ALIJA IZETBEGOVIĆ'S  JANAZAH (FUNERAL)
(š’aban 26, 1424/october 22, 2003)
(Speech by Raisu-l-ulama Mustafa Cerić)

    Allah Almighty gives life and, blessed be, determines death. All happens according to the will of Allah Almighty and, praised be, establishes the beginning and end to all things. It is the truth we see, and destiny we carry. Today this truth is clearer than ever and today we accept this destiny with more consciousness. We see the truth of life and death of Alija, son of Hiba and Mustafa Izetbegović and we accept the destiny which he faithfully carried as he knew how and brave as he could.
    His face is in character with his soul which knew and believed that death comes once, but life comes twice in God's truth and man's destiny. For there is no death, actually, as there is no transience in eternity and as there is no darkness in light.
    This is what is taught by Islam: before God all are the same, for God is just and gracious. The difference among men is in the degree of their memory of or oblivion to where they came from and where they are to go. The man who is here in front of us today knew from where he came and trusted where he should go – to the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth who said: '.................'
    The guarantee for the entrance into Paradise is not in turning your face to the East or the West, but true faith in God and devoted fight for man to live in the beauty of his faith  and the freedom of his country.
    Amāner is that which we are aware of now more than ever and barāat is that which we carried out in blood and sweat.
    Honesty is a characteristic of great people who are not afraid of their own freedom or the freedom of others. Falsehood is the characteristic of men who are lost, men who are afraid of their own freedom and the freedom of others. The powerful may be hypocritical and may tell lies. We do not have the right to be hypocritical. Me must speak the truth, as a debt to ourselves. We must be just, as a debt to others. We must work for peace, as a debt to our country.
    Therefore, togetherness is the condition in order to preserve the faith in our hearts and to find happiness in our country. Unity with the aim of living in the pleasure of faith as our mothers had taught us and in our country Bosnia and Herzegovina working together so as we could all be happy, is the strongest message we should remember by president Alija Izetbegović.
    Existence is a gift from God which may be endangered if it is neglected and brought into discord. With devoted work and honest collaboration to our existence, with the help of Allah, it will not be endangered, but will become stronger and more advanced.

    Tolerance to us is not an empty word. It is the path of life of a man to whom Allah Almighty had given the strength not to lose hope in sorrow, to keep human dignity in confinement and to see a ray of light in darkness.
    Bosnia has always had sons such as this, who together and with tolerance found the meaning of existence. This shall be so forever, for Bosnia will always have sons who will wish to feel the spirit and who will want to understand the letter of the late Alija Izetbegović, and that spirit and that letter is Bosnia and Herzegovina in the unity of its variety and in the harmony of its religions, nations and cultures.
    The energy of love and respect that we have felt in the spirit and learned from the letter of Alija Izetbegović should revive our faith and our hope in a better future, as was told to the Messenger of God Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) in the Holy Qur'an, after difficult temptations:
    For this we recite a doa for Him to accept repentance and forgive the sins of Alija, son of Hiba and Mustafa Izetbegović.
    Alija izetbegović was loved by all those who loved truth, justice and freedom. He was respected by all those who respected a man who in the West was a true friend to the East, and in the East was a convincing interpreter of the West. Alija Izetbegović, the president, the teacher, the brother and the friend we all loved more for his good nature than for his great concern and true effort to show the world that it is possible to be a good muslim and a useful person in Europe. I hope that we will be able to transform our love for his kindness into respect for his life example which consisted of the tenderness of his soul and the righteousness of his life.
    Today we see off Alija Izetbegović to a place where there are no lies, no deception, no negotiations, no persuasion, no excuses and empty promises. In this place, all is true, all will speak only the truth and only the truth of themselves and their own deeds as little as they may be and their own sins as small as they may be.
    It is an honor to have had Alija Izetbegović as a brother in faith and as a friend in need. Thank you God for giving us the pleasure of this world to be able to know and have one who allowed us to love him not out of fear, or for some profit, but out of the need to love someone who deserves our love and one worthy of our respect.