Ummah e identidade no Islã: um estudo do processo de construção identitária na Sociedade Beneficente Muçulmana do Rio de Janeiro

Abstract

The aim of this work is to approach the concept of ummah as a representation of the universal Islam and the significance of this notion to the Sunni Muslim community of Rio de Janeiro that attends the Sociedade Beneficente Muçulmana of Rio de Janeiro (SBMRJ). This research, carried out in the mentioned community, seeks to understand how the concept of a universal Islam, ummah, operates in a local community determining an Islamic identity. Therefore, it searches to describe the history of Islam by analyzing how narratives about Muhammad influence the construction of identity at the SBMRJ. The research seeks also to demonstrate that the ritual performances of salat (the prayer) and khutbah (the iman’s sermon) act as mechanisms of identity formation serving as disciplinary practices. Bibliographic research on Islam and the theme of identity in a non-essentialist perspective were used in this dissertation. The fieldwork conducted in the community includes participant observation in the main prayer meeting on Friday as well as informal conversations and interviews with members and leaders of the SBMRJ.