The Leader of all Mevlevis
by Ibrahim Gamard, March 2008
About the Mevlevi Order1
The Maqam-I Chelebi, the Hereditary Leader of All Mevlevis2
Mevlevi Movements in the West3
Mevlevi Organizations that Continue to be Independent of the Maqam-I Chelebi's Authority4
An Invitation to a Common Ethic5
An Invitation to Unity6
Bismi 'llâhi 'r-raHmâni 'r-raHîm.
The Mawlawî (Mevlevi) Order, an Islamic tradition, is the continuation of the spiritual teachings and practices of Hazrat-i Mawlânâ (Mevlânâ) Jalâluddîn Rûmî, his descendents, and his followers for over 700 years. Due to legal restrictions on organized sufi activity in Turkey during the past 80 plus years, the Mevlevi tradition has become seriously weakened.
In today's world of ready electronic information, there are quite a number of Mevlevi organizations that have websites and that have various claims of authority. This makes it difficult for individuals using the Internet to determine which organizations have legitimate authority and which ones do not. As a result, it is more difficult for the Mevlevi tradition to become established in the West in accordance with traditional spiritual practices, teachings, and ethics. (See the article on this website about the "Mevlevi Ring".) The purpose of this article is to clarify that only the "Chief Chelebi" or Maqâm-i Chelebi, the direct descendent of Mawlânâ Jalâluddîn Rûmî, has the authority to decide who is a legitimate and authorized Mevlevi leader and who is not. The current Maqâm-i Chelebi is Fâruk Hemdem Çelebi of Istanbul, Turkey.
Fâruk Çelebi Efendi is President of the International Mevlana Foundation (in Turkish, "UluslarasI Hz. Mevlânâ VakfI"), centered at the present time in Istanbul. All legitimate Mevlevi shaykhs must be affiliated with him through this central organization. Unfortunately, many Mevlevi leaders have chosen to ignore Chelebi Efendi's authority--or, in some cases, to give some amount of verbal affirmation with no real cooperation or obedience. This article makes a plea for unity for the sake of strengthening the overall soundness of the Mevlevi tradition, especially in the West.
1About the Mevlevi Order
The Mevlevi order was first organized by Mawlânâ Jalâluddîn Rûmî's son, Sultân Walad, in Konya. It began to expand with leaders appointed to other towns and regions under the leadership of Mawlânâ's grandson, Ulu `ârif Chelebi. Eventually, there were 114 tekke [takyâ] (monastery-like) buildings or building complexes established throughout the Ottoman Empire--including ones in Belgrade, Athens, Cairo, Mecca, Baghdad, Damascus, and Tabriz. Central authority always remained in Turkey at the most important tekkes, especially in Konya. After the collapse of the empire, following defeat in World War I, the new Turkish government of Ataturk declared all sufi organizations [tariqats] in Turkey illegal in 1925. All surviving Mevlevi tekkes were closed down. Some were made into mosques and a few into museums, such as the main tekke (or Mevlevihane) in Konya (where Mawlânâ Rûmî is buried) and the Galata tekke in Istanbul.
Since 1925, Mevlevi activity has been very restricted and private in Turkey. There have been many obstacles, so that the provision of Mevlevi dervish training to each generation has been limited. Starting in 1953, public performances of the Mevlevi Samâ` (Sema, in Turkish, the famous Whirling Prayer Ceremony) have permitted by the Turkish government in Konya, first in the public library, then in gymnasiums, then in a sports stadium, and presently in a large building built for Sema performances. Thousands of people come from all over the world in mid- December each year to buy tickets and see the performances that are organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Public performances of Sema have also occurred for many years at the Galata MevlevihanesI (now called a museum) in Istanbul. Another MevlevihanesI in Istanbul, called the YenikapI tekke, that was burned down in 1961, is almost completely rebuilt. It once again has a large Sema hall [semahane] for Sema performances, and will also be a museum under the authority of the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
In sum, the sacred whirling prayer ritual of the Mevlevis has been largely taken over by the Turkish Government for the purpose of promoting tourism. The Government has little interest in lifting restrictions on the Mevlevi tradition: all it has wanted from the Mevlevis during past decades is to provide good musicians and whirlers (semazens) for Sema. At the present time, excellent musicians have been trained at schools and universities in Konya to play classical Mevlevi music, and there have been new generations of trained whirlers as well. As a result, there is a smaller percentage of musicians and whirlers who view themselves as Mevlevi (or who have had any additional Mevlevi training) than in the past. This matters little to the Turkish Government, which regards Sema as a form of "traditional Turkish folk dancing."
