PROFESSOR MUHAMED EFFENDI FOČAK (1907-1978)

Abstract

Muhamed ef. Fočak was born on 29 March 1907in Sarajevo, borough of Vratnik. He was a son of Abdullah ef. Fočak, a well-known and respected aalim, imaam, hatib and vaiz of many years and teacher of Ahmedaga Hendo mekteb in borough of Vratnik. Upon completing the mekteb and elementary school, he entered Shari'ah Grammar School in Sarajevo which he completed in 1927. After completing the secondary school, he enrolled in the famous Islamic University of Al-Azhar in Cairo. He completed his studies in 1931 and returned to Sarajevo. In Sarajevo, he gave an Islamic religious instruction in the Second Grammar School for Men, Grammar School for Women and Madrasa for Women, Franciscan Grammar School in Visoko and Shari’ah Grammar School where he taught Arabic and religious instruction. From 1945 to 1949, in the post-war period, he worked at Gazi Husrev-bey’s madrasa where he taught religious and oriental subjects, Arabic language as well as mathematics and hygiene. After he was fired from madrasa in 1949 and detained for 100 days without any charges raised against him, he found employment in a trade company where he worked for many years through his retirement. He had a good knowledge of Arabic, which was the reason for him being one of the consultants in the translation of the Qur’an by Besim Korkut.  He published only two works in Bosnian language in Glasnik and El-Hidaja while his family retained as a family heirloom the Sufara (Instructions in Arabic alphabet), which he wrote for the students enrolled in the maktab. He took a significant part in the public and social life of Bosniacs-Muslims and particularly through work in Association of Illmijja - El-Hidaje and later in Association of Illmijja. He died in 1978. in Sarajevo.