SALIH SIVCEVIC, PH. D.

A PROFESSOR, EDUCATOR AND A REFORMER OF THE BEHRAM-BAY’S MADRASAH IN TUZLA

Abstract

This article is about hafiz Salih ef. Sivcevic, Ph.D., a reformer of the Behram-bay’s Madrasah in Tuzla and a distinguished scholar and community worker, who has, unfortunately, been largely forgotten. Salih ef. Sivcevic was born in Vrazici, a munics cipality of Celic, in 1885. He enrolled at the Cacak Madrasah in Brcko when he was 12 and he success sfully completed it. In 1904 he registered with a mads drasah in Istanbul, to be mentored by hafiz Mehmed Taufik bin Mehmed Sabit, where, after 10 years of lectures, he’s been “pronounced to be fit for all Islamic religious professions…” During that time, he also became a hafiz. After the madrasah, he enrolled at the Daru-l-khilapha, a theological college, which he completed with honors in a record four-year time. He immediately proceeded to continue his undergraduate studies at the Sulaymaniyya – Daru-lmutahassesen, a Grand reformed school. He received his doctorate degree in theology in 1921. After the studies, he volunteered to join the Turkish army, and, as an officer, he participated in final liberation of Turkey. Even though he had great opportunities for advancement in Turkey, homesick, he returns to Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1922. He was named a princs cipal of the Bahram-bay’s Madrasah in Tuzla. Reals lizing the dangers from closing down the Madras sah, he immediately sets out to reform it. He was a member of Ulema-medzlis, a very active member of Ulama Association “El-Hidaje” and a member and an activist of many Muslim humanitarian organizations. He was 57 when he died in Tuzla, in 1943. During his life he showed persistence, knowledge and conscientiousness in his work. He was modest, kind-hearted, sociable, cheerful and obliging.