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Jordan Islam in Social Life
Despite a strong identification with and loyalty to Islam,
religious practices varied among segments of Jordan's population.
This unevenness in practice did not necessarily correlate with a
rural-urban division or differing levels of education. The
religious observance of some Jordanians was marked by beliefs and
practices that were sometimes antithetical to the teachings of
Islam. Authorities attributed at least some of these elements to
pre-Islamic beliefs and customs common to the area.
In daily life, neither rural dwellers nor urbanites were overly
fatalistic. They did not directly hold God responsible for all
occurrences; rather, they placed events in a religious context that
imbued them with meaning. The expression inshallah (God
willing) often accompanied statements of intention, and the term
bismallah (in the name of God) accompanied the performance
of most important actions. Such pronouncements did not indicate a
ceding of control over one's life or events. Jordanian Muslims
generally believed that in matters that they could control, God
expected them to work diligently.
Muslims have other ways of invoking God's presence in daily
life. Despite Islam's unequivocal teaching that God is one and that
no being resembles him in sanctity, some people accepted the notion
that certain persons (saints) have baraka, a special quality
of personal holiness and affinity to God. The intercession of these
beings was believed to help in all manner of trouble, and shrines
to such people could be found in some localities. Devotees often
visited the shrine of their patron, especially seeking relief from
illness or inability to have children.
Numerous spiritual creatures were believed to inhabit the
world. Evil spirits known as jinn--fiery, intelligent beings that
are capable of appearing in human and other forms--could cause all
sorts of malicious mischief. For protection, villagers carried in
their clothing bits of paper inscribed with Quranic verses
(amulets), and they frequently pronounced the name of God. A copy
of the Quran was said to keep a house safe from jinn. The "evil
eye" also could be foiled by the same means. Although any literate
Muslim was able to prepare amulets, some persons gained reputations
as being particularly skilled in prescribing and preparing them. To
underscore the difficulty in drawing a fine distinction between
orthodox and popular Islam, one only need note that some religious
shaykhs were sought for their ability to prepare successful
amulets. For example, in the 1980s in a village in northern Jordan,
two elderly shaykhs (who also were brothers) were famous for their
abilities in specific areas: one was skilled in warding off illness
among children; the other was sought for his skills in curing
infertility
(see Jordan - Health and Welfare
, this ch.).
Their reverence for Islam notwithstanding, Muslims did not
always practice strict adherence to the five pillars. Although most
people tried to give the impression that they fulfilled their
religious duties, many people did not fast during Ramadan. They
generally avoided breaking the fast in public, however. In
addition, most people did not contribute the required proportion of
alms to support religious institutions, nor was pilgrimage to Mecca
common. Attendance at public prayers and prayer in general
increased during the 1980s as part of a regional concern with
strengthening Islamic values and beliefs.
Traditionally, social segregation of the sexes prevented women
from participating in much of the formal religious life of the
community. The 1980s brought several changes in women's religious
practices. Younger women, particularly university students, were
seen more often praying in the mosques and could be said to have
carved a place for themselves in the public domain of Islam.
Although some women in the late 1980s resorted to unorthodox
practices and beliefs, women generally were considered more
religiously observant than men. They fasted more than men and
prayed more regularly in the home. Education, particularly of
women, diminished the folk-religious component of belief and
practice, and probably enhanced observance of the more orthodox
aspects of Islam.
Data as of December 1989
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