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SUFI TEACHINGS IN THE WISDOM OF KHOJA AHMET YASSAWI
AND THEIR PLACE IN KARAKALPAK SPIRITUALITY
Khamzeev Abdigappar Kallybekovich
Independent researcher at Karakalpak State University
abdikhamza@gmail.com
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16669500
Khoja Ahmed Yassawi is a great thinker who laid the foundation for Turkic
Sufi poetry. Through his work «Diwani Hikmet», concepts such as Islamic values,
piety, and morality were instilled in the consciousness of the people. This article
extensively examines the historical and spiritual influence of Yassawi's legacy
among the Karakalpak people.
Khoja Ahmed's wisdom encourages virtuous deeds such as justice,
compassion, piety, truthfulness, deep thinking, and purity. The poet was a great
teacher who first embodied these principles, applied them in practice, and
reached the pinnacle of wisdom. Professor Kamal Mambetov provides the
following information about Yassawi: «There is considerable information about
Khoja Ahmed Yassawi among the Karakalpaks. Some oral accounts link the
reasons for the Karakalpaks' migration from Turkistan to the events
surrounding Khoja Ahmed Yassawi. For example, elder Dauletmurat, who lives
in Kegeyli, says: «The Karakalpaks, while fleeing during wartime, stopped at the
mausoleum of Ahmed Yassawi and asked for help to save them from Kalmyk
raids» [1, 43]. The conclusion from this account is that we can consider Yassawi
as the spiritual father of the Karakalpak people and the founder of Karakalpak
literature.
H.A. Yassawi's wisdom echoes the philosophical thoughts in the holy
hadiths of Prophet Muhammad through teachings on humility, providing shelter
to the poor and needy, caring for orphans, following the path of Allah's prophet,
not wasting life, and the teachings in the surahs and verses of the Holy Quran. In
most of Yassawi's wise sayings, he often mentions his teacher Arystanbap. The
poet says he learned many wisdoms and pieces of advice from his teacher. He
especially calls for avoiding arrogance, greed, materialism, and encourages
repentance. In the sage's work «Diwani Hikmet», along with the truth of his time,
he skillfully explains through rhyming verses what needs to be done to
understand the entire essence of his life, life experience, and the true path of
Allah by finding the path of Truth. From a young age, the poet was raised by his
teacher Arystanbap, and it is known that he mastered divine knowledge from
him. As a result of this acquired knowledge, he laid the foundation of Sufi
science. The meaning of Sufism and tasawwuf teachings is the same, signifying
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purity and inner spiritual cleanliness, stating that a person must firmly maintain
their inner state rather than the external form of religion. In its inner form, it is
the doctrine of the heart, the recognition of the human «self», the nourishment
of the inner spiritual div, and the understanding of its phenomena, rather than
the externally manifested carnal div. Professor Kurbanbay Zharimbetov
describes, «One of the main conditions of Sufism is reaching the face of truth,
being madly in love with it, living with the hope of seeing the face of truth, and
searching for it everywhere» [2, 8]. Indeed, almost all of the poet's works
celebrate his love for the beauty of truth:
Qaydan tabaman, ashıqlıǵıń tústi,
sheshimim joq,
Muhabbat sanasın kúni-túni qoyarım
joq.
Dárgayıńnan basqa jerge bararım joq,
Ne qılsań da ashıq qıl, párwardigar.
[3, 106]
Where can I find your love that has
fallen upon me? I have no solution,
I cannot cease thinking of love day
and night.
I have nowhere to go except to your
presence,
Whatever you do, make it clear, O
Creator. [3, 106]
Professor Kabyl Maksetov comprehensively analyzed the unique
characteristics of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi's wisdom, stating: «His worldview and
written wisdom were based on Quranic instructions, Prophet Muhammad's
hadiths, and the general principles of Islam. When we study his wisdom, we
must approach it from this perspective and should not confuse it with modern
ideology or materialistic philosophy. We must understand the world, destiny,
and life as Khoja Ahmed Yasawi understood them, as a child of his era».
Yasawi was a poet who promoted the true path of Allah. In one of his
wisdom sayings, he states: «May God guide me to His path». He was a person
who never strayed from this path, remained honest, and acted with faith.
However, his religious-moral philosophy does not diverge from the realities of
life. He opposes evils such as wickedness, ignorance, malice, and greed. In his
wisdom, he eloquently conveys sharp words of admonition about the greatest
entity - Allah, love for the finest things, truth, justice, contentment, moderation,
sin, virtue, and faith» [4, 66-67].
