The Role of Congregational Rituals in Islamic Pattern of Life

Abstract

From the time religious beliefs sprang into existence, attending congregational religious rituals was one the main ways to express devotion to gods and to demonstrate the power and preserve unity of the adherents. This kind of social behavior was not only important to the founders but also to the followers of religions. Gradually, this religious phenomenon became one of the inseparable parts of people’s lives and one of the easiest ways for maintaining the ties of relationship. For Muslims, communal religious rituals play prominent roles in preparing the ground for socio-religious felicity and for strengthening ties of devotion to God. In this article, an attempt has been made to offer a brief historical survey of Islamic congregational rituals and to discover the most important elements, roles and Impacts of this socio-religious behavior in developing social values in Muslim communities.

DOI: 10.5901/ajis.2013.v2n8p241