The “Muslim denomination” topic is very important because it becomes an issue for approximately one million and half of followers of Islam who live from centuries within the limits of Bulgaria. Therefore it is always an object of interest not only for the Muslims living in the country but often appear as a problem at the international stage as well, the subject had had well notably a point in the relations between Bulgaria and Turkey.

The number of Muslims stays huge within the limits of Princedom Bulgaria after its establishment. In the first years the Muslim community is one of the questions of present interest, for which is looking a place in the newly created political, cultural and economic conditions. As being known, Bulgaria gains its national autonomy de facto after the concluding of the San Stefano peace treaty in 3 March 1878 between Russia and the Ottoman Empire. Even though is being stipulated in this contract (art.7), that Bulgaria will observe the Muslims rights, going in her territory, within the very treaty the issue is not heard in details and the question for the religious organization of this community is not put. The international treaty, concluded on 13 July 1878 in Berlin affects in general lines the rights and freedoms of the minorities that stay in Princedom Bulgaria by giving also some details in the very. Article 5 of the Berlin treaty admits the minorities that pertain to different religions and mainstreams, as well as giving them the right to establish their public organizations by having an opportunity to be in permanent contact with their religious leaders.

At that time the religious Muslims’ leader in Bulgaria is the sheikh ul-Islam that is located in Istanbul. According to the requirements of the Berlin treaty the Bulgarian Muslims have an opportunity to establish their organization in the country as well as maintaining their connections and relations with sheikh ul-Islam.

The rights and the deeds of the Muslim denomination are mentioned also in the article 42 of the Tarnovo constitution of Princedom Bulgaria. On the basis of this constitution of the country "Temporary rules for religious management of the Christians, the Muslims of the Jews" are being accepted and based on these rules as well as on the centuries-old Muslim custom are starting to be formed the new or to adapting for the existing new circumstances facing the Muslim institutions. Even in 1880 the Muslim population has chosen ten regional muftis with headquarters in cities, where live more Muslims. For a mediator between the regional muftis and the Bulgarian government or sheikh ul-Islam used to be the mufti of Sofia, who is later called "central mufti". In the following 15 years the Muslim denomination is being captained according to the above mentioned rules, and as late as in 15 September 1895 the prince with a Decree No 63 approves a “Temporary statute for rule of religious works of the Muslims”. This statute had not been confronted with a beloved heart by the Muslim community, because at some points it had stinted the rights to the Muslims, especially the appointment of the muftis by the government has been taken as closely intervention in the autonomy of the denomination.

Until declaring the autonomy of Bulgaria the Muslim denomination has been for 30 years conducted at these normative documents, by having at the same time a connection with the sheikh ul-Islam in the Ottoman Empire.

When in 19 April 1909 in Istanbul a contract between the Ottoman government and Bulgaria that approves the autonomy of Bulgaria was signed up, a statement that to of the same day is to this proceeding secured. This statement that affects the rights of the Muslim community and the waqf right-real estates is irrevocable part of the same contract. The issue for the muftis in Bulgaria already is being also heard in this settlement bilaterally. E. g. Bulgarian and Turkish Governments sign agreement in view of deciding the issue of the muftis in Bulgaria. According to article 1 of this Statement in the capital will be established General Mufti. The general mufti will be elected amid the muftis in Bulgaria for 5 years deadline. But this choice doesn't make a mufti mechanically head mufti. It is necessary that the Bulgarian government turns to the government of the Ottoman Empire and to get the approval of the sheikh ul-Islam. By issuing the corresponding decree the sheikh ul-Islam approves the newly elected general mufti and sends him the so called "Murasele-I sheriyye” /Shari’ah message/, with which the right to authorize the rest of the muftis in the country is being admitted. By this manner the Istanbul contract revokes the authorities that the Ministry of External Affairs and the denominations had for appointment and firing the muftis.

Based on these new agreements in 1910 the Regional Mufti Sofia General is elected to be Hodjazade Mehmed Muhiddin.
At the end of the Balkan wars on 29 September 1913 between Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire was signed out a peace treaty. To this contract was attached another agreement in which the issue of muftis is being heard further more in details. This document that is being mentioned as "Agreement for the muftis” in the diplomacy history, features a two new points from the agreement, concluded during 1909.