Written accounts about Ahmed Yasawi were primarily recorded by his
disciples. Yasawi, who laid the foundation for the Turkic Muslim understanding
and wisdom tradition, was celebrated as a spiritual mentor and his legacy was
passed down through generations in the works of his disciples. The wisdom of
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his astute disciple Suleiman Bakyrgani plays a crucial role in the widespread
dissemination of Yasawi's teachings, his path, and traditions in Central Asia.
After his teacher's death, Suleiman continued his teachings and guided people
towards the path of truth.
Suleiman Bakyrgani, known by the epithet Hakim Ata, a noble son of the
Karakalpak people, was one of the first disciples educated by Yasawi and
became the most intelligent and knowledgeable among them. He continued his
teacher's path, illuminating people's inner worlds, developing their
consciousness, and disciplining their desires, thus rising to the level of a great
teacher himself. While promoting important aspects of the Yasawi tariqa,
Suleiman also left behind several valuable works. He wrote texts explaining this
tariqa, including «The Book of Bakyrghan», «The Book of the End Times»,
«Bibimaryam», and others. In these works, he honors his teacher Yasawi and
dedicates wisdom to him:
Subxan iyem ósirdi, Ayttı Rasul
kesimdi.
Arıslan baba jetkizdi, Shayxım Axmet
Yassawiy.
Haq Mustafanıń ármanın, Bildik
qurma alǵanın,
Qurdı alqasın Kaǵbanıń, Shayxım
Axmet Yassawiy.
Bassa tawlar shegingen, Baqsa Kaǵba
kóringen.
"Hal" ilimi berilgen, Shayxım Axmet
Yassawiy.
Asıl edi násili, Bilmes bende pasıǵı.
Haqtıń ǵana ashıǵı. Shayxım Axmet
Yassawiy...[5, 15-16]
Subhan raised me, Rasul said
decisively.
Arystan Baba conveyed, My Sheikh
Ahmed Yassawi.
True Mustafa's dream, We learned
that he took dates,
He established the circle of the Kaaba,
My Sheikh Ahmed Yassawi.
Mountains
retreated
when
he
stepped, The Kaaba appeared when
he looked.
The doctrine of "Hal" was given, my
Sheikh Ahmed Yassawi.
His lineage was noble, Unknown to
mortals.
Only God's beloved. My Sheikh Ahmed
Yassawi...[5, 15-16]
Suleiman Bakyrgani, considered a spiritual guide in the tradition of
Yassawi, continued the practice of Yassawi's wisdom, preserving the form and
content of his true teachings and promoting the Sufi path. The great scholar and
poet Alisher Navoi writes in his works about Hakim Ata: "There is little
information about Turkic sheikhs. Therefore, I have included data and
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information about all great scholars from the time of Hazrat Sultan Khoja Ahmed
Yasawi to the present day in their original form." [6, 160-182]
When Suleimen Bakyrgani was in school, unlike other children, he wouldn't
carry the Quran on his shoulder, but would carry it in both palms, and wouldn't
look back until he returned home after classes. One day, Ahmed Yassawi, sitting
near the mosque, was surprised to see this. From that day forward, he took
Suleiman, the spiritual guide of Turkistan, under his wing to teach him. From the
age of fifteen, Suleiman became his murid (disciple).
In Suleiman Bakyrgani's works, religious beliefs such as fear of the torment
of the afterlife and the wrath of judgment day take center stage. "On the Day of
Judgment, if Allah asks me, 'Where are your deeds?' I don't know what will
become of me," the poet writes, stating that to see Allah's beauty, one must
constantly recite the remembrance of the Truth day and night: "Servant
Suleiman, you know this day, worship night and day."
Khoja Ahmed Yasawi's wisdom spread Islamic moral principles widely
throughout the Turkic world, laying the foundation for Sufi teachings. His
student Suleiman Bakyrgani continued this teaching and established it as a
spiritual heritage among the Karakalpak people. Yassawi's teachings remain
relevant today.
References:
1.
Мамбетов К. Әййемги дәўир қарақалпақ әдебияты. – Нөкис: «Билим»,
1976.
2.
Жәримбетов Қ. Ашық Зийўар. – Нөкис: «Билим», 1998.
3.
Ахмад Ясаввий. Ҳикматлар. – Тошкент: Asian Book House, 2023.
4.
Мақсетов Қ. Хожа Ахмет Яссаўий XII әсирдеги қарақалпақ
әдебиятының да уллы шайыры // «Арал» журналы, №2, 1992.
5.
Сүлеймен Бақырғаний. «Бақырғани китабы». «Евразия». Ташкент, 99.
таярлаған: И.Хаққулов, С.Рафиддин. 15-16 бет.
6.
Nevayi Alі-şіr. Nesayіmü’l Mahabbe Mіn Şemayіmі’l Fütüvve. Haz: Kemal
Eraslan. Ankara 1996.
