The role of Selman The Persian in Nusayriyyah

Salman the Persian is an outstanding figure who is accepted as "bab"and some exceeding features are attributed to him by Nusayrîs. We hope this study would be beneficial to understand the significance of Salman the Persian in Nusayrîyya, which has a Shii character, and generally in Shi'ite. We also think that this study would enable us to understand Nusayrîs who are dwelling in Hatay, Adana and Tarsus in Turkey, and in Syria and Lebanon, and to analyze these people which we live together/coexist in the same society. In the introduction, concept of "religion" and concept of "sect" are investigated, Nusayrîyye and Salman the Persian are briefly introduced, and, the aim and the significance of the study are mentioned. In the first chapter, the origin of the name of Nusayrî and formation, historical process, branchs, belief system, religious holidays of Nusayrîyya, and its status today are discussed. In the second chapter, the information about Salman the Persian that are given by Sunni sources is examined, and especially, narratives of Salman the Persian on his own life are emphasised. In the third chapter, the information about Salman the Persian that is given by Shii sources which is accepted by Nusayrîs is investigated, and, by means of this, the oppurtunity of comparison between Sunni sources is occured. In the fourth chapter, features of bab's position and representatives of it, according to Nusayrîs, are examined, and Nusayrîs evidences on this position are collocated and evaluated. In the fifth chapter, as the consequence of interviews that we had in Adana, the significance and the status of Salman the Persian in Nusayrî society of today is researched. In the sixth chapter, two books are compared. The first of the two books, Kitabu'l Mecmu, is written by the authors of "Kur'an Işığında Hak ve Batıl" who are seperated from the Nusayrîyya with the aim of showing mistakes of Nusayrîyya after seeing the wrong sides of it. The second of the two books, "Kitabu'l Mecmu", is written by Ahmet Turan. In the conclusion, a general evaluation of obtained information is presented and some determinations are made. Keywords: Shia, Nusayriyyah, Selman the Persian