1. The salaries of the general mufti, of the muftis and their deputies as well as of the employees of their departments are paid by the Bulgarian government.
2. The organization of the general mufti will be determined according to a statute, prepared by the general mufti.

But due to launching of First World War, producing this statute slows up and the first multilayer and long - range statute of the Muslim denomination is made by delay in several years by the general mufti as per the hints, grounded in the second Istanbul agreement. He comes into effect in 1919 and is being called "a statute for rule and an organization of the religious institutions of the Muslims in Bulgaria". It consists from 9 sections and 189 articles and actually has qualities with which it admits an example and a background for the future statutes.

But as previously, in the following years as well the things do not go so as it is issued in the laws as well as the international treaties and the statute of the Muslim denomination are being dismissed badly. Especially after the twenty years different governments start to intervene directly in the internal works of the Muslims. In a constitutional requirements and other laws counterweight, the general mufti is not being elected, and is being appointed from the foreign minister, under whose jurisdiction is the directorate of the religions at this time. This standing lasts up till the Second World War.
The new Constitution adopted on 4 December 1947 after the communist coup, in the name of the freedom of the conscience puts article 78, with which the freedom of the religious rituals is being guaranteed on the citizens apparently. In this constitution it is stressed that the "legal status of the separate religious communities, their financing, deciding of their domestic problems and the self -government is being fixed by a special law up".

The promised by the new constitution new law is taken on 24 February 1949 by the Grand Parliament and enters into effect under the appellation "Law for the denominations". Article 5 of the Law for the denominations reads: "In their religious organizational structure and in their rites the religions can act according to their canons and statutes, in a way so that they not to clash with the public government and the rules of the good behavior.”

The new statute, the taking of which it is being envisioned in the Law for the denominations is “a statute for a spiritual mechanism and rule of the Muslims in the People’s republic of Bulgaria" that was approved on 22 May 1951 by the council of ministers. Article 84 from this statute reads: "The Turks Muslims in the People’s republic of Bulgaria from a religious viewpoint choose their own general mufti by the directors of the Muslim boards. According to the requirements of article 104 the general mufti is being elected from the muftis for a term of 6 years. But choosing a major mufti after 9 September 1944 is always happen only a wish. General mufti becomes or is being elected this that the party covets.

From the startup of the creation to the institution general mufti of the Muslims in Bulgaria till the democratic changes it is consecutively being managed by Hodjazade Mehmed Muhiddin (1910-1915), (Even though it is not categorically during the First World War the function of general mufti is executed by) (Hadji Omer Lutfi, Hafuz Emin Zarifi, Salih Saib, Hafuz Ahmed Cumali, Hodjazade Saadeddin, Suleyman Faik (1919-1928), Huseyin Husnu Mollaahmed (1928-1936), Abdullah Sidki Devecioglu (1936-1945), Suleyman Omer efendi (1945-1947), Akif Osman efendi (1947-1964), Hasan Adem efendi (1964-1976), Mehmed Topcu / Miron Topciev (1976-1988), Nedyo Gendjev / Nedim Gendjev (1988-1992).

After 10 November 1989, when Bulgaria made on the way on the democratic reforms, the legislative acts, accepted in the last years, were posting the rule the regional muftis to be elected by the regional Muslim conferences, and the general mufti and the president of the High Muslim council by the National Muslim conference. E. g. the eligibility of the management of the Muslim denomination that is a footing of the autonomy of the denomination is an important democratic principle that grounded in the lead rules of the denomination.

The democratic changes welded the Muslim denomination ahead with general mufti Nedim Gendjev who is appointed during 1988 as per the directives of the Bulgarian Communist Party and who was fully supporting "the revival process". The Muslim denomination didn’t want any more to be ruled by a person with a suspicious reputation and started action for taking him out of the position. On 19 September 1992 took place the first of sort democratic national conference of the Muslims where for a general mufti was elected Mr. Fikri Sali Hasan. After a lot of obstacles and changes periodically for general mufti were elected and reelected Mr. Fikri Sali Hasan, Mr. Mustafa Alish Hadji, Mr. Selim Mehmed. As of today general mufti of the Muslim denomination in Bulgaria is Mr. Mustafa Alish, and the chairman of the High Muslim Council is Mr. Basri Pehlivan elected on 20 March 2005. Although this development during all these years the former general mufti Mr. Hedim Gendjev is constantly trying to take again the position, and even not succeeding in this his actions are making a turmoil amid the Muslims in Bulgaria.

