Eleventh International Conference on Religion & Spirituality in Society

Abstract

This paper examines the ideological underpinnings of Şeyh Bedreddin’s (d. 1420 c.e.) revolt and associated movements during the Ottoman Interregnum (1402-1413 c.e.). While pious warfare (gaza) and chivalry (Ar. futuwwa Per. Javānmardī) are important factors, scholars affirm the presence of a Sufi philosophy: the “Unity of Being” (Ar. Wahdat al-Wūjūd) in this movement–though the connection is rarely explored in-depth. Examining this philosophy reveals that it carries a message of religious pluralism that has attracted both modern and pre-modern scholars for its universalizing claim toward a “Unity” that transcends particular religious doctrines. Wahdat al-Wūjūd has typically been the subject of literary studies, as in Ibn al-’Arabi’s (d. 1240 c.e.) philosophical corpus or in Persian poetry like that of Fakhr al-Din ‘Iraqi (d. 1289 c.e.). The connection to social movements, economic ideologies, and political claims, however, requires further examination. Bedreddin’s revolt provides such a case study where a central figure–regarded as a “pole” (Ar. qutb) or “Perfect Man” (Insan al-Kamil)–could mobilize a diverse population for a political aim and even experiment in radically communitarian living.