Al-ʿAlawiyyah fī al-Anāḍūl wa Mawqifuhā min al-Qurʾān al-Karīm wa Tafsīrih: Dirāsah Waṣfiyyah Taḥlīliyyah

Abstract

This research elucidates the concept and history of Anatolian Alevism, examining its core tenets, practices, and stance on the Holy Quran and its interpretation through specific models. Utilizing a descriptive-analytical approach, the study investigates Alevism’s historical dimensions and doctrinal-practical shifts within foundational and contemporary contexts, while clarifying the socio-political conditions of its emergence. Furthermore, it explores the doctrinal content of Alevism and deduces its position on the Quran, culminating in an analytical reading of Haji Bektash Veli’s interpretation of Surah Al-Fatiha to clarify his exegetical tendencies and hermeneutic foundations.The study asserts that Alevism is a syncretic faith exhibiting Shamanic, Sufi, Shiite, and Hurufi influences. It concludes that while the Quran is deeply revered, the relationship remains superficial; no weight is given to the necessity of its understanding or interpretation. Finally, the research finds that Haji Bektash Veli’s exegesis aims to instruct the masses in Islamic lessons through narratives and symbols, manifesting clear Shiite influence, an Alevi tendency, and an allusive Sufi (ishari) orientation.