A PAPER ON DERVIŠ EF. SPAHIĆ, MUDERRIS FROM POJSKE

Zapis o Derviš-efendiji Spahiću, muderrisu iz Pojski

Abstract

The author writes about Derviš ef. Spahić, a well-known Bosnian alem. Derviš Spahić was born in 1893 in Pojska, near Zenica. He lived in his hometown until he was 11 years old and for the next three decades remained connected to Travnik, his madrasa and ulama. He spent 10 years in madrasa. In 1914 he began his work as imam in the Kahvica mosque. He continues with his education before Asim ef. Korkut, together with his sons Derviš ef. i Siradž ef. All of them later became significant links to the religious life of Bosnia. They received their diplomas or ejazet in 1928, which were certified by the Reis at the time, Džemaludin Čaušević. This was the last generation of the ulama educated in traditional manner. Derviš ef. was the principal of the makteb-e ebtedaiya as well as the Islamic lecturer in a school in Travnik. He was a member of the Vakuf-maarif commission. In 1934 he founded the madrasa in his birthplace, which operated all through 1947 when its work was banned while Derviš ef. sentenced to 8 years of imprisonment. He served 6 years in prison. In 1961 he went for Hajj after which he devoted himself to book writing and visiting local Islamic communities. He published the following works: Imanski i islamski šarti and Pouke o moralu i bogobojaznosti (Lessons on moral and piety). The latter work became compulsory literature in the field of Islamic ethics and morals. All subsequent authors writing in this field cited and made references to this work. Manuscript of Uputa u arapsko pismo (Instructions in Arabic alphabet) and Tedžvid (Rules of reading Qur'an) was given to Supreme Islamic Council but never published. He has also made a wall chart Uputstvo za učenje kur'anskog pisma (Instruction for learning Qur'anic alphabet) that he gave out to his friends but never managed to publish. Perched on his horse as a sayr-vaez, he would visit the cities and local Islamic communities of Travnik, Jajce, Tešanj, Fojnica and other places where he would give lectures and advised imams and his former students. Derviš ef. passed on to a better world in 1978 at 87 years of age. His big funeral testified to his reputation and authority he enjoyed among people.