The World Leader of the Bektashis, His Grace Haxhi Dede Edmond Brahimaj wished today the Feast of Sultan Novruz, sending a message to all Bektashi believers.
SULTAN NEVRUZI
The day of Nowruz or otherwise called the day of Sultan Nowruz marks the birthday of Imam Ali in the Kaaba. On this day everything is revived, hope is born, resurrection for all mankind. It is a new day, when everyone hopes for a better future. Nowruz means “New Day” from Persian and Sultan means “King”, so Nowruz Sultan means “King of all days”. It has its origins in the early days. It began to be celebrated in Albania when Bektashism spread in the 13th century. For this holiday, our great Bektashi poet Naim Frashëri said: “Today is a new day that repeats the weather, summer is born, warmth is born, Ali is born, God himself is born”. This day has a special meaning for all believers. It is the day of Imam Ali, the son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad, he has been the right hand of the Prophet. Therefore this holiday for the Bektashis represents a marked day and one of the most blessed of the year. He was born on March 22, is one of the greatest saints of all time and is the first of the twelve Imams. Imam Ali is the first of the believers to be endowed with divine knowledge by the Prophet Muhammad himself, who said: “I am the city of knowledge and Ali is its gate”; “Intelligence was divided into ten parts: nine parts belong to Ali, and one part to all mankind” or “Ali and I are like Harun and Musa”; “Whoever loves Ali has loved me, whoever loves me, has loved God, and whoever hates Ali has hated me, whoever hates me has hated God.” That is why he was rightly called the leader of the believers, the scholars who made the golden age and who gave all mankind light. He was the man of the struggle for human progress. He used the word beautifully for human liberation and salvation. He left behind three principles: The degree of thinking, human unity, justice. Therefore it remained a permanent symbol of justice, as the Bektashis swear: Behold Muhammad -Ali! On this magnificent day begins the spring season, the spring equinox, where day takes night and light dark. Even in a certain fragment of a second during the change of hours for the arrival of March 22, all spiritual creatures or not, thank God because today everything begins to come to life. The day starts with the best wishes for prosperity, well-being, peace and love. In the twentieth century and especially among it, this holiday has become a nationwide manifestation. In Albania, Nowruz Day, the most important holiday of Bektashism, was decreed as a national holiday in 1992. The Bektashi faith has a considerable extension in the territory of the Republic of Albania. Bektashis are widespread in Kosovo, Macedonia and all over humanity and there are representative institutions in 31 other countries of the world.
Nowruz Day is celebrated in other countries of the Muslim world on dates ranging from March 20 to 26, such as: Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, France, Greece, Georgia, Germany, Kyrgyzstan, Kosovo, Iraq, Iran, Italy, Kazakhstan, USA, Albania, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Switzerland etc…