Treatises by Seyyid Yahya Bakuvi in the History and the Development of the Khalvatiya Sufi Order

Islam, although it is the youngest religion among monotheistic religions, as is known, the text of its holy book, the Quran, is replete with allegories and metaphors. Reading the Quran and knowing some surahs by heart was the duty of every Muslim in the Middle Ages. In this regard, there is a need for a living teacher and mentor. The need for spiritual leadership prepared fertile ground for the emergence of Sufi tariqah orders. In the 14th century, Omar Sirajaddin al-Khalwati, using the method of seclusion (in Arabic, “halwat”), laid the foundation of the Khalwati order. However, the tariqa received its true development under Seyyid Yahya Shirvani-Bakuvi. Thanks to the religious and philosophical treatises he wrote, this order went beyond the borders of Azerbaijan and expanded its sphere of influence in the Crimea, Dagestan, the Ottoman Empire, the Balkans, India, and Africa. The only copy of Sufi treatises by Seyyid Yahya Shirvani-Bakuvi called “Resayel” in Azerbaijan is kept at the Institute of Manuscripts of Azerbaijan Perublic. Written in 1672, this handwritten monument contains the religious and philosophical lyrical heritage of the great sheikh and the works of other authors.