Tablighi Jama’at and Urban Religious Order

Abstract

By studying the renowned transnational movement of Indian origin, the Tablighi Jama’at (TJ), Sadouni extends the analysis of the role played by religion in Somalis’ urban mobilisation. Somalis have become members of the TJ and contribute to the global shape of this religious movement. The chapter does not focus on the history of TJ in South African society, or describe its mode of deterritorialisation as a process of transnational religious circulation. Instead, Sadouni concentrates the analysis on the reterritorialisation of the TJ in the specific urban context of Johannesburg, through the case of Somali immigrants. TJ is a global movement which fits perfectly into the global city of Johannesburg and at the same time participates in the religious urban order.