Ask an Imam

It was a crisp, cool morning in Guzelyurt in the central Anatolian highlands.  The steady rain of the previous evening – which had turned the small village into a collection of drawn faces staring solemnly at the grey sky from shop doorways – had given way to light clouds and sharp blue skies.  Even the summit of the extinct volcano, Erciyes Dagi, threatened to make an appearance from its veil of clouds.

Our lodging last night was a 19th century Greek monastery transformed into a small hotel. At 9.00am, our group made their way into the old refectory – in use as the present-day dining room – to meet with the imam from a local mosque.  Many were surprised at the 31 year-old gentleman there to meet us. Sayyid was not the typical muslim congregation leader presented to a western audience.  He was well-dressed in a gray suit with a black shirt, dark patterned tie and brown leather shoes. He dabbed his forehead along his receding hair line with a napkin, perhaps the only signal that he may not be in front of the most friendly of audiences.

That said, he remained composed as questions were asked and answers given through the medium of our guide and interpreter. He spoke little English.  Our collective Turkish was laughable.  Our guide served as our interface very patiently and very well.  It was an open-format discussion.  The only topic that was off-limits was asking the imam about political matters, since there is a restriction within Turkey for the clergy to be involved in politics – another leftover from the reforms of Ataturk.

I was rather pleased with the questions asked by the group.  He described the training he went through to become an imam. He had not planned for a role as a religious leader and had gone to university studying social sciences.  It was not until his mid-20s that he felt the call to religious life.  Additional university studies and certification by exam was required before he was to lead a congregation.

Since he was a young man, familiar with new technology, I asked if he used the internet as part of his ministry.  He answered the question broadly, saying that he uses online resources for research and communication.  Also, he has found that creating PowerPoint presentations helps to communicate key portions of the sermons and lessons.  He said his use of this tool has been well-received by the congregation as a whole because they can better visualize the message he is presenting.

Islam, at least in Turkey, is experiencing the same decrease in regular attendance that traditional Catholic and Protestant congregations are witnessing.  His regular attendance is about 24-25 men.  However, he is encouraged that that number has increased by 2 since he began working in the area a few years ago.  Since he may be leaving to serve a mosque in the Netherlands or France, catering to the Turkish populations therein, he may not be able to build on this growth.

He was polite yet somewhat stoic for most of the discussion.  However, he did warm up when asked about the call to prayer that we heard in the morning.  It was his voice carried across the town from the minaret speakers.  To demonstrate what the call involved, he undertook a short demonstration.  Turning to face Mecca, with his hands by his ears to judge his pitch, he repeated sections of the call to prayer – in full voice.  I was seated next to him and could feel the strength of his voice reverberate in my chest.  Others I spoke with afterwards, including my Beloved Travel Companion, were moved to tears by the passion that resonated in his voice.

One side note: the call to prayer is sung five times a day.  The same verses are sung each time, with the exception of the first call to prayer performed at dawn.  For that instance, an additional verse is added which translates roughly as, “Prayer is better than sleeping.”

Informative addendum:  The official language in Turkey is Turkish.  The call to prayer is recited in Arabic – the language of Islam.  During the 1950s, the government policy was to conduct the call to prayer in Turkish.  After a few years, it was switched back to Arabic because people complained that the call did not sound all that good in Turkish.

• Guzelyurt
• Turkey