Salvaging Sacred Time: Approaching Islamic Ritual through Byung-Chul Han

Published: 2022
Maneval, S. (2022). Faith Travels by Streetcar
ISBN: 978-3-9820779-7-0

Abtract

In his essay "Salvaging Sacred Time" the Egyptian sociologist Amro Ali discusses the importance of religious rituals for the perception of time. He draws on the work of German-Korean philosopher Byung-Chul Han who identifies a "decay of time" following the Enlightenment. Ali contradicts this thesis insofar as he shows that Islamic rituals, such as the five daily prayers obligatory for devout Muslims and the pilgrimage to Mecca, still have a structuring, life-stabilizing effect, and furthermore create a sense of community and give life an orientation.