The Beginning of Religious Training
Those who entered this religious order were required to pass through a period of strict training and self-discipline. New members, known as novices, learned gradually through fasting, abstinence, prayer, and obedience Istanbul Day Tours.
When a person first joined the order, he received a small cudgel or stick made from willow wood. This stick became an important symbol of his religious discipline and was always carried hanging from his belt.
At the beginning, while the wood was still fresh and green, it weighed about four hundred drams. The weight of this stick determined the amount of bread the novice was permitted to eat each day.
Fasting and Self-Denial
As time passed, the willow wood slowly dried and became lighter. At the same time, the daily amount of bread allowed to the novice was also reduced. In this way, the dervishes gradually trained themselves to endure hunger and practice self-control.
This unusual method symbolized the weakening of worldly desires and the strengthening of spiritual discipline. The less attached the body became to comfort and food, the closer the soul was believed to come to God.
Fasting and abstinence were considered important parts of spiritual purification. The dervishes believed that controlling physical appetite helped free the mind from earthly distractions and prepared the soul for divine contemplation.
Nightly Worship and Devotion
Like all Muslims, the members of this order performed the five daily prayers required by Islam. However, they also spent much of the night engaged in additional religious exercises and ceremonies.
One of their main practices involved turning in circles while listening to the sound of a small pipe or flute. During this ritual, they repeatedly cried out the word “Hai” or “Mai,” meaning “Alive,” which they regarded as one of the sacred attributes of God.
The repetition of this holy word was believed to create spiritual concentration and emotional devotion. Through music, movement, and constant chanting, the dervishes hoped to reach a state of spiritual ecstasy and closeness to God.
The Story of Their Founder
According to the traditions of the order, their founder practiced this devotion with such passion and intensity that he repeated the sacred word continuously and with enormous force.
The story claimed that he cried out “Hai” so fervently that a vein in his chest burst, and blood flowed onto the wall in the shape of the holy word itself. His followers regarded this event as a miraculous sign of divine love and spiritual devotion.
Because of this story, the dervishes carefully imitated the example of their founder in their own ceremonies.
Ceremonial Gatherings
During their rituals, the dervishes joined hands together in a circle while chanting the sacred word repeatedly. The ceremony combined rhythmic movement, music, and collective prayer.
These gatherings created a powerful emotional atmosphere that strengthened unity among the members of the order. The dervishes believed that through shared devotion and repetition of God’s name, the soul could rise above ordinary human experience and approach divine truth.
To outsiders, these ceremonies often appeared strange or extreme, but for the members they represented deep spiritual discipline and love for God.