Abdullah Numan

Abdullah Numan
Абдулах Нуман
TitleMufti of Serbia
Personal life
Born
Ivan Trifunović,

1950 (age 73–74)
NationalitySerbian-Australian
SpouseRazija Numan
Children2
Alma materUniversity of Melbourne
Religious life
ReligionIslam
DenominationSunni
Muslim leader
TeacherHamdija Jusufspahić
Present postMufti of Serbia
Period in officeJune 2016 – present
PredecessorMuhamed Jusufspahić

Abdullah Numan (Serbian Cyrillic: Абдулах Нуман; born 1950) (also spelled Abdullah Nu'man, Arabic: عبدالله نعمان) is a Serbian-Australian academic and Islamic cleric currently serving as Mufti of Serbia.

Biography

Born in Belgrade, SR Serbia in 1950 as Ivan Trifunović into a Serbian Orthodox family. Trifunović first encountered an Arab Muslim exchange student in Belgrade's Republic Square in 1969 who lent him money. This experience and love of the counter-culture inspired Trifunović and four friends to explore the orient, boarding a train first to Istanbul, reaching Nepal before they had depleted their funds. His friends returned home, whilst Trifunović having been deported from Nepal, embarked on a six-month journey throughout India. During his travels Trifunović underwent an Islamic conversion in Rajasthan, where he was conferred the Muslim name Abdullah Numan.[1]

Upon his returned from India, Numan encountered opposition to his conversion to Islam from family members, though his aunt and actress, Ružica Sokić did support his right to practice his faith and encouraged her nephews spiritual development. Numan began attending Bajraki Mosque soon befriending the Mufti of Serbia, Hamdija Jusufspahić, who appointed him as his personal secretary, thus becoming his primary mentor.[2]

Once competing compulsory military service in 1975, Numan married Razija, an Australian from Melbourne whom he had met in Belgrade. The couple relocate to Melbourne where Numan completed four university diplomas in: Islamic studies, Philosophy, Sociology and Business Management. He completed his postgraduate studies at the University of Melbourne in 1982 with the topic "Understanding God and His Names and Properties in Islamic Theology from Hassan al-Basri to Ghazali", later completing his doctoral dissertation on "The Concept of the Individual and Community in Islam".[2]

Numan worked as a university lecturer in Australia before returning to Serbia. In June 2016 the Supreme Assembly of the Islamic Community of Serbia convened in Novi Pazar. Following a schism in the community the entire Riyaset of Serbia, headed by Reis-ul-ulema (Grand Mufti) Adem Zilkić, was dismissed. Sead Nasufović was appointed the new Reis-ul-ulema, whilst Numan was appointed to serve a five-year term as the Mufti of Serbia replacing Muhamed Jusufspahić.[3]

References

  1. ^ "Numan, Beograđanin sa četiri fakulteta". balkans.aljazeera.net (in Bosnian). Retrieved 2021-02-07.
  2. ^ a b Pivljanin, Ranko. "INTERVJU Abdulah Numan, muftija srbijanski: Niko ne sme da ubija u ime vere". Blic.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 2021-02-07.
  3. ^ Serbia, RTS, Radio televizija Srbije, Radio Television of. "Sead Nasufović novi reis Islamske zajednice Srbije". www.rts.rs. Retrieved 2021-02-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)