Rethinking the Concept of Functioning Socio-Religious Spaces | Karyawan
Rethinking the Concept of Functioning Socio-Religious Spaces
Ahmad Ubaidillah Mohamed Khair
17 Apr 2023
12 min read
Mosques have always played an important role in our Islamic tradition. To underline its importance, one of the first things that the Prophet (peace be upon him) did was to select a suitable location for a mosque and initiate its construction. Thus, the mosque was the first institution that was established by the first Muslim society in Medina after Hijrah. In both historical and contemporary contexts, the mosque is considered the nucleus of a Muslim society where Muslims would gather for a multitude of reasons, be it for rituals, learning or festivities.
A mosque is therefore a religious space utilised for socialisation and cultural expression. For this reason, a religious space is never just a religious space that exists shielded from social factors. Due to its integral and dynamic role in an individual’s identity and for society, it must be understood as a socio-religious space. In our current context, with the advent of changing communal and societal dynamics, as well as new issues and challenges within the community and society, we are required to rethink the concept of functioning socio-religious spaces. The term ‘socio-religious spaces’ here is inclusive of mosques, though not restricted to it.
What I seek to elucidate in this article is the importance of utilising our socio-religious spaces for creative and critical engagement in a religious context, which should lead to cultural appreciation and output. I will also expand on the reasons for this ideation and the possible mediums that can be implemented.
ROLE OF MOSQUES IN SOCIETY
During the Prophet’s (pbuh) time, as well as during the period of the Caliphates, mosques played a variety of roles in society – social, cultural, religious, spiritual, educational, and political1. There are numerous examples of how the Prophet () and the early Muslim communities allowed creativity and criticality to flourish in the spaces of mosques. It was the place where the Prophet () would teach and engage the Companions about religious knowledge, while also welcoming cultural expressions.
References
1. Abdel-Hady, Z. M. The Masjid, Yesterday and Today. Centre for International and Regional Studies, No. 2, 2010. Available at: http://hdl.handle.net/10576/4365[]
After the Prophet’s (pbuh) time, mosques continued to assume a central role in intellectual activity by being a medium for halaqahs (religious gathering or Islamic study circle) and even the distribution of books. Here, we see the openness of public and critical discourse taking place in mosques. Sardar and Davies mentioned in their book, The Distorted Imagination:
In the mosques, writers and scholars recounted the results of their studies to audiences of young people, other scholars, and interested laymen, and because the cultural basis of the intellectual activity was common to all, anyone and everyone could take part in the discussion.4
These traditions of embracing criticality and creativity in socio-religious spaces have continued for generations until today, though we must concur that the function, aesthetics, and operation of mosques have morphed and evolved according to time and place. This phenomenon can be termed as localisation of mosques, where certain factors are shaped according to their local context5. This manifests in various forms, be it through rituals or architecture.
One example would be how mosques in Nusantara were utilised as centres for religious advocation (dakwah) through cultural expressions such as Gamelan6 and Wayang Kulit7. This occurred during the period of the venerated saints termed Wali Songo. This certainly departs from the operation and function of mosques in other contexts. While unconventional, it cannot be denied that the creativity of the Wali Songo in utilising socio-religious spaces to incorporate music, theatre, and cultural performances to advocate the religion, was a successful strategy8.
We can observe that the decision to incorporate new things in mosques is rooted in religious principles based on two relevant religious maxims. The first is Al-asylu fil-ghayr al-‘ibadah al-ibahah, illa iza ma dalla ad-daleel ala khilafihi (The basis of non-religious rituals is permissibility, except for what is indicated otherwise). The second is Al-muhafazatu ‘alal-qadeem syalih wa ‘al-akhzu bil-jadeed asylah (To preserve what is good from the past, and to incorporate only what is better). The essence of these two principles is that our faith does not prohibit the incorporation of what is new and beneficial in the context of improving socio-religious spaces, as long as it does not transgress religious principles.
This essence of incorporating what is new and beneficial is portrayed historically and contemporarily in our local context. Upon observation, we will see that our local Muslim community has internalised and acted upon these principles in numerous socio-religious spheres, such as the management of waqaf (charitable endownment), zakat (obligatory charity), and madrasahs. Based on these principles, mosques have also been developed as centres for social welfare and religious education. As a religious institution that is strategically placed in the heartlands, mosques play an important role in serving both its main constituents and the larger Muslim community9.
ENGAGING TRADITIONAL RELIGIOUS SPACES WITH CONTEMPORARY NEEDS
There are numerous examples that display the innovativeness of our community in the context of operating and managing our mosques; 1) the Mosque Building Fund (MBF), 2) the Professional Executive Leadership (PEL), and 3) the Enhanced Mosque Cluster (EMC)10. This displays an innovative spirit that takes into account the changing communal and social dynamics while striving to strike a balance between them. These efforts display the need for religious functionaries and institutions to continue shaping our socio-religious spaces according to both communal and social contexts.
