ŠEJHOVI MEHMED-EFENDIJE HANDŽIĆA

Abstract

December 2016 marks the 110th anniversary of the birth of one of the most eminent Bosnian alims ofthe twentieth century, Mehmed effendi Handžić. With respect to the fact that he has been the subject of interest in many works and studies, this paper aims at pointing to one segment of his life, unexplored so far. Namely, when discussing Mehmed effendi Handžić’s education and professors from whom he learned only their names are mentioned while no specific details about them are tackled. Hafiz Mehmed effendi Traljić, in his book Distinguished Bosniaks, presents, among others, the biographies of Bosnian alims from whom Handžić gained basic elementary and high school knowledge. However, Mehmed effendi Handžić gained a profile of an alim, which made him recognizable, just after studying at the prestigious Cairo University, Al-Azhar University. Therefore, besides his hard work, ambition and giftedness his success might be attributed to the sheikhs from whom he learned daily and with whom he spent his time. In addition to some of the most prominent muderrises from Bosnia and Herzegovina, in this paper, for the first time in the Bosnian language, we will present the biographical data of some of his most distinguished sheikhs, who had a strong impact on him in aspects of both science and organization.