New Publication by the Oriental Institute UNSA: Translation of "The Beginning, the End, and the Worlds In Between" by Alauddin Ali-dede Bošnjak

We inform the academic community and the general public about a new publication by the Oriental Institute of the University of Sarajevo. The work in question is Muhā።ara al-’awā’il wa musāmara al-’awāḫir ("Lectures on the First Events and Conversations about the Last Events"), authored by ‘Alā’ al-Dīn ‘Alī-dede Bošnjak (1540–1598).

Originally written in Arabic, this text is now available for the first time in a complete translation into the Bosnian language. The translation, accompanied by a comprehensive study and commentary, was prepared by Dr. Berin Bajrić. This edition is the result of years of research and philological work conducted within a project at the Oriental Institute, which included translation and scholarly analysis based on an immanent approach to the original text.

The work represents a significant document of 16th-century Islamic intellectual history and a valuable contribution to Bosnian and Ottoman cultural heritage. The introductory study accompanying the translation contextualizes the author, the genre, and the work within the historical, cultural, and spiritual horizon of its time, highlighting its significance within the framework of Bosnian Oriental literature.

With this edition, primary source material is offered to the domestic and international academic community for further research in the fields of Arabic literature, the history of Bosnian literacy, Islamic theology, and Sufism. Returning to literature of this type is relevant from the perspective of cultural memory and the need to engage with traditional knowledge, particularly in the context of contemporary philosophical and theological discussions regarding the origin and purpose of human existence.