Since the impetus of this article is to emphasise the importance of having functioning socio-religious spaces in the context of changing dynamics, it unavoidably relates to both religious and cultural identities. This is due to the centrality of Islam in the Malay community.
In my humble opinion, functioning socio-religious spaces in this context do not refer to the usage of these spaces for religious rituals and religious education, which mosques currently carry out as part of their administrative and bureaucratic duties. But rather its usage as an organic and localised space for the 1) cultivation of creative and critical values based on our cultural and religious traditions, 2) and the creative and critical expressions of those traditions.
In our current situation, the matter of rethinking the concept and function of our socio-religious spaces is directed and relevant for youths today. There are two main reasons that I would like to highlight; 1) first would be the changing communal dynamics (internal), and 2) second would be the changing social dynamics (external). These two reasons are interlinked with one another.
Internally within the Muslim community, we are seeing a shift in attitudes towards certain matters that is the product of a more critical learning pedagogy in public education, early and high exposure to social media content, and other factors. Perceptions and perspectives towards certain issues have also morphed, diverging from those of the older generation. We can see how these internal factors have played a role in shaping the pedagogy and curriculum of religious education in Singapore, be it full-time or part-time institutions. They incorporate a critical thinking approach while taking into account the issues that can be found on social media and in the public sphere.
While the current state of religious education for youths is curated for our local context with the purpose of imbuing and cultivating religious-based values, there must be functioning socio-religious spaces for youths to develop their religious and cultural identity organically and informally. The main objective of these spaces would be to provide mediums aimed towards elevating the quantity and quality of output based on cultural and religious values.
The question has to be asked, what are the current mediums that allow youths to engage with religious and cultural values and principles critically and creatively? Such spaces are equally important as those are the mediums where youths would be able to develop their religious and cultural identity outside of a classroom environment, which may have certain limitations. Not to mention that these spaces would include those who are unable to engage and commit to a formal religious education. This is not to say that external spaces are better, but rather to strike a balance between such spaces.
Externally within the Singapore society, we are witnessing the opening of discourse spaces that revolve around issues traditionally deemed as sensitive and had been restricted to the private sphere, such as self-radicalisation, sexual identities, sexual orientations, mental health, meritocracy, inter-faith differences, intra-faith differences, and so on. We now see numerous external organisations that facilitate programmes and discussions on such topics that would not have occurred in the past. Such events are able to attract youths from diverse backgrounds, including Muslim youths.
While certain mosques have been incorporating such programmes in their spaces – albeit at a low frequency – there is more that can be done in this context. In line with the concept of functioning socio-religious spaces, it is important for religious institutions to see the relevance of utilising our socio-religious spaces to hold open dialogues and discussions. One of the reasons would be to ensure that socio-religious spaces deemed traditional spaces are continuously engaging with modern and contemporary matters.
Thus, due to the shifting communal and societal dynamics, the question must be asked if the current socio-religious spaces – inclusive of mosques, though not restricted to – are functioning to the best of their abilities as mediums and platforms for youths to engage critically and creatively in a religious context. As the list of issues aforementioned is intricately related to both culture and religion, it would be relevant for us to reflect upon what Nurcholish Madjid wrote regarding the different natures of culture and religion:
“Culture is the medium of expression for religious life, which is why it is a subordinate towards religion, and not the other way around. Religion is therefore absolute, manifesting in every place and time, while culture is relative, limited by space and time.”[11]
He places great importance in distinguishing these two concepts as he advocates that it is the first step towards developing criticality and creativity regarding matters of religious traditions and cultural innovations.
“The problem lies in distinguishing what is religion in its essence, and what is culture that becomes a medium of expression, as well as those that are founded upon it. Unclarity (about this) will result in a dissonance regarding the hierarchy of values, which is related to which value should be prioritised and otherwise. And this dissonance can, which happens frequently, hinder progress due to the resistance of people to change.”12
REVITALISING OUR MOSQUES
Reflecting upon our past tradition as to how socio-religious spaces have been used as aforementioned, it is important for us to consider changing communal and social dynamics. The cultural expectation and function of socio-religious spaces must be rethought. The exclusion of creative and critical elements within socio-religious spaces runs the risk of stagnation of ideas and subsequent estrangement of socioreligious spaces from the community. These spaces must act as both sources and catalysts for critical discourse and creative expressions.
Relevant programmes that are culturally unconventional to be held in socio-religious spaces can be segmented into two. First would be cultural-religious themed programmes that are related to theatre and literature, which are linked to religious values and contexts. Examples would be to have discussions based on works from local literature, with the objective of internalising the essence of these works to develop a contemporary cultural output – novels, plays, or short stories – based on religious values.
Second would be socio-religious themed programmes such as civil discourse discussions that are discursive and democratic in nature. This would be to view historical and contemporary matters through a contextual and localised religious perspective. Such programmes are already held externally as mentioned before, though not rooted in a religious context. Examples would be holding discussions on certain issues and working towards imbuing humane and contextualised values and perspectives.
