Şeyh Yusuf Türbesi

Sheikh Yusuf tomb — a tomb located in the territory of Shıxlar village, Khachmaz district, Azerbaijan.

The tomb of Mawlana Sheikh Yusuf is two-chambered. There are several graves in the tomb. On the headstone of one grave it is written: "This grave belongs to the late Muhammad Ali, son of Mawlana Sheikh Yusuf. Eight hundred and sixth year" (1403–1404). For a period Ibrahimkhalil and Umsalamad, a husband and wife, made great efforts to preserve this tomb. Because of this, Ibrahimkhalil was sent to Siberia in 1937 and his property was confiscated, but his descendants continued the restoration of the monument. His grandson Eflatun Mammadov, with the help of the public, built a hospice here. Sheikh Yusuf's grandson Tayyub Seyid Haji Balah son was restored in 1986.

One of the most visited shrines in Azerbaijan is also Sheikh Yusuf Efendi.

Descended from the Hashemites and linked to the Prophet through the lineage of Hazrat Ali and Hazrat Fatima, Sheikh Yusuf's genealogy is kept today in the house of his descendants in Seyidler village, Khachmaz district. His full name is Yusuf ibn Ali al-Fazil al-Husayni, kunya Abul-Fuyuzat, nickname Ziyaeddin.

Abbasgulu Agha Bakikhanov provides the following information about Mawlana Sheikh Molla Yusuf in his work "Gülüstani-Irem".

His great-grandfathers came from Karabakh to the Muskir district of Quba. Sheikh was born in the middle of the eighth Islamic century. After perfecting the Sufi order ceremony, he received the chain of instruction from Seyid Yahya Bakuvi (14th–15th centuries) and opened the doors of grace and preaching for the order’s disciples. The village where the Sheikh’s tomb and their home are located was named Şıxlar. In manuscripts preserved in Baku (Manuscripts Fund) attributed to him, the works titled "Bəyanül əsrar lit-talibin" and "Silsilətül-uyun" record his name as Yusif al‑Şirvani al‑Muskuri. The book "Bəyanül‑əsrar", consisting of a preface and 24 chapters, briefly explains the material and spiritual characteristics of the object, the owners of the order, and the customs and etiquette of the poor.

He died at the end of the eighth Islamic century.

According to the research of scholar Mehmet Rıhtım, Sheikh Yusuf’s date of death is 1485 AD. His father was a distinguished scholar of the time and a native of Shirvan. He received his first education from his father, fully learned to read the Qur’an by the age of nine; when he reached maturity he began to teach.

Later he performed Hajj and visited Egypt, Jerusalem, Alexandria, Baghdad and Damascus; there he studied with great scholars, improving his scientific knowledge. Afterwards he came to Shamakhi and engaged in teaching science.

Seyid Yahya Bakuvi recommended to Yusuf in the dream of our Prophet that he should receive lessons from him. Yusuf Efendi immediately came to Baku, reached Seyid Yahya and became his disciple. While at it, I note that in Sufism, to attain a high rank (degree) a disciple must definitely enter seclusion once a year. That is, he stays alone in a dark room for forty days, feeding only on water and dates and reciting the Qur'an. During this period the disciple leaves the room for a few minutes only to satisfy toilet needs and does not speak to anyone. By the Sheikh’s order Yusuf Efendi also entered seclusion, passed great stages with difficult exercises and reached the caliphate rank.

Seyid Yahya sent him to Shamakhi for guidance. Hundreds of disciples gathered around him there.

According to the writing of Nazim, before Seyid Yahya Bakuvi’s death he gathered caliphs and disciples and said: “After me the prayer rug and God’s trust is Mekhdum” – (Bakuvi had given Yusuf the epithet “Mekhdum” in the sense of honor),

but when Seyid Yahya passed away his middle son Fatullah sat on his father’s prayer rug. Yusuf Mekhdum also went to his aid, calming the disciples.

Later Sheikh Yusuf came to Shamakhi, where he gave guidance. After a while he continued his activity in the Muskur area of Quba.

His holy tomb is in a domed structure in the village of Shikhlar, Khachmaz. In the same dome are the graves of the Sheikh’s son Muhammad Amin and other sheikhs.

Professor Məşədixanım Nemətova of the Archaeology Institute of AMEA translates the Arabic inscription on Muhammad Amin’s tomb as follows:

“This tomb belongs to the son of the revered Sheikh Yusuf, the late Muhammad Amin. Eight hundred and sixty‑sixth year” (1455–1456 AD).

From M. Nemətova's research it is also known that Sheikh Yusuf's other children and grandchildren also continued his path and obtained the title of sheikh. This can be seen from the translation of the inscriptions on the graves outside the tomb:

"He is eternal, magnificent. He is the son of Sheikh Yusuf Muskur, the late, pardoned Sheikh Ashraf."

"The owner of this grave is the son of Sheikh Ashraf, the late, pardoned Iskandar. May God have mercy on him."

"This grave belongs to Sheikh Tahir, the son of Sheikh Ashraf, one of the children of Sheikh Mawlana Yusuf. May God have mercy on him. Month of Safar."

Sheikh Yusuf efendi's meaningful life path and activities have been of interest to researchers in all periods.