FRIDAY PRAYER AND AN INDONESIAN ISLAMIC IDENTITY IN CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA

This paper analyses the meaning of Friday prayer for Indonesian Muslims students in Canberra, Australia. Due to the nature of obligatory prayer (<em>s</em><em>}ala&gt;h</em>) in Islam, it is hard to identify the symbolic meaning of every movement of prayer for the Muslim...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Syamsul Rijal
Format: Article
Language:Arabic
Published: State Islamic University (UIN) of Sunan Ampel Surabaya 2009-06-01
Series:Journal of Indonesian Islam
Subjects:
Online Access:http://jiis.uinsby.ac.id/index.php/JIIs/article/view/45
Description
Summary:This paper analyses the meaning of Friday prayer for Indonesian Muslims students in Canberra, Australia. Due to the nature of obligatory prayer (<em>s</em><em>}ala&gt;h</em>) in Islam, it is hard to identify the symbolic meaning of every movement of prayer for the Muslim participants. However, using Bowen‎‎’‎‎s analysis, this paper emphasizes the social significance of Friday prayer for its participants in a particular place and time. It argues that Friday prayer is viewed by Indonesian Muslim participants as a medium to strengthen their Islamic faith and their membership of the Indonesian Islamic community in Canberra. Being a minority group, facing a prevailing Western culture, they try to maintain their faith and create social cohesion among Indonesian Muslims through their participation in this Islamic ritual.
ISSN:1978-6301
2355-6994