The Ja’ferization Process and Basic Belief Principles of Ja’ferized Alevis of Çorum
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Abstract
Shi‘ism, which was born in Iraq and later transferred to Iranian geography, has been divided into many branches within itself and spread across geographies due to, such as regional proximity, war and migration. Today it has extended to almost every place where more or less Muslims live. Imāmiyya Shi‘ism/Ja‘farism, which represents the biggest living branch of the Shia, first extended to Azerbaijan due to both its proximity to Iran and some social and political effects. Thanks to the sectarian propaganda they used to help the political ambitions of the Safavids, they influenced the Turkish tribes in the Azerbaijan region and in time, it has become a dominant sect. Ja‘farism has not been able to spread much in Anatolia because of the states established in Anatolia has chosen the policy of Sunni path of Islam in the past, as well as their religious and political struggles with the Safavids. However, because of geographical proximity with Iran, the conquest of the Eastern Anatolia region by the Safavids from time to time, Ja‘farism eventually entered to Turkey’s eastern provinces, such as Iğdır, Kars and Ardahan through migrations from Armenia and Azerbaijan in the 20th century and spread to other parts of Turkey.
Islamic Revolution of 1979 in Iran mostly affected Turkey as being a neighbour and has been more effective on Alawis due to some common values between Shi‘ism and Alawism. This work draws attention to a religious/denominational group that was carried out as an organization around the Ahl al-Bayt Foundation in Çorum and later converted to Ja‘farism when it was Alawis being influenced by the revolution in Iran. In this study, which relies on the data gained through indirect observation, participatory observation and interview techniques, it has been determined how the Ja‘farized Alawis living in Çorum became Ja‘fari, how their foundations were established and to what extent they depend on the basic belief principles of Ja‘farism. The data obtained after these determinations were compared with the main sources of Ja‘farism and other works written on the subject, and the views of Ja‘faris in Çorum on the subject were put into a frame.
Keywords: Shi‘ism, Ja‘fari, Ja‘farism, Alawism, Ahl al-Bayt Foundation, Teoman Şahin.
Islamic Revolution of 1979 in Iran mostly affected Turkey as being a neighbour and has been more effective on Alawis due to some common values between Shi‘ism and Alawism. This work draws attention to a religious/denominational group that was carried out as an organization around the Ahl al-Bayt Foundation in Çorum and later converted to Ja‘farism when it was Alawis being influenced by the revolution in Iran. In this study, which relies on the data gained through indirect observation, participatory observation and interview techniques, it has been determined how the Ja‘farized Alawis living in Çorum became Ja‘fari, how their foundations were established and to what extent they depend on the basic belief principles of Ja‘farism. The data obtained after these determinations were compared with the main sources of Ja‘farism and other works written on the subject, and the views of Ja‘faris in Çorum on the subject were put into a frame.
Keywords: Shi‘ism, Ja‘fari, Ja‘farism, Alawism, Ahl al-Bayt Foundation, Teoman Şahin.