Nasirdin and Sejadin: Two of the Yazidi Holy Beings
- Sherko Sabir
- Jun 3
- 12 min read
Introduction
Nasirdin and Sejadin are two of the Seven Holy Beings of the Yazidi faith, the members of the Heft Sirr to whom God entrusted the world, and two of the four holy sons of Ezdina Mir, alongside their brothers Sheikh Shems and Fakhradin.
In the Yazidi faith, the one God created seven Holy Beings, the Heft Sirr, to whom he entrusted the affairs of the world, and these are made manifest through their holy earthly representatives, the great saints. Among these holy beings are Nasirdin and Sejadin, two of the four sons of Ezdina Mir and patriarchs of two of the four Shemsani sheikh lineages, who are revered together and who are associated in the tradition with the passage of the soul and its renewal.
As a living religion of the Kurdish people, Yazidism deserves to be understood accurately and with respect, on its own terms. Nasirdin and Sejadin, who complete the quartet of the holy sons of Ezdina Mir, are revered holy beings of the Yazidi sacred order. To know them is to understand more of the rich vision of holy beings and great saints at the heart of the Yazidi faith.
Contents
Who Are Nasirdin and Sejadin?
Nasirdin and Sejadin, in Kurdish Sheikh Nasirdin and Sheikh Sicadin, are two of the Seven Holy Beings of the Yazidi faith, members of the Heft Sirr to whom God assigned the affairs of the world. Their earthly manifestations are honoured as two of the four sons of Ezdina Mir, alongside their brothers Sheikh Shems, the holy being of the Sun, and Fakhradin, the holy being of the Moon. Nasirdin and Sejadin are the patriarchs and ancestors of two of the four Shemsani sheikh lineages of the Yazidis, and they are understood, like their brothers, as the earthly manifestations of holy beings. The two are often named and revered together, and in the tradition they are associated with the passage of the soul at death and its renewal, a sacred and solemn office among the holy beings. As two of the Seven Holy Beings and two of the four holy sons of Ezdina Mir, Nasirdin and Sejadin hold a revered place in the Yazidi sacred order, completing the quartet of the holy sons alongside Sheikh Shems and Fakhradin.
Two of the Seven Holy Beings
The deepest significance of Nasirdin and Sejadin is that they are two of the Seven Holy Beings, members of the Heft Sirr, the seven holy emanations of the one God to whom God entrusted the care of the world.
In the Yazidi faith, the one God created seven Holy Beings or angels, the Heft Sirr, from his own light, and entrusted to them the affairs of the world; these seven are made manifest through their holy earthly representatives, the great saints. Nasirdin and Sejadin are counted among these Seven Holy Beings, and their earthly manifestations, the great saints Sheikh Nasirdin and Sheikh Sicadin, are understood as the incarnations or representatives of the holy beings in the world. As members of the Seven, Nasirdin and Sejadin share in the holy and sacred character of the Heft Sirr, the holy emanations of the one God through whom the divine cares for the world. They take their place among the Seven alongside their brothers Sheikh Shems and Fakhradin, and the other holy beings of the faith. This standing as two of the Seven Holy Beings is the deepest aspect of the significance of Nasirdin and Sejadin, marking them as holy emanations of the one God, sacred beings of the Heft Sirr made manifest in the great saints. It is as two of the Seven Holy Beings that they hold their sacred place in the Yazidi faith, among the holy emanations of the one God.
Key Takeaways
Nasirdin and Sejadin are two of the Seven Holy Beings (Heft Sirr) of the Yazidis.
Their earthly manifestations are two of the four sons of Ezdina Mir.
They are brothers of Sheikh Shems (the Sun) and Fakhradin (the Moon).
They are patriarchs of two of the four Shemsani sheikh lineages.
They are associated in the tradition with the passage and renewal of the soul.
Together the four sons complete the quartet of holy beings of this group.
