Mustafa Hilmi Hadžiomerović
Encyclopedia
Mustafa Hilmi ef.
Hadžiomerović (born in Kulen Vakuf
, near Bihać
; died 10 February 1895) was the first Mufti of Sarajevo
appointed Reis-l-ulema in 1882 by the Austria
n authorities.
and then went to the Gazi Husrev-beg Medresa in Sarajevo. There he studied before the famous schoolmaster Mehmed efendija Kučuk and attended lectures in Sarajevo
of Mufti Muhamed Šakir efendije Muidović and Muhamed Telalagić.
In 1837 Hadžiomerović went to Istanbul
to study at a Madrasah there for 15 years. He then returned to Bosnia to work in Bosanski Novi and was then posted to the Kuršumli madrasah in Sarajevo
as a schoolteacher. A year later he was appointed Imam at the Arebi-Atik mosque.
In 1856 Mustafa Hilmi Hadžiomerović was appointed Mufti
of Sarajevo
but he continued his teaching duties, giving lectures until 1888. Following the Habsburg
occupation of Bosnia in 1878, Hadžiomerović made public appeals for peace and calm. On 17 October 1882 the Austria
s appointed him Reis-l-ulema in order to gradually separate Bosnia from Turkish
authority. He issued a number of Fatwa
encouraging Bosnian
Muslims to stay (over 100,000 emigrated to Turkey
over the 1880s) and collaborate, and also to serve in the Bosnian Herzegovinian Infantry.
Exhausted from many years of work, Mustafa Hilmi Hadžiomerović resigned the position of Reis-l-ulema in 1893 and died two years later on 10 February 1895.
Effendi
Effendi, Effendy or Efendi is a title of nobility meaning a lord or master.It is a title of respect or courtesy, equivalent to the English Sir, which was used in Ottoman Empire...
Hadžiomerović (born in Kulen Vakuf
Kulen Vakuf
Kulen Vakuf is a village in the municipality of Bihać, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Kulen Vakuf was the birthplace of the respected Mehmed-beg Kulenović.-References:...
, near 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:...
; died 10 February 1895) was the first Mufti of Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
appointed Reis-l-ulema in 1882 by the 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...
n authorities.
Career
Hadžiomerović received his basic religious and general education in his birth town. He later studied at the high school in PrijedorPrijedor
Prijedor is a city and municipality in the north-western part of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in the Bosanska Krajina region....
and then went to the Gazi Husrev-beg Medresa in Sarajevo. There he studied before the famous schoolmaster Mehmed efendija Kučuk and attended lectures in Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
of Mufti Muhamed Šakir efendije Muidović and Muhamed Telalagić.
In 1837 Hadžiomerović went to Istanbul
Istanbul
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...
to study at a Madrasah there for 15 years. He then returned to Bosnia to work in Bosanski Novi and was then posted to the Kuršumli madrasah in Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
as a schoolteacher. A year later he was appointed Imam at the Arebi-Atik mosque.
In 1856 Mustafa Hilmi Hadžiomerović was appointed 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...
of Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
but he continued his teaching duties, giving lectures until 1888. Following the Habsburg
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...
occupation of Bosnia in 1878, Hadžiomerović made public appeals for peace and calm. On 17 October 1882 the 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...
s appointed him Reis-l-ulema in order to gradually separate Bosnia from Turkish
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...
authority. He issued a number of Fatwa
Fatwa
A fatwā in the Islamic faith is a juristic ruling concerning Islamic law issued by an Islamic scholar. In Sunni Islam any fatwā is non-binding, whereas in Shia Islam it could be considered by an individual as binding, depending on his or her relation to the scholar. The person who issues a fatwā...
encouraging Bosnian
Bosnians
Bosnians are people who reside in, or come from, Bosnia and Herzegovina. By the modern state definition a Bosnian can be anyone who holds citizenship of the state. This includes, but is not limited to, members of the constituent ethnic groups of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Bosniaks, Bosnian Serbs and...
Muslims to stay (over 100,000 emigrated to Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
over the 1880s) and collaborate, and also to serve in the Bosnian Herzegovinian Infantry.
Exhausted from many years of work, Mustafa Hilmi Hadžiomerović resigned the position of Reis-l-ulema in 1893 and died two years later on 10 February 1895.
Literature
- Noel Malcolm, Bosnia: A Short History, 1994
- Fikret Karčić, The Bosniaks and the Challenges of Modernity: Late Ottoman and Hapsburg Times (1995)