 Having respect for certain criticism of the work of the Islamic Community, which Imams from Bihac presented during pre-Ramadan meetings, Reisu-l-ulema, Dr. Mustafa Ceric has set up a five-days working visit to the Bihac Mufti from December 24th to 28th, 2007, accompanied my Muhamed ef. Salkic, Secretary General of the Rijaset of the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Muharem ef. Omerdic, Head of the Office for Religious and Educational Services of the Rijaset of the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina. At the Seat of the Office of Mufti of Bihac, Reisu-l-ulema Dr. Mustafa Ceric had audience with Presidents and Chief Imams of the Majlis in Velika Kladusa, Cazin, Buzim, Bosanska Krupa, Bosanska Kostajnica, Bosanski Novi and Prijedor. On Wednesday evening, December 27, 2007, Reisu-l-ulema visited dzemat in Gnjilavac, Majlis of the Islamic Community in Cazin, and in the newly built mosque, after the jacija prayer, he held vaz before a large number of members of dzemat, and he also visited the Dzemaludin Causevic Madrassa in Cazin. Following recommendation by the Mufti of Bihac, Hasan ef. Mrkic, Reisu-l-ulema held a special meeting with the Imams from the Majlis of the Islamic Community in Velika Kladusa, who have exhibited a high degree of conscience and responsibility in their work as Imams, especially in returning the intra-fraternal confidence and peace. Imams from the Majlis of the Islamic Community of Velika Kladusa expressed their gratitude for moral support, however, that is not sufficient for their productive work. Some Imams do not yet have their status as Imams regulated, so they live in uncertainty and that diminishes their ability to work. Reisu-l-ulema has accepted the objections of Imams of Velika Kladusa and entrusted the Office of the Mufti of Bihac with responsibility to work at the senior level of the Islamic Community and relevant state institutions in order to see to it that status of Imams of Velika Kladusa is resolved in the best way possible. Reisu-l-ulema Ceric has carefully listened to all references given by Imams about the work of the Majlis of the IC in Bihac, as well as the President of the Executive Council of the Majlis in Bihac, Asmir Fatkic, and gave his support to the request by Imams to free the Majlis of the Islamic Community from being usurped and manipulated as it harms the image of the Islamic Community, which has the obligation to protect the honour of Islam and the image of Muslims everywhere and at all times. Following that, President of the Executive Council of the Majlis in Bihac, Asmir Fatkic, offered his irrevocable resignation and undertook to call, on Friday, December 28, 2007, for a session of the Majlis of the IC in Bihac so as to elect a new President of Majlis. Visibly satisfied, all Imams supported the changes in the Majlis of the IC in Bihac, having belief that it will provide better conditions for the work of the IC, including building of the Central Mosque in Bihac. Reisu-l-ulema Ceric held separate meetings with the Premier of the Una-Sana Canton, Semsudin Dedic, and Mayor of Bihac Hamdija Lipovaca and thanked them for good cooperation with the Islamic Community. IN particular they talked about the necessity for joint action of the state and the Islamic Community in application of law regulating compulsory education of children. There are municipal communities in Velika Kladusa and Buzim where children are not included in compulsory education and so they remain illiterate. Reisu-l-ulema has ordered to all Imams of Bihac to pay attention to that rpoblem as “to learn how to read and write is a farz (strict Islamic obligation) of every Muslims man and womanâ€, emphasized Reisu-l-ulema and called upon the Premier of the Una-Sana Canton to prepare a joint programme to counter illiteracy in the region of Una-Sana Canton. In all of his meetings in Bihac , Reisu-l-ulema Ceric stressed the need for strengthening of trust between people of Krajina:†The strength of your internal agreement and unity binds you to value and respect your just requests for equality in the state and society of Bosnia and Herzegovinaâ€, stated Reisu-l-ulema Ceric during his meeting with the representatives of various associations and political parties in the Una-Sana Canton. |
 Dr. Mustafa ee. Ceriæ, reisu-l-ulema |
The five-days working visit of Reisu-l-ulema Ceric ended today with the dzuma hutba in Sanski Most, and is broadcast by MINA in its entirety:
Thanks to Allah with thanks that are not given to anybody but Him, as everything returns, truly, to Him, with thanks that are worthy of His blessings which He continuously enhances and which lead to achieve His satisfaction.
