Džemaludin Cauševic
Encyclopedia
Mehmed Džemaludin ef. Čaušević (1870 – 28 March 1938) was a Bosniak reformer and imam
.
. His earliest education was obtained at the hands of his father, Ali Hodža Čaušević, who was a member of the local Islamic clergy
. As a teenager Čaušević was enrolled into the medresa
of the nearby city of Bihać
where he attracted the attention of its foremost instructor, Mehmed Sabit Ribić (who was also the city’s Mufti
).
at the age of seventeen to receive a higher education. While in the Ottoman
capital Čaušević finished his education in Islamic Studies with high marks and subsequently enrolled in the empire’s law school, the Mekteb-i Hukuk. It was here that he was first exposed to the ongoing modernization that had been instituted in the empire over the last several decades.
There are sources indicating that during the summer months while a student at the Mekteb-i Hukuk, he would, on invitation, travel back to Bosnia in order to speak at various venues. It was already apparent from his lectures at this time that Čaušević was receptive to notions of both religious and societal reform. Moreover he spent some time in Cairo
, where he intermittently attended the lectures of the famous Arab
reformer Muhammad ‘Abduh (1849-1905). These lectures appear to have had a considerable impact on Čaušević, since he refers to ‘Abduh in his later writings as Ustaz-i muhterem, “Respected Teacher.”
Upon graduating from the Mekteb-i Hukuk, in 1901, Čaušević departed from Istanbul and returned to Bosnia.
as well as modern science
and thought. Bosnian Muslim society struggled to endure the psychological anxiety of being ruled by traditionally antagonistic forces (both Austria
and later, Serb-dominated Yugoslavia
). As a result tens of thousands of Bosnian Muslims abandoned their homeland, seeking refuge in hicret, or immigration, to lands still under Muslim rule.
Needless to say, this flight triggered not only considerable alterations to Bosnia’s demographic
make-up, but an incredible brain-drain on Bosnia's Muslim society as well. Yet at a time when it was popular for educated and religious people to leave their land for what was left of the Ottoman Empire, Džemaludin Čaušević did the reverse by instead abandoning his residency in Istanbul and returning to his homeland to assist it in a time when it was suffering through immense and painful transformations, a time when the continued existence of the Bošnjak people came into serious question.
, he served as an instructor of the Arabic language
in the city’s Great Gymnasium
. In September 1903, he was elected to be a member of the distinguished Meclis-i Ulema, the managerial body of Bosnia’s Islamic Community. Following this appointment Čaušević was made responsible for overseeing religious educational institutions and in this capacity he traveled throughout Bosnia-Bakrito inspect the conditions of the country’s mektebs ("schools") and medreses. Traljić maintains that these inspections, “were the first of their sort”, and even more so that they
In 1909 Čaušević accepted a position as professor
in Sarajevo’s Sharia
school
(šerijetska škola), an institution dedicated to higher Islamic learning and which was, built and financed by the Austrians. Always true to his reformist ideals, Čaušević never ceased to declare and strive to implement them. Soon his reputation for dedication and distinction in the field of education spread throughout Bosnia, and when Hafiz Sulejman Sarač (1850-1927) resigned from his position as reis ul-ulema (the Grand Mufti
) in 1913, Čaušević was selected a year later to be his successor. Thus he was presented with the highest and most prestigious religious rank within the Islamic community of Bosnia-Hercegovina:
Following his retirement from this post in 1930, Čaušević continued to be an active participant in Islamic intellectual discourse through contributions to literary papers (some of which he established). Together with Hafiz Muhammed Pandža, he also translated the Qur’an into the Croatian language and attached his forward-looking exegesis
to it. On March 28, 1938 Džemaludin Čaušević, a man widely regarded as a symbol of hope for the enlightenment and upliftment of the Bosnian Muslim people and their culture and traditions, died.
and methodology: use of the printing press, allowing for women to uncover their faces, calling for educational reforms, etc. The rhetoric that he used was evocative of other reformist calls throughout the Muslim Middle East and Central Asia. He censured his fellow Muslims for having drifted into the “deep sleep” of apathy and defeatism:
The focal point that reform and modernity evolved around for all Muslim reformers was knowledge; for “knowledge always triumphs over ignorance”, and they believed that Muslims must have fallen into ignorance, in view of the fact that the Europeans had triumphed over them. Now this knowledge (which the Muslims once possessed when they knew how to interpret the Qur’an correctly) had to be regained, and the Europeans, as well as other advanced nations, should be used as models for proficiency and advancement. Muslims needed to learn from Europe to regain the worldly wisdom they once possessed. Seeing that most of these reformers were sincere believers, they did not question the authenticity of the Qur’an, and in fact they sought to reinterpret the Qur’an so that its real message became the search for knowledge, accompanied by moral and material enrichment.
