[1][2] Abaz Hilmi was born and raised in Mërtinj village in the Përmet region, which was then in the Ottoman Empire.
[1] However, Abaz Hilmi was not liked by the Communists during the years directly following World War II.
Xhafer Sadik was set up by the Communists to preside over the Fourth National Congress of the Bektashi in May 1945, and Abaz Hilmi was appointed Dedebaba on 6 September 1945.
Ahmet Myftar was subsequently appointed as Dedebaba by the Communist regime on 8 June 1947.
[1] Today, the remains of Dede Baba Abaz Hilmi are buried in a tyrbe at the World Headquarters of the Bektashi (Albanian: Kryegjyshata) in Tirana, Albania.