Ali Fehmi Džabić: Life and Work

The Mostar Mufti Ali Fehmi Džabić is undoubtedly one of the foremost experts in the Arabic language from this region. This becomes evident when we examine the works he left behind, as well as the praise bestowed upon him and his works by his contemporaries, particularly those from the Islamic world. Renowned figures such as Rashīd Riḍā, Muḥammad Makkī ʿAzūz, Mehmed Akif, and others considered Džabić to be among the foremost experts in Arabic language and literature of his time. This paper discusses the life and work of Mufti Džabić through three periods of his life: his upbringing and education, his struggle for religious and educational autonomy, and his time in Istanbul. The final period was the most productive in terms of his literary and scholarly output. During his time in Istanbul, he worked as a professor of Arabic language and literature, interpreted classical works of Arabic literature, and authored two of his major works: <i>Ḥusnu al-Ṣahābah fī Sharḥi Ashʿāri al-Ṣahābah and Ṭilbah al-Ṭālib fī Sharḥi Lāmiyah Abī Ṭālib.</i>