Description
Book SynopsisI.B. Tauris in association with the Institute of Ismaili Studies 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 ContentsIntroduction 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
