Английская Википедия:Batal Hajji Belkhoroev
Шаблон:Short description Шаблон:Good article
Шаблон:Infobox religious biography
Batal Hajji BelkhoroevШаблон:Efn (Шаблон:Lang-inh; Шаблон:C. 1824–1914)Шаблон:Efn was an Ingush sheikh of the Qadiri Sufi order (tariqa) who founded his own independent Sufi suborder (wird).Шаблон:Efn
At early age both of his parents died, after which, he moved to Chechnya. There Batal Hajji met Kunta-Haji, a Chechen Sufi sheikh who became his mentor. He was an outlaw (abrek) and supporter of Imam Shamil during the Caucasian War. Batal Hajji founded his own independent wird upon the arrest and exile of Kunta-Haji in 1864 or upon Kunta-Haji's death in 1867. Today it continues to exists amongst Ingush, and partly, amongst the Chechens and Kumyks. In 1911, after being accused of harbouring the Chechen outlaw Zelimkhan he was exiled to Kozelsk, later dying there in 1914.
Background
Batal Hajji was born in 1824 in Ingushetia, either in Surkhakhi or in Somyokh.Шаблон:Efn He was an ethnic IngushШаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn of the Шаблон:Ill clan (teip).Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn The Belkharoi, according to a legend, trace their lineage to a legendary figure called Borga.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Efn Batal Hajji's father was Anarbek, while his mother was named Rayzet (Zabiya).Шаблон:Sfn
At the age of seven, Batal's mother died and soon his father died as well. He was taken under the care of his mother's relatives, who at that time lived in Chechnya. During his 10 years of living there, he met Kunta-Haji, a Chechen Sufi sheikh, with whom he discussed matters of spirituality that sparked his interest.Шаблон:Sfn It is unknown if he received any religious education during his lifetime.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn During the Caucasian War, he was a supporter of Imam Shamil and led units of outlaws (abreks).Шаблон:Sfn He himself was an outlaw.Шаблон:Sfn
Return to Ingushetia and Hajj
At the time of Batal Hajji's return to Ingushetia, there was a process of Islamisation and Christianization of the Ingush people. The Ingush had to go lengths to visit Chechnya to meet there Kunta-Haji as they didn't have their own spiritual mentor. Accordingly, one time Ingush again went on to met Kunta-Haji to consult with him. He said to them that Batal Hajji is their new mentor who they should now approach instead of him: "Truly this is a ustaz, a sheikh from Surkhakhi Batal, from now on you can turn to him for advice and take toba."Шаблон:Sfn
In 1859, Batal Hajj completed a three-year Islamic pilgrimage (Hajj) to Mecca as well as a pilgrimage to Medina,Шаблон:Sfn as indicated by the title 'Hajji' in his name.Шаблон:Sfn According to tradition, Batal Hajji had a vision from the prophet Muhammad while he was in Mecca, who offered him a choice between this life and the afterlife. Batal Hajji chose this life expecting he could gain a place in the afterlife with his good works.Шаблон:Sfn
The wird
Foundation
Batal Hajji founded the wird, either, after the arrest and exile of Kunta-Haji in 1864,Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn or after his death in 1867.Шаблон:Sfn The first followers of the wird were the inhabitants of Surkhakhi, Nazran, Nasyr-Kort, Plievo and Upper-Achaluki, but later followers came from other places.Шаблон:Sfn The size of the wird was estimated by John F. Baddeley, a British traveler known for his works on the Caucasus Region, to be 100 families in 1901.Шаблон:Sfn
Characteristics
The distinct features of the members of the wird of Batal Hajji were the cut beard and usage of long daggers (kinjals), berdan rifles and pistols, spiritual power and mutual assistance as well as helping each other in difficult situations. The Soviets accused the Batal Hajjis of being connected to "(...) grave crimes against social order and Soviet law", and that the leadership of the wird "(...) used religion for its own selfish aims and personal profit."Шаблон:Sfn
The wird of Batal Hajji has some differences in Islamic practices that can be compared with the wirds of Kunta-Haji and Шаблон:Ill. For example, during the burial, the underside in the grave is done on the left side, as the prophet Muhammad was buried, while the Kunta-Haji wird does the underside in the grave on the right side as they see that as a way to pay respect to prophet Muhammad.Шаблон:Sfn Unlike the wird of Kunta-Haji, loud dhikr is carried out in the wird of Batal-Haji, while standing in a circle and rhythmically whirling in place to place, clapping their hands and repeating with "la ilaha illa-l-lahi" ("There is no God but Allah") or other religious hymns (nazms). Unlike the wird of Chimmirza, women don't participate in the whirling in the wird of Batal Hajji.Шаблон:Sfn While in the wird of Batal Hajji and Kunta Hajji The sacrificial animal is slaughtered, in the wird of Bamat-Girey-Hajji it is not.Шаблон:Sfn
