Also referred to as Yarsan and also Ali-Ilahis or Aliullahis by outsiders, is one of many Sufi orders in Iran, combining various syncretistic and Islamic ideas with a veneration of Ali Ibn Abi Talib, the son-in-law of Muhammad.
The order is supposed to have been founded by Soltan Sohak , a largely mythical figure in the early 16th century A.D. in Western Iran; but since it is a mystic order, not much verifiable or solid facts are known about them. Sufi orders are strictly closed circles.
Most adherents live today still in Western provinces of Iran, many in the Kermanshah province, close to the Iraqi border. There are also groups around Kirkuk in Iraq. The majority are of Kurdish ethnicity, though there are also a few Luri, Azeri and Persian adherents.
There are similarities between Ahl-e Haqq and the (Turkish-Kurdish) Alevi, though how far these similarities are evidence of a joint origin remains in dispute. Others see a similarity to the Yezidi, though much of this debate must remain speculation as all these groups have few published writings and favour secretive religious practices.
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Last updated: 10-24-2005 08:50:38
