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Five Times Daily: The Dynamics of Prayer Worship Among Muslim Immigrants in St. John's, NL By Scott Royle A thesis submitted to the Department of Religious Studies at Memorial University of Newfoundland in partial fulfillment for the degree of Masters of Arts in Religious Studies March 2016 Abstract This thesis explores the ritual of prayer among Muslim immigrants in the city of St. John's, NL. Immigration across national, cultural, religious, and ethnic borders is a moment in an individual's life marked by significant change. My premise is that in such contexts the relatively conservative nature of religious ritual can supply much-needed continuity, comfort, and consolation for individuals living- through the immigrant experience. As well, ritual forms are often put under stress when transferred to a considerably different place and cultural context, where “facts on the ground” may be obstacles to traditional and familiar ritual forms. Changes to the understanding or practice of ritual are common in new cultural and geographic situations, and ritual itself often becomes not merely a means of social identification and cohesion, but a practical tool in processing change - in the context of immigration, in learning to live in a new community. St. John's is a lively and historic city and while Muslim immigrants may be a small group within it they nevertheless contribute to the city's energy and atmosphere. This thesis endeavours to better understand the life stories of ten of these newcomers to St. John's, focusing on their religious backgrounds and lives. In particular, this thesis seeks to better understand the place of prayer in the immigrant experience. i Acknowledgements I would like to extend the utmost gratitude to my supervisor, Dr. Barry Stephenson, for his guidance and assistance throughout the process of writing this thesis, for his interest in my work, and his enthusiastic editing. Also, many thanks to the faculty and staff of the Department of Religious Studies at Memorial University, in particular Dr. Jennifer Selby, Dr. Kim Parker, Dr. Michael DeRoche, and Colleen Banfield. A special thank-you to Dr. Michael Shute for his continued support of a kindred spirit. Thank you to my parents for instilling within me some sense of mystery in the cosmos from such an early age; in many ways this thesis is just another extension of that boyhood wonder. Thank you Kathryn, for too much. Thank you and sorry to my friends; for your interest in the work and understanding why I couldn't make it to breakfast, that show, the beach, and on and on. Thank you to Dr. David Banoub, for a fresh set of eyes. Much personal gratitude to Lester Young & Teddy Wilson for Pres and Teddy; I wore the grooves out writing this thesis. My biggest and most sincere thank-you goes out to the participants involved in the research for this study. The big ten being Mona, Zia, Amaya, Mohsen, Massoud, Naji, Ibrahim, Taqwa, Mohammed, and Raya. This thesis only exists by your willingness to share so much of your time, stories, and faith. For that I am truly grateful. Alongside these ten participants, thank you to the many generous members of the Islamic community in St. John's who helped in finding participants, providing me with tips and info, and inviting me to community events and places of worship. Special thanks to both The Muslim Association of Newfoundland & Labrador, and the Masjid-an-Noor mosque on Logy Bay Rd, as well as the Muslim Students Association at Memorial University of Newfoundland. ii Table of Contents Abstract......................................................................................................................................................ii Acknowledgements...................................................................................................................................iii Chapter 1 – Introduction............................................................................................................................1 Chapter 2 - Methodology and Literature Review......................................................................................5 2.1 Methodology...................................................................................................................................5 2.2 Literature Review............................................................................................................................7 2.2.1 Lived Religion.........................................................................................................................8 2.2.2 Ritual Studies; Muslim Ritual...............................................................................................10 2.2.3 Islam in/and the West............................................................................................................13 2.3 The Need of this Study.............................................................................................................14 Chapter 3 - Muslim Prayer ......................................................................................................................16 3.1 The Act of Praying........................................................................................................................17 3.2 Evolving Practice of Prayer...........................................................................................................19 3.3 Summary.......................................................................................................................................21 Chapter 4 - Participants of Prayer............................................................................................................23 Group A...............................................................................................................................................23 Taqwa.............................................................................................................................................23 Mohammed.....................................................................................................................................26 Zia...................................................................................................................................................27 Mona...............................................................................................................................................28 Group B...............................................................................................................................................30 Massoud..........................................................................................................................................30 Mohsen...........................................................................................................................................31 Naji.................................................................................................................................................31 Amaya.............................................................................................................................................32 Ibrahim............................................................................................................................................33 Raya................................................................................................................................................34 Chapter 5 - Issues and Themes in Muslim Prayer...................................................................................35 5.1 Who Prays and Where?.................................................................................................................35 5.2 Requirements to Approach Prayer................................................................................................37 5.3 The Cultural Dimensions of Prayer...............................................................................................40 5.3.1 Emerging Cultural Dimensions of Prayer..............................................................................46 5.4 Summary.......................................................................................................................................49 Chapter 6 - The Spaces and Times of Prayer...........................................................................................53 6.1 The Mosque...................................................................................................................................55 iii 6.1.1 Friday Noon Prayer................................................................................................................56 6.2 School............................................................................................................................................59 6.3 Work..............................................................................................................................................62 6.3.1 Time.......................................................................................................................................63 6.3.2 Prayer Spaces.........................................................................................................................64 6.3.3 Reception & Understanding..................................................................................................66 6.4 Home.............................................................................................................................................68
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