Balkans | Ramadan Tradition in Sarajevo: Children and Women Reciprocate

In Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the spirit of Ramadan is felt deeply in the hearts of both children and women.

While school-going children read at Sarajevo’s Lozani Mosque, women’s response, one of the country’s centuries-old Ramadan traditions, continues this year at the capital’s Haji Mosque.

Imam Sened Isakovich told Anadolu Agency (AA) that there were about 250 students in the school regarding the child response that was held for the first time in the Lozani Mosque.

Isakovich said: “Some imams respond to the child every Ramadan. We also started this year in Ramadan. Every day, after the Asr prayer, we read to the students of our schools. He said.

Explaining that the children come to the mosque after school, Isakovich said: “Most of the children fast. Sometimes they are tired, but they don’t stop reading the Qur’an.” He said.

30 children come on weekdays and 60 on weekends, Isakovich said, “The most important thing for me is for the children to feel warmth and love of belonging. It is very important for the child to feel that he belongs here and that he is part of it.” Use phrases.

“The mosque is the most beautiful place in the world”

Fifteen-year-old Isaac Mahmudovich said he had been listening to Revenge since the second grade and said, “Now I am reading Reciprocity. I have been coming to the mosque for as long as I can.” He said.

He wants to be a memorizer when he grows up, Mahmudovich said, “I started hafza. I told the imam that I wanted to read the Qur’an better. I memorized ten pages of Surat al-Baqarah.” He said.

“The mosque is the most beautiful place in the world for me,” Mahmudovich said, expressing his happiness at participating in the children’s response that was held in their mosque for the first time. He rated it.

Sarajevo’s centuries-old tradition: women’s response

After the forced separation from the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1992-1995, the response, which began to be read again 16 years ago, brings together dozens of women this year.

Elimana Gudinjak, one of the women who read the response, said, “The response of women in the Hajj Mosque has a history of 70 years, but it is known that this response has been going on for more than 120 years in Bosnia and Herzegovina.” He said.

Explaining that the response is read by 10 Hafiz women every day after the noon prayer, Gudinjak said that women from all over Sarajevo met at the historic mosque to follow the response.

Gudinjak stated that the response of women is one of the most beautiful Ramadan traditions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and emphasized that such examples are not common in other countries.

Mubina Seljic also stated that she participated in the response in the Haji Mosque for two years and said, “I heard the reaction of women a lot, but last year I had the opportunity to participate. I am very happy to participate this year as well.” Use phrases.

The Pilgrim Mosque in the capital, where the tradition of women’s response is preserved, was built by Vekil Harç between 1541 and 1561. In the past, the mosque was also used as a farewell place for Sarajevo pilgrims.

The mosque, which was damaged in the great fire that broke out in Sarajevo in 1697, was restored by the residents of the neighborhood and reopened for worship.

AA