Abaz Hilmi (''Abaz Hilmi Dede''; 13 March 1887 – 18 March 1947) was the 5th

Dedebaba The Dedebabate is the leadership of Bektashi Order, Bektashism. The dedebabas ( sq, kryegjysh) are the spiritual and religious leaders of the Bektashi Order, Bektashian community. Bektashis do not consider them as divinely appointed leaders. The c ...

(or Kryegjysh) of the

Bektashi Order The Bektashi Order; sq, Tarikati Bektashi; tr, Bektaşi or Bektashism is an Islamic Sufi mystic movement originating in the 13th-century. It is named after the Anatolian saint Haji Bektash Wali (d. 1271). The community is currently led by ...

.Abaz Hilmi Dede Baba
(Kryegjyshata Botërore Bektashiane)

Biography

Early years

Abaz Hilmi was born and raised in Mërtinj village in the Përmet region. Around 1905, he became a dervish under Baba Shaban at the tekke of Baba Tahir in Prishta, Skrapar.

From World War I to World War II

He and Baba Shaban fled the tekke in January 1914, when Greece occupied Albanian tekkes and destroyed many of them. They lived in exile in Egypt for four years and were finally able to return to Albania in 1918. Back in Albania, he helped rebuild the tekkes at Prishta, Suka, and Frashër. Abaz Hilmi also attended the first, second and third National Congresses of the Bektashi in 1921, 1924 and 1929. He was also baba at the tekke of Frashër from 1942 to 1945, during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

After World War II

However, Abaz Hilmi was not liked by the Communists during the years directly following

Xhafer Sadik Xhafer Sadik (Xhaferr Sadik Dede or Xhafer Sadiku) (1874–1945) was the 4th Dedebaba (or Kryegjysh) of the Bektashi Order.

was set up by the Communists to preside over the Fourth National Congress of the Bektashi in May 1945, and Abaz Hilmi was appointed

on 6 September 1945. Nonetheless, Abaz Hilmi would only hold that position until 19 March 1947 when he committed suicide. Baba Faja Martaneshi had pushed for liberal reforms such as allowing clerics to marry, shave their beards, and wear non-clerical clothing, reforms which Abaz Hilmi had opposed.

Murder–suicide

On 19 March 1947, Abaz Hilmi shot and killed both Baba Faja Martaneshi and Baba Fejzo Dervishi, and also killed himself afterwards. Ahmet Myftar was subsequently appointed as Dedebaba by the Communist regime on 8 June 1947.

Tyrbe

Today, the remains of Dede Baba Abaz Hilmi are buried in a tyrbe at the

World Headquarters of the Bektashi The World Headquarters of the Bektashi or Bektashi World Center ( sq, Kryegjyshata Botërore Bektashiane; often simply known in Albanian as the Kryegjyshata) is the international headquarters of the Bektashi Order, a Sufi order. It is located on ...

( sq, Kryegjyshata) in

Tirana Tirana ( , ; aln, Tirona) is the capital and largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest overlooking the Adriatic Sea ...

, Albania.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hilmi, Abaz 1887 births 1947 deaths Bektashi dedebabas Albanian Sufis Albanian religious leaders Murder–suicides in Albania People from Përmet Suicides by firearm in Albania 1940s murders in Albania 1947 murders in Europe 1947 crimes in Albania