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During the years the autonomy level of the Muslim denomination regarding its religious deals varies. This is evident also from the above mentioned and from the functions given to the management of the denomination which we will try to explain.

All laws and statutes were recognizing the right of the Muslim denomination, and that of the general mufti of a control over all deals of the Muslims in Bulgaria. In the obligations and rights of the General mufti were included the control and inspection the deals of the muftis, of all Muslim institutions in the country as mosques, masjids and other; of the imams, khatibs and the rest staff in them as well as the Muslim boards.

Besides that the new management in Bulgaria on 2 July 1880 abolished the existing in Ottoman time system of kadiya (shari’ah courts) after which the lawsuits, brought by the Muslims were transferred to the muftis. Thus the muftis became a kind of shari’ah courts. With small changes, in form of restrictions, this continued till 1938. This includes the General Mufti to order and give advices on the marriages and on the divorce lawsuits, on made testaments, on the questions of the heritage and management of the properties of the poor children etc.

In the muftis there were reporting also the waqfs which are charity funds for eternal times, most of which are established during the Ottoman period. In a large measure they guarantee the economical independency of the denomination. Unfortunately the Muslim denomination had never the chance fully to benefit from these waqfs. “The waqf issue” is a serious problem of the denomination from 1878 to nowadays.

There were also the religious-educational institutions of the Muslims in Bulgaria under the direct management of the mufti. The general mufti was controlling the school boards, and to his opinion could open new Muslim schools and madrases.
The statue, approved on 23 May 1919 was determining the tasks and the status of the General mufti as follow:

1. To observe the proper functioning of the religious organization of the Muslims;
2. To observe the activity and the development of the charity institutions of the Muslims;
3. To supervise the muftis and their deputies;
4. To observe the execution of the shari’ah laws and instructions and to give fatwas and instructions in this direction;
5. To work for the reformation and improvement of the work of the madrases, for establishing of uniform syllabus for them. And to work for the establishment of the religious school “Nuvvab” which is opened in 1922 in town of Shoumen and becomes a forgery of specialists for the needs of the Muslim denomination – muftis, imams, khatibs, waizes, teachers, cultural workers etc.

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The management body of the Muslim denomination besides a general mufti and General mufti is compounded from regional muftis and Regional muftis who represent the regional departments of the denomination and under their ward are the Muslim boards – local sections of the denomination.

The number of the regional muftis during the years also varies. From the creation of the new Bulgarian state till the Second World War in almost all regions where lived Muslims, there were regional, district and region muftis and mufti boards. In such a way before the Balkan wars in the country there were present 15 muftis and 20 mufti boards. In 1923 in the towns of Bourgas, Stara Zagora, Plovdiv, Haskovo, Smolyan, Petrich, Pleven, Russe, Sofia, Veliko Tarnovo, Shoumen, Varna and Vidin there were 13 regional or district mufti. Apart of them there were existing 33 other mufti boards in the towns of aytos, Kubrat, Byala, Gorna Djumaya /Blagoevgrad/, Zlatograd, Ardino, Elena, Targovishte, Preslav, Sliven, Karlovo, Karnobat, Isperih, Kircaali, Kazanluk, Krumovrad, Lovech, Momchilgrad, Nikopol, Nevrokop /Gotse Delchev/, Omurtag, Peshtera, Provadia, Oryahovo, Razgrad, Sevlievo, Pazardjik, Vratsa, Novi Pazar and Svishtov. In the eve of the Second World War to some of the mufti boards is given the status of mufti thus their number reached 25, and during the war they become 40.
After the communists took the power, through various machinations and combinations they started gradually to decrease the number of the muftis and in 1959 they made the last, smashing hit. After this date in the country there left only 7 muftis in the towns of Sofia, Plovdiv, Kircaali, Aytos, Shoumen, Razgrad and Dobrich. The other big hit to the denomination was also with huge effects which was aiming the disconnections of the Muslim on ethnical basis, and which is absolutely unacceptable according to the Islamic laws; this was the creation of a separate mufti in Velingrad for the Muslims Pomaks.
One of the fruits of the democratic changes was the unifying of the Muslims Turks and Pomaks in one mufti. During the first years there are opened muftis in Pleven and Gotse Delchev, and in 2000 there are opened more muftis in Haskovo and Krumovgrad. In the beginning of 2006 the Sofia mufti is closed, and at the moment there are 11 regional muftis.

