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156 SMAIL BALICIT~~ Cultural Achievements of Bosnian Muslims languages coincides with the period of their most powerful influence on affairs of state, from 1544 to 1612. Writers in Arabic The Bosnian-Herzegovinian Muslims were interested in the Arabic language chiefly for religious reasons. They aimed to teach every child at least to read and write vocalized Arabic texts," so that they could read the Qury%n on their own, although this reading, more often than not, was purely mechanical. However, knowledge of this alphabet proved most useful, because not only were Arabic, Turkish, and Persian written in Arabic characters, but their native Croatian was as well. The primacy of the religious interest helped considerably to determine the type of literature produced in Arabic. The predominant subjects were religion, pedagogy and mysticism, followed by the history of Islam and Arabic philology. The following Bosniaks wrote distinguished commentaries on orthodox religious manuals: MawlH 'Abd-al-Karim (d. 1471), Hasan ibn Turkhh al-KHfi al-Agisiiri (d. 16 l6), DiyH'-al-Din Bayiidi-ZMe (d. 1686), Musfafa ibn Yiisuf al-Mostiiri Ayyiibi-Ziide (called Shaykh Yuyo) (d. 1707), Ahmad Khiitam ibn Shahdi Akowali-ZHde (d. 1754), Musiifa Sidlp Kara-Beg (murdered l878), Hasan Spaho (184 1-1915) and Sayfall& al-Bosnawi Proho (1859-1932). Original religious works were writtenby al-Al@is%i, Diy3'-al-Din al-Mostiiri (d. 1679) and Ayyiibi-ZMe. Mystical works were more highly valued in the Orient than were scholastic treatises. Some of the former, such as the commentaries of 'Abd 'Abdi ibn Muhammad al-Bosnawi (d. 1644), remain for ever linked to the history of Islamic mysticism and are classics of this type of literature. The two volumes of al-Bosnawi's commentaries on the famous work FUSUS al-Hikxm (Jewels of Wisdom) by Muhyi-al-Din ibn 'Arabi (d. 1240) were <strong>print</strong>ed in Cairo in 1837 and in Istanbul in 1873. This work of al-Bosnawi had been copied by hand and enjoyed great popularity, and the Bosnian scholar himself is generally known as "Shkib al-Fusiis", i.e. the commentator on the famous work of Ibn 'Arabi. Equally valuable are the mystical commentaries of Niirall& Muniri al- Beligrdi al-Bosnawi (d. 1617), of IbrZhim ibn Timiir al-Bosnawi (d. after 1618), and of 'Ali-Dede ibn al-Hiijj Mustafa 'Alii7-al-Din al-Bosnawi (died in battle in 1598), who is also known for a didactic work on Islamic history. In politics and philosophy, remarkable essays were written by Burhhal-Din ibn IbrFihim ibn Bakhshi-Dede Khalifah al-Bosnawi (d. 1565) and Hasan ibn Turkha al-KHfl al-Amisari. Works on jurisprudence and ritual took account of the practical requirements of everyday life. Apart from the scholastics and representatives of the orthodox conception of Islam, the following were active in this area: 'Ali ibn al-H2jj Mustafa (d. 1640), Musfafa al-Al&is%i (d. 1755), Muhammad Muhtashim Sha'b&-Zade (d. 1694) and Muhammad (Mehmed) Rafiq Effendi, the only Bosnian-born religious chief of all Muslims living in the Ottoman Empire (Shaykh al-Isl-m; d. 1872). I?iyB'-al-Din al-Most&i, whose collection
Islamic Studies 36:2, 3 (1 997) 157 of sound juridical expert opinions (Fatawa-'i Ahmadiyyah) became famous throughout the Balkans, was truly creative in his writings. In the field of Arabic philology, valuable contributions were made by Muhammad ibn MiisCi al-Sariyi (d. 1635), Mahmiid ibn Khalil al-Mostai (d. 1688), Ayyiibi-ZCide, Muhammad ibn Celebi (17 1 1 -69), Baysdi-Ziide and 'Ah Fahrni DiabiC (d. 191 8). M&mud ibn Khalil and Fahmi DiabiC, both from Mostar, were distinguished stylists, and their works are of permanent literary value. An important work on Arabic metrics was written by Mehmed 'Ariidi (d. 1673). The Bosniaks were not greatly interested in the natural sciences, and their contribution was limited to translating a number of scientific works from Arabic into Turkish. In this way, Akowali-Zade, for his translation of the work, al-Luma' ft 'Ilm al-Hisab and Darwish Hus- Boshn&, for his translation of the Lum 'at al-Fawa 'id, were reputed mathematicians. Muhammad Boshn* (dates unknown) translated the famous work on zoology, Hayat al- Hayawan by al-Damiri from Arabic into Turkish and Muhammad Rashid (HafizoviC) (d. 1865) translated a treatise on hygiene. Al-Suyiip (1445-1505), whose gifts shone in many disciplines, was made familiar to the Turks by two Bosniaks, Nasuh al-Mip@ (d. 1547) and 'Ali-Dede al-Bosnawi. In history, Mir Muhammad (Mehmed) 'Afwi (d. 1732) and Musfafa al- Khurami (also of the eighteenth century) were distinguished translators from Arabic into Turkish. Al-Al@isari wrote a political treatise, Usul al-Hikam ft Nizam al-'Alum, in which he was one of the first to recognize and point out, at the zenith of its power, the causes of the ultimate decline of the Ottoman Empire. This treatise became world famous. Muhammad ibn Miis2 al-Bosnawi al-Sarsyi (d. 1635) and Ayyiipi-Z2de were masters of logic, and also wrote literary works on Arabic rhetoric. In belles-lettres Bosniaks produced al-Risalah al-Qalamiyyah, an essay on the power of the written word, and al-Risalah al-Sayfiyyah, an essay on heroism, both written in rhymed prose by wmad Shams al-Din (d. 1575). After him, the best Arabic poet of Bosnian origin is Hasan ibn Mustafa Boshn* (al- Bosnawi), who lived in the later half of the eighteenth century. Writers in Persian In regard to both Persian culture and the language itself the Bosniaks considered themselves superior to their Turkish coreligionists. Perhaps they learned the language easily because of its Indo-European character. In any case, the best commentator on and interpreter of Persian classics in the Ottoman Empire was a Bosniak, Ahmad Siidi al-Bosnawi, who died in 1591 or 1592, and whose extensive and thorough works are still appreciated by scholars. The Turks seem to have been aware of this feeling of superiority of the Bosniaks; thus 'Umar Mu'allimNCiji (1880-1916), in the course of observations in which he (wrongly) accuses Siidi of having committed an error, says in his work Soyle, boyle that the Bosniaks fancy that theirs is the priority in the mastery of the Persian language.55
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