The Mevlevi Sema is more accurately called the "Semahane Ceremony" because it is only authentic to the extent that it is done in the Sema hall [semahane, samâ`-khâna] of a Mevlevi tekke, is led by a shaykh, and therefore the "Sema leader" [pôstneshîn], who is appointed by the current Maqâm-i Chelebi, and is done by musicians and whirlers [semazens] who have genuine Mevlevi initiation, training, and education and who are all praying "Allâh, Allâh!" silently in unison during the Ceremony.
And it should be emphasized that the Sema is only one part of the spiritual treasury of the Mevlevi tradition.
2The Maqâm-i Chelebi, the Hereditary Leader of All Mevlevis
For more than 700 years the highest authority for all Mevlevi centers has been a direct descendent of Mawlânâ Jalâluddîn Rûmî, called "Hazrat-i Chelebi" ("His Holiness the Chelebi") or "Maqâm- i Chelebi" ("the Exalted Rank of the Chelebi") or "Chelebi Efendi." These are also descendents of Mawlânâ's grandson, Ulu `ârif Chelebi. This centralized authority, always based in Turkey, remained intact over the centuries and over distance--whether a Mevlevi tekke was in Turkey, Egypt, Bosnia, Greece, or Arabia. The word "chelebi" is a Turkish word that has been long used to mean a well-bred, educated, and refined gentleman. Because it also refers to the Chelebi family (spelled in Turkish as "Çelebi") who are the direct descendents of Mawlânâ; it also means "the leader of the Mevlevis."
Traditionally the Maqâm-i Chelebi has inherited the right to the title of "Shaykh of Konya" (formerly the chief leader of the main Mevlevi center, or Mevlevihane, in Konya, where Mawlânâ Rûmî is buried). Each Maqâm-i Chelebi successor was given Mevlevi dervish training prior assuming the rank of Shaykh of Konya. Succession is patrilineal: priority is given to the oldest son of the prior Maqâm-i Chelebi, another son (if the eldest is unwilling or unable to fulfill the responsibilities, or lacks support for being chosen), a son of the Chelebi who preceded the prior Maqâm-i Chelebi, a brother of the prior Maqâm-i Chelebi, another grandson of the Chelebi who preceded the prior Maqâm-i Chelebi, and so on. During the late Ottoman Empire, the Mevlevi Order was so enmeshed with the government that the Sultan of the Empire was involved in the approval for succession. During the modern era, the next Maqâm-i Chelebi is chosen by the members of the Chelebi family.
It is not necessary that the Maqâm-i Chelebi be gifted with spiritual advancement and exceptional spiritual wisdom. That is needed for the number two leader of the Mevlevis: the Spiritual Director of the Mevlevi Tariqat, the chief spiritual guide [murshid] of all Mevlevi shaykhs and followers who is called the Sar-i Tarîq ["Sertarik," in modern Turkish], who is appointed by the Maqâm-i Chelebi. Instead, the Maqâm-i Chelebi has primarily an administrative authority to make important decisions to protect the welfare of the Mevlevi organization and the Mevlevi tradition and to further its growth--decisions that also involve Divine guidance. The present hereditary leader of all Mevlevis, the Maqâm-i Chelebi is Faruk Hemdem Çelebi [Arabo-Persian spelling: Fârûq Hamdam Chalabî], the son and successor of his father (Jelaluddin M. Bâqir Chelebi, who died in 1996--see the "Chelebi Family Website" at www.mevlana.net); he is the current Hazrat-i Chelebi, the 22nd generation great-grandson of Mawlânâ Jalâluddîn Rûmî, and the 33rd Maqâm-i Chelebi (with Mawlânâ Rûmî counted as the first).
