How Structural Restrictions Shape Religious Expression
By Ermin Sinanovic
Across the contemporary Muslim world, there is a noticeable overemphasis on ritual observance. This phenomenon occurs both in Muslim-majority countries with authoritarian governments and regions where Muslims face suspicion or discrimination due to their minority status. While acts of worship have always been central to Muslim life, the current focus on ritual in Islam reflects a larger social issue. Rituals are no longer just one part of religious life; they often become its main expression. This shift can overshadow the faith’s intellectual, ethical, civic, and political dimensions.
This essay argues that the increase in ritual practice does not stem from an organic theological shift but from societal pressures and restrictions that limit Muslim involvement in other areas of life. In situations where Muslims lack meaningful agency in political, social, civil, and economic realms, their religious energy often turns toward the one area that remains mostly unregulated: ritual practice. This overemphasis on rituals becomes a way to cope.
Ritual as Safe Expression Under Political Restriction
The political environment is a significant factor driving the emphasis on rituals. During the past two centuries, countries with Muslim majorities have experienced various levels of authoritarianism. In these societies, governments surveil Islamist political movements, restrict discussions about governance, and control or manipulate civil society organizations.
Within such contexts, ritual emerges as one of the only accepted spaces for religious expression. Prevented from discussing constitutional order or advocating for social justice, religious conversations among Muslims begin to focus on ritual precision. In such an environment, Muslims start obsessing about performing wudu’ precisely, the proper length of trousers, the specifics of the hijab, the exact prayer postures, or the intricacies related to permissible foods.
Economic and Social Marginalization as Drivers of Ritual Intensification
Economic hardship and insecurity reduce individuals’ feelings of agency and involvement. When people see no path for upward mobility, economic justice, or social recognition, they often turn to symbolic capital, particularly religious devotion.
Ritual offers a clear path to obtaining self-worth. It becomes a space where people can achieve moral excellence even when financial success seems impossible. This approach is especially evident among migrant Muslim communities in Europe, North America, and parts of Southeast Asia, such as Muslim workers in Singapore or Malaysia. Excluded from political power and facing economic constraints, these communities often cultivate rich ritual practices to maintain dignity, unity, and moral identity. Researchers have found similar trends in low-income neighborhoods across cities such as Cairo, Karachi, and Jakarta.
Civil Restrictions and the Privatization of Islam
Civil restrictions, particularly on freedom of association, freedom of thought, and institutional independence, also greatly influence religious expression. In many Muslim societies, independent religious institutions, Sufi orders, universities, and charitable networks have been weakened, nationalized, or turned into bureaucracies. The decline of civil society has led to what some scholars describe as the “privatization of Islam.” In this context, religion increasingly becomes a matter of private practice instead of a basis for public ethics. In simple terms, the secularization and privatization of religion often lead to increased ritual focus. This shift is not theological but structural: when civil expressions of faith are restricted, or when public discussions prohibit religious expression, ritual fills the gap.
The Psychological Effects of Confinement: Ritual as Overcompensation
Beyond structural factors, psychological aspects also play an essential role. When communities feel under threat—politically excluded, stereotyped, monitored, or culturally pressured—they often respond by strengthening boundary-making practices. Ritual becomes a symbol of identity and resistance. The excessive focus on “correctness” serves to assert authenticity in a world that challenges it.
The Impact on the Intellectual and Ethical Dimensions of Islam
Historically, Islamic civilization included both ritual devotion and strong intellectual production. Classical Islamic scholarship produced theories of political order, ethical systems, economic ideas, scientific thinking, artistic expressions, and sophisticated legal frameworks. When Muslims become preoccupied with ritual details, they often neglect these broader dimensions, risking a loss of the intellectual and ethical richness that has defined Islamic thought.
As an example, Wahbah al-Zuhayli's encyclopedic 10-volume "Al-Fiqh al-Islami wa Adillatuh" (Islamic jurisprudence and its evidence) dedicates three volumes to acts of worship ('ibadat). Seven volumes focus on other aspects of jurisprudence: marriage, divorce, legal ownership, financial transactions, political order, and various branches of fiqh. Today's focus on rituals is inversely proportional to the comprehensive understanding of Islam presented in juridical books, among others.
Islamic tradition values ritual. In fact, rituals are vital forms of worship. The problem arises when ritual becomes the only way to express faith, as other aspects are structurally constrained. A thriving Islam requires involvement in all areas of human life—social, ethical, intellectual, economic, and political.
Opening the Public Sphere to Rebalance Religious Life
The hyper-ritualization in contemporary Islam mirrors today’s sociopolitical conditions. Where they are not allowed in public discussions, religious practices find their place in safe spaces like mosques. Thus, the solution is not to discourage rituals but to empower Muslim agency in social, political, economic, and civic areas. This change can help foster a more balanced Islamic life.
Achieving such a balanced Islamic life requires structural openness—promoting civic engagement, fostering intellectual inquiry, supporting economic dignity, and enabling religious institutions to thrive freely. When Muslims regain access to these domains, ritual will maintain its essential role, but it will no longer dominate their spiritual existence.