JAMAAT AND MAJLIS

Jamaat and Majlis

In the organizational structure of the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, jamaat and majlis are the basic organizational units and forms of institutional organization of the Islamic Community at a local level.

The jamaat is the basic organizational unit of the Islamic Community. As a rule, it is composed of a group of no less than 200 Muslim households who reside in one area and who are mutually connected in performing common Islamic duties.

The decision on the formation, merging or cessation of a jamaat is made by the Riyasat of the Islamic Community upon the proposal by the mufti.

The organs of the jamaat are: the Jamaat Assembly and the Jamaat Board. The Jamaat Assembly consists of all male and female Muslims from the jamaat who have reached the age of 18 and who are members of the Islamic Community. The Jamaat Assembly elects the Jamaat Board, jamaat representatives in the Majlis Assembly and jamaat delegates in the constituency which elects members of the Assembly of the Islamic Community, and makes decisions pertaining to the organization and activity of the jamaat and religious life in the jamaat.  

The Jamaat Board has five members from the jamaats with up to two hundred households and seven members from the jamaats which have over two hundred households. The Jamaat Board provides conditions for religious life in the jamaat. The President of the Jamaat Board represents the jamaat in administrative and proprietary affairs and chairs the Jamaat Assembly.

The imam is a member of the Jamaat Board by virtue of appointment. The imam looks after religious life in the jamaat, keeps jamaat registers and represents the jamaat in the matters of the religion.

Majlis

The majlis is an organizational unit of the Islamic Community which, as a rule, encompasses all the jamaats in the territory of one municipality or at least seven jamaats that constitute a mutually related unit. The decision about the foundation of a new majlis or annexing an existing majlis to another one is made by the Council upon the proposal of the Riyasat.

The grand imam is competent and responsible for the organization and the performance of religious affairs and activities in the area of a majlis and is responsible for the work of imams, khatibs (preachers) and muallims (teachers).

The grand imam represents his majlis in religious affairs and for issues of the religion reports to the mufti, while for administrative matters he reports to the Board of Executives of his majlis. The grand imam is appointed, transferred and dismissed by Raisu-l-Ulama upon mufti's proposal. The grand imam's term of office is four years, with the possibility of repeat appointment. 

Organs of a majlis are: the Assembly and the Board of Executives. The Majlis Assembly consists of the elected representatives of jamaats. The Majlis Assembly elects members of the Board of Executives of the majlis, provides general guidelines for the Board's activity, adopts the annual plan and the annual performance report of the Board of Executives of the majlis, approves the budget proposal and the statement of accounts.

The Board of Executives of a majlis is an executive organ of the Islamic Community in the territory of the majlis. The number of members of the Board of Executives of a majlis is determined according to the number of members of the Islamic Community in the majlis, and cannot be smaller than five or larger than fifteen. The grand imam of a majlis is a member of the Board of Executives by virtue of his appointment.

The Board of Executives of a majlis carries out decisions and implements directives of higher authorities of the Islamic Community, monitors the conditions and needs of religious life in the territory of the majlis, supervises the activities of the jamaat's committees and issues instructions for their activities, looks after the revenues and property of the Islamic Community, and provides proposals for appointments and dismissals of imams, khatibs and muallims.

The President of the Board of Executives represents the majlis and manages the activity of the Board of Executives.

Source:

https://www.islamskazajednica.ba/images/stories/Ustavi/Ustav_IZ-e_precisceni_tekst_2014.pdf