TEKKÉ RUFAÏ

This Sufi place of worship belongs to the brotherhood of the Rufais (Teqja e Rufaive, Tekija Rifaija). The tekké is housed in a modern and unattractive house built in 1972, but it has played an important role in the recent history of Sufism in Europe. It is also the site of an impressive religious ceremony: the Ijra, a rite of piercing cheeks and other parts of the body.

History. The Rufais are one of the most recent Sufi tarikats (brotherhoods) in Kosovo, which arrived from Turkey in the 19th century. Founded by Ahmed ar-Rifa'i in the 13th century in southern Iraq, this movement, which is close to Sunnism but influenced by Shi'ism, is present throughout the world, particularly in Egypt where it remains influential in society. It shares many similarities with the kaderi brotherhood. The rufais and the kaderis are the brotherhoods with the largest number of tekkés and followers in Kosovo today. In Prizren, a first Rufai tekké was established on the site of the present tekké in 1892. It was destroyed in 1915 by the Bulgarian occupiers who favored Sunnism over Sufism. Rebuilt in 1938, it was rebuilt in 1972 on the initiative of the local leader of the movement, the Albanian sheikh Xhemali Shehu (1926-2002). It was here that he launched, in 1974, the movement for the revival of Sufism in ex-Yugoslavia. Despite the opposition of the Sunni imams of Bosnia-Herzegovina, who then led the entire Yugoslav Muslim community, in 1975 the various Sufi orders in the federation joined together in the Community of Tarikats of Yugoslavia. The most important Sufi structure in Europe, it spread throughout the continent, mainly among the Yugoslav diaspora in Germany. In Yugoslavia itself, the number of followers quickly doubled to more than 100,000 in the 1980s. Today, the Community of Tarikats in Kosovo is completely independent of the Sunni authorities and has between 200,000 and 300,000 followers.

Visit. The tekké rufaï of Prizren remains an important center of Sufism in the country. It is headed by Xhemali Shehu's son, Sheikh Adrihusein Shehu. Visitors are welcome in the afternoon from Monday to Thursday to discuss with the dervishes or with the sheikh. Inside, the ritual prayer room (tevhidhane) is not very large, able to accommodate a maximum of a hundred participants. The back wall is occupied by the mihrab, a niche indicating the direction of Mecca, with, on either side, a whole array of weapons evoking the military past of the brotherhood within the Ottoman Empire, such as these bardiches, spears equipped with a crescent-shaped axe head. It is also on this wall that the kudums and bendirs (percussion instruments) are hung, as well as the perforating objects used during the Ijra. On the right is a small wooden platform where the outfits worn by the men during the rituals are displayed: black jacket and black and white felt cap. This is where the guests sit during the ceremonies, while the women of the brotherhood are relegated to the mezzanine above. They do not take part in the rituals, but the rufais are one of the very few brotherhoods to allow the presence of women.

Ceremony. Private prayers and rituals are held every Friday in the tekké. But the most important ceremony is the Ijra, which takes place on March 21 and 22. On this day, like all other Sufi brotherhoods, the rufais celebrate Norouz. This Persian New Year's festival marks the arrival of spring, but also the birthday of the cousin of the Prophet Mohammed, the Shiite Caliph and Imam Ali. As a curious person, it is possible to attend the Ijra on request. But seats are scarce. In the early afternoon, in the ritual prayer hall, the dervishes and the boys who are to be initiated gather in concentric circles towards the mihrab for about three hours. This begins with the Zikr (or Dhikr), which in Arabic means "remembrance". All participants chant the name of Allah and douas, prayers of supplication. To the rhythm of the drums, the bodies undulate, the heads turn and the prayers repeated hundreds of times provoke a state of trance that reinforces the feeling of unity. After about two hours, the Ijra begins, a ritual that symbolizes the Keramet, the miracles performed by the Caliph Ali. About ten boys, some as young as 10, are initiated. While the songs continue, a dervish or the sheikh pierces their cheeks from side to side with the zarf, a sharp pin, here of little thickness. When they are removed, their cheeks bleed, but only slightly, as the trance slows down the blood flow. The boys are now admitted as members of the brotherhood. The Ijra continues. Adult dervishes who wish to advance to a higher rank pierce their cheeks in turn with a thicker zarf. While the group begins a final dance, the confirmed dervishes pierce their cheeks, but also the neck, the larynx or the stomach. The objective is to reach a state of separation of the soul and the body in order not to feel any physical pain. When everything finally stops, the participants seem tired but happy. Everyone then gathers around a non-alcoholic drink.