Chelebi Efendi's great-grandfather, Abdul Halim Chelebi, was the last Grand Chelebi of the Mevlevi Order during the Ottoman Empire until the dissolution of the empire after World War I and the law of 1925 that made all sufi organizations illegal (a law that continues to the present day). His grandfather, the 31st Maqâm-i Chelebi was Mehmet Bâqir Chelebi (died, 1944). His great- grandfather and grandfather were both buried at YenikapI MevlevihanesI in Istanbul. His father, the 32nd Maqâm-i Chelebi, was Jelaluddin M. Bâqir Chelebi who was born in Aleppo, Syria, died in Istanbul in 1996, and was buried in Konya. Faruk Hemdem Çelebi Efendi was also born in Aleppo, Syria in 1950. He is a practicing Muslim.
It is the Mevlevi tradition that no one may have the title of "Mevlevi shaykh" (given permission to wear the "shaykh's turban sash" [dastâr]) unless this is authorized by the current Chelebi Efendi: in the case of a new shaykh, with a written permit [ijâzat] signed by the Maqâm-i Chelebi for the rank and responsibility of being a shaykh; in the case of someone who was given a permit [ijâzat] for being a shaykh by the previous Maqâm-i Chelebi, the acceptance of a new pledge [bay`at, bey'a] of allegiance to the new Chelebi Efendi's authority.
This means that someone who has been chosen by a Mevlevi shaykh to be his "representative" or "successor" [khalîfa, halife] (and authorization for this is must also be approved by the Maqâm- i Chelebi), a rank that involves some teaching authority as delegated by his shaykh, cannot automatically become a Mevlevi shaykh after his Mevlevi shaykh's death. He must have the authorization of the Maqâm-i Chelebi to become a shaykh. And someone who has been given the title of "halife" by a Mevlevi shaykh should be careful not to conclude that this is the same thing as being "made a shaykh" (in the same way that there may be little difference between being a "halife" and a "shaykh" in some other Turkish sufi orders). Similarly, titles of "shaykh" or "shaykha" or "pôstneshîn" within independent Mevlevi organizations are also not legitimate in the Mevlevi tradition.
Since all Mevlevi shaykhs remain as such by continuing to be accepted by the current Chelebi Efendi, this means that their rank of shaykh may be taken away if they lose acceptance by the current Chelebi Efendi, such as by unacceptable violations or innovations to Mevlevi tradition or very serious ethical failings. Such individuals may be asked to return their Mevlevi ijâzat (signed permit) to the Maqâm-i Chelebi. This also means that if the holder of the rank of Makam-i Çelebi dies, then all previously accepted Mevlevi shaykhs must make a pledge of loyalty [bay`at, bey'a] to his successor from the family of Mevlana, the new Chelebi Efendi-- a pledge that is accepted--in order to remain accepted as Mevlevi shaykhs.
During the leadership of the previous Maqâm-i Chelebi, Dr. Jelaluddin Bâqir Chelebi, the following were accepted as Mevlevi shaykhs (only the last few were given a written permit, or ijâzat, by Dr. Chelebi). Most of them have been leaders (pôstneshîns) of the Mevlevi Sema.
1) Gavsi Baykara Efendi of Istanbul (died 1967, son of the last shaykh of the YenikapI Mevlevihane, Abdulbaki Dede)
2) Midhat Bahari Beytur Efendi of Istanbul (died 1971, the first Mevlevi shaykh allowed to lead Sema in the "Sema revival" period, student of Hüseyin Fahreddin Dede (died 1911, the last shaykh of Bahariye Mevlevihane in Eyup, near Istanbul)
3) Abdulbaki GolpinarlI Efendi (died 1982, an important Mevlevi scholar, student of Hüseyin Fahreddin Dede),
4) Suleyman Hayati Loras Dede Efendi (died 1985, appointed as the vice-regent of Jalâluddîn Bâqir Chelebi, with the title of Shaykh of Konya, pictured in Friedlander's "The Whirling Dervishes," 1975)
5) Rusuhî Baykara Efendi of Istanbul (died 1989, son of the last shaykh of the YenikapI Mevlevihane, Abdulbaki Dede)
6) Salman Tüzun Efendi of Istanbul (died 1995, grandson of Hüseyin Fahreddin Dede, the last shaykh of the Behariye Mevlevihane; also the Sema leader, or pôstneshîn, depicted in Friedlander's book, "The Whirling Dervishes," 1975)
