The Bektashi Order is an Islamic Sufi order that spread to Albania through Albanian janissaries during the period of Ottoman Albania. The Bektashi make up almost 5% of the country's population. In regards to ethics, the Bektashi adhere to the line "Be master of your hands, your tongue, and your loins" which essentially means do not steal, do not lie or speak idly, and do not commit adultery.

In Albania, the Bektashi Order has taken on a patriotic and nationalistic character, and it has played a major role in the Albanian National Awakening. Bektashi leaders have historically been prominent members in Albanian movements for self-determination and national autonomy, which has contributed to its popularity amongst the Albanians, and for most of Albania's Bektashi community, their affiliation with the order is based on cultural heritage rather than actual religious belief.

The acceptance of Bektashism amongst the Albanians was largely facilitated by the existent Bektashi syncretism between combined pre-Islamic and Shiite elements with Christian elements. These beliefs were quickly replaced by Albanian popular traditions once Bektashism had spread to Albania, and the Bektashi tekkes were primarily situated outside of Albanian towns, which allowed the order to maintain a rural character. Bektashism is perceived as the purest expression of Albanian religiosity, conserving Albanian cultural traditions to the point where it is considered the only truly 'national religion'.

The Bektashi Order was mainly spread in Ottoman Albania in the 16th century through the Janissaries—members of a high-ranking military social class in the Ottoman Empire consisting of Balkan children who were raised by the Ottoman Turks as part of the Devshirme system—and is first associated with the figure, Sari Saltik (Sari Salltëk in Albanian). Many of the Janissaries were indeed Albanians. Legend holds that the tekke (teqe in Albanian) of Sersem Ali Baba in Tetova of today's North Macedonia was founded in the mid 16th century, which would make it the oldest teqe in Albanian-speaking territory. Bektashism spread to Albania slowly, especially considering the language barriers Persian and Turkish missionaries faced; Bektashi missionaries were sent to Albania from the Bektashi centre at Dimetoka, usually in groups of three. The first missionaries arrived during the 14th and 15th centuries.

During Evliya Çelebi's travels in the southern Balkans in the second half of the 17th century, the presence of Bektashi teqes in Mitrovica and Kaçanik in Kosovo during 1660 was noted. Additionally, during Çelebi's tour of southern Albania in the summer of 1670, he also noted the presence of Bektashi teqes in Kaninë and Vlora. The construction of the Teqeja e Zallit (gravel teqe) in 1780 under Asim Baba laid the foundations for the growth of the Bektashi Order within Albania, and it was followed by the construction of more teqes throughout Albania—especially during the period between 1790 and 1825, in which the Bektashi Order maintained a strong presence within Albanian-speaking territories. The expansion of Bektashism in south Albania is linked to the rule of Ali Pasha of Ioannina, who was affiliated with the order and promoted its expansion. Ali Pasha used Bektashi dervishes as spies and diplomatic agents; this led to Mustafa Pasha Bushatli of the Bushati family (who was ruler of the Pashalik of Scutari) refusing to admit Bektashi dervishes to his provinces as he was concerned that they were spies for Ali. He drove the Bektashi Order out of north Albania for this very reason.

Bektashism gradually became more deeply rooted in Albania during the 19th century. The Auspicious Event of 1826, which culminated in the destruction of the Janissary Corps by the Ottoman sultan Mahmud II, also affected the Bektashi Order due to their strong affiliation with the Janissaries. As in Anatolia, many Bektashi buildings in Albania were destroyed or burnt down, including the teqes. However, the Bektashis of Albania were not as suppressed as those in Anatolia, as the formal abolition of the Janissary Corps and the Bektashi Order by the Ottoman Empire was only effective in Istanbul and the other provinces of the empire that were directly under the central Ottoman administration's authority. The Bektashi Order in Albania had fully recovered by the second half of the 19th century. This would also be when Bektashism in Albania adopted Albanian nationalism as a major part of its doctrine, and when the religion would see increased popularity amongst Albanians. During the Albanian National Awakening, the majority of Albanian Muslims constantly expressed their firm desire to sever their links with the Ottoman Empire, and the heterodoxy and tendency to assimilate external elements enabled Bektashism to fully integrate nationalism into its doctrine. This made the Bektashi Order extraordinarily popular in Albania.

Bektashis contributed greatly to Albanian patriotic efforts during this time and were crucial in educating the mostly illiterate Albanian population in the Albanian language. Albanians were attracted to Bektashism for certain values—more particularly, its traditional tolerance and regard for other religions, and its tolerance and open-mindedness towards other practices and beliefs. Additionally, in contrast to Sunni Islam, which was more favourable towards the Ottoman Turks and promoted the Arabic script, Bektashism was more sympathetic for local concerns and favoured the use of a Latin script for the Albanian language. At the beginning of the 20th century, about 15% of Albania's population was Bektashi, and Bektashi teqes served as underground Albanian-language schools and Albanian-language book distributors. However, contrary to what many Bektashi intellectuals had hoped for, the sect did not become the Albanian national religion, especially due to the fact that the Order was disproportionately concentrated in the south of Albania. Around 70% of all Bektashi teqes were found south of Berat and only about 3% in the north.

After the Albanian declaration of independence in 1912, the political instability that followed was harmful to the Albanian Bektashis. The teqes of Albania suffered significant damage and destruction throughout the Balkan Wars and the first two years of World War I. A period of destruction came with the Muslim Uprising of Albania, a Sunni Muslim revolt that was popular in central Albania and demanded that control of Albania was returned to the Ottomans, that the Albanian flag was replaced by the Ottoman one, and the use of Ottoman Turkish as the national language (or at least using Arabic script for Albanian) amongst several other demands. The rebels, led by the fanatic Haxhi Qamili, burnt down many Bektashi teqes from Martanesh in Bulqizë to as far south as Berat due to the strong links between Bektashism and Albanian nationalism (including the efforts Albanian Bektashis made towards the progression of Albanian education and Albanian independence) as well as the religious differences between the Shi'ite-oriented Bektashis and the Sunni Muslim rebels.