Reisul-ulema Kavazović in Novi Pazar urged: Unite, protect your mosques!

(Patria) - Reisul-ulema of the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Husein-ef. Kavazović, addressed the Solemn Academy in Novi Pazar tonight on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Mešihat of the Islamic Community in Serbia, and called on the Muslims of this country to unite around the Mešihat and become one community and a united force.

He also stated that it is necessary for everyone to do their utmost, because only united can they achieve further development and improvement of the local environment, and face the challenges that lie ahead.

„I call on all Muslims in Serbia to gather around the Mešihat of the Islamic Community, around Mufti Mevlud Dudić and our scholars, imams and muderrises, around our leaders, around your mosques, and to make a personal contribution and participate in every good deed you are called to. And protect your mosques as sacred places, may Allah help you,” said, among other things, Reisul-ulema Kavazović.

The MINA agency conveys his address in full:

"Bismillahir-rahmanir-rahim,

Esteemed Mufti Dudić, esteemed muftis from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Slovenia, respected members of the Rijaset and Mešihat, dear colleagues, respected scholars, guests and friends, brothers and sisters.

Today we have gathered in this beautiful city of Novi Pazar to mark a significant anniversary, the 30th anniversary of the Mešihat of the Islamic Community in Serbia. It was a blessed day for our Islamic Community, a day that Almighty Allah blessed, because what was founded that day has already yielded extraordinary results and borne numerous diverse and sweet fruits. It was a day when the Islamic Community in Sandžak, and indeed in all of Serbia, stepped into a new era, a new time.

Perhaps it was not foreseen at the time that it would be a kind of 'time of happiness', a time of great material and spiritual achievements and progress, a time of our pride. It was a time of our birth in blood, a time of resistance to the aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina, and a time of spiritual and material renewal in Sandžak. The Gazi Isa-beg Madrasa resumed its work, an Islamic kindergarten was opened, the Faculty of Islamic Studies was founded, an administrative building was constructed, a large number of religious buildings were renovated and built, and a healthy administrative structure was established, and religious education was introduced into schools. More importantly: a strong energy of renewal in all directions flowed through our collective being, and we were completely proud.

Brothers and sisters!

Today we mark the thirtieth anniversary of the beginning of that process, led by the late Mufti Muamer-ef. Zukorlić along with all of you.

That is not a short period, and a lot of good has accumulated. Namely, for anyone who introduced a good custom, initiated a beneficial process, or simply participated in it, good deeds accrue from it as long as it continues and yields results.

Therefore, as our Prophet (peace be upon him) taught us, the best deeds are those that are done continuously, regularly, because the good of such deeds increases every day. 'A person sometimes gives a morsel of food to a hungry person,' it is stated in a hadith, 'and Allah accepts it from him, and over time it grows so large that it is like a mountain!'

For Allah is Rabb, the Sustainer and the Grower, so that what He grows increases more each day. I ask Allah, the Exalted, to abundantly reward the late Mufti Muamer Zukorlić and all of you!

Brothers and sisters!

Anniversaries, just like birthdays, are there for us to pause and reflect, to see how successful we have been in the past and whether we should perhaps change something, whether there were any mistakes. We will do that, God willing, and consider what was not good and how to correct it.

There were more minor omissions, and they are inevitable in any process – simply because it is led and managed by humans – who are not perfect beings. Unfortunately, we also had one major trial: division occurred in this area, which slowed down our brilliant rise and partly diminished our strength and fruits. The enemy never sleeps.

The Quran warns of such things in several places. In one place, it says that Pharaoh ruled by 'dividing people into factions' and warns believers to guard against that as much as they can, as it deprives them of strength and effectiveness.

'Allah loves those who fight in His cause in rows, as if they were a solid structure!' I will remind you: Arabs before Islam were disunited, divided into tribes and functioned separately from each other. As such, they did not represent any significant factor. Moreover, they attacked each other, killed each other, and were in constant feud. Therefore, their results were nil, and therefore they enjoyed no respect. Then Islam came, and Allah united their hearts through it, extinguished the flame of hatred that burned among them, and brought them together in one faith and one collective that strived for one goal. We know what the result was: a new spirit flowed through them, such energy was unleashed that in just a few decades they became a strong regional factor, and then the number one world factor. It was a great spiritual, mental, cultural, social, and economic transformation that brought with it a whole force of progress and prosperity.

I also call on all of you, my brothers here, to make an effort and unite around the Mešihat, to become one community, one united force. Take Gaza as an example, where those who gave them verbal support are now. Alejkum enfusekum! Do not delay in doing so. Then we will all feel relief and gain new impetus for further development and improvement of both our local environment and society in general. This way, we will be able to successfully cope with the challenges that lie ahead. And they are, know this, great and complex.

This way, our children will also be proud to belong to it, to this faith and culture, to this collective, and they will be grateful to us for it. Do it, may Allah help you!

Brothers and sisters!

As you can see, the situation in the world is becoming increasingly complicated, and no one, except God Almighty, knows what will come of it. We cannot significantly influence what is happening, but we can – and are obliged to – do what we can to protect ourselves and our families. The best protection is to gain the support of God Almighty, and that is gained by respecting His word and avoiding what He has forbidden, and then by calling for unity and order. This is a Quranic command to us. And unity means maintaining a good atmosphere in the family, gathering in mosques and other places, and making these gatherings dedicated to good, and taking care of each other and the common good. And then to nurture good and friendly relations with our neighbors, especially those closest to us, with whom we share common space and with whom we meet daily.

I call on all Muslims in Serbia to gather around the Mešihat of the Islamic Community, around Mufti Mevlud Dudić and our scholars, imams and muderrises, around our leaders, around your mosques, and to make a personal contribution and participate in every good deed you are called to. And protect your mosques as sacred places, may Allah help you.

Once again, I express my happiness and joy that we have reached this anniversary. I hope there will be many more, that we will mark them in peace and that we will talk about our successes and contributions in everything that benefits people and that our Exalted Lord loves. I ask Almighty Allah to reward abundantly those who initiated these processes, who lead them, and who participate in them in any way.

Allah will reward those who strive and spend in His cause and fight – forgive them and admit them into the gardens of His mercy. Love each other, brothers and sisters, accept each other and take care of each other, may Allah reward you!

May our 30th anniversary of the Mešihat be happy and blessed, one of the pillars of the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the pride of all Bosniaks. Thank you!”