Besmir Yvejsi, Kosovo
An ancestry of Islamic scholars in Kosovo
In 2015, after deep research and heartfelt prayers to Allah for guidance, I accepted Islam Ahmadiyyat. Before that, I had been misled by Islamic scholars who completely distorted the truth about Ahmadiyyat.
Before I share my story of accepting Ahmadiyyat, it’s important to mention that my family has a long and rich history of producing Islamic scholars in Kosovo – some of whom I will highlight in this account.
The history of my family, as far as is known and recorded, begins with Hafiz Yvejs (أُوَيْسْ) Efendi, the son of Hafiz Yahya Efendi, born around 1670 in Gjakova, Kosovo. He was among the most prominent Islamic scholars of his time and had the title Hafiz (memoriser of the Holy Quran). He was also an outstanding poet of his time and is known as the writer of the first poem in Kosovo in the Albanian language with the Arabic script, written in 1699.
After 1700, he founded the Islamic madrassa of Gjakova and was its first principal as well as a mudarris (teacher). Later, he also founded the first library of the city of Gjakova in 1733. He left behind five sons who were prominent maulvis (Muslim scholars) of the time and who pushed for the spread of Islam in Gjakova for the next two centuries.
His grandson, Hafiz Ismail Yvejsi was also the principal of the madrassa, hafiz of the Quran, a prominent scholar of his time, and the Mufti of Gjakova from around 1875-1885. Ismail Yvejsi also became a well-respected national leader for the rights of Albanians within the Ottoman Empire.
Ismail Efendi’s brother was Hafiz Muhammadi Efendi, who was a hafiz of the Quran and became the principal at the madrassa of Gjakova. He served as an Imam in several mosques in the city of Gjakova. He left behind four sons, all of them became scholars and two of them memorised the Holy Quran. One of the sons of Hafiz Muhammadi was Abdurrahim Efendi; who was a great scholar of his time and served as an Imam in several mosques. He left behind four sons, all of them were also maulvis, and two of them were hafiz of the Quran.
So, for two generations there were eight maulvis (Islamic scholars) in one family, which marks a special case in the history of Islam in Kosovo and abroad. The youngest of his sons was Hafiz Selim Yvejsi (my grandfather), who was a hafiz of the Quran, an Imam, khatib (preacher) and a mu‘allim (teacher) for over 50 years in several mosques in Gjakova. He left behind four children, two sons and two daughters. One of his sons was my late father Mexhid Yvejsi (مَجِيدْ أُوَيْسِي) who followed in the footsteps of his ancestors in the field of religious tradition. My father was also an Imam and assistant Imam in Rome, Italy, New York City and Gjakova. He dealt with writings, translations, and analysis of Albanian literature, history, religion and cultural issues. He was a passionate scholar of the Islamic religion and an expert in the comparison of religions and Sufi traditions in Islam. He was an established poet and published over 20 books and over two thousand different writings. May God have mercy on all my ancestors! Amin!
My journey in the Islamic sciences
Inspired by my family’s rich history in Islamic studies, I chose to pursue my high school education at a madrassa. However, the madrassa in Gjakova was forcibly closed by the communist regime in 1948, after World War II. Later, during the Kosovo-Serbia war in 1999, it was completely burned down and destroyed. As a result, I decided to continue my religious studies at the “Alaud-din” madrassa in Prishtina in 2001, where I graduated in 2005.
Studying Islamic theology at the madrassa felt like a significant responsibility, as I not only had to prepare for my future religious duties but also had to uphold my family’s legacy, which had produced over 30 prominent Islamic scholars in the past three centuries. After completing the madrassa, I took a six-year break before continuing my education. In 2011, I enrolled in the Faculty of Islamic Studies in Prishtina to pursue my bachelor’s degree. During this time, I began to reflect more deeply on certain unanswered questions, prompting me to consider more serious research.
From a young age, I had heard about Islam Ahmadiyyat during madrassa through books written by my professors. At that time, being young and not yet engaged in deeper research, I accepted everything my professors taught me. However, as I grew older and developed my own thought processes and opinions, particularly during my studies at the faculty, I stopped relying solely on my professors’ teachings about Ahmadiyyat and other Islamic sects. Instead, I began to study these topics more extensively on my own by meeting with, talking to, and reading first-hand literature from followers of these sects.
The description of my professors – one of whom is now the Grand Mufti of the Republic of Kosovo – regarding Ahmadiyyat was approximately in these words:
“They are the offspring and product of British colonialism; they were created to mock the Islamic religion; they do not believe the Quran and they have another or a new Quran; they don’t pray towards the Ka’bah in Mecca or perform Hajj like we do, but they pray towards Qadian and perform Hajj in India; they don’t believe in the Prophet Muhammadsa as the last prophet.”
