International Journal of Humanities and Education

Abstract

The Nâd-ı Ali prayer, which translates to ‘call to Ali’, occupies a central position within the cultural and religious practices of the Alevi-Bektashi tradition. The prayer, revered for its efficacy in seeking assistance during challenging circumstances and purported to harbor manifold benefits, is traditionally attributed to Gabriel’s instruction to the Prophet Muhammad amidst the adversities encountered during the Battle of Uhud. The manuscript, which is the subject of this paper, is a composition in Chagatai Turkish, elucidating the virtues and significance of the Nâd-ı Ali prayer recited within Alevi-Bektashi communities.
This particular manuscript, archived in the Bodleian Library at Oxford University (MS. Ind. Inst. Pers. 122), comprises six folios appended to the end of a manuscript containing two Persian texts. There exists no attribution regarding the signature entry or author. There are 15 lines in the folios numbered 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 5a, 6a and 6b, and 14 lines in the other folios. The text lacks any vowel points. While the text expounds upon the merits associated with the practice of reciting the Nâd-ı Ali prayer, it notably lacks the inclusion of the original Arabic prayer or its translation. This paper endeavors to elucidate the significance of Nâd-ı Ali, presenting both the translation of the text and its transcription into Modern Turkish, while also examining linguistic disparities from Chagatai Turkish.
This paper aims to contribute to the studies on Chagatai Turkish, considering that each new text published will contribute to the Turkish language studies and solve some linguistic aspects that have not yet been clarified.