Which Şahidi? -Reexamining Şahidi Through His Own Words and Sources-

Bilge İlhan Toker

Article Details

Which Şahidi? -Reexamining Şahidi Through His Own Words and Sources-

Authors:

Bilge İlhan Toker

Publisher:

Mugla Sitki Kocman University

Main Topics:

Türk İslam Edebiyatı | Osmanlı Sahası Klasik Türk Edebiyatı

Journal:

Bitig Edebiyat Fakültesi Dergisi Issue Mevlevilik Geleneği ve Vefatının 475. Yılında Muğlalı İbrahim Şâhidî (1470-1550) Özel Sayısı, pp.1-28

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

4/2025

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001323350

pISSN:

2791-7908

Keywords:

Abstract:

 Ibrahim Şahidi d. 9571550 was a prominent 16th-century Mevlevi figure whose name is now associated with Muğla, where he established his lodge. While poetry anthologies generally overshadow his poetic abilities with his lexicographical work, biographical sources and studies about Şahidi sometimes provide conflicting information about the type of dervish he represented. There is no clarity whether Şahidi, following his sheikh Divane Mehmed Çelebi d. after 9511544, lived a libertine life within the tradition constructed by the Şems branch of Mevleviyya, or adhered to the more regulated and pious doctrine of the Veled branch. Sixteenth-century anthology writers do not address Şahidis position in the Mevlevi environment. They generally evaluate him through his works Gülşen-i Tevhid and Tuhfe-i Şahidi. The eighteenth-century Mevlevi texts Sefine-i Nefise-i Mevleviyan and Tezkire-i Şuara-yı Mevleviyye provide more detailed information about the poet. However, these texts do not mention his spiritual dispositiontemperament within the Mevlevi circle. Only the poet himself provides certain information on this matter. In Ibrahim Şahidis Gülşen-i Esrar, his narrative describing his encounters with his sheikh contains motifs that are not quite compatible with classical Islamic understanding. In Sefine-i Nefise-i Mevleviyan and Tezkire-i Şuara-yı Mevleviyye, the figures surrounding Şahidi appear to be individuals known for their ecstatic spiritual states in the contemporary Mevlevi environment. A work written in a geography distant from Ottoman Sunni politics provides entirely different information about him. Garibi, an anthology writer trained by Şahidi, expresses a different opinion about him compared to Ottoman anthologies and characterizes Şahidi as a Shiite poet. This study will examine the biographical information about Şahidi from various sources, how he described himself within the framework of dervish typology, how he positioned himself against the ascetic, and reveal what kind of Mevlevi dervish identity he possessed during his lifetime. Following an introductory section providing information about Şahidis life, the first two sections will compare prominent details in biographical information about Şahidi in anthologies. The second part will discuss how Şahidi expressed himself as a dervish in his works. The third section will address the Ottoman Empires relationship with the Safavids and Mevlevis in the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries and evaluate how these relationships affected the writing of Şahidis biography. The final section will examine Şahidis sectarian affiliation and his self-positioning as a dervish through examples from his poetry. This study argues that while Şahidi belonged to the tradition built by dervishes known as the Şems branch in the Mevlevi tradition, famous for their more libertine attitudes, he did not deviate from the Ottoman official ideology. Keywords: Mevleviyya, Şems Branch, Şahidi of Muğla, Anthology, Types, Sunnism.

 Ibrahim Şahidi d. 9571550 was a prominent 16th-century Mevlevi figure whose name is now associated with Muğla, where he established his lodge. While poetry anthologies generally overshadow his poetic abilities with his lexicographical work, biographical sources and studies about Şahidi sometimes provide conflicting information about the type of dervish he represented. There is no clarity whether Şahidi, following his sheikh Divane Mehmed Çelebi d. after 9511544, lived a libertine life within the tradition constructed by the Şems branch of Mevleviyya, or adhered to the more regulated and pious doctrine of the Veled branch. Sixteenth-century anthology writers do not address Şahidis position in the Mevlevi environment. They generally evaluate him through his works Gülşen-i Tevhid and Tuhfe-i Şahidi. The eighteenth-century Mevlevi texts Sefine-i Nefise-i Mevleviyan and Tezkire-i Şuara-yı Mevleviyye provide more detailed information about the poet. However, these texts do not mention his spiritual dispositiontemperament within the Mevlevi circle. Only the poet himself provides certain information on this matter. In Ibrahim Şahidis Gülşen-i Esrar, his narrative describing his encounters with his sheikh contains motifs that are not quite compatible with classical Islamic understanding. In Sefine-i Nefise-i Mevleviyan and Tezkire-i Şuara-yı Mevleviyye, the figures surrounding Şahidi appear to be individuals known for their ecstatic spiritual states in the contemporary Mevlevi environment. A work written in a geography distant from Ottoman Sunni politics provides entirely different information about him. Garibi, an anthology writer trained by Şahidi, expresses a different opinion about him compared to Ottoman anthologies and characterizes Şahidi as a Shiite poet. This study will examine the biographical information about Şahidi from various sources, how he described himself within the framework of dervish typology, how he positioned himself against the ascetic, and reveal what kind of Mevlevi dervish identity he possessed during his lifetime. Following an introductory section providing information about Şahidis life, the first two sections will compare prominent details in biographical information about Şahidi in anthologies. The second part will discuss how Şahidi expressed himself as a dervish in his works. The third section will address the Ottoman Empires relationship with the Safavids and Mevlevis in the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries and evaluate how these relationships affected the writing of Şahidis biography. The final section will examine Şahidis sectarian affiliation and his self-positioning as a dervish through examples from his poetry. This study argues that while Şahidi belonged to the tradition built by dervishes known as the Şems branch in the Mevlevi tradition, famous for their more libertine attitudes, he did not deviate from the Ottoman official ideology. Keywords: Mevleviyya, Şems Branch, Şahidi of Muğla, Anthology, Types, Sunnism.