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Nowadays the Muslim denomination is a huge and harmonious organization consisting of approximately 1500 Muslim boards with totally approximately 1500 mosques and masjids, approximately 50 tekkes and turbes, approximately 1000 imams, approximately 450 summer Quran courses, 6 all year round schools centers, 3 religious high schools, and a High Islamic Institute, 11 regional Muslim councils with 5-11 members, 11 regional muftis with several permanent employees – regional mufti, deputy regional mufti, director of “Waqfs” department, and a secretary, general mufti with a team of approximately 20 people in the General mufti, working in Fund “Waqfs”, “Education” department, “Publishing” department, “Administration and finances” department etc., High Muslim Council with 35 members.

This system, although being sometimes under the rule of the political conjuncture of the country, makes the Muslim denomination one of the important institutions and factors in the contemporary Bulgarian society. Today the role of the Muslim denomination is of utmost important in point of view of the human rights. Since the Muslim denomination represents a great minority, which approximately equals to 25-30% from the population of Bulgaria. Besides that the denomination unites over a million Muslims who in centuries lived in these lands together with the non-Muslims, most of them Orthodox Christians. The General mufti of the Muslim denomination is that weld of the society which to a certain extent guarantees the notorious “ethnical model”, uniting different groups on ethnical origin on religious-brother basis – turks, pomaks, roms.

The General mufti according to his possibilities works for reigning of the justice, virtuousness, peace and the development of the society. This happens by providing favorable atmosphere for getting Islamic education in the summer and all year long Quran courses, in the qualification courses, in the classes in religion-Islam in the municipal schools, especially in the high religious schools and the High Islamic Institute where are educated religious specialists according to the requirements of the contemporary conditions. The Islamic education gives a chance to its followers to keep their roots which make them connected in their customs which are full with examples for good living together in the name of the common welfare of the society.

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The Muslim denomination in Republic of Bulgaria, by observing the country laws, is managing by its Statue and the Islamic canons (sheri’ah). The Muslim denomination in Bulgaria unites all Muslims no matter of their ethnic belonging and mazhap (Islamic mainstream).

The main principles of the denomination can be summarized in three basic groups: persuasion/belief (imaan) principles, worship principles (ibadat) and moral principles (ahlaq).
The following six are the main principles of the faith:

