EXTENDED ABSTRACT
Subject: Communication is the solution to many of the problems in the new society, and it is only through communication that the fragile bond between the social components in the mass society is maintained. Human communication is not only influenced by social forces and cultural context, but also the quality of communication and communication systems play a significant role in shaping the cultural and social structure of societies. While the cultural and social context is affected by the quality of communication and the changes in the communication system lead to dynamics and even cultural and social transformation, it also has a major impact on the structuring and organization of communication. Just as modernity and modern culture, with their specific structural order and technologies, have brought about a particular system and organization in the field of communication, with its various levels and dimensions, in Iranian society and the context of Iranian-Islamic culture, there are also institutions and domains that possess different capacities and functions in organizing and shaping human communication. The mosque can be considered as one of the central institutions and domains in the Iranian-Islamic cultural tradition, shaped not only by a theocentric communicative system (Imam and Ummah), but also possessing significant potential in organizing, nurturing, and guiding human communication at various levels, and consequently, in shaping social order. As one of the pivotal centers of communication in the Iranian-Islamic tradition, the mosque has played diverse roles in organizing and expanding communication, exhibiting different forms throughout history according to political and social conditions. In the contemporary century, the most prominent manifestation of the communicative capacities of the mosque can be observed in relation to the Islamic Revolution of Iran that seeks to establish a new social order with a religious approach.
Question and purpose: Based on this, and considering the role of the mosque in the social change and social order throughout the history of Muslims, particularly in contemporary Iran, the present research seeks to understand the capacities, dimensions, and levels of human interactions within the mosque from the perspective of the social thought of contemporary Muslim thinkers. These thinkers, who themselves emerged from the mosque as a base, played a decisive role in the mosque-centered leadership of social change and social revolution, especially the Islamic Revolution of Iran and its continuation. Specifically, the ideas and opinion of Imam Khomeini, Ayatollah Khamenei, and Morteza Motahari are studied and analyzed in this research—intellectual and political figures who, more than others, paid attention to the issue of the mosque, its social and communicative dimensions, and reflected this importance in their written works and speeches at different times. The central question of the study is: "What are the capacities and levels of human communication of the mosque from the perspective of Imam Khomeini, Ayatollah Khamenei, and Motahari, and how does this communicative framework shape the social order?"
Methodology: The study of the ideas and opinion of the selected thinkers was conducted using the method of thematic analysis. This was done by selecting key excerpts from their speeches and writings, and then analyzing them based on the thematic analysis model of Wolcott at three levels: description, analysis, and interpretation.
Findings: The organization, arrangement and categorization of the opinions and ideas of these thinkers led to the achievement of 11 central themes in continuous relation with each other, which are: “The blending (or The Interconnection) of The Individual and Social monotheism”, “ The Mosque as a Center for contemplation and Reflection”,“The Intellectual and Communicative Capacity of the Imam of Congregational Prayer”,“Rhetoric, Sermons and Enlightenment in the Mosque”,“The Imam's close and intimate relationship with the people and attention to their well-being”,“The capacity of public communication of the mosque with different groups and strata”, “Dialogue and Exchange of Ideas within Intellectual and Epistemological Circles”, “Center for social gathering and political communication”, “The Mosque as the Core and Stronghold of Resistance and Popular Mobilization”, “The Mosque as a Foundation for the Efficiency and Organization of Various Social Institutions” and “The Media Role of the Mosque Building as a Symbol and Axis of the Islamic Society”. These themes encompass various levels of human communication: the relationship with God, Intrapersonal communication (reflection and contemplation), interpersonal communication (the close relationship between the Imam of Congregational Prayer and the people), group communication (intellectual and epistemological circles), and public communication (Rhetoric and enlightenment), all centered around the concept of monotheism (the oneness of God). The interrelations among these levels illustrate the interconnected and, at times, overlapping nature of the themes, which are deeply influenced by the unique, multi-dimensional communicative essence of the mosque. This essence makes any separation between the different levels of communication challenging. All these forms of communication have monotheism (Tawhid) as their starting and end point. Based on the outlined communication network, the blending of individual and social Tawhid in the mosque can be considered as the central theme, fostering the coherence and interconnectedness of all these themes. Despite the diversity in the levels and dimensions of communication in the mosque, monotheism (Tawhid) serves as the link that unites, aligns, and enhances them.
Conclusion: Communication in the mosque is formed from self-improvement and monotheistic community around the relationship with God and extends to the order of social institutions. The result is a social order—an order whose core is monotheism and servitude to God, manifested in the effectiveness of various organizations and the realization of security, order, and social justice in all aspects. Organizational communications arising from the mosque essentially replace instrumental and material rationality with monotheistic rationality. "In this context, the imam of the mosque is at the center of the mosque's communications. The role of him becomes significant in the communication dynamics of the mosque, in relation to monotheism and the relation with God as a unifying existence; This is why thinkers in the field have emphasized the scientific and communicative capacity of the Imam of Congregational Prayer, as he must be actively engaged in all forms of interpersonal, group, public, and even external communications between the mosque and different social groups. He should serve as a guide, leader, and facilitator for people in their pursuit of divine knowledge and its extension to different social arenas. This, in a sense, reflects the model of the Imam and the Ummah in Shia culture, which is also reflected in the structure and tradition of mosques.