Beyond the Mosque: Diverse Spaces of Muslim Worship

by Rizwan Mawani

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.

Genres: Nonfiction

168 pages, Paperback

Published September 19, 2019

Reviews

[Irfan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provides an interesting insight into how plurality of sacred spaces has been more than just tolerated - it has been facilitated. However, these diverse spaces of worship, unfortunately have been neglected or homogenised. It also provides an insight into a few amongst many diverse spaces and attempts to break the stereotype of thinking of them as spaces of worship only! One key learning for me was, how even the most informal spaces can engender the strongest sense of affinity for the community.

The book is about a journey which the author undertook to explore these diverse spaces of worship. Nevertheless, whilst the book provides an insight of these spaces and its use, a more nuanced description about the evolution of these individual spaces and how they have reacted to changing political climate would be interesting!!

A well-written, engaging and informative book

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick but important read on the diversity of Islam, as expressed through architecture and space but also by ritual and practice. As a scholar, Mawani is skilled at articulating concepts in an approachable and digestible way. Islam is often described as a monolithic faith though when one pauses to think about that, it's clearly inaccurate.

Mawani takes us on a journey to explore the different types of Muslims: ethnically, geographically, and by belief structure. When it comes to religion, nothing can be truly categorical as you are dealing not just with 'defined' communities but also with the individual faith of the people that make up those communities. I think it's important to be comfortable in the gray and to be sensitive of boxing people into certain categories because it makes it easier for me to understand and articulate.

Well written and an important work for the time.

[Aufaria · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the middle of debate between sunni and shi'i, Rizwan put this book in the netral part. This book explain that there are several places that are used by muslims communities across the globe in order to express their piety in different spaces, not only mosques. These places have distinct structures, as well as the purpose they serve. To read how diverse muslim community makes me realized that so many interpretations and how tradition plays a big role on how they express their piety.