Duraru'l - hukkam with marginals of Belgrade mufti Ali - effendi

Abstract

Some cultural centres of Yugoslavia (such as Sarajevo, Belgrade, Zagreb, Skopje, Pristina and others) possess a considerable number of manuscripts written in Oriental languages.

The richest collections of manuscripts are kept in Sarajevo (Gazi Husrev-bey's Library and Oriental Institute). These works include almost all branches of science but the major part of them deals with Islamic law and judical philosophy. A number of ma­nuscripts are written by renowned jurists whose works were often used as basis for life practice in the Balkans. The collection of manuscripts in Oriental Institute conta­ins 27 copies of an large juristic work: "Duraru'l-hukkam", the author of which is the famous lawyer named Mulla Mohammad b. Faramerz, well-known by his other na­me Mulla Husraw the third of Sheik el-Islam Ottoman, from the reign of sultan Mehmed II Fatih (he ruled from 1451-1481).

Among these copies of "Duraru'l-hukkam" the most interesting one is that with marginal notes (registered in the Institute's Library under the number 3989). The notes were put down by the mufti of Belgrade Ali-effendi, an earlier native of Štip. This essay deals with that copy of  "Durar". In addition, short biographical da­ta about their author Mulla Husraw are given, too. The most important fact avail­able in this copy is the possibility of completing the biography of Ali-effendi, about whom was known only (from the work Osmanli muelifleri Brusali of Mehmed Tahir that he was "scholar from Belgrade who died in Carigrad in 1029 (1620)."

This article presents to us, somewhat, a completed biography of another scho­lar from this country as well as some new data regarding the history of these lands.