The objectives of having such programmes must be both short-term and long-term. One short-term objective that can be highlighted is to provide safe and physical spaces for youths to engage critically and creatively. The element of physicalness must be emphasised in a context where youths are increasingly becoming more comfortable in consuming religious content digitally. Another objective is to ensure the synergy of socio-religious spaces with the cultural and societal dynamics of youths today.
Meanwhile, the long-term objective is to move away from a culture of youths being ‘religious consumers’ and imbuing in them the culture of agency and productivity, which means active engagement and participation in critical discourse and creative output. For any creative output, there must be the foundation of critical discourse to ensure a substantial essence of intellectuality in the resulting works and expressions. While to have critical discourse without creative output means to not utilise our humane gifts of intellect (aql) and imagination (ilham) for the purpose of communal and societal progress. While the ‘how’ of implementing and incorporating such spaces is beyond the scope of this paper, it must be acknowledged that carrying out such changes are challenging. Substantial resources are required for such activities, which means that it will require collaboration and cooperation with various groups and organisations, be it internally within the Muslim community, or externally. The onus to improve our religious spaces for the collective good is upon all of us, and not merely those working in mosques or its stakeholders.
For now, what would be apt for religious activists, advocates, and functionaries, is to reflect and internalise the values and principles that can lead us to this direction. One would be to continue advocating for ijtihad – which should be deemed as “a continuous exertion of effort to internalise religious essence and how to manifest it in relation to the realities of space and time”13. It is hoped that in doing so, it will lead to the forming of spaces where criticality and creativity can thrive based on religious principles, resulting in the formation of modern and relevant cultural expressions for the benefit of our community and society.
Ahmad Ubaidillah Mohamed Khair is currently a Research Analyst at the Centre for Research on Islamic and Malay Affairs (RIMA). He holds an Islamic Jurisprudence degree from Yarmouk University, Jordan. His research interests are literature discourse and sociology of religion. He has also written for other platforms such as Muslim.sg, Wasat Online, and BeritaMediacorp.
About the Author
Ahmad Ubaidillah Mohd Khair is currently a Research Analyst at the Centre of Research on Islamic and Malay Affairs (RIMA). He holds an Islamic Jurisprudence degree from Yarmouk University, Jordan. His research interests are literature discourse and sociology of religion. He has also written for other platforms such as Muslim.sg, Wasat Online, and Berita Mediacorp.
4.
Sardar, Z. and Davies, M. W. Distorted Imagination. Grey Seal Books. 1990. p. 97[]
5.Pribumisasi in Malay. See: Wahid, A. Tuhan Tidak Perlu Dibela. IRCiSoD. 2018[]
6.“Enticed by the sweet notes of the gamelan, people would be drawn to attend the celebrations, at which the wali presented their religious instructions. (Salam 1960:43; Hasyim 1974:23). To hear the music properly (or to watch wayang performances), people had to enter the yard of the mosque, where the wali had placed themselves at the entrance gate or on the verandah to preach.” See: Van Dijk, K. Dakwah and Indigenous Culture: The Dissemination of Islam. Bijdragen Tot de Taal-, Land- En Volkenkunde, 154(2). 1998. pp. 218–235. Available at: http://www.jstor.org/stable/27865428[]
7.“The beginning of the use of wayang kulit as a means of dakwah is sometimes traced back to the festivities connected with the inauguration of the Demak mosque, giving Sunan Kalijaga the honour of being its first dalang (Hasyim 1979:53; Khalid n.d.:59). Others point to the Mulud celebrations at Demak, where wayang performances were held on the verandah of the mosque (Fattah 1985:55).” See: Ibid[]
8. There are a few reasons why their strategy and approach of utilising socio-religious spaces creatively can be deemed as successful; 1) it culminated in the strong localisation (pribumisasi in Malay) of Islam in local context, embracing the cultural diversity and heritage of the society, 2) it rooted an essence of cultural openness within the religious adherents, 3) it imbued socio-religious spaces with a creative cultural essence.[]
9. As written in the Mosque Convention Report, there is a need for mosques to “assist in disseminating a set of attributes that would shape the identity of Singapore Muslims who would also identify themselves as contributing Muslims to global humanity,” and also to “keep its Jemaah (congregation) updated and sensitive to current realities and challenges”. See: Mohd Isa, M. H. Mosques in Singapore: Managing Expectations And The Future Ahead, in Fulfilling The Trust: 50 Years of Shaping Muslim Religious Life in Singapore, ed. Norshahril Saat. World Scientific Publishing. 2018. p. 146[]
11. Madjid, N. Islam Agama Kemanusiaan: Membangun Tradisi dan Visi Baru Islam Indonesia (Islam the Humanistic Faith: Establishing a New Tradition and Vision for Islam in Indonesia). Dian Rakyat. 2010. pp. 36-37
13. Madjid, N. Islam Agama Kemanusiaan: Membangun Tradisi dan Visi Baru Islam Indonesia (Islam the Humanistic Faith: Establishing a New Tradition and Vision for Islam in Indonesia). Dian Rakyat. 2010. p. 64[]