Quick Facts
Names: Nasirdin (Sheikh Nasirdin); Sejadin (Sheikh Sicadin)
Faith: Yazidism, a monotheistic Kurdish religion
Nature: Two of the Seven Holy Beings (Heft Sirr)
Father: Ezdina Mir, ancestor of the Shemsani sheikhs
Brothers: Sheikh Shems (the Sun) and Fakhradin (the Moon)
Role: Patriarchs of two of the four Shemsani lineages
Associated with: The passage of the soul and its renewal
Manifest in: The great saints of the faith
Holy centre: Lalish, the sacred valley and pilgrimage site
Heritage: A living religious tradition of the Kurdish people
The Sons of Ezdina Mir
Nasirdin and Sejadin are honoured, in their earthly manifestations, as two of the four sons of Ezdina Mir, binding them to the sacred family at the root of the Shemsani lineages of the Yazidis.
In the Yazidi tradition, the earthly manifestations of Nasirdin and Sejadin are honoured as two of the four sons of Ezdina Mir, a prominent figure who in the tradition ruled over the Yazidis, alongside their brothers Sheikh Shems and Fakhradin. These four sons are honoured as the earthly manifestations of holy beings and as the patriarchs and ancestors of the four Shemsani sheikh lineages. Together the four brothers form a sacred quartet, the holy sons of Ezdina Mir, each a holy being and the ancestor of a lineage, and Nasirdin and Sejadin complete this quartet alongside the holy beings of the Sun and the Moon. This binding of the holy beings to the sacred family of Ezdina Mir roots them in the sacred order and structure of the Yazidi faith, as sons, patriarchs, and ancestors. The four sons of Ezdina Mir, among them Nasirdin and Sejadin, are thus a sacred family at the root of the Shemsani lineages, the holy beings made manifest in the holy sons. It is as two of the four sons of Ezdina Mir that Nasirdin and Sejadin hold their place in the sacred family and order of the Yazidi faith.
Patriarchs of the Shemsani Lineages
Nasirdin and Sejadin are honoured as the patriarchs and ancestors of two of the four Shemsani sheikh lineages, binding them to the sacred social and religious order of the Yazidi faith.
In the Yazidi faith, the sheikh families hold a special religious role, and they are organized into lineages, among which the four Shemsani lineages descend from the four sons of Ezdina Mir. Nasirdin and Sejadin are the patriarchs and ancestors of two of these four Shemsani lineages, alongside the lineages of their brothers Sheikh Shems and Fakhradin. This role as patriarchs of the Shemsani lineages binds the holy beings to the sacred social and religious structure of the Yazidi faith, in which the sheikh families and their lineages have an important place in the religious life and order of the community. The descent of the Shemsani lineages from the four holy sons of Ezdina Mir, among them Nasirdin and Sejadin, connects the holy beings to the living religious order of the Yazidis, the sacred families who carry forward the religious tradition. It is as patriarchs of two of the four Shemsani lineages that Nasirdin and Sejadin hold their place in the sacred order of the Yazidi faith, binding the holy beings to the religious structure and the holy families of the tradition.
The Holy Beings of the Soul's Passage
A distinctive office of Nasirdin and Sejadin in the Yazidi tradition is their association with the passage of the soul at the end of earthly life and its renewal, a sacred and solemn role among the holy beings.
In the Yazidi vision, Nasirdin and Sejadin are associated together with the passage of the soul at the close of earthly life and with its renewal, the two holy beings who attend the soul in its passing. Sejadin is honoured in the tradition as a messenger, the holy being who comes to accompany the soul at its passage, while Nasirdin is associated with the renewal that follows, the holy being connected with the soul's onward way and renewal. This association reflects the Yazidi understanding of death not as an end but as a passage and a renewal, the soul attended in its passing by holy beings and continuing on its way, in keeping with the Yazidi belief in the soul's renewal. The role of Nasirdin and Sejadin in attending the soul's passage is a solemn and tender one, the holy beings who accompany the soul with dignity at the close of earthly life and attend its renewal. This sacred office, attending the passage and renewal of the soul, is a distinctive and meaningful aspect of the significance of Nasirdin and Sejadin, expressing the Yazidi vision of death as a passage attended by holy beings and of the soul's continuing and renewal. It is one of the ways in which these two holy beings are bound up with the deepest moments of human life in the Yazidi faith, attending the soul with dignity in its passage and renewal.
Honoured in the Sacred Order
Nasirdin and Sejadin are honoured throughout the sacred order and religious life of the Yazidi faith, as two of the Seven Holy Beings and two of the holy sons of Ezdina Mir.
