Professor Dr Mesut Idriz

Prof. Dr. Mesut Idriz
(International University of Sarajevo)
01.10.2012
Yayasan Pahang Complex, Kuantan, Malaysia
Islamic Waqf Based higher educational institutions in the
Balkans should be divided into two:
During the Ottoman era(that is between 14-19 c.)
Post-Ottoman era (that is 20th c.)
Among others, these higher learning waqf instituons
in the Balkans existed in the following cities: Sarajevo,
Skopje, Bitola (Manastir), Plovdiv (Filibe), Shumen,
Edirne (Adrianapole), etc.
Examples:
From the Ottoman era: Among the oldest known waqf
based HE instituons are Gazi Husref Beg in Sarajevo
and Ishak Beg (Ishakiye) in Skopje
Gazi Husref Beg
From the Post-Ottoman era (that is 20th century) are
Meddah Medrese in Skopje (Macedonia) and Nuvvab
Medrese in Shumen (Bulgaria)
Nuvvab Medrese in Shumen (Bulgaria)
The differences in the educational system between the
Ottoman and Post-Ottoman era are as follows:
During the Ottoman er a: Courses were divided into
Ulum al-Aqliyye (Rational Sciences) and Ulum alNaqliyye (Transmitted Sciences).
Ulum al-Aqliyye consisted of the Natural and Applied
Sciences. Among the courses were Ilm al-Handasah
(Engineering), Tib (Medicine), Ilm al-Hisab
(Mathematics), Ilm al-Mantiq (Logic), etc.
Ulum al-Naqliyye consisted of the Islamic Religious
Sciences. Among the courses were Fiqh
(Jurisprudence), Hadith, Tafsir, etc.
During the Post-Ottoman era: Courses were devided
into two, too. Ulum al-Aqliyye (Rational Sciences) and
Ulum al-Naqliyye (Transmitted Sciences).
However, the courses of Ulum al-Aqliyye were Mantiq
(Logic), Nahw (Grammar), Sarf (Syntax), etc. Ilm alHandasah, Ilm al-Hisab, Al-Jibr (Algebra), Tib, and the
rest were left out of the curriculum.
As for the courses of Ulum al-Naqliyye, they remained
same as before.
How do we find out the above mentioned
differences???
Among the main and major source is the ijāzah obtained by
the scholars during and the Post-Ottoman era.
The term ‘ijāzah’ in Islamic pedagogy signifies generally a
‘licence to teach’, and more specifically refers to a
certificate issued by a professor in an institution of higher
learning to a student who has attended a course of lectures
to the professor’s satisfaction, and who is deemed
henceforth qualified to transmit the same subject to his own
students.
(For detailed information see my book :The Ijāzah of ‛Abdullah Fāhim:
A Unique Document from Islamic Education, (Kuala Lumpur: MPH
Publishing, 2007).
An Example of Ijāzah (first and last pages)
Idrīs Fahmī b. Sālih’s Original Ijāzah granted in 19th
Century in Skopje (Macedonia)
The Second source is the books found in the various
waqf libraries across the Balkan Islamic Higher
Educational Institutions, such as the famous Gazi
Husrev Beg Library , Ishak Beg Library, as well as the
individual libraries found in various scholars around
the Balkan states today.
Gazi Husrev Beg Library founded in 1537 in Sarajevo
THANK YOU
&
WASSALAM