Concerning Ahmadis, I was told they were very dangerous people and that I should avoid them and their literature. If they offered me any books or materials, I was advised to immediately destroy them – throw them in the trash or burn them – because reading their literature would lead me astray. They were described as immoral, dirty, careless, and their prayers were said to be invalid. These labels were based on racism, religious, and ethnic intolerance. (May Allah protect us from such harmful thoughts! Amin!)
However, the logical principle that has always preoccupied me has been: “If I continue to believe the statements of my professors about Ahmadiyya and Ahmadis without ever meeting and talking to them, then I am not practising the Quranic verse that says:
يٰۤاَيُّہَا الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡۤا اِنۡ جَآءَکُمۡ فَاسِقٌۢ بِنَبَاٍ فَتَبَيَّنُوۡۤا اَنۡ تُصِيۡبُوۡا قَوۡمًۢا بِجَہَالَةٍ فَتُصۡبِحُوۡا عَلٰي مَا فَعَلۡتُمۡ نٰدِمِيۡنَ
“O ye who believe! if an unrighteous person brings you any news, ascertain [the correctness of the report] fully, lest you harm a people in ignorance, and then become repentant for what you have done.” (Surah al-Hujurat, Ch.49: V.7)
Why should I trust only one side of the story and not the other, especially when this goes against the principles of the Quran? The moment I met the Ahmadis and thoroughly studied the teachings of Islam Ahmadiyyat, the web of lies spun by my professors was unveiled.
In my fourth year of studies, on a Friday in early February 2015, a fellow maulvi, who was a friend of mine, invited me to attend Friday prayers at the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat Centre in Prishtina, Kosovo. I accepted his invitation, and alhamdulillah (praise be to Allah), that Friday was a blessed turning point in my life and faith.
After meeting members of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat in Kosovo, all of whom were native Albanian Ahmadi Muslims, I began revisiting the foundational literature of Ahmadiyyat. Everything I had been taught by my Muslim professors at the Islamic faculty about Ahmadiyyat, turned out to be false! I realised this was the community of Allah!
My studies grew deeper and more consistent, and alongside this, my prayers increased as well. I regularly met with Ahmadis, participated in their activities, and read the books of the Promised Messiahas, his Khulafa, and other Jamaat authors. I also shared meals, fasted, and prayed with Ahmadis. What my professors had told me about Ahmadiyyat and the Ahmadis was entirely baseless and false.
Finally, on 15 August 2015, I made my decision. While reading an Albanian leaflet titled “I am the Light of this Dark Age,” I came across the words of the Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, the Promised Messiahas in which he said that whoever tried to destroy him would instead be destroyed by Allah and that anyone who tried to defame him would ultimately be ashamed themselves and fail.
These words deeply affected my soul, and I said to myself that these words are not from a simple man but from a man of God who does not speak from himself. I thought that from this moment, I want to be his believer and follower.
Afterwards, I prayed two rakaats of nawafil prayer and thanked Allah the Almighty for guiding me and opening my heart after the many efforts I had made to find the Truth. Then I went to meet the Alban Zaqiraj Sahib at the Centre of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat in Prishtina.
Since that first meeting, he stood close to me, helping me and guiding me in every question I had. With tears in my eyes, I shared my decision to accept the statements and claims of the Promised Messiahas, to recognise that this Jamaat is the true Community of Allah, and to join the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat. After congratulating me and welcoming me, mu‘allim Alban Sahib said: “Besmir Sahib! Your decision aligns with the acceptance of prayers by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa to whom we sent a letter some time ago, asking for your guidance toward the Jamaat.” I quietly said to myself, “Allahu Akbar (God is the greatest)! Alhamdulillah! (Glory be to Allah).”
The changes in me after accepting Ahmadiyyat were profound. I became a more devoted husband and parent, a more trustworthy companion and friend, and a deeper researcher. I worked hard to present Islam Ahmadiyyat in the best way possible, sharing it with my family members and colleagues from the madrassa and faculty, many of whom held leadership positions in the Islamic Community of Kosovo.
I told my respected wife about my ongoing meetings with the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat and the decision I had made to join this Community of Allah. I vividly remember her words: “I respect the decision you’ve made! Just promise me there will be no pressure on me regarding faith, and that it won’t cause any problems at home. May God protect you!” I gently replied, “My dear wife, if God wills, I will not put any pressure on you. However, I encourage you to read the books of the Jamaat. I will undoubtedly face pressure and opposition because of my decision, and you must be prepared for these challenges. If you don’t familiarise yourself with the Jamaat’s teachings, you won’t understand the path I have chosen, and as a result, you might be swayed by the words of our adversaries, which could weaken our marriage.”
While some accepted my decision and guidance, the majority opposed it. They launched active campaigns against me on social media, mocking, slandering, threatening, and persecuting me in various ways. By the grace of Allah the Almighty, I endured these trials with patience and prayer. These challenges only strengthened my faith and resolve on my spiritual journey, alhamdulillah.