Reis Kavazović: The poor state of modern man did not come from nowhere, but emerged from our hearts, and we can only blame ourselves

(Patria) - Reisul-ulema of the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina Husein-ef. Kavazović stated that the poor state of modern man emerged from human hearts.

A new mosque was solemnly opened today in the Zenica village of Nemila, and Reisul-ulema Kavazović addressed a large number of present believers on this occasion.

„The opening of every mosque is a great event in the community of Muslims everywhere in the world. It is like planting a fruit tree from which it is expected to bear fruit for a long time and benefit people and life in general in other ways. Today we are opening this magnificent mosque, here in Nemila, with the hope that it will fulfill its role for good, and for the good, and that it will operate at full capacity. Dear God, we pray to You that it be so, that it justifies our intention, the intention of these people who, by setting aside from themselves and their sustenance, have immortalized these moments, in the hope that the generations that will grow up here will be generations of Bosniaks who will defend their homeland and preserve values - said the Reisul-ulema“, said the Reisul-ulema.

In our faith and tradition, the primary task of a mosque is to gather people for common prayer and encounters, for supplication and socializing, he emphasized.

„But that is not its only role. Mosques are the houses of God on Earth, and the home of the Muslim community. Our very presence in the mosque, in our religious tradition, is a deed pleasing to God, it brings peace and spiritual tranquility to our hearts. All those who spend time in it know this. The mosque educates people, makes them different, both directly and indirectly. If it does not educate and ennoble them, it does not fulfill its role. People who are connected to the mosque from a young age, visit it and grow up in it are different from others. No one fears their evil, deceit, violence, and vulgarity, because they simply do not possess them. Their character has been shaped by the mosque, which excludes all that is bad“, said the Reisul-ulema.

He added that „unfortunately, there are many among us who do not visit the mosque, and some have never even set foot in its premises, so its fragrance does not affect them“.

„They have never felt the spirit of the mosque. If they had, we would not have so much violence in our communities today, so much wildness, lack of culture, and immorality committed by people who bear our names, seemingly no less than others. This is mostly done by those who grew up and were raised outside of faith, in whose being the values promoted by the mosque are not embedded.

We are partly responsible for them too, and we must pay attention to them“, he stressed.

Everything created on Earth was created for man, the Reisul-ulema reminded, „even the position of celestial bodies is arranged to ensure the continuation of life“.

„And the tilt of the Earth relative to the Sun and the positions of the Moon are in function of life on Earth. If they were arranged differently, life on Earth would not be possible. If the Sun were a little further from the Earth, everything on it would be frozen; if it were a little closer - everything would be scorched.

All the life that had been unfolding on Earth for millions of years before the appearance of man was merely preparation for the arrival of a being that would carry within it something magnificent, something from the Divine Spirit, that would unite the physical and spiritual worlds; and influence both worlds.

Until the appearance of man on Earth, life unfolded according to established processes, and no one was responsible for anything. Therefore, there was no sin, no wrong action“, stated Reisul-ulema Kavazović.

Man is the only creature that can influence processes on Earth and cause disturbances. In the noble Quran, the Reisul-ulema reminded, the Almighty lets us know what kind and how much human responsibility is involved: Because of what people do, corruption has appeared on land and sea, so that He may let them taste some of the consequence of what they have done, that perhaps they may return [to righteousness].

„Brothers and sisters, we belong not only to the physical but also to the spiritual world. We live not only with the physical but also with the spiritual world, and our actions are reflected in the environment in which we live, positively and negatively. Modern man seems to have forgotten this - or everything is being done to make him forget it, to reduce him to mere material existence, without any purpose. Never has man had more, and never has his life been more miserable and cheap. This can have, and already has, severe consequences for life on Earth. Because man was not created only to eat, drink, indulge, play, and have fun“, he pointed out. Our life has a high purpose, and it must be fulfilled. It is fulfilled by respecting God's word and acting according to God's guidance, emphasized the Reisul-ulema.



„Only then can man have a beautiful and meaningful life and justify his existence. Otherwise, our life loses its meaning. When we stop doing this, we will be removed from the stage and pushed into the dark depths of existence. The deafness of humanity to God's words is increasing, man no longer seems to be reachable, just as the Quran says: And when you recite the Quran, We place between you and those who do not believe in the Hereafter a hidden covering, and upon their hearts are coverings [of disbelief] so they do not understand it, and in their ears is deafness.“, he stated.

The deafness of the world is becoming frightening in the face of the evil and suffering we witness, the Reisul-ulema emphasized, among other things.

„Every day hundreds of people, women and children are killed. Weapons are sent to the killers, and food and water are denied to the victims. We see this in Gaza and Ukraine, and we see how powerless and humiliated we all are. But God tolerates disbelief, but He does not tolerate injustice, we deeply believe in that“, he said.

Man carries immense potentials within him: for both good and evil, the Reisul-ulema assessed, and added that therefore he must be educated so that good prevails and so that he is in the service of good and a positive factor in life.

„Man is the only being that is educated, while all other beings are only taught basic survival skills. And this education must not be neglected. The values that should be developed in him and that should shape his consciousness – in order to fulfill his assigned role – have been determined by his Creator, who has given him guidance for it. To the extent that he does not use and follow this guidance, he causes disorder, endangers other creatures, physical and spiritual, and becomes a threat to life itself“, stated Reisul-ulema Kavazović.

Man's inner state is directly reflected in the world and strongly resonates within it: if he is in a good spiritual state, his life environment will be in such a state, and if he is in a bad one – the environment in which he lives will be bad. „We can see this with the naked eye. Look at what the greedy, arrogant, haughty, powerful… one who is driven by passions, impulses, hatred, malice brings into life and how he behaves. Who sees only himself and his own interest. Look at the consequences he leaves behind. And look at an educated person, morally built, aware of himself and his life's task – you will see him as kind, humble, modest, merciful, caring, eager for every good, active in suppressing every evil“, emphasized Reisul-ulema Husein-ef. Kavazović.

Assessing that modern man is in a poor state, the Reisul-ulema said that we all have our responsibility in this.

„Each of us individually has a share in this state, because each individual brings into life the content they carry within themselves. We bring into life the seed that has sprouted within us, in our heart and soul. The totality of these contributions and seeds has produced the effect we have on the scene today. Therefore, there is both individual and collective responsibility, and we cannot avoid either. In a narration, it is said: 'As you are, so will be those who govern you!', i.e., those who make decisions in your name. Namely, our state is also reflected in our choice of those who represent us, at any level. Let us be responsible. Let piety develop discernment in us, so that we see things in their true nature. Indeed, the Prophet, peace be upon him, prayed: 'O God, show me the truth as truth, and falsehood as falsehood'“, stated the Reisul-ulema.

The poor state of modern man did not come from nowhere, but emerged from our hearts, and we can only blame ourselves, he conveyed.

„Dear God swears by many oaths in the Quran, and the longest oath is the one that refers to man's moral development, i.e., to the fact that only he will succeed who purifies his soul – here in this world; who does good, which the Dear God has commanded him, and avoids evil – which the Dear God has forbidden him. So, mosques should educate us in this spirit“, he said.

He added that it is expected of those who take care of the mosque that it will be so. „I pray to Allah that fresh winds blow through this mosque and that those who will make life more beautiful and pleasant grow up in it and open the doors to many blessings through their actions. God, grant it a long life and make it dear and attractive to human hearts. May Allah reward all who participated in its construction, as well as all who will take care of its maintenance. May this mosque be blessed to all of us, Muslims in Bosnia and Herzegovina. May its existence be for our benefit and not to our detriment“, concluded Reisul-ulema Kavazović in his address.