Džemaludin Čaušević died in 1938, on the eve of World War II
, but his legacy lives on in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where the Bosnian Ulema
("scholars") and intellectuals continue to struggle with the same problems that faced him almost a century ago. Many things have changed since his death: the killing of over 100,000 Bosnian Muslims in WWII, a half-century of Communism
, and what killing of many Muslims by their Catholic and Orthodox neighbors during the war of 1991-95, perhaps in an attempt to eradicate the “remnant” of long-passed, but still hated, Ottoman rule. Čaušević can be commended by his people for his immeasurable contributions to their spiritual well-being and Islamic faith.
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
.
Early life
Džemaludin Čaušević was born in the year 1870 in the northwestern Bosnian village Arapuša, 12km near town of Bosanska KrupaBosanska Krupa
Bosanska Krupa is a town and municipality in northwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina, on the Una river. It is located northeast from Bihać...
. His earliest education was obtained at the hands of his father, Ali Hodža Čaušević, who was a member of the local Islamic clergy
Clergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
. As a teenager Čaušević was enrolled into the medresa
Madrasah
Madrasah is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, whether secular or religious...
of the nearby city of Bihać
Bihac
Bihać is a city and municipality on the river Una in the north-western part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the Bosanska Krajina region. Bihać is located in the Una-Sana Canton in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.-History:...
where he attracted the attention of its foremost instructor, Mehmed Sabit Ribić (who was also the city’s Mufti
Mufti
A mufti is a Sunni Islamic scholar who is an interpreter or expounder of Islamic law . In religious administrative terms, a mufti is roughly equivalent to a deacon to a Sunni population...
).
Education
Owing was sent to IstanbulIstanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
at the age of seventeen to receive a higher education. While in the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
capital Čaušević finished his education in Islamic Studies with high marks and subsequently enrolled in the empire’s law school, the Mekteb-i Hukuk. It was here that he was first exposed to the ongoing modernization that had been instituted in the empire over the last several decades.
There are sources indicating that during the summer months while a student at the Mekteb-i Hukuk, he would, on invitation, travel back to Bosnia in order to speak at various venues. It was already apparent from his lectures at this time that Čaušević was receptive to notions of both religious and societal reform. Moreover he spent some time in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, where he intermittently attended the lectures of the famous Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
reformer Muhammad ‘Abduh (1849-1905). These lectures appear to have had a considerable impact on Čaušević, since he refers to ‘Abduh in his later writings as Ustaz-i muhterem, “Respected Teacher.”
Upon graduating from the Mekteb-i Hukuk, in 1901, Čaušević departed from Istanbul and returned to Bosnia.
Return to Bosnia
The turn of the 20th century was a period of great cultural and political transformation within Bosnia and Hercegovina, and it was also a time when Džemaludin Čaušević emerged as an individual who was well-versed and capable in both traditional Islamic theologyTheology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
as well as modern science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
and thought. Bosnian Muslim society struggled to endure the psychological anxiety of being ruled by traditionally antagonistic forces (both Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and later, Serb-dominated Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
). As a result tens of thousands of Bosnian Muslims abandoned their homeland, seeking refuge in hicret, or immigration, to lands still under Muslim rule.
Needless to say, this flight triggered not only considerable alterations to Bosnia’s demographic
Demography
Demography is the statistical study of human population. It can be a very general science that can be applied to any kind of dynamic human population, that is, one that changes over time or space...
make-up, but an incredible brain-drain on Bosnia's Muslim society as well. Yet at a time when it was popular for educated and religious people to leave their land for what was left of the Ottoman Empire, Džemaludin Čaušević did the reverse by instead abandoning his residency in Istanbul and returning to his homeland to assist it in a time when it was suffering through immense and painful transformations, a time when the continued existence of the Bošnjak people came into serious question.
Activities in Islam in Bosnia
Making his residence in the capital, SarajevoSarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
, he served as an instructor of the Arabic language
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
in the city’s Great Gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
. In September 1903, he was elected to be a member of the distinguished Meclis-i Ulema, the managerial body of Bosnia’s Islamic Community. Following this appointment Čaušević was made responsible for overseeing religious educational institutions and in this capacity he traveled throughout Bosnia-Bakrito inspect the conditions of the country’s mektebs ("schools") and medreses. Traljić maintains that these inspections, “were the first of their sort”, and even more so that they
- “strengthened Čaušević’s conviction that there would be no progress among [Bosnian Muslims], especially in the religious sense, without reform and the advancement of religious education.”