We pray to Allah Almighty to give blessings upon the one who sealed the message, Muhammed s.a.v.s., as well as his brethren Adem, Nuh, Ibrahim, Musaa, Isaa, a.s., and all others who have been inspired by Allah’s knowledge and wisdom so that they could bring forth the happy news to the worlds. And let there be blessing upon all their followers.
Let us study dova to Allah Almighty to save us from missteps. We look towards Allah so that our word and work can be happiness to people.
Dear Brothers and sisters,
In a famous hadis Muhammed s.a.v.s. said: Faith has from sixty to eighty layers, the highest being in the feeling of the heart and pronouncement of the tongue that there is no god but Allah (La ilahe illellah), and the lowest is in the removal of obstacles upon a path.
So, in that wide spectrum of iman – faith, as internal foundation of God’s gift, it is possible for a man to recognize the layers of morality with respect to his strong will, clear intention and firm belief that farz is a duty, hahal is a licence, ibadet is a pleasing subservience to God, haram is a prohibition, mekruh is a bad deed, and hadd is a boundary in law and morality which is not to be go beyond. In the same way, islam, as the outside reflection of the faith, has its broad spectrum from purity (taharet), prayer, fast, zekat to hajj, in which a man can fulfill himself in the best way. All of this, of course, points to man’s relation toward God, which is, certainly, the first sign of his relation toward world.
Actually, it is within the magnitude of man’s readiness to define his relation toward God, that it will depend how much confidence, trust, reliance and peacefulness he will have within himself (iman), and then how much of that people will recognize in him and he in them (islam), as one of the most important layers of faith, or islam, is contained in the rule which Muhammed, a.s., established in his response to the question: What is islam?, with these words: Islam is that you trust your heart to God and that people be safe from your tongue and from your hand.
Of course, it is not possible to measure, from without, the accurate value of faith – islam, on the principle of the first part of the said rule, as that is an internal value which can be measured only by the feeling of the heart, but it is possible to measure the value of faith – islam on the principle of the second part of that rule, as that value – safety of man – is transferable and visible in the real life of community. Individual value of faith can become collective based upon condition that a person is ready to share it with others, otherwise it will remain in the domain of personal interest. Certainly, we are more interested here in the mutual, rather than individual, value of faith, and in that, those layers of faith which point towards confidence, trust, reliance, and peacefulness in faith as collective value. Truly, today this is the most important question for Muslims in the world, as well as for us here: how to achieve self-confidence, as Muhammed a.s. had not spoken without a reason – Nothing scares me with my ummet but lack of self-confidence.
Unfortunately, Muhammed a.s. warning was not understood by Muslims in a timely fashion, so that today they are in the state of collapsed self-confidence and are not able to protect themselves from injustice and tyranny, they have lost their self-confidence and that is why they are anxious. I state this in order to emphasize the importance of demands that affect us here and today, and that is that in faith and morality we seek self-confidence, collective security, social activity and brotherly trust, as highest moral virtues. There is no other way for us but to turn the value of individual faith into values of collective trust based upon the spirit of openness and sincerity in our relations, in the culture of personal and collective responsibility and in the spirit of honest brokerage for the good of every individual and the whole community.
This is in the spirit of the said hadis, according to which the true faith – islam, is strong in the soul of an individual as much as he trusts his heart to God, dz.s. , and true Muslim is good for the community as much as he trusts to his brother his word and his hand and, of course, as much as he can accept and safe keep the brotherly word and brotherly hand he is trusted with.
Let us not forget that the disappearance of Maori Muslims from Spain was caused more by the lack of confidence in brotherly word and hand, then by the presence of sufficient enemy forces. In the same way, the difficult situation of Muslims in the world today is caused more by the internal mistrust because of national and ideological divisions, than the world power which strives for their unconditional subservience. That, of course, goes for us here and now, as well, because if we trust our heart to Allah and our word and hand to our brother, and vice versa, if we know how to respect the word and hand we are trusted with, then we will be stronger, safer and more resistant to challenges of those who do not want to see us here and now just because we are Muslims.
Allah Almighty, give us strength in faith and morality so that we can distinguish between good and evil, between useful and harmful!
Allah All-knowing, teach us to cherish to our brother what we cherish to ourselves!
Allah Merciful, give us mercy which will bring us closer in faith and morality for the success in this world and redemption in the other world! Amin.