Batal Hajji Belkhoroev
During his 10 years of living there, he met Kunta-Haji, a Chechen Sufi sheikh, with whom he discussed matters of spirituality that sparked his interest.
[4] At the time of Batal Hajji's return to Ingushetia, there was a process of Islamisation and Christianization of the Ingush people.
[25] According to tradition, Batal Hajji had a vision from Muhammad while he was in Mecca, who offered him a choice between this life and the afterlife.
Batal Hajji chose this life expecting he could gain a place in the afterlife with his good works.
[28] The size of the wird was estimated by John F. Baddeley, a British traveler known for his works on the Caucasus region, to be 100 families in 1901.
[29] The distinct features of the members of the wird of Batal Hajji were the cut beard and usage of long daggers (kinjals), berdan rifles and pistols, spiritual power and mutual assistance as well as helping each other in difficult situations.
[31] Unlike the wird of Kunta-Haji, loud dhikr is carried out in the wird of Batal-Haji, while standing in a circle and rhythmically whirling in place to place, clapping their hands and repeating with "la ilaha illa-l-lahi" ("There is no God but Allah") or other religious hymns (nazms).
He also noted that "faith makes people right and pure in earthly and future life, and knowledge elevates a person".
[7] In 1892, Batal Hajji was arrested "for harmful religious propaganda" and sent to exile in Kozelsk, but by the amnesty in honor of the coronation of Emperor Nicholas II, he was allowed to return to Ingushetia in 1896.
[15] According to him, Batal was the successor of Kunta-Haji[29][f] and he described him as follows: "He as was an old man, rather stout, with a good face and a very courteous manner.
Prominent religious figures, among which was Batal Hajji, were accused of harboring the Chechen outlaw Zelimkhan and exiled.
[37] Because of Pavel Gaidukov's request, permission was granted to transport Batal Hajji's body back to Ingushetia on a special wagon.
His son Muhammed, for example, was supporter of the Anti-Soviet Imam Nazhmudin Gotsinskii [ru] and was executed while trying to flee to Turkey in 1920 or 1921.
[33] Batal Hajji's wird continues to exist amongst Ingush, and partly amongst the Chechens and Kumyks.