7) Sefik Can Efendi of Istanbul (died 2005, a Mesnevi teacher, or Mesnavihan [Masnavî-khwân], who dedicated his last decades translating Mawlânâ's poetry into contemporary Turkish from the original Persian texts; his teachers were Tahirü'l-Mevlevi--Tahir Olgun, a Mesnevihan who died in 1951--and Midhat Bahari Beytur)
8) Andac Arbas Efendi of Ankara (died 2003, whose teacher was A. GolpinarlI)
9) Hüseyin Top Efendi of Istanbul (a Hâfizu 'l-Qur'ân who has led Sema at Galata Mevlevihane and whose teacher was Midhat Bahari Beytur)
10) Tughrul Inancher Efendi of Istanbul (whose primary responsibility is as the leader of the Helveti-Jerrahi sufi order; he also leads Sema as the director of a Turkish Ministry of Culture music group of 35 musicians plus Helveti-Jerrahi dervishes trained in Istanbul as semazens)
11) Nail Kesova Efendi of Istanbul (whose teacher was Ahmet Bican Kasaboglu, and who leads Sema at Galata Mevlevihane)
12) Kabir Helminski Efendi of the USA
13) Remzi Susamush Efendi of Sivas (the son of Mehmet Dede)
14) Abû 'l-Qâsim Tafazzulî Efendi of Tehrân (died 2004, who was not an active Mevlevi teacher in Iran)
During the leadership of the present Chief Chelebi, Fâruk Hemdem Chelebi, the following have been authorized as Mevlevi shaykhs:
15) Süleyman Wolf Bahn Efendi of Germany
16) Hüseyin Peter Cunz Efendi of Switzerland
17) Mursel Marcel Derkse Efendi of The Netherlands
18) Emin Ishik Efendi of Istanbul (a Hâfizu 'l-Qur'ân and a Mesnevi teacher)
19) Kadri Yetish Efendi of Istanbul (who leads Sema at Galata Mevlevihane, whose grandfather was a Mevlevi, and whose teacher was Midhat Bahari Beytur)
20) Nadir Karnibüyükler Efendi of Konya (who leads Sema in Konya)
21) Baki Baykara Efendi of Istanbul (whose grandfather was the last shaykh of YenikapI Mevlevihane).
22) Hüseyin Erek Efendi of Istanbul (a Hâfizu l-Qur'ân and the head imâm of a large mosque)
23) Ibrahim Gamard Efendi of the USA
3 Mevlevi Movements in the West
Out of a larger number of efforts to spread the Mevlevi tarîqat to the West, two cases are mentioned here as examples that led to the training of Westerners to do Mevlevi Sema, but little emphasis on other important components of the Mevlevi tradition.
When the 31st Maqâm-i Chelebi (Abdul Halim Chelebi) died in 1944, his son and successor Jelaluddin Bâqir Chelebi was 18 years old. Although he had inherited the right to be "Shaykh of Konya," he felt too young and unworthy for this responsibility. And, also, he was living outside of Turkey, in Aleppo, Syria. A number of dervishes were considered and eventually Süleyman Hayati Loras was chosen to be the Maqâm-i Chelebi's vice-regent with the title and authority of "Shaykh of Konya." For a great many years, Süleyman Dede lived in the Konya Mevlevihane where he cooked and served food free of charge as part of a government-sponsored program to feed the poor during difficult times in Turkey.
Süleyman Dede first came to America in 1976. In an effort to spread the Mevlevi way in the West, he initiated over a dozen Westerners to be Mevlevi shaykhs: these were individuals whose spiritual development impressed him. All but a few were non- Muslims, but Dede clearly hoped that the others would also convert to Islam and dedicate their lives to the Mevlevi tradition. As Shaykh of Konya, Dede had the authority to bestow this rank--even on individuals who had not spent many years as Mevlevi students (but he should have asked for the approval of Jalaluddin Chelebi Efendi and the Mevlevi shaykhs who advised the Maqâm-i Chelebi). His great hopes were disappointed. Some of the new shaykhs were much more committed to esoteric-occult mysticism and had little true interest in following a form of religious mysticism such as the Mevlevi path. In the case of one such individual, Dede found it necessary to rescind the title of Mevlevi shaykh; there were no difficulties with the others, since they did not represent themselves publicly as Mevlevi shaykhs. When Dede died in 1985, his spiritual authority and powers as Shaykh of Konya returned to the Chelebi family as originally agreed.
