Ahmet Yesevi

Ahmad Yasawi, born around 1093 CE in Sayram, Kara-Khanid Khanate, was a significant Turkic poet and Sufi master. He is renowned for his contributions to the development of Sufi orders throughout the Turkic-speaking world and is recognized as the earliest known Turkic poet to compose in Middle Turkic. Yasawi founded the Yasawiyya order, which quickly gained prominence across Turkic regions. He followed the Hanafi school of jurisprudence, similar to his spiritual guide, Yusuf Hamadani. Losing his father at a young age, Yasawi was raised by Arslan Baba. He later studied in Bukhara under Yusuf Hamadani. Upon Hamadani's passing, Yasawi eventually became the head murshid of the Naqshbandi order before passing this position to Abdul Khaliq Ghijduwani and relocating to Turkistan City to spread Islam. He dedicated his life to spiritual pursuits and teaching, influencing many students and becoming a central figure in Central Asian mysticism. His most famous work, the *Dīwān-i Hikmat* (Compendium of Wisdom), contains poems addressing social injustice, humility, and divine will. Yasawi passed away in 1166 CE in Turkistan, leaving a lasting legacy celebrated across Central Asia, Turkey, and Greater Persia.