In the Yazidi faith, Nasirdin and Sejadin, as two of the Seven Holy Beings, are honoured in the sacred order, the hymns, and the religious life of the community. The sacred hymns of the faith, the qewls, sung in the Kurdish tongue, celebrate the one God and his holy beings and great saints, preserving the sacred knowledge of the tradition, and the holy beings such as Nasirdin and Sejadin are honoured among them. The holy valley of Lalish, the sacred centre and pilgrimage place of the faith, and the religious calendar, observances, and lineage order of the Yazidis, are all bound up with the vision of the one God and his holy beings and great saints, among whom Nasirdin and Sejadin take their place alongside Sheikh Shems, Fakhradin, and the others. This honouring in the sacred order reflects the place of Nasirdin and Sejadin in the Yazidi faith, two of the Seven Holy Beings revered in the hymns, holy places, and religious life of the community. It is through the sacred order and the living religious life of the Yazidis that the reverence for Nasirdin and Sejadin is preserved and carried forward, the holy beings honoured in the sacred vision of the faith.
Symbolism and Meaning
Nasirdin and Sejadin embody, above all, the Yazidi vision of the holy beings made manifest in the great saints, two of the Seven Holy Beings of the Heft Sirr manifest in the revered saints of the faith. As two of the four sons of Ezdina Mir, they embody the sacred family and lineages at the root of the Shemsani sheikhs.
Nasirdin and Sejadin embody, too, the solemn and tender vision of death as a passage and renewal, attended by holy beings, in their association with the soul's passing and renewal, a vision of dignity and hope. In this, they represent the Yazidi understanding of the soul's continuing and the holy beings who attend it. In all this, Nasirdin and Sejadin are among the revered holy beings of the Yazidi faith, embodying the holy beings made manifest, the sacred family and lineages, and the dignified vision of the soul's passage and renewal. They are two of the Seven Holy Beings and two of the holy sons of Ezdina Mir, completing the quartet alongside Sheikh Shems and Fakhradin, revered figures of the religious heritage of the Kurds. The vision of holy beings who attend the soul with dignity is among the tender and hopeful features of the Yazidi tradition.
Nasirdin, Sejadin, and Kurdish Heritage
Nasirdin and Sejadin belong to Yazidism, one of the most ancient and distinctive religious traditions of the Kurdish people, a living faith of great antiquity and beauty. As two of the Seven Holy Beings and two of the holy sons of Ezdina Mir, they hold a revered place in the religious heritage of the Kurds.
Yazidism is a faith followed by Kurds, chiefly the Kurmanji-speaking Yazidis, and it is one of the most distinctive and ancient religious traditions of the Kurdish people, preserving a vision of the divine of great antiquity. Nasirdin and Sejadin, as two of the Seven Holy Beings, two of the holy sons of Ezdina Mir, and patriarchs of two of the Shemsani lineages, are thus part of the religious heritage of the Kurds, holy beings of the Yazidi sacred order. The Yazidi faith, with its holy beings, great saints, and sacred lineages, has been preserved by the Yazidi community through many centuries, often in the face of grave persecution and misunderstanding, and the tradition deserves to be known and understood accurately and with respect, as a living religion of great depth and antiquity. As one of the most distinctive religious traditions of the Kurdish people, Yazidism, with holy beings such as Nasirdin and Sejadin, is a precious part of the spiritual heritage of the Kurds. In presenting Nasirdin and Sejadin, then, we present revered holy beings of this living Kurdish religious tradition, two of the Seven Holy Beings who complete the quartet of the holy sons of Ezdina Mir, understood as the Yazidis themselves understand them.
Debates and Misconceptions
Are Nasirdin and Sejadin gods, saints, or angels? In the Yazidi understanding, they are two of the Seven Holy Beings, the Heft Sirr, who are the holy emanations of the one God, made manifest through their holy earthly representatives. They are thus best understood as holy beings, emanations of the one God, manifest in the great saints Sheikh Nasirdin and Sheikh Sicadin. They are not separate gods, for Yazidism is monotheistic, centred on the one God; nor merely historical holy men, for they are revered as two of the Seven Holy Beings. They are, in the terms of the faith itself, holy beings of the Heft Sirr, manifest in revered saints.
