THE BEKTASHI ORDER OF DERVISHES by JOHN KINGSLEY BIRGE(paperback edition)
There already exists many books on Sufism but not a few of the best ones are out of print and those most easily available often give a distorted view of what the subject is about. Luzac Oriental is pleased to re-publish in Paperback one of the classic works on the subject which we hope will aid a deeper and clearer understanding of Islamic mysticism.
Sufism traces its origin back to the Prophet of Islam, Mohammad. The majority of the dervish orders, however, claim their lineage from 'Ali, the Phropet's son-in-law and cousin. There is a story which attempts to explain this situation. The aim of Sufi is to become " the Perfect Man ", that is the mirror of God. It is said that God chose to make Mohammad perfect. God could make any man his mirror, but 'Ali became a perfect man by following the teaching of Mohammad. In theory one can emulate 'Ali but not the Prophet.
John Birge's " The Bektashi Order of Dervishes ", first published in 1937, remains the standard work on this order. It is far more than that, however, as it is a seminar work on dervish history and the place of dervishes in the Ottoman Empire. The Bektashi were one of the largest Ottoman orders and assumed an important place in military history through their links with the janissaries.
Birge places the brotherhood both in the context of the more than one hundred orders of dervishes in Turkey and how they influenced both village, military and political life in the Empire. He recounts the history of the order together with its historiography. The doctrine, beliefs, rites and practices of the Bektashi are examined in detail which not only gives us an insight into the Bektashi brotherhood but sets a paradigm for the study and comparison of these fields in relation to the other dervish orders.
This book contains 32 black and white illustrations some showing beautiful examples of calligraphy for which the Bektashi were particularly famous.
- Paperback: 291 pages
- Publisher: Luzac Oriental (6 Nov. 2015)
- ISBN-10: 0955512271
- ISBN-13: 978-0955512278
- Product Dimensions: 15.2 x 1.6 x 23 cm
Product Code: LUZAC4
