ISLAMIC INSTITUTIONS OF BOSNIA

The exhibition Under the sky of cheerful faith – Islam and Europe in the Bosnian experience presents the rich tradition and experience of institutional organization and the autonomous management of the religious activities of Muslims and Muslim institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina through the Islamic Community.  

The Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina is the fundamental institution of Islam, and the character and mode of its operation are a unique form of organized and institutional management of Muslim affairs in the world. It is therefore an original and innovative example of the establishment of an autonomous Muslim religious organization, which has been developed in Bosnia and Herzegovina through creative contact with European political and religious tradition.

According to the definition in its Constitution, the Islamic Community is the sole and unique community of Muslims in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Sandžak, Croatia, Slovenia and Serbia, of Muslim Bosniaks outside their homeland and of other Muslims who accept it as their own; although it is also an inseparable part of the universal community of Muslims (ummah).

The Islamic Community demonstrates the unity of the religion and of the people of the religion (unity of din and ummah), and in actual and symbolic terms this unity is represented by the Raisu-l-ulama as the supreme mufti and the highest spiritual authority of Muslims. The Raisu-l-ulama represents the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina.  

The work of the Islamic Community is based on the Qur'an, the authentic practice of God's prophet Muhammad, may the blessing and peace of God be with him, on the Islamic tradition of Bosniaks and on the demands of the time, while the administrative running and management of religious affairs is based on the Constitution of the Islamic Community as the highest legislative act, and on the decisions of its bodies.

Additional legitimacy is strengthened by the institution of menshura, i.e. the spiritual investiture which transfers spiritual powers from khalif to the Bosnian Raisu-l-ulama, which in turn preserves the continuity of transferring knowledge and interpretation of Islamic teaching from the first teachers of religion of the 7th century to this day. In Bosnian practice, the menshura is an official document which confirms that an individual is legally appointed, i.e. elected Raisu-l-ulama, and as such, is authorized to issue similar authorization under Sharia law to other Islamic officers subordinate to him.

The Islamic Community is independent in defining its objectives and regulating its activities, organization, legal acts, election procedure and in acquiring and managing assets. The Islamic Community takes cares of the proper understanding and living of Islam and looks after the religious rights of Muslims. It achieves its goal – to have all its members live in accordance with Islamic norms – by promoting good and deterrence from evil. 

The Islamic Community implements its mission and task of interpreting religion and managing Islamic activities through the following bodies and institutions: a) the jamaat, the basic organizational unit of the Islamic Community; b) the majlis, an organizational unit which encompasses several jamaats; c) the muftiluk, an area which encompasses several majlises; d) the Mashihat, the religious and administrative body in Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia; e) the Council, the highest representative and legislative body of the Islamic Community; f) Raisu-l-ulama, the supreme mufti and the highest religious authority; g) the Council of Muftis, a body of the Islamic Community for issues of religion; h) the Riyasat, the highest executive body for religious, educational, economic, financial, legal and other affairs; i) the Constitutional Court, the supreme body for the assessment of the constitutionality of the acts and activities of the institutions and bodies of the Islamic Community; j) educational institutions (faculties, madrasas and secondary schools); k) research, cultural, humanitarian-welfare and other organizational units. 

Activities in the Islamic Community are founded on the principles of legality, publicity and responsibility, while managing positions are subject to the principles of electoral eligibility and limited terms. Besides holders of religious authority (imams and muftis), participants in the activities of the Islamic Community include the elected representatives of the Muslim community. The participation of active believers in the work of the Islamic Community is extremely significant, even decisive in some cases. Every member of the Islamic Community has an active electoral right when he turns eighteen, while members who also perform their duties in jamaat have a passive electoral right. Elections in the Islamic Community are held by secret voting among several candidates. No more than a third of the Islamic Community employees can be elected onto its representative bodies.

The Islamic Community is headquartered in Sarajevo. Its emblem consists of a crescent and a five-pointed star in the middle of the crescent, and its flag is green, with a white crescent and white five-pointed star in the middle. The official language of the Islamic Community is Bosnian, and the official calendars are the Hijri calendar and the Gregorian calendar.

Since its establishment in 1882 the Islamic Community has undergone various stages and forms of organization, it has shared all the joys and difficulties faced by Muslims and, besides interpreting Islam and managing its institutions, has made significant and often high achievements in the fields of education and culture. 

At a time of intense discussion about the institutionalization of Islam in Europe and models of administering the religious affairs of Muslims, the model of the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina and its unique and productive tradition and heritage can rightly be considered a respectable example for European Muslims and states.