1. Belief in Allah – this includes belief in the existence, uniqueness and the attributes of Allah. Allah exists since fore the eternity and will exist ad infinitum, He is the only-one, and He is the aim of all wills, He does not need anything or somebody, on the contrary all has the need of Him, He does not give birth, and He is not born, there is nothing that can be compared to Him, He is the creator and give means of livelihood to every living and non living thing, He is just, merciful, compassionate, patient, severe in the punishments, generous in the offering, all wise, great, almighty, see and hear all that is visible and secret etc.
2. Belief in the angels – this means belief in not visible God obedient creatures which has different obligations as one of the most important of them is delivering of a revelation / message for the prophets.
3. Belief in the messengers – the belief in the messengers / prophets of Allah is expressed in the fact that Adem / Adam (peace be upon him!) is the first messenger of Allah, and the last is Muhammed (peace be upon him), in the period of time between them are sent thousand of prophets to give directions to the people toward the faith and the good. That’s why all the prophets are considered as equally messengers of Allah, and is believed in them without an exception.
4. Belief in the books – the Almighty Allah through the angels and the prophets had sent messages to the humankind, these are the holy books. Main holy books are the Psalms revealed to David / Davood (peace be upon him), the Torah revealed to Musa / Moses (peace be upon him), the Gospel revealed to Isa / Jesus (peace be upon him), and the Quran revealed to Muhammed (peace be upon him). The belief in them is consisting in the fact that practically they are revelations from God, but with the flow of time the first three are lost their originality, and human thoughts are let in them. There are also messages revealed to prophets like Ibrahim / Abraham, Nuh / Noah etc. The Quran is the last revelation from God, sent to the mankind and saved its originality, and will keep giving directions to the believers to the right path.
5. Belief in the Day of Judgment – the belief in the Day of Judgment is consisting of that every human being will be bringing back to life after his death, and according to his deeds will be rewarded with delightful of Paradise or will be punished with hellish tortures.
6. Belief in the fore determination and the fate, and that the good and the evil are from Allah – the Almighty Allah with His absolute knowledge, knowing that every human being with his own will act in a definite way, predestine the actions of every human being. The Almighty Allah does not charge the human to make a certain thing, but leaves him to choose. His preset becomes based on this that the relativity of the time doesn't apply to Allah, e. g. Allah knows what the human will do, and He predetermines his life. Because of the free choice of the human, expressed by his partial will, he will be rewarded or punished on the Day of Judgment.

The good and the evil are created by Allah, but He has wished for the human kindness, and that’s why He had endowed him with intelligence and lightened his road that with the messages given to the prophets. The human by himself choose to do good or evil.

The following five are the basic principles of worship:

1. Expression of a witnessing for the belief in Allah and His Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon Him).
2. Performing the obligatory prayer (salat) five times a day.
3. Obligatory fasting (sawm) during the holy month of Ramadan.
4. Giving of the obligatory alms (zakat) when the conditions for this are present
5. Performing of the pilgrimage (hajj) in the holy places in Mecca.

The basic moral principle can be summarized in nine groups and in the expression “Love toward the creations because of the Creator” or “Respect toward Allah and compassion toward His creations”:

1. Good behavior to God.
2. Good behavior of the human to himself.
3. Good behavior to the family – parents, husband, children.
4. Good behavior to relatives.
5. Good behavior to neighbors.
6. Good behavior to the society in which he lives.
7. Good behavior to the Muslims.
8. Good behavior to the whole mankind, no matter of what faith, race etc.
9. Good behavior to the living creatures and the non living nature.

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These basic Islamic principles have become reason in the fundament of the institution Muslim denomination in Republic of Bulgaria there to be grounded the historical, theoretical and practical good relationships of the Muslim community to the other religious communities, denominations and their official representative organizations and institutions.

“…you will certainly find the nearest in friendship to those who believe (to be) those who say: We are Christians; this is because there are priests and monks among them and because they do not behave proudly. And when they hear what has been revealed to the apostle you will see their eyes overflowing with tears on account of the truth that they recognize; they say: Our Lord! we believe, so write us down with the witnesses (of truth).” (Holy Quran, 5:82-83)

“And do not dispute with the followers of the Book (Jews, Christians) except by what is best, except those of them who act unjustly, and say: We believe in that which has been revealed to us and revealed to you, and our God and your God is One, and to Him do we submit.” (Holy Quran, 29:46-47)

“Allah forbids you not, with regard to those who fight you not for (your) Faith nor drive you out of your homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them: for Allah loves those who are just.” (Holy Quran, 60:8-9)
“Those who want to live in peace and mutual cooperation with the Muslims must be protected. Putting of them under oppressions and insults is inadmissible.”

“The state is obliged to support every Muslim, as well as every non-Muslim that are subjected to oppression.”
“For the non-Muslims are guaranteed the freedom of their denomination and the security of their property. They will be not forces to accept the faith of the Muslims and their property will not be taken away.”

The Quranic verses and prophet’s thoughts cited above have obligatory character, but are being strengthened by the longstanding tradition in this direction. The pretty coexistence, the dialogue and the tolerance between the followers of different religions in the country is reflected also to the relationships between their managing bodies. The sound tone which the laymen maintain between each other, the lack of tensions and antagonism, automatically reflects on the management bodies of the denomination organizations.

