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The Rifa'i order () is a prominent
Sufi Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism. Practitioners of Sufism are r ...
order (
tariqa A ''tariqa'' () is a religious order of Sufism, or specifically a concept for the mystical teaching and spiritual practices of such an order with the aim of seeking , which translates as "ultimate truth". A tariqa has a (guide) who plays the ...
) within
Sunni Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr () rightfully succeeded him as the caliph of the Mu ...
Islam founded by Ahmad al-Rifa'i and developed in the lower Iraq marshlands between
Wasit Wasit (, ) was an early Islamic city in Iraq. It was founded in the 8th century by the Umayyad viceroy of Iraq, al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf, to serve as the region's seat and as the garrison of the Syrian troops who enforced Umayyad rule there. It was ...
and
Basra Basra () is a port city in Iraq, southern Iraq. It is the capital of the eponymous Basra Governorate, as well as the List of largest cities of Iraq, third largest city in Iraq overall, behind Baghdad and Mosul. Located near the Iran–Iraq bor ...
. The Rifa'iyya had its greatest following until the 15th century C.E. when it was overtaken by the
Qadiri The Qadiriyya () or the Qadiri order () is a Sunni Sufi order (''Tariqa'') founded by Abdul Qadir Gilani (1077–1166, also transliterated ''Jilani''), who was a Hanbali scholar from Gilan, Iran. The order, with its many sub-orders, is wides ...
order. The order is said to wield particular influence in Cairo, Egypt. The Rifa'i order is most commonly found in the Arab Middle East but also in Turkey, the
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and South Asia.


History

Records indicate Ahmad al-Rifai inherited his maternal uncle's, Mansur al-Bata'ihi, position of headship to his religious community in 1145-6 C.E. At this time many followed his activities in and around the village of Umm 'Ubayda. In the Lower Iraq marshlands, the Rifai order developed and gained notice throughout the 12th century C.E. due to its extravagant practices. Rifai expanded into Egypt and Syria. In 1268 C.E., Abu Muhammad Ali al-Hariri formed the Syrian branch of the order which became known as the Haririya. The Rifai gained further popularity in Egypt and Turkey. In the 15th century C.E., its popularity waned and the popularity of the
Qadiriyya The Qadiriyya () or the Qadiri order () is a Sunni Sufi order (''Tariqa'') founded by Abdul Qadir Gilani (1077–1166, also transliterated ''Jilani''), who was a Hanbali scholar from Gilan, Iran. The order, with its many sub-orders, is widesp ...
order rose. Subsequently, interest in the Rifai order centered within Arab lands. The order has a presence in Syria and Egypt and plays a noticeable role in
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The Rifai Tariqa blends worship styles or ideas with those of other orders that predominate in the local area. For example, the group established by Kenan Rifai in Istanbul that reflects elements of the
Mevlevi Order The Mevlevi Order or Mawlawiyya (; ) is a Sufi order that originated in Konya, Turkey (formerly capital of the Sultanate of Rum) and which was founded by the followers of Jalaluddin Muhammad Balkhi Rumi, a 13th-century Persian poet, Sufi ...
. The order spread into
Anatolia Anatolia (), also known as Asia Minor, is a peninsula in West Asia that makes up the majority of the land area of Turkey. It is the westernmost protrusion of Asia and is geographically bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean ...
during the 14th and 15th Centuries and
ibn Battuta Ibn Battuta (; 24 February 13041368/1369), was a Maghrebi traveller, explorer and scholar. Over a period of 30 years from 1325 to 1354, he visited much of Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the Iberian Peninsula. Near the end of his life, Ibn ...
noted Rifai ' tekkes' in central Anatolia. The order however, began to make progress in Turkey during the 17th to 19th centuries when tekkes began to be found in
Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...
. The Rifai order may have had a presence in the Balkans since at least the 17th century but it didn't begin actively gaining followers until the early 19th century. The order soon spread throughout the region, including
North Macedonia North Macedonia, officially the Republic of North Macedonia, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe. It shares land borders with Greece to the south, Albania to the west, Bulgaria to the east, Kosovo to the northwest and Serbia to the n ...
, Kosovo,
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and Bosnia. In the United States and Canada tekkes (lodges) are found in
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and
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that were under the guidance of the late Shaykh Xhemali Shehu (d.2004) of
Prizren Prizren ( sq-definite, Prizreni, ; sr-cyr, Призрен) is the second List of cities and towns in Kosovo, most populous city and Municipalities of Kosovo, municipality of Kosovo and seat of the eponymous municipality and District of Prizren, ...
,
Kosovo Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with International recognition of Kosovo, partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the ...
. Each of these orders is ultimately Turkish in origin.


Practices

During heightened states of Rifai Ratib, Rifai followers were noted to have eaten live snakes, entered ovens filled with fire and ridden on lions. Followers were also noted to have practiced charming snakes and thrusting iron spikes and glass into their bodies. It is uncertain whether or not Ahmed ar-Rifai instituted the practices that helped solidify the Rifai order's massive popularity. While some scholars attribute these practices to al-Rifai, other scholars contend he was unaware of these practices and that these were introduced after the Mongol invasion.


Prominent Rifa'is

* Samiha Ayverdi * Agah Oktay Güner *
Cemalnur Sargut Cemalnur Sargut (born November 3, 1952) is a Turkish people, Turkish Sufism, Sufi, a leader of the Rifaʽi, Rifa'i order, author, and Islamic scholar. Biography Cemalnur Sargut was born to Meskure Sargut and Omer Faruk Sargut on November 3, 19 ...
* Osama al-Rifai


Notes


Sources

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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rifa'i Sufi orders Sunni Sufi orders Rifa'i order