{{Short description|Sufi group from Turkey}} {{Expand language|topic=|langcode=tr|otherarticle=Menzil Cemaati|date=April 2026}} {{Weasel|date=April 2026}} {{Infobox religious group | group = The Menzil Community | image = Menzil-Funeral-of-Abdulbaki-Erol.png | image_caption =Photo from Menzil, where the community is based at, taken during the funeral ceremony of Abdulbaki Erol (12 July 2023) | population = | founder = Muhammed Rasit Erol | regions = Turkey | tablehdr = | region1 = Adıyaman | pop1 = | ref1 = | region2 = Ankara | pop2 = | ref2 = | region3 = Istanbul | pop3 = | ref3 = | religions = Islam | scriptures = Quran | languages = Turkish | related-c = Naqshbandi-Khalidi Sufi order | website = | notes = }}
The '''Menzil Community''' is a branch of the Naqshbandiyya-Khalidiyya Sufi order originating in Adıyaman, Turkey. It is named after the village of Menzil in Adıyaman. The movement was founded by Mehmet Rasit Erol, who was noted for his support of the government during the 1980 Turkish coup d'état.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/religious-movements-in-turkey/|title=Religious movements in Turkey|website=openDemocracy}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100150709;jsessionid=3F05B0EB0C5F02C69B17210F67AB12E8 |title=Menzil Cemaati |publisher=Oxford Reference |date= |accessdate=2023-07-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|author=Sibel ÜST ERDEM & Ramazan BÖLÜK-Mehmet Burak ÇAKIN-Sema LEVENT |url=https://turkishstudies.net/turkishstudies?mod=makale_ing_ozet&makale_id=22587 |title=Journal of Turkish Studies |publisher=Turkishstudies.net |date=2019-07-18 | volume=14 | issue=1 | pages=205–226 | doi=10.7827/TurkishStudies.14887 | s2cid=150869361 |accessdate=2023-07-15|doi-access=free }}</ref>
Following the 1980 military coup, the Menzil Community experienced rapid growth, partly attributed to its reputation as a religious order supportive of the state. The community expanded its presence to cities such as Ankara and Istanbul.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hudson.org/national-security-defense/the-naqshbandi-khalidi-order-and-political-islam-in-turkey |title=The Naqshbandi-Khalidi Order and Political Islam in Turkey |publisher=Hudson |date= 25 June 2023|accessdate=2023-07-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272682373|title=Faith and Consumption: The Menzil Community in Turkey | Request PDF}}</ref>
Menzil has become one of the largest and fastest-growing religious orders in Turkey, attracting followers from diverse backgrounds, including small business owners, unemployed individuals, and urban middle-class populations. Its growth has been attributed in part to claims and rumors that individuals visiting the community's center were able to overcome negative habits after seeking guidance from the sheikh.
In addition to its expanding social base, the Menzil Community gradually developed a complex organizational structure encompassing charitable foundations, educational initiatives, and a wide network of affiliated associations. These institutions have played a central role in strengthening the community’s visibility in the public sphere and facilitating its integration into various sectors of Turkish society. Scholars note that the group's pragmatic approach to state–society relations, combined with its emphasis on discipline, obedience, and spiritual healing, has contributed to its appeal among individuals seeking both moral guidance and a sense of communal belonging. In recent decades, the movement’s increasing influence in political, economic, and bureaucratic arenas has sparked debates about religious authority, social mobility, and the role of Sufi communities in contemporary Turkey.
==Leaders== * Mehmet Rasit Erol - Founder * Seyyid Abdulhakim el-Hüseyni<ref name="biyografi">{{cite web | url=https://www.biyografi.info/kisi/abdulbaki-erol | title=Abdulbaki Erol kimdir? }}</ref> * Seyyid Muhammed Raşid Erol (? - 22 October 1993)<ref name="biyografi"></ref> * Abdulbaki Erol (22 October 1993 - 12 July 2023) ''Semerkand'' Group <ref name="biyografi"></ref> * Seyyid Muhammed Saki Erol (12 July 2023 - Present) ''Serhendi'' Group * Seyyid Muhammed Mübarek Erol (12 July 2023 - Present) ''Semerkand'' Group * Seyyid Muhammed Fettah Erol ( 12 July 2023 - Present) ''Semerkand'' Group
==References== {{reflist}}
Category:Naqshbandi order Category:Sufi orders Category:Islamic organizations based in Turkey Category:Adıyaman Province