Investigating the Role of a Mosque in a Society: A Residential Neighborhood in Rajshahi City

Abstract

From early days in Islamic practice, the mosque as the principle religious institution has played a central role in developing the social interaction. As the religion has spread around the globe, the role of mosque has evolved from its original concept. In today’s Bangladesh, the access to mosque is vastly limited to male part of the society and furthermore the scope of social interaction has almost come to a halt due to activities being limited to only praying. This paper attempts to investigate the present scenario in a residential neighborhood, Upashahar in Rajshahi city by conducting a survey on the residents belonging to different age group, gender, occupation and academic qualification. The outcome of this research will help us to identify the key factors leading to the difference between Islamic values and human perception; therefore, direct us to practise the teachings of Islam more consciously in a society.