“RELIGIOUS DISCOURSE VS. RELIGIOUS EXTREMISM: A RELATIONAL CONTENT ANALYSIS OF FRIDAY SERMONS SHAPING OPINIONS OF THE MASSES ATTENDING CONGREGATIONAL PRAYERS”

Abstract

Friday sermons are designed to promote awareness among the Muslim community regarding socio-political issues. Congregational prayers on Fridays set grounds whereby a religious elite and religious representatives (Imam/khatib) delivers religious discourse/speeches that contains contextual understandings of the Quran and Hadith to the public. Religious speech helps Muslim individuals derive meaning from the Islamic teachings and act righteously in their daily lives. However, pulpits/minbar are being used to circulate hatred speeches against the groups that are either religiously different or belong to another Islamic school of thought. The supremacy of in-groups rise that consequently deteriorates the social and political order of society. Religious disagreement among sects is increasing exponentially. The rise of militancy and the tactics used by militant wings enables individuals to establish an alliance with militant groups. Islamists movements are an alarming and threatening factor for social, political, and religious security of a country. This qualitative study is conducted in which relational content analysis of the sermons delivered by the imams in Masjids during Friday prayers is done. Also, themes are extracted out of the interviews to get the insight about peoples’ general perceptions and opinions about the Friday sermons. The results derived from the analysis of this study shows that Friday noon prayers holds a significant importance in the lives on Muslims. Unfortunately, religious elites or imams/khatibs hold the control of the pulpit and manipulated messages are delivered via this sacred channel. The results shows that religious leaders use different tactics to seek the attention of the congregational gathering.