Halvatism and sefevism Beliefs

Halvatism, one of the most common teachings started in the Sufi ideology in Azerbaijan. The Ishraq doctrine had greatly influenced Halvatism. Researchers distinguish four periods in the development of Halvatism teaching: 

The period from Abulgahir Shuhraverdi to Ibrahim Gilani (X-XIII centuries) 

The period from Ibrahim Gilani to Omar Khalvati (XIII-XIV century) 

The period from Omar Khalvati to Seyyed Yahya Bakuvi (XIV-XV century) 

The Period after Seyyed Yahya Bakuvi (subsequent to the XV century period) (period of distribution and organization) 

After the death of Sheikh Ibrahim Gilani, his followers created two Azerbaijani tasavvuf schools, known as schools of Halvatism and Sefevism. Sefevism teaching, along with Azerbaijan, was widely spread in Anatolia. In the XV century Bayramiya teaching formed from Sefevism, and Shamsi melamiya formed from Bayramiya in Anatolia

The reasons for the recognition of Halvatism similar to the teachings of Sefevism by the Shirvanshahs State and society, follows from the essence of this doctrine. When sefevizm, which enjoyed a real support of the Sheikh Dzhumeyda, began to pose a threat to the Shirvanshakhs, the Halvatism teaching bearing similar motives, acquires increasingly high importance. This policy, implemented by the Shirvanshakhs Halilullah (in 1417 - 1465) and Farrukh Yasar Khan (1465 - 1500), had brought its results by the year of 1500. 

 After Shah Ismail Khatai brought the Shirvanshahs’ State under Safavids, the position of Halvatism here weakened, by virtue of which this teaching started to be replaced till the middle of the XVI century. The promotion of  Halvatism teaching, being the Shirvan school of tasawwuf, which had already lost its position in the traditional territories of origin in the XVI century , started by Seyed Yahya murids in the middle of the XV century in Anatolia. After Shah Ismail came to power and the Safavid dynasty established in Azerbaijan, the idea of Halvatism power doctrine reached Istanbul and then the teaching center was placed in dervish monastery of Goja Mustafa Pasha, whose name is associated with a new stage in the formation of Halvatism.    

During the reign of the Safavis Halvatism managed to defend their existence in Shirvan, but they failed to continue their activities in Tabriz. The Tasavvufi Halvatism School, which was of Turkic origin in the history of Islamic culture, was an artificial stream which expressed love for Imam Ali and Ahlul-Bayt. History shows that ideas of Halvatisma were distributed in Azerbaijan, especially Baku, Shamakhi, Karabakh and Tabriz, Anatolia, the Balkans and North Africa exclusively by ethnic Turks. 

Moments during Halvatism were selected from the name of Allah: This includes the seven names: La ilaha illallah (There is no god but Allah), Allah, Huwa (O), Hagg, and Hyayy (ever-living), Gyayyum (eternally existent) and Gahhar (Almighty.) A Halvatism follower must pass the way of perfection by means of knowing these names.