In 1909 Čaušević accepted a position as professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
in Sarajevo’s Sharia
Sharia
Sharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...
school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
(šerijetska škola), an institution dedicated to higher Islamic learning and which was, built and financed by the Austrians. Always true to his reformist ideals, Čaušević never ceased to declare and strive to implement them. Soon his reputation for dedication and distinction in the field of education spread throughout Bosnia, and when Hafiz Sulejman Sarač (1850-1927) resigned from his position as reis ul-ulema (the Grand Mufti
Grand Mufti
The title of Grand Mufti refers to the highest official of religious law in a Sunni or Ibadi Muslim country. The Grand Mufti issues legal opinions and edicts, fatwā, on interpretations of Islamic law for private clients or to assist judges in deciding cases...
) in 1913, Čaušević was selected a year later to be his successor. Thus he was presented with the highest and most prestigious religious rank within the Islamic community of Bosnia-Hercegovina:
- “On March 26, 1914, on the very eve of World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Čaušević was proclaimed the reis ul-ulema of the Islamic community in Bosnia and Hercegovina. He remained in that position until 1930, when he resigned because of disagreements with the Serbian (Yugoslavian) government over the administration of vakfs (Muslim charitable organisations) and religious positions in Yugoslavia.”
Following his retirement from this post in 1930, Čaušević continued to be an active participant in Islamic intellectual discourse through contributions to literary papers (some of which he established). Together with Hafiz Muhammed Pandža, he also translated the Qur’an into the Croatian language and attached his forward-looking exegesis
Exegesis
Exegesis is a critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially a religious text. Traditionally the term was used primarily for exegesis of the Bible; however, in contemporary usage it has broadened to mean a critical explanation of any text, and the term "Biblical exegesis" is used...
to it. On March 28, 1938 Džemaludin Čaušević, a man widely regarded as a symbol of hope for the enlightenment and upliftment of the Bosnian Muslim people and their culture and traditions, died.
Čaušević and other reformers' legacy
As with other Muslim reformers of his generation, Džemaludin Čaušević had the same objective in mind for his people, and he employed the same rhetoricRhetoric
Rhetoric is the art of discourse, an art that aims to improve the facility of speakers or writers who attempt to inform, persuade, or motivate particular audiences in specific situations. As a subject of formal study and a productive civic practice, rhetoric has played a central role in the Western...
and methodology: use of the printing press, allowing for women to uncover their faces, calling for educational reforms, etc. The rhetoric that he used was evocative of other reformist calls throughout the Muslim Middle East and Central Asia. He censured his fellow Muslims for having drifted into the “deep sleep” of apathy and defeatism:
- “Muslims fell into a deep sleep, from which they were not able to wake up until the Europeans, with their weapons of knowledge and all sorts of inventions, came to the door of their house and demonstrated the divine truth: Knowledge and ignorance cannot be equal, knowledge always triumphs over ignorance.”
The focal point that reform and modernity evolved around for all Muslim reformers was knowledge; for “knowledge always triumphs over ignorance”, and they believed that Muslims must have fallen into ignorance, in view of the fact that the Europeans had triumphed over them. Now this knowledge (which the Muslims once possessed when they knew how to interpret the Qur’an correctly) had to be regained, and the Europeans, as well as other advanced nations, should be used as models for proficiency and advancement. Muslims needed to learn from Europe to regain the worldly wisdom they once possessed. Seeing that most of these reformers were sincere believers, they did not question the authenticity of the Qur’an, and in fact they sought to reinterpret the Qur’an so that its real message became the search for knowledge, accompanied by moral and material enrichment.
Džemaludin Čaušević died in 1938, on the eve of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, but his legacy lives on in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where the Bosnian Ulema
Ulema
Ulama , also spelt ulema, refers to the educated class of Muslim legal scholars engaged in the several fields of Islamic studies. They are best known as the arbiters of shari‘a law...
("scholars") and intellectuals continue to struggle with the same problems that faced him almost a century ago. Many things have changed since his death: the killing of over 100,000 Bosnian Muslims in WWII, a half-century of Communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
, and what killing of many Muslims by their Catholic and Orthodox neighbors during the war of 1991-95, perhaps in an attempt to eradicate the “remnant” of long-passed, but still hated, Ottoman rule. Čaušević can be commended by his people for his immeasurable contributions to their spiritual well-being and Islamic faith.
Sources
- Karić, Enes & Demirović, Mujo; Reis Džemaludin Čaušević: Prosvjetitelj i reformator. Ljiljan, Sarajevo, 2002.
- Traljić, Mahmud, Islamska Misao H. Mehmeda Džemaludina Čauševića. Rijaset Islamske Zajednice, Sarajevo, 1998.