The institutional authority of the General Mufti of the Muslim denomination strengthens and increases with events from the type of forums, conferences and festivals, realized at different levels, with a clearly defined basic goal of the denomination communities - continuing and deepening of the good interrelations. The idea of these events is to demonstrate integrity in the common goals, namely - the welfare of the whole civil society, material and the religious prosperity and the stability in the state in political and ethno-religious regard.

The demonstration of good interrelations of the religious elite influenced favorably on the masses, so as the nations always has been influencing by their leaders and guides, and has been taking them as an example on imitation.
We, the management of the Muslim denomination and the entire Islamic community are highly sensitive, on guard and cautious about the theme for the religious tolerance and the dialogue with the other religions.

Unarguable is the fact that is frequently exhibited and lanced, that Bulgaria is a oasis of the tolerance. This is not a unilateral opinion or point of view, a product of unreal subjectivism. The tolerance and coexistence between the separate religious and cultural groups is a daily round, fate and future of the Bulgarian society.

It would have relevantly to give some concrete examples which are visible indicator for the enviable interrelations of the Muslim denomination with other denomination communities:

1. Meeting of teachers and pupils from Muslim religious school with their Christian counterparts;
2. Declaration of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox church denouncing the insulting caricatures of the Prophet Muhammed in support of the Muslim denomination.
3. Declaration of the Muslim denomination in support of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox church in connection with the statement of the Christian community on the “The Da Vinci Code” film.
4. Opening of a vault of the Muslim Bali efendi in the yard of a Christian church in town of Sofia.
5. Celebrating the day ashure bequeathed in tradition by the prophet Noy (Noah) from the three main heavenly religions - Judaism, Christianity, Islam.
6. Organizing a holiday table Iftaar during the holy for the Muslims month of Ramadan by the Varna and Veliko-preslavski metropolitan Kiril
7. Organizing of a conference on “The fasting in the heavenly religions” at which were delivered reports Muslim and Orthodox theologians.
8. These and many more events, realized by Muslims, Jews, Christians- orthodox, Catholics, Protestants can be mentioned as facts, with which all we are proud of.

In the background of these events of deep meaning neither littler matter have the mutual relationships of the ordinary worshippers, the ordinary believers who are never susceptible to vain affectations and do not permit escalation of the tension. What’s more exactly in the diametric opposite form the population of the country live in harmony, spirit of tolerance and respect. They together welcome their fests, sometimes they build their temples together, and together they grieve and have fun.

The proverbial and axiomatic atmosphere of tolerance in Bulgaria gets even greater importance having in mind the political stagnation on the Balkans during the last 10-15 years, led to a lot of bloody conflicts, caused by ethno-cultural and religious feuds. Our country did not only maintain its home ethnical and religious peace, but it also developed its democracy, gave more freedom to its citizens which inevitably lead to an increase of the trust to the state.

A special moment in the civil rights habits takes the freedom of the speech and the denominations that are fundamental, unique and bring for the development, the distribution of the religions.

In this regard the present climate of tolerance finds a support and is encouraged by the country which is the panacea for the stability and the home peace in the country. The colorfulness cohabitation between the religious groups brings for the axiomatic opinion that Bulgaria can and will be an example for the rest countries from the region and will share his experience in benefit of the rest European countries where permanent or temporary phenomena of unbridled exaltation and extremism, sometimes nationalism are watched. Especially after the full membership of Bulgaria in the European Union, the Muslim denomination will have the honor to be one of the leading official registered Islamic communities.

After the observations and analyses made on the interrelations of the Muslim denomination with the other denominations in past and present aspect it is understood that their future development is further promising and brighter. In this aspect the managements of the denomination are facing new challenges as taking up position and assisting for the favorable solution of important and heavy socially phenomena as the childhood violence and criminality, the drug addiction, alcoholism, prostitution and the general religious atrophy that is oppressing the whole modern and civilized society. We believe that the common efforts in benefit of the public welfare will avoid or at least decrease the cultural corrosion and infantile, reigning in the hedonistic social system which more than ever needs the support of the philosophy of the moral factology. Through the religious education-teaching activity the religious communities will succeed to bring a line in the souls of the rising generation.