Does their association with the soul's passage make them fearful or dark figures? No; in the Yazidi vision, the holy beings who attend the soul at its passage do so with dignity and care, and death is understood not as an end but as a passage and a renewal, in keeping with the Yazidi belief in the soul's continuing. The association of Nasirdin and Sejadin with the soul's passage is therefore a solemn and tender office, the holy beings who accompany the soul with dignity and attend its renewal, not fearful or dark figures. It expresses the Yazidi understanding of death as a passage attended by holy beings, a vision of dignity and hope.
Are Nasirdin and Sejadin specifically Kurdish figures? Yes, in the sense that they belong to Yazidism, one of the most distinctive religious traditions of the Kurdish people, and are revered holy beings of that faith. They are part of the religious heritage of the Kurds, holy beings of the Yazidi sacred order, alongside the other holy beings and great saints of the faith such as Tawuse Melek and Sheikh Adi. Yazidism is a living religion of the Kurdish people, deserving to be understood accurately and with respect.
Related Topics
The Heft Sirr: the Seven Holy Beings, of whom these are two
Sheikh Shems: the Holy Being of the Sun, their brother
Fakhradin: the Holy Being of the Moon, their brother
Ezdina Mir: the father of the four Shemsani sons
Tawuse Melek: the Peacock Angel, chief of the holy beings
Sheikh Adi: the great saint of the Yazidi faith
Sultan Ezid: a central divine figure of the Yazidi faith
Newroz: the new-year festival of the Kurdish world
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are Nasirdin and Sejadin in the Yazidi faith?
Nasirdin and Sejadin, in Kurdish Sheikh Nasirdin and Sheikh Sicadin, are two of the Seven Holy Beings of the Yazidi faith, members of the Heft Sirr to whom God assigned the affairs of the world. Their earthly manifestations are two of the four sons of Ezdina Mir, brothers of Sheikh Shems and Fakhradin, and they are the patriarchs of two of the four Shemsani sheikh lineages. They are associated in the tradition with the passage and renewal of the soul.
How are they related to Sheikh Shems and Fakhradin?
Nasirdin and Sejadin are brothers of Sheikh Shems, the holy being of the Sun, and Fakhradin, the holy being of the Moon. All four are sons of Ezdina Mir and are honoured as the earthly manifestations of holy beings and as the patriarchs of the four Shemsani sheikh lineages. Together the four brothers form a sacred quartet, the holy sons of Ezdina Mir, and Nasirdin and Sejadin complete this quartet alongside the holy beings of the Sun and the Moon.
Why are Nasirdin and Sejadin associated with the soul's passage?
In the Yazidi vision, Nasirdin and Sejadin are associated together with the passage of the soul at the close of earthly life and with its renewal. Sejadin is honoured as a messenger who comes to accompany the soul at its passage, while Nasirdin is connected with the renewal that follows. This reflects the Yazidi understanding of death not as an end but as a passage and renewal, the soul attended with dignity by holy beings and continuing on its way.
What are the Shemsani lineages?
The Shemsani lineages are four of the sheikh lineages of the Yazidi faith, descending from the four sons of Ezdina Mir: Sheikh Shems, Fakhradin, Nasirdin, and Sejadin. The sheikh families hold a special religious role in the Yazidi faith, and the four Shemsani lineages, descending from the four holy sons, have an important place in the religious life and order of the community. Nasirdin and Sejadin are the patriarchs of two of these four lineages.
Are Nasirdin and Sejadin gods?
No; Yazidism is monotheistic, centred on belief in one God. Nasirdin and Sejadin are two of the Seven Holy Beings, the Heft Sirr, who are the holy emanations of the one God, made manifest through their holy earthly representatives, the great saints Sheikh Nasirdin and Sheikh Sicadin. They are best understood as holy beings, emanations of the one God, not as separate gods, and not merely as historical holy men, but as holy beings of the Heft Sirr manifest in revered saints.
Are Nasirdin and Sejadin part of Kurdish heritage?
Yes; they belong to Yazidism, one of the most ancient and distinctive religious traditions of the Kurdish people, followed chiefly by Kurmanji-speaking Yazidis. As two of the Seven Holy Beings, two of the holy sons of Ezdina Mir, and patriarchs of two of the Shemsani lineages, they are part of the religious heritage of the Kurds. Yazidism is a living religion of great depth and antiquity, deserving to be understood accurately and with respect.
References and Further Reading
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