ASSOCIATION OF ILMIYYAH OF THE ISLAMIC COMMUNITY IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Adress of the Central Committee: Sarači 77 (Morića han), 71000 Sarajevo

Tel.: 236-002 i 236-391, Fax: 236-002, E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Association of Ilmiyyah of the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina is the association that assembles imams, muallims, muderrises and other employed individuals in the Islamic Community. It was established in 1912. The activities of the Association include the regular training of its members, social activities and printing. It regularly publishes the journal for education, Novi Muallim.

Vehid ef. Arnaut is the president of the Assembly of the Association, Muharem ef. Hasanbegović (biography) is the President of the Central Committee, and Zijad ef. Ljevaković and Ahmed ef. Ćuprija are the vice presidents. Rifat Fetić is the general secretary, and he is the member of the Central Committee, as well.

The Association is established through out Bosnia and Herzegovina. The head office of the Association is in Sarajevo.

ESTABLISHING AND FUNCTIONING OF ILMIYYAH

When the Turkish administration left Bosnia and Herzegovina, Muslims found themselves in a situation where they were not left with any systematic institutional framework for their religious and political organization and management. At that time, all ranks of ulama tried to address the issues individually or collectively and keeping in mind the need of the hour and the new challenges tried to take action. Initially, the issue of preserving the Bosniak people identity was of primary significance. During the first period of the occupation of Bosnia and Herzegovina when different collective and individual movements were going on, Ilmiyyah (ulama) took active part from armed resistance against the occupation of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the movement for religious and educational autonomy, resistance for the preservation of religious and cultural identity, and protection of Waqf and other real estate.

Organized movement of the Ilmyya in Bosnia and Herzegovina dates back to the first decade of the 20^th century, after the annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina by the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Late Mehmed Džemaluddin ef. Čaušević, after returning from Istambul (1903), where he had received his education, noticed that the Muslims of the territory were hampered by such grave issues as religious backwardness, educational-cultural decay, economic devastation and disunity among the rank and file. Burdened with these weaknesses the Muslims felt themselves vulnerable and fearful of their very existence in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Increase in vices such as alcoholism, gambling, prostitution and the like evidently disgraced the society. Late Čaušević decided to organize ulama as a force in a united front, a force within an organization that would work on rehabilitating of the environment of the Muslim community, enhancing of the standards of religious/ general education, and reviving and organizing of Muslims as a people.

In September, 1909, the Muslim muallim and imam society was established. The main aim of the Society was to involve the imams and muallims in a united front to work on religious education of Muslims, especially the youth. The Society published the journal Muallim in October, 1910. This type of organization and work of Ilmiyyah on its agenda for preserving the religious, cultural and national identity of our people produced encouraging results. Probably, the most important contribution of the Society was the prevention of Muslims' mass migration to Turkey (in 1910). Ilmiyyah of the time explained in a rational manner that according to shariyyah there were no real need for the migration from Bosnia and reminded the people of Muslim's obligation to stay at their homes.

In realization of the fact that the Muslim muallim and imam society could not mobilize entire territory, the need for organizing ulama in a united front of Ilmiyyah was seriously felt. As a result, after detailed and careful preparation, in September, 1912, the united organization of the Association of Ilmiyyah in Bosnia and Herzegovina was established. Džemaluddin ef. Čaušević was the first president of the Ilmiyyah, and Muhammed Seid ef. Serdarević was the secretary. It is fascinating that within very short period of time, 670 members from entire Bosnia and Herzegovina joined Ilmiyyah.

The aims of the united organization of Ilmiyyah in BiH included the need to unite and integrate all Ilmiyyah in Bosnia and Herzegovina in to one whole and in this way to work with unified force on: the development of quality education with special emphasis on religious education; the amplification of Islamic religious fervor; the motivation for the inclusion of Islamic fundamentals in practicing religious duties; and countering the anti-Islamic ideas and customs ...''

This unique organization launched its journal Misbah that kept on appearing for two years and the third year it was published as Jeni Misbah.

In other areas as well, Ilmiyyah kept on organizing itself actively, although the quality of such efforts oscillated because of socio-political circumstances. In the second decade of the twentieth century, its work was mostly done by the autonomous departments, and toward the end of 1935, thinking about necessity of strengthening united organization of Ilmiyyah again prevailed over. Therefore, in March 1936, united organization of Ilmiyyah which claimed to include all Ilmiyyah groups of the territory of ex-Yugoslavia was re-established. According to adopted version of the draft of social rules, the society was named El-Hidayyah - the Organisation of Ilmyyah of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. On the basis of the documentation from 1940's, it is obvious that this title had been partly changed so it was named El-Hidayyah - the Association of Ilmiyyah.

It was the period of time when late Mehmed ef. Handžić, representing the glory of Ilmiyyah distinguished himself with his imposing academic work. It was the time of plentiful activities, productive publishing work and important resolutions.

After the Second World War, re-establishment of Ilmiyyah in institutional and organizational sense began in difficult circumstances.

On 31^st May, 1950, the full scale meeting of the Initiative Committee was held for the first time with intention to draw a draft of the Association's charter to be presented to the constituent assembly. After the elementary work was done, on Tuesday 5^th September 1950, the constituent Assembly of Islamic Religious Officials of BiH was held in Sarajevo.

About 200 delegates from the entire territory of the country participated at the Constituent Assembly. On the suggestion of the Electoral Commission, the Assembly elected jamaat imam Zufer ef. Bešlića from Goražde for the president of The Association of Ilmiyyah. After the establishment of the committee Sulejman ef. Kemura, the director of Gazi Husrevbay madrasah, later the rais-ul-ulama until 1957, was elected as the secretary of the Association.

A more detailed survey of the functions and the activities of Ilmiyyah at that period would show that most of its efforts were directed towards the strengthening and the developing of education and the enhancing of religious awareness. That was gained through different activity methods like lectures, tribunes and various educational programs, and especially publishing - book publishing and some of them represent major value (arabic-serbocroation dictionary in II volumes, written by dr. Teufik Muftić), publishing of Takvim and publishing of Preporod - Islamic informative newspaper.

Without any exaggeration, it could be said that this period of Ilmiyyah activity was marked by the contributions of the late Husein ef. Đozo. He set a completely new tone, complexion and viability to the agenda of Ilmiyyah. Đozo focused the activities of Ilmiyyah on religious-moral and cultural-educational aspects, training of its members, sale of the newspapers and Islamic literature, and financial accommodation and welfare of the members. Training courses, seminars and lectures were regularly held. Make up courses were initiated and madrasah degree for imams were made compulsory. Educational standard of imams transformed earnestly. It was an outstanding contribution to enhance the quality of the work of the Islamic Community.

Such activity of Ilmiyyah was rather noticeable and by no means negligible by the regime that considered religious activity as essentially evil. Through deceitful methods and specially organized and planed campaign, regime started to deprive Ilmiyyah of its authority and began to destroy the system that was established after long efforts for the growth and development of the religious activity. It was the difficult period for Ilmiyyah in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Such ‘hostile campaign' resulted in late Đozo's departure from Ilmiyyah and at the same time the beginning of the newspaper Preporod.