RELIGIOUS, EDUCATIONAL AND SOCIAL ENDEAVORS OF IBRAHIM EFENDI AJANOVIĆ (1884-1941)

Abstract

UDK: 28-732.3(497.6):929 Ajanović I.
UDK: 929 Ajanović I.

The focus of this article is on life and work of Ibrahim efendi Ajanović (1884-1941), a prominent ‘alim of Rogatica of the first half of 20^th century. On the bases of the documents preserved in the Archives of the Islamic Community of Bosnia and Herzegovina, we here bring some details of his life from his birth, education, intellectual progress, and his almost thirty years of service. After completing madrasa in Rogatica and six years of studies in Merhemića Madrasa,three years of education in Dāru-l-mu’allimīn in Sarajevo,  Ibrahim-efendi, in the year 1913, joins the service as mu’allim in his birthplace of Šljedovići where he was later engaged as imam, hatib, imam-regstrar and finally as imam of a jamaat.  His greatest contribution, however, was made in his role of a mu’allim as he achieved remarkable results in maktab class by bringing up a significant number of sibyan-mu’allims. He developed and extended the Plan and Program for maktab class and brought it almost to the level of an elementary madrasa. Just like reisu-l-ulema Džemaludin-efendi Čaušević, he used every opportunity to stress the importance of education and upbringing of Muslim children. He initiated the establishment of a primary school in Šljedovići, and maktabs in Dub, Đedovići, Rodić, and other villages surrounding Rogatica. In years prior to the Second World War he was elected mayor of Dub municipality. During this service, he made a remarkable contribution to developing and strengthening good relations between the Muslim and the Orthodox population of this municipality.