Conforming Haji Bektash

A Saint and His Followers between Orthopraxy and Heteropraxy

Bibliographic Data

ID3892340
AuthorsMark Soileau (0000-0002-5503-5644, 1Mardin [email protected], corresponding author)
Year2014
Volume54
Issue3-4
Pages423-459
Publication date2014-12-02
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueDie Welt des Islams (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0043-2539 • E-ISSN: 1570-0607
PublisherWalter de Gruyter GmbH (PUBLISHER • DE)
DOI10.1163/15700607-05434p06
OpenAlexW2070467430
LanguageEN
Citations received5

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 sharīʿa, different parties having at different times portrayed him as either an antinomian charismatic mystic or a sharīʿa-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 sharīʿa-minded commentators, the debate is usually 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, showing that the concern for this 13th-century saint's praxis is still relevant in modern Turkey

Art history · Character (mathematics) · Charisma · Conformity · Mysticism · Political science · SAINT · Subject (documents) · Theology · Families in Therapy and Culture · History · Islamic Studies and History · Islamic Thought and Society Studies · Law · Philosophy

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