How Angel Gabriel Became Our Brother of the Hereafter: On the Question of Ismaili Influence on Alevism
Journal Article: British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies
“The Ismaili presence and its influence on Shi'a movements in Anatolia is not directly supported by primary sources or in-depth studies. Available assertions are based mainly on historical presumptions and the similarities between the doctrines of the two groups. These assumptions can be categorized into three main groups: (1) The Ismailis were already active in Anatolia in the pre-Alamut period through orders such as the Wafā’iyya; (2) Some Ismailis escaped to Anatolia during the Mongol repressions and were able to hide among the Sufi movements there; (3) Ismaili thought influenced Anatolian Alevis later and indirectly through movements such as those of Hurufis, Malamatiyya and Qalandars. In this article, I attempt to re-evaluate the historical problem of whether and how Anatolia was in contact with the Ismaili thought through a unique source that is based on an orally transmitted cosmogony. Even though it is highly speculative to take a recording as the basis for a historical analysis, it will nevertheless stimulate new historical questions and insights.” (Erdal Gezik)
Abstract: This article attempts to analyse Alevi cosmology within heterodox Islamic tradition. The main primary source is a recording made in2009 in Istanbul. The Alevi creation myth (told by a 92-year-old man from the Dersim [Tunceli] region) offers a remarkable combination of symbols and an interpretation of why mankind was created. The role Archangel Gabriel fulfills from the beginning to the creation of the first man, and the notion of ‘looking for a second one’ as the cause of creation, are the most striking features of this myth. The story has given me the opportunity to explore the cosmological views of certain Shi’i sects. Interesting parallels with the cosmological speculations of Ismailis cannot be underestimated. The Alevi studies mainly focus on the period after the thirteenth century. Analysis of this creation myth, on the other hand, in which Archangel Gabriel plays the leading role, leads us, at least on theological matters, to reconsider the formation and circulation of ‘heretical’ ideas from the tenth to the thirteenth century in the Middle East in general and inSeljuk realms in particular.
Author: Erdal Gezik
Link to Paper: Academia.edu
Link to Journal: Taylor & Francis