Beyond the Mosque

I.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.

Rizwan Mawani is a Canadian educator and researcher who specialises in anthropology and comparative religious studies. His research focuses on the diversity of religious practices and spaces, as well as understandings of leadership and authority within contemporary Muslim communities. He has advised NGOs and think tanks and helped to set policy, as well as addressing audiences worldwide. His popular written work has featured in The Huffington Post and The Wall Street Journal.

Introduction
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