Bajram sermon by reisul-ulema Kavazović: Let's be each other's joy

(Patria) - The reisul-ulema of the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, dr. Husein-ef. Kavazović, delivered the Bajram sermon this morning at the Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque in Sarajevo on the occasion of Kurban-Bajram, in which he called on believers to strengthen unity, mutual trust, and preserve the values of neighborliness, emphasizing that faith and piety should be the foundation of social relations and life in peace.

– Let us strive to arrange our lives in the spirit of unity, respect, and mutual trust. Let us leave divisions, deceptions, and betrayals behind us, because that is not a life worthy of a human being – said reisul-ulema Kavazović.

Speaking about the significance of Kurban-Bajram, he emphasized that the rituals of Hajj and sacrifice remind believers of the importance of sacrifice, gratitude, and obedience to God, stressing that brotherhood, solidarity, and readiness to understand the pain of others stem from piety. 

He also highlighted the importance of preserving the life, honor, and property of every person, recalling the universal messages of Prophet Muhammad's (PBUH) Farewell Pilgrimage, which call for equality among people, respect for the rights of others, and rejection of violence and injustice.

Reisul-ulema said that this is the last Bajram he is addressing as reisul-ulema.

– Today, on Kurban-Bajram, as I address you for the last time as reisul-ulema from this honorable place, I will once again appeal to you to cherish and protect our Bosnian neighborliness. Let us lay and preserve in its foundations the most important things: the honor of our neighbor, the need for repentance for mistakes made, and the need for forgiveness for the pain inflicted. Neighborliness has always been our most important social institution, which has held us together and on which we could rely in both hardship and joy – said reisul-ulema.

The MINA Agency transmits the full sermon of the reisul-ulema:

"Praise be to Allah, the Creator of the worlds, the Ruler of the Day of Judgment, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. We trust in His mercy and seek His forgiveness. May peace and blessings be upon the Prophet (PBUH), his noble family and companions, and all his followers, until the Day of Judgment.

This morning, in the spirit of Bajram, we glorify Almighty Allah and thank Him for the blessings of life. In these days, perhaps more than on other occasions, we show our devotion and commitment to God's word and the Sunnah of His Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH). We ask Him to accept our rituals – Hajj and sacrifice – and to grant us His mercy and forgiveness.

Brothers and sisters!

Faith in God and the rituals we perform make us a community of people obedient to God. From piety and love for Him stem our brotherhood, life in peace, and mutual trust. For centuries, as a community of Muslims, we have affirmed our path in the same way and with the same fervor. We believe in One God and strive to follow His prophets and their path in faith. We draw our strength from God's word and the advice and testaments left to us in trust by the prophets.

And we have learned that in every darkness, no matter how black, there is a light that the Almighty gives us. We have witnessed that no trial, no matter how great, is greater than God's mercy. And we have learned that for those who strive and trust in Allah, that strength is sufficient for their entire lives. Indeed, Allah alone is sufficient for each of us, our Sustainer and our Lord.

Today, thank God, here in our homeland, we live in peace with our neighbors and friends. We work and raise our children, care for our parents, help the weak, the sick, and the poor. We are grateful to God and to the good people who helped us to lessen our pain and our wounds and to heal them. And now we ourselves strive to understand the pain and sorrow of others who are suffering, and to help as much as we can.

And in these days of our great joy, the days of Bajram, we direct our prayers to Allah, asking Him for peace in the world, among nations, and among armies. We ask Him to make us and our children sons of light, not darkness, to be among those who bring good news to people and who compete in good deeds with good and righteous people.

Bosnia is a land of good, righteous, and noble people. Among us, there have always been those whom Allah has addressed as His friends, saints. These are people who live in our neighborhoods and streets. These are men and women whose hearts are pure and spacious for each of us. They are there to help us when times are tough, to encourage and advise us. Therefore, let us hold on to these good people, and let their goodness and faith be our guiding signs on the path we will follow.

Brothers and sisters!

Let us rejoice in the life given to us. It is a blessing of limited duration, whose value is high, and the stake is great. Therefore, it is not insignificant what we will do with it and what we will spend it on. Let us act as the Almighty advises us: "Let every soul look to what it has prepared for the morrow."

Being grateful to the Creator for the blessings of life is the foundation of our faith, and protecting life is an obligation for which we will be held accountable. At the Farewell Pilgrimage, Muhammad (PBUH) left his testament to the world. Let his words be the foundation of our community:

'O people, listen to what I tell you, for I do not know if I will meet you again in this place.

O people, your lives, your property, and your honor are inviolable until you meet your Lord, just as this day of yours, in this month of yours, in this city of yours, is inviolable.

Return what is entrusted to you to its rightful owners in due time.

The usury of the Jahiliyyah period is abolished, except for the principal to which you are entitled.

The blood feuds and privileges of the Jahiliyyah period are abolished.

O people, you have rights over your wives, and they have rights over you. Fear Allah concerning your wives and treat them kindly.

O people, believers are indeed brothers, and a brother's property is inviolable unless he permits it himself. Do not return to disbelief after me, striking one another's necks.

O people, you have only one Lord and one ancestor. You are all from Adam, and Adam is from dust. The noblest among you in the sight of Allah is the most pious. An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab, except in piety.'

Brothers and sisters!

Let us put these words of the Prophet into practice and let them fully govern our being. Let us make them our life philosophy, so that we act according to them. The Prophet calls us to equality and brotherhood, to protect the sanctity of life, property, and honor of every person, and to respect and inviolability of others' rights. I am sure that every inhabitant of this beautiful land of ours can find themselves in these universal messages and accept them as their own.

Let us strive to arrange our lives in the spirit of unity, respect, and mutual trust. Let us leave divisions, deceptions, and betrayals behind us, because that is not a life worthy of a human being.

Let us be aware of the messages of this great day. One of them emphasizes that we must sacrifice something to gain something else. This is a lesson we have been learning for thousands of years from the example of the father and son, Ibrahim and Ismail (PBUH). Let us sacrifice selfishness and arrogance to gain love, attention, and trust.

Sacrifice brings us closer to God, parents and children, relatives, friends, and neighbors. Readiness to sacrifice for another brings security, peace, and tranquility into our lives. 

Today, on Kurban-Bajram, as I address you for the last time as reisul-ulema from this honorable place, I will once again appeal to you to cherish and protect our Bosnian neighborliness. Let us lay and preserve in its foundations the most important things: the honor of our neighbor, the need for repentance for mistakes made, and the need for forgiveness for the pain inflicted. Neighborliness has always been our most important social institution, which has held us together and on which we could rely in both hardship and joy.

Let us be each other's joy. Let us improve our relationships and take care of our obligations. The path of faith is the surest path. May its strength keep us under the shelter of God's mercy, family happiness, and brotherly love.

May every sacrifice on God's path make us better and more righteous people, ready for repentance and forgiveness. Convey the values of faith and neighborliness to your children, raise them to love and respect people. 

I congratulate Kurban-Bajram to all Muslims, men and women, in our homeland Bosnia and Herzegovina, in Sandžak, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Macedonia, and the diaspora.

I ask Almighty Allah to accept the Hajj and prayers of our pilgrims, and the sacrifices of the rest of us. Spend Bajram in peace with your loved ones, neighbors, brothers, and sisters. May the Almighty grant you good health and mercy so that you are always in His pleasure. We ask Him for peace to prevail in the world, for weapons to fall silent, and for the suffering and agony of the innocent to cease.

Our Lord, help us, strengthen us, and guide us to the Right Path! And let our last prayer be: Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds!"