 Ibrahim Şahidi d. 9571550 was a prominent 16th-century Mevlevi figure whose name is now associated with Muğla, where he established his lodge. While poetry anthologies generally overshadow his poetic abilities with his lexicographical work, biographical sources and studies about Şahidi sometimes provide conflicting information about the type of dervish he represented. There is no clarity whether Şahidi, following his sheikh Divane Mehmed Çelebi d. after 9511544, lived a libertine life within the tradition constructed by the Şems branch of Mevleviyya, or adhered to the more regulated and pious doctrine of the Veled branch. Sixteenth-century anthology writers do not address Şahidis position in the Mevlevi environment. They generally evaluate him through his works Gülşen-i Tevhid and Tuhfe-i Şahidi. The eighteenth-century Mevlevi texts Sefine-i Nefise-i Mevleviyan and Tezkire-i Şuara-yı Mevleviyye provide more detailed information about the poet. However, these texts do not mention his spiritual dispositiontemperament within the Mevlevi circle. Only the poet himself provides certain information on this matter. In Ibrahim Şahidis Gülşen-i Esrar, his narrative describing his encounters with his sheikh contains motifs that are not quite compatible with classical Islamic understanding. In Sefine-i Nefise-i Mevleviyan and Tezkire-i Şuara-yı Mevleviyye, the figures surrounding Şahidi appear to be individuals known for their ecstatic spiritual states in the contemporary Mevlevi environment. A work written in a geography distant from Ottoman Sunni politics provides entirely different information about him. Garibi, an anthology writer trained by Şahidi, expresses a different opinion about him compared to Ottoman anthologies and characterizes Şahidi as a Shiite poet. This study will examine the biographical information about Şahidi from various sources, how he described himself within the framework of dervish typology, how he positioned himself against the ascetic, and reveal what kind of Mevlevi dervish identity he possessed during his lifetime. Following an introductory section providing information about Şahidis life, the first two sections will compare prominent details in biographical information about Şahidi in anthologies. The second part will discuss how Şahidi expressed himself as a dervish in his works. The third section will address the Ottoman Empires relationship with the Safavids and Mevlevis in the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries and evaluate how these relationships affected the writing of Şahidis biography. The final section will examine Şahidis sectarian affiliation and his self-positioning as a dervish through examples from his poetry. This study argues that while Şahidi belonged to the tradition built by dervishes known as the Şems branch in the Mevlevi tradition, famous for their more libertine attitudes, he did not deviate from the Ottoman official ideology. Keywords: Mevleviyya, Şems Branch, Şahidi of Muğla, Anthology, Types, Sunnism.

