Islam, Turkey, and Armenia, and How They Happened/Chapter VI
CHAPTER VI.
DERVISHES AND MUFTIES THE TWO RELIGIOUS CLASSES.
1. Dervishes and Their Doctrine. Dervishes belong to a religious class or order professing self-denial and abstinence from worldly connections and luxuries, and spending their time in worship and religious meditation. Candidates of this order must prove themselves worthy by serving several months or years the Sheikh or the elder of the brotherhood, and by practicing at the same time the strict ordinances of the society. Dervish or Fakir means poor, and they glory in calling themselves "poor for the sake of the Truth (God)." But all dervishes are not poor. Some of them are really poor and destitute; they are called beggar dervishes, who go from town to town having nothing of their own but a patched robe and a lamb's or tiger's skin for their outer garment, sometimes barefooted and almost always bareheaded and wear long hair; in their hands a short stick with a battle-ax-shaped badge on one end; also a "Keshgoor," an oval dish, a large tambourine, a horn and long rosaries and some trifling relics or charms. For their daily bread they entirely depend upon the charity of the people. Some of them go silently in the market places and give thanks for anything that may be put in their oval dish. If they don't have enough they never complain or ask for more. The majority of the beggar dervishes ask for charity by standing in the market places and repeating God's name, "Ya Hakk, ya Allah," O Truth! O God! constantly, and holding their Keshgoor, or horn, to persons they meet. Some of them sing while walking to attract the attention of the people; their good voice and significant poems are largely emotional and touching, as the soul's aspiration to reach the truth, vanities of this world and follies of a luxurious life or Jacob's lamentation over his lost son, Job's patience and deliverance, and sometimes praises of the martyred heroes, God's unchangeable will and the final destiny of the human soul.
2. Resident Dervishes. The majority of this order, however, are residents of the cities, having their own regular trades and families and properties. In their appearance they may be distinguished by green turbans around very high gray or white caps, long mantles and generally very long hair. They have various organizations, which they call certain "path" or "system." On certain nights during the week they come together at some mosque, or the Sheikh's department called "Tekkieh," convent or monastery, and spend hours in religious conversation. Especially on Thursday nights they hold a very long and fantastic meeting. First they sit on the floor in a circular form and begin to repeat the name of God (Hakk or Allah) with a low voice and in regular intervals of 50–70 in one minute. Gradually their enthusiasm increases and their voices raise to a higher pitch. Then they come upon their knees, then stand upon their feet, and later they turn around in a circle, never omitting the regular repetition of God's name. After awhile they begin to whirl around the axis of their bodies, at the same time keeping the circular motion around the center, where they have their leader turning with the group and keeping the time. of their gestures and howling. By this time some of them have fainted and fallen down, while the others continue with greater eagerness. Gradually others fall, still they continue until every one is exhausted. This practice, commonly united with the use of stimulants and narcotics, has a remarkably injurious effect upon the bodily health and mental soundness of the dervishes.
3. Dervishes as the Guardians of Shrines. Tekkiehs in the towns, smaller convents on the hill sides, the tombs of certain saints or martyrs, and the sacred spots of the past ages attract multitudes of visitors or pilgrims from every part of the Mohametan world. The visitors are sure to bring some presents or kill a sheep, in keeping with their requests and vows. Such places are regarded as centers of supplication for incurable maladies, mental and physical deformities, sterility, poverty, failure in business, and to gain love and favor. The water, the soil, the leaves, the fruits, the shadows of the trees, the Wind and the sun of those places, are believed to have miraculous power. Such places are guarded by dervishes.
Some haughty sheikhs shut themselves in one of these sacred places and never go out of their walls for fifteen, twenty, thirty year. These. "Fathers" are the living saints of the present age, and all the wealthy citizens and the eminent visitors are expected to go and kiss the skirts of his mantle and put their presents under his cushion. Even the greatest men would not sit in his presence but by his permission, and that on bended knees; and never talk freely, only answer his questions, and that very slowly and reverently; never smoke or drink coffee but by his special favor. These and their followers have a very great influence upon the transactions of the Government and private affairs of the sultans and their ministers. As a rule they are not so self-denying and abstinent as they profess to be.
4. Mufties are the men who alone have authority to apply Mohametan law to the practical transactions of daily life. They have the privilege to consult with the former books and extract their legal decrees from them. The following examples will illustrate their mode of administering the law:
A camel driver was once so angry with his camel that he swore to sell her for one mite by the first opportunity in the nearest city. After his anger was over he felt sorry for the oath he had made, but could not see any lawful way to escape from it. While in deep meditation he was advised by a friend to apply to the mufti of the town to see whether he could show a right way to settle this trouble. He went and stated the case. The mufti said, "Find a cat and tie it to the tail of the camel and take them into the market place and wait for the buyers. When they ask the price say, 'The camel is for one mite, and the cat is for a thousand piastres, but I don't sell them separately.' If they buy them for this price you will lose nothing; if they don't buy you will be free from your oath."
Another man came to a mufti and said hesitatingly, "My lord, while feeding in the pasture your ox hit and killed mine, and I came to ask your excellency whether you are obliged to repair my loss or not." The mufti, shaking his head as if feeling very sorry, opened the hand-book of the law and read with a loud voice the proposition that "the action of the animal is null," and turning to the man said, "My son, they were both mute animals and could not realize what they did. I am sorry for the loss, but the law, as you have heard, does not oblige me to undertake the responsibility. Do not be grieved; whatsoever happens it is from God. Your ox was destined from eternity to die in this way. Neither you nor I could change it." The man returned hastily and said, "Oh I I beg your pardon, my lord, it was my ox that killed yours, and I was confused in my haste and made the mistake." The pious mufti, with a changed face and tone, said, "Wait a little; the question has got confused. I must consult with the larger book."
When Sultan Aziz, the dethroned and murdered uncle of the present Sultan, intended to visit Europe, a puzzling difficulty arose in regard to the demands of the Mohametan law that the soil upon which a Moslem sovereign may tread becomes a possession of Islam, anti as the Giaour princes of Frankistan (Europe) could hardly be expected to submit to Such a demand, there should be found some way to fulfil the law and enable the Sultan to carry out his intention. The leading religions authorities therefore held a solemn meeting in the palace to discuss the unprecedented subject. After much consideration one of them is said to have suggested the plan of preparing shoes for the Sultan having a layer of Turkish soil under them so that he could walk always upon his own country and not upon other lands. This plan came very near being agreed upon, when a brighter mufti sail, "It would be more glorious for our religion to let the Sultan possess those countries and on his departure to make presents of them to their former owners." This was unanimously approved and offered to the Sultan.