WAQFS IN BIHAĆ SINCE 1878 UNTILL TODAY

Abstract

UDK 061.27:28-747](497.6 Bihać)(091)

Waqf is a permanent good deed. Once it is done it becomes the property of Allah given to the people for management. Weather people and institutions have been, and to what extent treating waqf as a property of God is the topic of this article. We present some instances of destruction of waqfs in various political systems with an accent upon the waqfs in Bihać, in the last four decades. Expropriation of waqf properties began in the period of Austro- Hungary, it intensified in the era of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes and the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and practically finalized in the period of Federation of peoples republic of Yugoslavia and later the Socialist Yugoslavia. It was done “in accordance to the law”, the principles of law were satisfied but not those of justice. This article offers comprehensive information based upon original documents, about the destruction of waqfs in Bihać. Over two thousand original documents of correspondence were analyzed between – mearif assembly board, Waqf directorate, Bord of Naibs and Ullama majlis in Sarajevo with Kotar Waqf mearif committee in Bihać. We also used the private archive of late Sadik ef Ribić, a former director of Bihać madrasa, and later president of the Committee of IRC (Islamic religious community) in Bihać, as well as the first Land register done by Austro-Hungary and the other documents from the Archives of Una-Sana canton. Besides these we made a use of some sources from Gazi Husrev-bey library and Bosniak Institute. Historical, comparative and statistical methods were used in these.