ZIKR-I ERRE IN THE YASAWIYYA

Abstract

This article examines zikr-i erre, a distinctive from of collextive vocal zikr
practiced withen Yasawiyya Sufi tradition associated with Khoja Ahmad Yasawi. The study
focuses on the origins, development, ritual characteristies, and various forms of this zikr as
reflected in historical and hagiographical sources. Particular attention is given to accounts
concerning the emergence of zikr-i erre, including narratives connecting it with Khoja Ahmad
Yasawi, Khidr, and the Prophet Zachariah. The article analyzes descriptions of the zikr found in
the works of Yasawi and Yasawi-Naqshbandi scholars, as well as in the writings of Sufi authors
from other traditions. The sources demonstrate that zikr-i erre was performed in different forms
using such invocations as Allah, Hay, Hū, and Ȃh, accompanied in some cases by specific
breathing techniques, bodily movements, an rhythmic collective performance. The study also
considers the ritual practices of Yasawi dervishes and the historical accounts of zikr assemblies
in Central Asia and Ottoman İstanbul. The analysis shows that zikr-i erre had no single fixed
from but represented a diverse set of vocal and bodily practices within the broader tradition of
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Yasawi zikr. The article emphasizes the importance of field research and audiovisual
documentation for preserving information about these disappearing ritual practices and
transmitting them to future generations.