The Jamatkhana As A Place of Gathering and Worship
While the masjid (literally: the place of a Muslim's sujood or prostration to God) or mosque (in English) is the term used by the Qur'an to denote the primary space of salaat (communal Muslim prayers), a range of spaces for Islamic communal purposes can be currently found throughout the Muslim world. Some are concentrated within particular geographic regions while others are in use by specific communities. Some of these include: husayniyas (also known as ashurkhanas, imambaras, matams or tekiyas) used by Ithna ‘Ashari Shi‘i communities; ''khanaqas, ribats, tekkes and zawiyas used by mystically-oriented Muslim communities commonly referred to as Sufis; the cemevi of the Turkish Alevis; and the majlis and khalwas of the Druze. For Nizari Ismailis, the primary space of religious and social gathering is the jamatkhana. The term jamatkhana is also used to refer to spaces used by a number of other Muslim communities with bases in South Asia, such as the Chisti Sufi tariqa, and various branches of the Musta’li Ismaili community including the Dawoodi Bohras and Alevi Bohras.
The Chishti Sufi tariqa utilizes their jamatkhanas as a meeting space for conversation and counsel with the pir or teacher. The Shi‘i Bohra Ismaili communities use the term to designate their space for social gatherings and communal meals. It is customary amongst many Musta’li Ismaili communities in South Asia and their diasporas to have a jamatkhana in the same complexes as their masjids. While the latter is the primary site for formal religious activities of the different branches of Bohra Ismailis – including the Da’udi, Sulaymani, and Alevi – the jamatkhana acts as a site for less formalized religious gatherings, weddings, feasts and other events aligned with special days. Among Sunni Muslims known as Memons, the term jamatkhana is used to denote a space for cultural gatherings and special occasions. Spaces designated as jamatkhanas can also be seen in Mughal complexes, such as that of the Taj Mahal in Agra.
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