Beyond The Mosque (diverse Spaces Of Muslim Worship)

By (author) Mawani, Rizwan
Description
While mosques are the central house of worship for a majority of Muslims around the world, many of Islam’s communities have developed their own distinctive religious spaces. These complementary spaces serve the different cultures, geographies and interpretations of Islam that continue to enrich the Muslim tradition. In this book, Rizwan Mawani encounters diverse communities and their sites of worship, from the mosque and husayniya to the khanaqah and jamatkhana. Readers are introduced to a variety of Muslim spaces, modest and elaborate – their distinct structures and the rituals practised within them, as well as the purposes they serve as community centres and markers of identity. Beyond the Mosque reveals architectural responses to evolving community needs and local environments, from Senegal and China to Iran and India. This illuminating survey celebrates the significant pluralism that characterises the living Muslim tradition today.
Table of contents
Introduction Chapter 1: Mosques and their Architectures Mosques and their Environment Sinan and Ottoman Mosques Chinese Mosques Uighur Mosques Hui Mosques The Mud Mosques of Mali The Origins of the Masjid Mosque Features Chapter 2: Mosque Practices The Salat The emergence of Sunni and Shi‘i Interpretations Lebanon and Shi‘i Ithna‘ashari Mosque Practices Sunni Devotion to the Prophet and his Family: Cairene Mosques Chapter 3: Shi‘i Sites of Piety Iran’s Husayniyyas and Takiyas India’s Ashurkhanas and Imambaras The Imambaras of Lucknow The Ashurkhanas of Hyderabad The Ismailis and the Jamatkhana Chapter 4: Sufi Sites of Devotion Sufi Tariqas Tracing Sufi Spaces of Worship The Khanaqah The Zawiya The Tekke and Takiya Senegal’s Tijani Order Iran’s Ni‘matullahi Order Turkey’s Mevlevi Order Chapter 5: Transcending Boundaries The Zikris of Pakistan The Zikr-Khana The Druzes Conclusion: The Power and Perils of Pluralism Glossary Notes Further Reading List of Illustrations Acknowledgements Note on the Text Index
Biographical note
Rizwan Mawani is a Canadian educator and researcher who specialises in anthropology and comparative religious studies. His research focuses on the diversity of religious practices and spaces, as well as understandings of leadership and authority within contemporary Muslim communities. He has advised NGOs and think tanks and helped to set policy, as well as addressing audiences worldwide. His popular written work has featured in The Huffington Post and The Wall Street Journal.
Promotional headline
Examines the diverse spaces of worship for Muslims around the world
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First book to offer an introductory survey of the spaces of Muslim worship that exist beyond the ubiquitous mosque, revealing the various ways and spaces in which Muslims practice their faith around the world
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Based on more than 40 Muslim communities across ten countries
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Anthropological approach that details the great range and diversity of Muslim piety in the 21st century