The Islamic Community of Kosovo (ICK; sq, Bashkësia Islame e Kosovës), is an independent
religious organization
Religious activities generally need some infrastructure to be conducted. For this reason, there generally exist religion-supporting organizations, which are some form of organization that manages:
* the upkeep of places of worship, such as ...
of
Muslims
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abraha ...
in Kosovo and the
Preshevo Valley. The community's headquarters are located in
Pristina
Pristina, ; sr, / (, ) is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. The city's municipal boundaries in Pristina District form the largest urban center in Kosovo. After Tirana, Pristina has the second largest population of ethnic Albanians and ...
and their current leader, the
Grand Mufti
The Grand Mufti (also called Chief Mufti, State Mufti and Supreme Mufti) is the head of regional muftis, Islamic jurisconsults, of a state. The office originated in the early modern era in the Ottoman empire and has been later adopted in a num ...
( sq, Kryemyftiu), is
Naim Tërnava
Naim (also spelled Na'im, Nayeem, Naeem, Naiem, Nahim, Naheem, Nyhiem, Nihiem, Nyheim, Niheem, or Nahiem) ( ar, نعیم, he, נעים) is a male given name and surname.
Notable persons with the name include:
* Naim ibn Hammad (died 843 AD), ...
.
History
Organized Islamic activities have taken place in
Kosovo
Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...
since the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
ruled over the region. All Muslims of the empire were part of the Islamic community, which was headed by the
Sultan
Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it ...
.
During the reign of Sultan Murad II, responsibilities of the caliph were transferred to the ''Grand Mufti.'' Since then, the Grand Mufti was given the honorific scholarly title ''Sheykhul-Islam'' and considered the highest religious authority within the Ottoman Empire. Additionally, every region inhabited by Muslims has had its own mufti. Each regional mufti was subordinate to the Sheykhul-Islam.
During the period 1941 to 1956, the faith community in Kosova joined the Albanian Muslim community ( sq, Komuniteti Mysliman i Shqipërisë, which was headed by the ''Grand Mufti'' based in Tirana.
After the First World War, Kosovo was placed under the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes. The Islamic community of the kingdom was headed by ''Reis-ul-ulama'', based in Sarajevo. The responsibility of the ''Reis-ul-ulama'' was to organize Muslim religious life in
Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and He ...
,
Herzegovina
Herzegovina ( or ; sh-Latn-Cyrl, Hercegovina, separator=" / ", Херцеговина, ) is the southern and smaller of two main geographical region of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being Bosnia. It has never had strictly defined geogra ...
,
Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
, and
Slovenia
Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...
. In contrast, in
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
,
Montenegro
)
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, map_caption =
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, capital = Podgorica
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, official_languages = M ...
,
Vardar Macedonia
Vardar Macedonia ( Macedonian and sr, Вардарска Македонија, ''Vardarska Makedonija'') was the name given to the territory of the Kingdom of Serbia (1912–1918) and Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1918–1941) roughly corresponding to t ...
, and Kosovo, Muslim religious life was organized by the ''Supreme Mufti'', subordinate to the ''Reis-ul-ulama'' whose office was in Belgrade.
After the creation of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, the responsibilities of the ''Supreme Mufti'' were transferred to the ''Ulama Majlis'' in
Skopje
Skopje ( , , ; mk, Скопје ; sq, Shkup) is the capital and largest city of North Macedonia. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre.
The territory of Skopje has been inhabited since at least 4000 BC; r ...
and the responsibilities of the ''Reis-ul-ulama'' were transferred to the ''Ulama Majlis'' in Sarajevo. The newly established ''Ulama Majlises'' formed the Rijaset of Islamic community, with its head office in Sarajevo.
After the Second World War, the Islamic community of Kosovo became part of the Islamic community of Serbia, based in Pristina. The Islamic community of Serbia was part of the Islamic community of Yugoslav Federation (''Rijaset''), based in Sarajevo. The Islamic community of Kosovo then declared independence from the ''Rijaset'' on 11 December 1993.
Kosovo Conflict (1998-1999)
The central historical archive belonging to the Islamic Community of Kosovo containing community records spaning 500 years was burned down on June 13, 1999 by Yugoslav Serb police after an armistice and some hours prior to the coming of NATO peacekeeping troops to Prishtinë.
The Hadum Suleiman Aga library (founded 1595) in Gjakovë, was burned down (March 24) by Yugoslav Serb troops resulting in the loss of the regional archives of the Islamic Community spanning to the 17th century.
[ "By the end of the eleven week war.... Among them was the Islamic endowment (waqf) library of Hadum Suleiman Aga in the western Kosovo town of Gjakova/Djakovica, founded in 1595 and burned by Serb troops at the end of March 1999.... Another irretrievable loss was that of the central historical archive of the Islamic Community of Kosovo, in Priština, with community records going back more than five hundred years, which was burned by Serbian police on June 13, 1999, after the armistice and just hours before the arrival of the first NATO peacekeeping troops in the city (Riedlmayer, 2000)."][ "The burning on 24 March of the library of Hadum Suleiman Aga in Djakovica with holdings of ca. 200 manuscripts and 1,300 rare books in Ottoman Turkish, Arabic and Aljamiado (Albanian in Arabic script), and the regional archives of the Islamic Community (KBI) with records going back to the 17th century."]
Modern period
On 26 November 2019,
an earthquake struck Albania. The Islamic Community of Kosovo organised a fundraising effort on 29 November after
Friday prayers
In Islam, Friday prayer or Congregational prayer ( ar, صَلَاة ٱلْجُمُعَة, ') is a prayer ('' ṣalāt'') that Muslims hold every Friday, after noon instead of the Zuhr prayer. Muslims ordinarily pray five times each day according ...
across all its mosques within the country and sent several convoys of aid to earthquake victims.
Structure
![Islamic Community of Kosovo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Islamic_Community_of_Kosovo.png)
The Islamic community of Kosovo is divided into 8 regions (Councils of Islamic Community):
* Council of Islamic Community of Prishtinë
* Council of Islamic Community of Gjilan
* Council of Islamic Community of Mitrovicë
* Council of Islamic Community of Prizren
* Council of Islamic Community of Pejë
* Council of Islamic Community of Gjakovë
* Council of Islamic Community of Preshevë (
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
)
See also
*
Islam in Kosovo
Islam in Kosovo has a long-standing tradition dating back to the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman conquest of the Balkans. Before the Battle of Kosovo in 1389, the entire Balkan region had been Christianized by both the Roman Empire, Western and Byzantine ...
*
Religion in Kosovo
Religion in Kosovo is separated from the state. The Constitution establishes Kosovo as a secular state that is neutral in matters of religious beliefs and where everyone is equal before the law and freedom to belief, conscience and religion is ...
*
Muslim Community of Albania
The Muslim Community of Albania (KMSH; sq, Komuniteti Mysliman i Shqipërisë) is an independent religious organisation of Muslims in Albania existing since February 24, 1923. The headquarters of the community are located in Tirana and the curre ...
*
List of mosques in Kosovo
References
Sources
I.C.K. Official Website
{{Authority control
Islam in Kosovo
Islamic organizations established in 1993