Funeral prayer held in Sarajevo for Sheikh Halil Brzina: 'Teachers like him are a vital need for us today'

(Patria) - The funeral prayer for Halil Brzina, sheikh of the Naqshbandi Tekke in Mejtaš, Sarajevo, and retired general of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, was held today in the courtyard of the Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque.

The funeral prayer was led by the Grand Mufti of the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Husein-ef. Kavazović.



- We are bidding farewell to a ghazi and a sheikh. We are saddened by his departure, and the void left behind can be filled with memories, but it cannot be compensated - Kavazović stated.

He emphasised that Sheikh Brzina's life was filled with constant struggle and self-examination, aimed at blunting the edge of evil and opening paths to good.



- We bear witness that he was a ghazi and that in life he gave much more than he took. In his conviction and in what he did, he was persistent and unwavering.

He used every opportunity to advocate for all of us, to help and encourage. Teachers like him are a vital need for us today - the Grand Mufti conveyed.

Sheikh Brzina was born in 1953 in Stolac. After completing his studies, he worked at the Zenica Ironworks, and at the beginning of the aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina, he actively became involved in the defence of the country.



During the aggression, he was one of the key figures in the formation of the Seventh Muslim Brigade, an elite unit of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, known for its strong religious and moral code of conduct.

In religious and military circles, he was also known by his spiritual name Halil Hulusi Naqshbandi al-Bosnawi.

After the aggression, he was appointed commander of the First Corps of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but due to deteriorating health, he soon withdrew and went into early retirement.



He played a significant role in the construction and restoration of several mosques and tekkes.

For his contribution to the defence of Bosnia and Herzegovina, he was awarded the highest wartime honours, among which the "Golden Coat of Arms with Swords" stands out, personally presented to him by President Alija Izetbegović in 1998.

He passed away at the age of 72 at the Clinical Centre of the University of Sarajevo, where he had been undergoing treatment in recent weeks.