Founder of the "Osman-ef. Redžović" Madrasa in Visoko, Džemal Salihspahić, Passes Away

(Patria) - Professor Džemal Salihspahić, founder of the "Osman-ef. Redžović" Madrasa, and its first long-time director, passed away today at his home in Veliko Čajno near Visoko at the age of 91.

Professor Džemal Salihspahić was born in 1935 in Veliko Čajno, Visoko municipality.

He completed primary school in his native village, and then the Gazi Husrev-beg Madrasa in Sarajevo.

He graduated in 1961 from the Department of History at the Faculty of Philosophy in Sarajevo.

From then until today, for over 50 years, he worked in educational institutions, as well as institutions of the Islamic Community:
‣ From 1961 to 1976, he was a professor at high schools in Široki Brijeg and Zenica;
‣ From 1976 to 1980, he was the director of the Gazi Husrev-beg Madrasa in Sarajevo;
‣ From 1980 to 1983, he worked at the Riyaset of the Islamic Community of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as the founder and head of the Service for Islamic Research, Documentation, and Statistics;
‣ At the beginning of the academic year 1983/84, he was elected secretary of the Faculty of Islamic Sciences in Sarajevo. He worked there until April 1992;
‣ With the support of several colleagues, on September 6, 1992, he founded the "Osman-ef. Redžović" Madrasa in his native village.

He is the founder of the "Mehmed-ef. Handžić" library in Čajangrad, as well as the "Muhamed Seid Serdarević" library in Zenica.

In order to secure financial resources for development plans and the construction of the Madrasa, he founded the "Osman-ef. Redžović" Foundation in 2004.

He was also very active as a researcher and publicist. He published about 30 professional works and articles from the fields of Islamic sciences, our culture and tradition, as well as pedagogical-psychological and educational issues of religious students, muallims, imams, and parents.

Among the aforementioned works, a special place is held by the book "Imam - Personality, Role, and Significance," which is, to date, the only book in the Bosnian language by a Muslim author that comprehensively and multidisciplinary addresses the imamate - pastoral theology.

He received numerous awards:
‣ Plaque of the Municipality of Visoko for lifetime achievement, 29.8.2007.;
‣ Golden Charter for exceptional contribution to the affirmation of the Madrasa, recognition from the Riyaset, 20.06.2010.;
‣ Recognition from the Reis-ul-ulema, Prof. Mustafa Cerić, for many years of educational-pedagogical work and exceptional contribution to the development, operation, and affirmation of educational institutions of the Islamic Community in BiH, 19.10.2012.

The Faculty of Islamic Sciences in Sarajevo awarded him a Recognition on September 29 in gratitude for his contribution to the work and affirmation of FIN UNSA.

On January 8, 2019, he was also awarded the Plaque for special contribution to the affirmation of the Gazi Husrev-beg Madrasa in Sarajevo.

He rounded off his life memories with a book of memoirs in his later years, published in 2024 under the title "My Life Shares."

The funeral prayer time will be announced later.