Today, is commemorated the 7th anniversary of of passing from this life of father Shaban Dervishi. Shaban Ram Dervishi was born in 1933, in Gjon of Martanesh, in a well-known family of this region, with well-known Bektashi traditions. He grew up with brothers Ali, Hysen, Riza and two sisters. His parents often went to the Martanesh tekke as well as for a pilgrimage to Ballenjë. Father Shaban, in his youth, was always near the tekkes in the area of Dibra, Elbasan and elsewhere. In his youth, he became a myhib in the tekke of Zerqan, by his father Selim Kaliçani. Hajdar Sula, the oldest believer in the area and a learned man, made a great contribution to Bektashi knowledge. The internment of his family in Berat, made him try to suppress and threaten and, to face major obstacles in the way started. After returning from exile, he continued on his way to faith. During this period, he learned a lot, in the tekke of Elbasan, from father Ali Porodina. The desire and the lessons he received from father Ali, further ignited his passion and determination to follow this path and in 1956, when he was 22 years old, he dressed as a dervish. Baba Aliu sent the young dervishes to the tekke of Bllaca to serve Father Xhemal Selca. Here day after day and month after month, he learned much, among other things, and the stories of dervishes and fathers.
But it was not said, other vicissitudes would come for him… One autumn day of 1958, father Xhemali was summoned to the Party Committee and given an ultimatum, to dervish Shabani to remove him from the Blaca tekke because it was politically dangerous . This fatal order turned the dervish Shabani into a manual worker in the street bridge, Shkodër, Vlora and Elbasan, a ordeal that lasted from 1958 to 1991. In this time frame, in 1973, the security organs called him enumerated the irreconcilable attitude of his family and for this, lead him to work in the agricultural cooperative of Martanesh. But Shabani did not weaken, because he had his soul and heart there in the tekke, in God, and he never forgot the obedience to the path of Haxhi Bektash Veliu.
After the changes of 1990, we find Shabani dressed as a clergyman, among the first, in the rebuilding of Bektashi cult objects alongside Dede Reshat Bardhi, father Selim Kalicani, father Barjami, father Nekiu, father Sherif, etc. He worked diligently together with his father Selim Kalicani in the reopening of the Martanesh tekke and the tekkes in Kruja. At the suggestion of father Selimi, by the Bektashi World Leader Dede Reshat Bardhi, he was sent to run the famous Sari Salltiku tekke on Mount Kruja. For a short period, Sari Salltik returned to its previous state and the courtyard of the tekke was filled every day with believers and pilgrims who came not only from Kruja, Tirana and Durrës, but from all over Albania.
In February 1994, father Shabani made the pilgrimage to Mecca. Amazed, he prayed to the Lord day and night, saw the miracle, and received inspiration for a lifetime.
Subsequently, he served in the famous tekke in Mountain of Tomorri. With ardent love (in the years 1994 - 2002), he rebuilt the tekke of Kulmak, the tomb of Abaz Ali and the dervish of Ilias. . In September 2013, he was assigned to serve in the tekke of Dervish Shabani, in the city of Kruja.
Hajji Father Shaban Dervishi passed away on September 22, 2014. The honor for him was great, in respect of this prominent figure of Bektashism. With special care and respect, the Bektashi World Leader, His Holiness, Haji Baba Edmond Brahimaj led the funeral ceremony, with all the rules.
Prepared by:
Xhorxhin ÇULLHAI
