Sarajevo: Central ceremony held on the occasion of the New 1447 Hijri Year

(Patria) - The central ceremony of the Riyaset of the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina on the occasion of the New 1447 Hijri Year was held this evening at the Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque in Sarajevo.

The present believers were addressed by the Director of the Administration for Religious Affairs of the Riyaset of the Islamic Community in BiH, hafiz dr. Mensur-ef. Malkić, and the Chief Imam of the Majlis of the Islamic Community Sarajevo, dr. Abdulgafar Velić, while a fitting lecture was given by the Deputy Rais al-Ulama, prof. dr. Enes ef. Ljevaković, who conveyed a strong message to the gathered believers about the significance of the Hijra – both in the historical and contemporary context.

Speaking about the profound transformations brought about by the Hijra, Ljevaković emphasized that it was a moment of crucial social and spiritual reform.

– The commemoration of the Hijra of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, primarily reminds us of the positive, deep, thorough, and comprehensive social change and reform in almost all spheres of life that it brought about and of which it was the result – said the Deputy Rais al-Ulama.

He added that the migration from Mecca to Medina was necessary due to the inability to freely practice religion, but also a test of the community's maturity.

– The Hijra, in the sense of physical migration from one environment, place, territory, to another, was an expression of necessity and need. Necessity due to the lack of freedom, the violent turning away from the religion that Muhammad, peace be upon him, announced – said Ljevaković, stating that the Hijra was also the final test of the readiness and capability of the community, which had been built, tempered, and educated in Mecca for thirteen years, to take responsibility for building the Ummah on the values of Tawhid (monotheism).

He explained that the arrival of the Prophet in Medina marked the beginning of the systematic organization of the Muslim community, and mentioned the most important steps and measures he took in Yathrib/Medina after his arrival.

He stated that a meticulously chosen site and the construction of a mosque as a place of worship, gathering, consultation, and education for Muslim men and women were undertaken, followed by the brotherhood established between the Muhajirun (emigrants) and Ansar (helpers) as a key factor and prerequisite for the internal cohesion and unity of the Muslim community, and that the normative regulation of the community and society began through the Constitution of Medina – the Charter and the organization of the most important public services.

Speaking about the meaning of the Hijra today, the Deputy Rais al-Ulama conveyed that for us, in this time and circumstances, it symbolizes the struggle for freedom, for the homeland, for the human rights of all people, regardless of their religious, ethnic, racial, and other differences.

– It symbolizes the struggle for return and repatriation from emigration, for the right of the displaced to return to their homes, to their courtyards, to their land, the struggle for truth and justice, the struggle to find and identify missing and murdered persons, to bury them with dignity, the struggle that the genocide in Srebrenica and other places, as well as other crimes, are not forgotten and do not happen to anyone, the struggle not to deny court verdicts on genocide, the struggle for better living conditions, for quality education, for more humane relations in society, for a clean environment, for a healthy lifestyle, for the unity and stability of our Islamic Community. With the intention of making an effort on this path, it gains the value of Hijra – said Ljevaković.

He specifically addressed the current situation in Palestine, stating that these days and in recent months, the Muslims of Gaza and other parts of Palestine, defending their very lives and the right to survival on their land from brutal aggression, are best confirming the meaning of the Hijra after the Fath – the conquest of Mecca.

– I pray to Allah that the New Hijri Year brings us all new blessings, new hope, new joys, new progress on a personal and collective level, that it brings peace to us and to the world, especially peace and security to the inhabitants of Gaza and all of Palestine – said the Deputy Rais al-Ulama.

The Hijra, as a key event, as a turning point in the life, position, and status of the Muslim community, was recognized by Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab, who designated it as the beginning of the year in the Muslim, Hijri calendar. The Hijra occurred in 622 AD and marks the migration of Muhammad, peace be upon him, and the first Muslims from Mecca to Medina.