Predecessors of the Bosnian Muslims were the Bogumils, who, all of them, voluntarily accepted Islam. Reasons, which caused the Bogumils to voluntarily leave their faith and embrace the noble Islamic faith, have often been spoken about. Without doubt, there are several such reasons, but there is also no doubt that some, presenting the matter in a subjective, non-scholarly manner, commit a crime towards science and present completely untrue and baseless reasons. In my view, and I am surely not misled, the strongest reason lies in the very faith of the Bogumils, which was closer to the Islamic faith than to either the Catholic or the Orthodox faith. The Bogumil faith, as is known, appeared in the east. Their faith finds its source primarily in the Christian sect of Paulians (“those of Paul”), which was founded by the episcope from Antioch, Paul of Samostat, who was excluded from the Church in the year 265 CE. His followers later moved to Bulgaria, near Plovdiv, where they obtained the Slavic name, the “Bogomils” or “Bogumils”.

In order to become familiar with the Bogumil faith, we therefore have to understand the faith of the Paulians. Christians deem them heretics and about them write mostly subjectively and from a single perspective. Arab scholars who wrote about faiths and sects also mention the Paulians. One of them is Ibn Hazm (Ali ibn Ahmad adh-Dhahiri, died 456 (1064)). In his work, al-Milal wan-Nihal (Faiths and Sects), he mentions the following: “From among the Christian sects there are also the followers of Paul from Samostat (ash-Shimshaati). He was a patriarch in Antioch before Christianity spread. His faith was: pure and real monotheism and that Jesus was God’s slave and messenger as one from among the prophets, may Allah’s peace be upon them. Allah created him in Mary’s womb without a man. He was a man, without divinity. Paul would say: “I do not know what either ‘the word’ or ‘holy spirit’ is”. (al-Milal wan-Nihal, vol. 1, page 48 and al-Jawab as-Sahih li man baddala Deen al-Maseeh of Ibn Taymiyyah, vol. 2, page 311)

From among such scholars is also Abul-Fath ash-Shabristani (Muhammad ibn Abdil Kareem, died 548 (1153)). In his work, which is also named al-Milal wan-Nihal (Faiths and Sects), he says:

“Botinus and Paul from Samostat (Ash-Shimshaati) say that God is one. The Messiah (Jesus) was created in Mary’s womb. He was a good slave of God and was created, except that God awarded him and honored him because of his obedience and therefore called him son, but not because of his birth or unification (with God), but by giving him a status of son without him being his true son (al-Milal wan-Nihal, vol 2. page 65-66).

Even the Arab historian, who is older than both of the mentioned Islamic scholars, Said ibn Bitrik (died 328 (940)), although Christian, does not mention about the faith of Paulians anything that is in conflict with the Islamic faith. In his writings, there is no mention of dualism, which is ascribed to them and because of which they slander them. He says the following, speaking of Paul of Samostat, who appeared with a new faith: “His faith was: that our master Messiah is created as a man by God, just like us, because the son was conceived in Mary’s womb; that he was chosen and came to save the humanity. He was followed by God’s blessings, which he obtained through love and will. He was therefore called God’s son. God is a Single and One being. We do not believe in “the word” or “the holy spirit”. After the death of Paul, thirteen bishops gathered in Antioch to study his faith. They then decided that this Samostatian was to be cursed; they cursed him and cursed everyone who would follow his faith and they left.” (See: al-Jawab as-Saheeh li man baddala Deen al-Maseeh of Ibn Taymiyyah, vol. 3, page 13 and Hidayat ul-Hayaara min al-Yahoodi wan-Nasaara of Ibn ul Qayyim, add-on, page 107 and 109).

Whoever studies this will find that in many issues of faith there is a great similarity between the Islamic and Paulian, and therefore Bogumil, faith. One should not claim that the Bogumil faith was the same as the Paulian, but surely it contained plenty of the main characteristics of the Paulian faith. If we also take into account that the Bogumils were against the cult of icons (church imagery), against the church glitter, that they did not believe in making the sign of cross over one’s body, that they did not recognize a particular ceremony (found in the Orthodox practice, done in the presence of priest on special occasions) that they did not accept sacraments, that they did not respect the cross – rather they deemed it sinful, that they celebrated the Friday, that marriage was a civil institution amongst them, etc., and we genuinely analyze all that, we would realize the primary and the strongest reason why our grandfathers, the Bogumils, voluntarily accepted Islam.

In “The Voice of the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina” of 1920, pages 57-81, a good work by Dr. Josip Matasovic was printed under the title “A View of Paulian Historiography”. This small article of mine can serve as a small addition to the work of Dr. Matasovic.