Starting in the early 1970's the majority of Europeans who were interested in the Mevlevi tradition were students of Gurdjieff's esoteric teachings. Somehow, a number of students of these teachings have had a tendency to believe that the origin of Gurdjieff's "sacred dances" derived from the Mevlevi tradition. Rusuhî Baykara Efendi agreed to teach Sema to many of these individuals, even though they were not Muslims.
4Mevlevi Organizations that Continue to be Independent of the Cheif Chelebi's Authority
Leaders of some of these groups claim authority through successorship [khilâfat] from a particular Mevlevi shaykh who is no longer living--independently of the Maqâm-i Chelebi's authority. Some of them are respectful toward the current Chelebi Efendi but have not pledged allegiance to his authority or been accepted by him; others apparently view him as someone with a title but little real authority; others simply ignore his existence and his authority. There are independent groups in Turkey, European countries, the United States, and Australia. Some of them have branches elsewhere in the same country or in other countries; many of them train whirlers [semazens] and do Sema.
5An Invitation to a Common Ethic
The previous Maqâm-i Chelebi (Dr. Jelaluddin Chelebi) made a statement in 1996 about the importance of following the centuries- old standards of Mevlevi practice and ethics in the present age:
"One of the most important roles that the foundation [The International Hazret-i Mevlânâ Foundation] will assume will be to inform everyone about actions and applications that do not exist within the principals and practices of Hz. Mevlânâ, and also to clarify other issues as and when this becomes necessary. In this age of freedom, individuals may choose to behave, to think and to exist in a manner that is appropriate to their personality. However, if such inclinations do not conform to the culture, thinking and tradition of Hz. Mevlana, which have been clearly identified to its minute detail over a period of more than 700 hears, those people will be considered to be quite apart, separate, from principals of Hz. Mevlânâ. Today an intense spiritual deficiency is being experienced. Some people, who appear to be bright outside but dark inside, attempt to take advantage of this situation. Such people exploit the pure, clear love of Hz. Mevlânâ and blemish the issue. I pray to God for our foundation to be one that organises the teachings and principals of Hz. Mevlânâ and one that gathers people around the love of his. Let the light of Islam and the love of Hz. Mevlânâ be upon you."
6An Invitation to Unity
Dear Mevlevi brothers and sisters! Open your hearts to this invitation that is written to you from love of Hazrat-i Mawlânâ, his sublime poetry and teachings, and the Mevlevi way that has preserved his heritage for so many centuries!
In our time, when the Mevlevi Tradition continues in a weakened state, all who identify themselves as Mevlevis are urged to be in accord with our Chelebi Efendi. This is a time when respect and acceptance of his leadership is very important, a time when we need to be unified instead of divided.
Perhaps it was healthy in previous centuries for some Mevlevi centers to have a certain degree of independence from the central Mevlevi authorities--but that is not the case at present. There may be compelling reasons for keeping groups separate from the main "trunk" of the Mevlevi order, but such independence weakens our Tradition--because the upkeep of spiritual practices and knowledge will then tend to remain at an overall superficial level. But if we become more unified, we will be in a stronger position to help and support each other, given the abundance of opportunities to communicate, educate, travel, etc. in the 21st century.
To students of independent Mevlevi organizations: request that your leaders join with Chelebi Efendi--for the good of the entire Mevlevi Tradition! To leaders of independent Mevlevi organizations: contact Chelebi Efendi and meet with him to resolve your separation--for the good of the entire Mevlevi Tradition!
To other non-affiliated lovers of Mawlânâ Rûmî the world over who are attracted to the Mevlevi sufi path that is based on his teachings of spiritual love: you are warmly invited to visit the websites of the various Mevlevi organizations that are authorized by our Chelebi Efendi by visiting the "Mevlevi Ring" "home page" on this website.
Please feel welcome to write comments, responses, questions to this website via the email address in the "Contact" panel on the main webpages. This article was read, critiqued, and approved by Faruk Chelebi Efendi after it was modified according to his wishes on March 20, 2008.
Wa 's-salâm,
Faqîru 'l-Mawlawî
Ibrahim Gamard
