatlı, he said: "Who is this Ahmad Yasawi? If you study him, you will find our nationality in Him."
Poetry
Yasawi's most famous poetic work is undoubtedly his
Dīwān-i Hikmat (Compendium of Wisdom), which was handed down from generation to generation. In his compendium, Yasawi denounces social injustice, violence and calls for patience and humility, as well as reliance on the will of Allah.
The following example is an excerpt from Yasawi's Dīwān-i Hikmat, transliterated into Latin script and translated into English.
Endi adoshdim dostlar, kelgan yolimdan.
Turgan davlatlarim ketdi qolimdan,
Ayrildim dostlar yolghiz gulimdan,
Hechkim qutilmas faryod olimdan,
Hechkim qutilmas dostlar jallod olimdan
Now I have lost my way, oh friends!
All my wealth and riches have slipped through my fingers!
I have parted, my friends, with my one and only flower - my Rose,
No one can save themselves from their death,
No one, my friends, can save themselves from their death.
Legends about Ahmed Yasawi
Date palm
Legend has it that a religious mystic, Arystan-Bab (also known as Arslan Baba), was the teacher and spiritual mentor of Khoja Ahmad Yasawi. It was Arystan-Bab who transmitted the amanat (trustworthiness, noble quality), which was contained in a pip of
date palm. According to the legend, Arystan-Bab was an associate of the
prophet
Muhammad. One day, Muhammad and his companions were resting and eating dates when suddenly one of the fruits fell out of the dish. Simultaneously, Muhammad heard the revelation: "This date is for the Muslim Ahmad, who will be born 400 years later than You." Muhammad asked his companions who would pass this persimmon to its future owner, but no one volunteered. Muhammad then repeated his question, and finally Arystan-Bab replied: "If you beg Allah to give me 400 years of life, then I will pass this date."
Timur's dream
According to
legend, Ahmad Yasawi predicted
Timur in his dream (who lived two centuries after him) glad tidings of the forthcoming conquest of
Bukhara. Taking this as a sign, Timur went on a campaign that would indeed be successful. After his victory, he decided to visit the grave of Yasawi and ordered to build there a majestic mausoleum.
Legacy
Yasawi is celebrated as a spiritual teacher all throughout
Central Asia,
Turkey, &
Greater Persia. The people of
Kazakhstan, a secular country that was also the birthplace of Yasawi, have built numerous monuments and have honored him in many other ways as well, including:
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The Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi
[Devin Deweese "The Politics of Sacred Lineages in 19th-century Central Asia: Descent groups linked to Khwaja Ahmad Yasavi in Shrine Documents and Genealogical Charters" International Journal of Middle East Studies Vol.31 (1999) pp507-530] There is the greatest influence of shamanism in the Yasawiyya compared to other Sufi orders.[ "The Sacred Sites of Kyrgyzstan", Cholpon K. Dyikanova, Taalaibek K. Dyikanov, Jarkyn B. Samanchina (eds.), Bishkek, 2004-2005, p. 8, citing Demidov, 1988, p. 3 ]
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Yesevi authored the Book of Wisdom (Turkic: ديوان حكمت, ), a collection of poems, in Turkic.
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The Naqshbandi Idries Shah mentions Yasawi's lineage in The Book of the Book.
[, page 9]
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The first Kazakh-Turkish university, Ahmet Yesevi University,
In popular culture
The Turkish series,
Mavera (in Turkish) is based on Ahmad Yasawi's life. In the series, he was portrayed by the Turkish actor .
Further reading
External links
