A New Source on Sheikh Zahid: Manâqib-i Sheikh Zahid-i Gilani

One of the leaders of Islamic mysticism (sufism) in the 13th century was Sheikh Tajaddin Ibrahim Zahid Gilani (1218-1301). His ancestors migrated from Khorasan (from Merv area of modern Turkmenistan) to Lankaran district of Azerbaijan. This man was involved in the Abhariyya branch of the Suhravardiyya sect at the beginning of his youth and began propaganda activities as a religious leader aged 55-60 years. He traveled for this purpose, invited people to the path of truth, educated thousands of disciples and caliphs and managed to win the love of people. Gilani had a great influence on the sultans of that era, especially on the Ilkhanid ruler Gazan Khan and gave him advice about fair government. Sheikh Zahid, who played an important role in the social life of the region in which he lived, left behind a large moral legacy. Such influential sects of the Turkic-Islamic world as Safaviyya, Khalvatiyya, Bayramiyya, Jalvatiyya, etc. come from this outstanding personality. His mausoleum is today in Shikhakaran (Hilyakaran) village of Lankaran district and is visited by the people. In current paper we reserached the unknown hagiography (Manâqib) of Sheikh Zahid. This work, as a part of manuscript book, is in the Kastamonu Manuscript Library (37 Hk 2694, vr. 97a-133a) and consists of 55 chapters. Hagiography of Sheikh Zahid was partially translated from Persian to Turkish by Mehmed b. Abdullatif, an Anatolian Turkish, in the 15th century. The Persian original of the work has not survived to this day. Keywords: Sheikh Zahid, Lankaran, Manâqib, Sufism.