The Education Model of Republican Period’s Sufi Groups in Turkey: The Case of Hadji Hasan Efendi of Yahyalı

Religion affects the attitudes and choices of human. Religion that effective on individuals also affects the social lives and institutions. Education as an important social institution is also under the effects of religious understandings. Charismatic leaders of the sufi groups and their understanding of religion determine a path of education and this instructional period constitutes a human model. They are also the models and the most seen part of the sufi groups. In this context we will examine the model of educating people of a sufi group in Turkey named “Yahyalı Cemaati (Community of Yahyalı)”. Although the jamaat emerged in Republican Period and has an independent identity, it is a part of ancient sufi tradition. Characteristic of the jamaat is its synthesis of traditional sufi understanding with modern educational instruments. The founder of the jamaat Hacı Hasan Efendi’s main principles of education are to take the knowledge as basical in the education process of followers, the configurity of knowledge and behaviour, cordiality, allegiance of tradition and guideness. The study examines the people-education model of Hacı Hasan Efendi as a republican period/modern sufi leader in the context of his writings and the informations got from his followers and students.