Nasibi Tahir Babai (died 1835), bornTahir Skënderasi,[1] was anAlbanianBektashiwali[2] andbejtexhi.[3]
Tahir Babai took the nickname Nasibi (the fortunate one) after it was reported that the door of the tekke ofHaji Bektash Veli inAsia Minor opened miraculously of its own accord to allow him to enter.[3] In his late years he settled inFrashër,Kazza ofPërmet, back thenOttoman Empire (today's Albania), where he founded theTekke of Frashër,[4] a Bektashitekke which played an important role not only the religious point of view as a keySufi center, but also had a role in theAlbanian National Awakening process.
The tekke was built in 1815[1] and he served there until his death in 1835.[3] He developed the tekke of Frashër and the one inLeskovik as cultural and literature centers. He inspired two other Bektashi raised Albanian writers,Şemseddin Sami and his brotherNaim Frashëri, who contributed to forging the Albanian national conscience.[3] Tahir Babai was regarded as one of three spiritual advisers ofAli Pasha Tepelena.[3]
He was buried in atürbe near the tekke he built, and his grave is apilgrimage destination.[1]
Nasibi Tahir had studied inIran,[1] traveled around theMiddle East in his youth, visitingIraq and otherArab countries where he got in touch with Oriental literature. However, the work that he created was lost. According to Şemseddin Sami'sOttoman encyclopediaKamûs-ül Â'lâm, he composed much verse inAlbanian,Turkish, andPersian.[3][5]
"Tahir Nasibi Babai is one of the Bektashi leaders. He was born in Frashër, my village. He spent some time visiting the holy places. And after his return, he founded a small tekke in Frashër which over time grew and today is the biggest one. He died in 1835 and was buried in a mausoleum near his tekke, which is visited today by all. Nasibi has written many poems in Albanian. Besides these, he has also written manyGhazals in Turkish and Persian languages. Once, while returning to his homeland after visiting the holy places, he happened to stop in the Leskovik town, where scholars of the time met and took him in for questioning to test his religious culture. Nasibi answered all these questions with aqasidah (long poem)"
— Şemseddin Sami,Kamûs-ül Â'lâm
I pari Baba i asaj Teqeje ka qënë Nasibi Tahir Babaji nga Frashëri
translated
The first Baba of that tekke was Nasibi Tahir Babai from Frasher
