Hfz. Sulejman Šarac (1816 – 10 February 1895) was a Bosnian cleric who served as the Grand Mufti for Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1910 to 1912.

Biography

He was born in

Stolac Stolac ( sr-Cyrl, Столац) is an ancient city located in Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in the region of Herzegovina. Stolac is one of the oldest cit ...

, where he completed his primary school and earned the title of hafiz. He graduated higher education in

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

in 1878. Upon his return to

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...

in 1879, he was appointed mufti of

Bihać Bihać is a city and the administrative centre of Una-Sana Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated on the banks of river Una (Sava), Una in northwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina, in th ...

, a position he remained in until 1887, after which he was appointed a professor and later principal of the Sheria School of Judges in Sarajevo. He actively participated in the movement for religious and religious-educational autonomy of Muslims in Bosnia and Herzegovina, for which

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...

greatly resented him and the then Provincial Government in Bosnia and Herzegovina transferred him to the Supreme Sharia Court. However, his reputation and popularity grew quickly, and after the victory for religious and religious-educational autonomy, he was unanimously elected as the Grand Mufti for Bosnia and Herzegovina. Hfz. Sulejman ef. Šarac was the first Bosnian Grand Mufti elected by the people. His election was not to the liking of Austria-Hungary, which, after two years of work, forced him to resign through the same Curia of Clerics (''Hodžinska kurija'') that had unanimously elected him two years earlier. After an ultimatum from the Provincial Government in Bosnia and Herzegovina to resign within eight days, hfz. Sulejman Šarac resigned from the position of Grand Mufti in August 1912. After that, he devoted himself to his family and science. He died on December 27, 1927 in Sarajevo.

References

External links

Sulejman Šarac – reisu-l-ulema koji nije bio po volji austrougarskog režima

Hafiz Sulejman-ef. Šarac, prvi reis kojeg je izabrao bošnjački narod
, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Sulejaman Sarac 1850 births 1927 deaths People from Stolac Bosniaks of Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina Sunni Muslims Grand Muftis of Bosnia and Herzegovina