 İbrahim Şâhidî ö. 9571550 on altıncı asrın meşhur Mevlevî isimlerinden olup günümüzde adı, tekkesini kurduğu Muğla ile birlikte anılan bir isimdir. Şuara tezkirelerinde şairliği genellikle sözlükçülüğünün gölgesinde kalan İbrahim Şâhidînin temsil ettiği derviş tipi hakkında biyografi kaynaklarında ve Şâhidî ile ilgili yapılan çalışmalarda zaman zaman farklı bilgiler verilmiştir. Şâhidînin, şeyhi Dîvâne Mehmed Çelebinin ö. 9511544 sonrası izinde, Mevlevîliğin Şems kolunun inşa ettiği gelenek içerisinde rindane bir hayat mı sürdüğü yoksa Veled kolunun daha kurallı ve mütedeyyin doktrinine uygun mu yaşadığı konusunda bir netlik yoktur. On altıncı asır tezkirecileri Şâhidînin Mevlevî muhitindeki yerine değinmezler. Genellikle Gülşen-i Tevhîdi ve Tuhfe-i Şâhidîsi odağında Şâhidîyi değerlendirirler. On sekizinci asırda Mevlevî muhitinde yazılan Sefine-i Nefise-i Mevleviyân ve Tezkire-i Şuarâ-yı Mevleviyye ise şair hakkında daha detaylı bilgiler sunar. Ancak bu metinlerde de Şâhidîye ayrılan kısımlarda onun Mevlevî muhitinde dâhil olduğu meşrebeneşveye değinilmez. Bu konuda yalnızca şairin kendisi birtakım bilgiler verir. İbrahim Şâhidînin Gülşen-i Esrârında şeyhi ile karşılaştığı anları aktardığı anlatıda, dâhil olduğu mecliste yaşananlar klasik İslam anlayışına pek de uygun olmayan motifler içerir. Sefîne-i Nefîse-i Mevleviyânda ve Tezkire-i Şuarâ-yı Mevleviyyede Şâhidînin etrafındaki isimlerin, devrin Mevlevî muhitinde taşkın ruh hâlleri ile dikkat çeken isimler olduğu görülür. Şâhidîye yer veren ve Osmanlının Sünnî politikasından uzak bir coğrafyada yazılan bir eser, onunla ilgili bambaşka bilgiler verir. Şâhidînin yetiştirdiği isimlerden olan tezkire yazarı Garîbî, Şâhidî hakkında, Osmanlı sahasında yazılan tezkirelerin verdiği bilgilerden farklı bir kanaat belirtir ve Şâhidîyi Şiî bir şair olarak niteler. Bu çalışmada, Şâhidî hakkında biyografi kaynaklarının verdiği bilgiler ile şairin, derviş tipi çerçevesinde kendisini nasıl anlattığı, zahide karşı kendini nasıl konumlandırdığı ele alınacak ve Şâhidînin yaşadığı dönemde nasıl bir Mevlevî dervişi kimliğine sahip olduğu ortaya koyulacaktır. Şâhidînin hayatı hakkında bilgi veren bir girişin ardından ilk iki başlıkta, tezkirelerde Şâhidî ile ilgili biyografik bilgilerde öne çıkan detaylar karşılaştırılacaktır. İkinci bölümde ise Şâhidînin eserlerinde kendini bir derviş olarak nasıl ifade ettiği ele alınacaktır. Üçüncü kısımda Osmanlının on altıncı ve on sekizinci asırda Safevîlerle ve Mevlevîlerle olan ilişkisine değinilecek ve bu ilişkilerin Şâhidînin biyografisinin yazımına etkisi değerlendirilecektir. Son bölümde ise Şâhidînin mezhebi ve bir derviş olarak kendini nasıl konumlandırdığı şiirlerinden örneklerle ele alınacaktır. Bu çalışmada, Şâhidînin Mevlevî gelenekte Şems kolu olarak adlandırılan ve daha çok rindâne tavırları ile meşhur dervişlerin inşa ettiği gelenek içerisinde yer aldığı ancak Osmanlının resmî ideolojisinden de uzaklaşmadığı iddia edilmektedir.

Article Details

Which Şahidi? -Reexamining Şahidi Through His Own Words and Sources-

Authors:

Bilge İlhan Toker

Publisher:

Mugla Sitki Kocman University

Main Topics:

Türk İslam Edebiyatı | Osmanlı Sahası Klasik Türk Edebiyatı

Journal:

Bitig Edebiyat Fakültesi Dergisi Issue Mevlevilik Geleneği ve Vefatının 475. Yılında Muğlalı İbrahim Şâhidî (1470-1550) Özel Sayısı, pp.1-28

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

4/2025

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001323350

pISSN:

2791-7908

Mevleviyya

Şems Branch

Şahidi of Muğla

Anthology

Types

Sunnism.Mevlevîlik

Şems Kolu

Muğlalı Şâhidî

Tezkire

Tipler

Sünnîlik.

Issues

Article Details

Authors: Bilge İlhan Toker

Publisher: Mugla Sitki Kocman University

Main Topics: Türk İslam Edebiyatı | Osmanlı Sahası Klasik Türk Edebiyatı

Journal: Bitig Edebiyat Fakültesi Dergisi Issue Mevlevilik Geleneği ve Vefatının 475. Yılında Muğlalı İbrahim Şâhidî (1470-1550) Özel Sayısı, pp.1-28

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 4/2025

Document Language: Turkish

Document ID (Org No.): 2001323350

pISSN: 2791-7908

Issues

Authors:

Bilge İlhan Toker

Publisher:

Mugla Sitki Kocman University

Main Topics:

Türk İslam Edebiyatı | Osmanlı Sahası Klasik Türk Edebiyatı

Journal:

Bitig Edebiyat Fakültesi Dergisi Issue Mevlevilik Geleneği ve Vefatının 475. Yılında Muğlalı İbrahim Şâhidî (1470-1550) Özel Sayısı, pp.1-28

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

4/2025

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001323350

pISSN:

2791-7908