Intermarriages within the wird are encouraged.Шаблон:Sfn Although women are forbidden to marry men of other wirds,Шаблон:Sfn men are allowed to marry women of other wirds.Шаблон:Sfn At the same time, the couples are warned that on the Day of Judgment, they will be close only to their personal sheikh, so the mixed couples will disperse.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn Weddings are not accompanied by music and dancing and being merry during the wedding are not acceptable.Шаблон:Sfn Members of the wird are forbidden to share their meal with someone who is not part of the wird.Шаблон:Sfn
Batal Hajji's Teachings
Batal Hajji loved Quran and he taught people to read it. He also noted that "faith makes people right and pure in earthly and future life, and knowledge elevates a person".Шаблон:Sfn Batal Hajji actively fought Ingush paganism which had remained alive in some traditions.Шаблон:Sfn
Later years
In 1892, Batal Hajji was arrested "for harmful religious propaganda" and sent to exile in Kozelsk, but by the amnesty in honor of the coronation of Emperor Nicholas II, he was allowed to return to Ingushetia in 1896.Шаблон:Sfn John F. Baddeley met with Batal Hajji on 8 October 1901.Шаблон:Sfn According to him, Batal was the successor of Kunta-HajiШаблон:SfnШаблон:Efn and he described him as follows: "He as was an old man, rather stout, with a good face and a very courteous manner."Шаблон:Sfn
Death
In 1911, Tsarist authorities of Russian Empire were fearing of an uprising under the influence of calls from clerics. Prominent religious figures, among which was Batal Hajji, were accused of harboring the Chechen outlaw Zelimkhan and exiled.Шаблон:Sfn The accused religious figures included the Chechen sheikhs (Bammat Girey Hajji, Suhayp Mulla, Dokku Sheikh, Mulla Mahoma, Kana Hajji, Chimmirza), as well as the future emir of North Caucasian Emirate, Avar Sheikh Шаблон:Ill.Шаблон:Sfn Batal Hajji was exiled to Kozelsk, Kaluga Governorate, where in 1914, he died.Шаблон:Sfn
Because of Pavel Gaidukov's request, permission was granted to transport Batal Hajji's body back to Ingushetia on a special wagon. He was buried on October 25, 1914, in Surkhakhi, where his Ziyarat is located today. The funeral was accompanied by a loud dhikr of the Kunta Hajjis and Batal Hajjis for many hours. The funeral was attended by residents from all over the North Caucasus. After Batal Hajji's death, his eldest son Magomed succeeded him in becoming the head of the wird.Шаблон:Sfn
Family
Batal Hajji had a wife, who according to John F. Baddeley, has been respected more than any other Ingush women. She had already died by the time Baddeley had met Batal Hajji in 1901.Шаблон:Sfn Batal Hajji had seven sons, most of whom were executed by the Soviets as they bitterly resisted the Bolsheviks. His son Muhammed, for example, was supporter of the Anti-Soviet Imam Шаблон:Ill and was executed while trying to flee to Turkey in 1920 or 1921.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn His other son, Qureysh, led a guerilla movement in Chechen-Ingush ASSR and North-Ossetian ASSR, but was caught in 1947 and arrested.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn In 1957, he was released and returned to his homeland, leading the wird up to his death in 1964.Шаблон:Sfn Batal Hajji also had his only daughter, named Zaleikha. She was nicknamed 'hama hovsh yolu sag' (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:Lit. 'person knowing something') and 'daqha danna sag' (Шаблон:Lang, 'person who received a blessing') for her abilities to communicate with the jinns, her particular healing abilities, as well as for the amulets and talismans she created.Шаблон:Sfn
The grandsons of Batal Hajji were also kept under surveillance by the Soviet Regime, and some of them, like Jabra'il, Ahmet, Mustafa, Maksharip, Huseyn and Sultan, died in exchanges of gunfire between the Soviet police (militsia).Шаблон:Sfn
Legacy
Today, Batal Hajji's wird is a large Sufi suborder, the most exclusive and cohesive in the Caucasus region out of all the other Sufi wirds, playing an important role in the socio-economic and political life of Ingushetia.Шаблон:Sfn Batal Hajji's wird continues to exist amongst Ingush, and partly amongst the Chechens and Kumyks. The percentage of the Batal Hajjis amongst the Ingush is estimated by the Muftiate of Ingushetia to be 4.5%.Шаблон:Sfn In 1968, the wird had 400 murids.Шаблон:Sfn In Batal Hajji's honor, a cemetery (ziyarat) and a mosque was built in the village of Surkhakhi and the mosque.Шаблон:Sfn
Notes
References
Sources
English sources
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Russian sources
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French sources