Being a Muslim is an overriding cultural feature that cuts across a large number of races and nationalities, but many have the same common traits of gender segregation, emphasis on cleanliness and the same schedule of life.
My Interpretation
During the ritual I observed at the mosque, I was able to notice how the ritual impacts society. The first distinction is that there was a clear line created between those who are members of the in-group and those who are not. While I was welcome to be there, I was clearly in the latter group. I was welcome to observe, but not to participate in, the rituals. The performance of the rituals allows on to become a member of the society.
It was interesting to see that elements of modern life have crept into the rituals, however. One example is that I observed younger members of the mosque texting outside of the prayer, during the socializing that goes on before and after the prayer sessions. Older men were less likely to do this. The younger men, however, were setting their own interpretation of the ritual. For them, it was reasonable that using technology as a tool was not a material alteration of the ritual. The use of phones and texting was simply an extension of the ritual, allowing it to take a different form. While there are ways in which the religious rituals encroach on modern life, this might represent a way in which modern life encroaches on the ritual. The phones went away, presumably turned off, during the actual prayer ritual. This to me highlights a separation between the strict religious ritual function and the social...
It is not hard to imagine, however, that continued evolution of this practice could challenge in a material way the ritual itself is challenged. Communication by different means is still communication, and the use of technology does not change the fact that the prayer still governs the timing of the communication ritual. However, if technology evolved so that the mosque itself was not necessary, all of the rituals that govern this society could crumble. It is not a huge leap from remote virtual communication with friends to remote virtual prayer.
Conclusion
An understanding of Durkheim suggests that religion's power over society is precisely the reason why it governs the way the society operates. The ritual that I observed was in general very strong, with many minor rituals as part of the process. Most of these remain unchanged from their ancient roots. The communication before and after prayer, with electronic devices now implicated, represents a reversal where modern life is beginning to alter the ritual. This has significant implications for a society that increasingly faces conflicts between religiosity and secularism. In other areas of Judeo-Christian tradition, the same conflicts exist between the modern world and the old traditions. While there is acceptance in most cases that different forms of communication are still at their heart just communication, it will be interesting to see how this trend evolves in the future.
