Islamic Prayer in WW1

[concordian]

When in doubt, turn to the forums. I've been trying to do some online digging, and have come up empty handed. I presume if there are any books or primary sources on the topic, they're going to be in a language I cannot understand. 

I've been attempting to look into how Muslims were able to practice their faith in the trenches (or even in other areas-- on airfields or warships.) The only source I've been able to find on the topic was that one Guardian article (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/nov/12/forgotten-muslim-heroes-fought-for-britain-first-world-war) which I'm aware has been posted here before.

The more difficult question is trying to find how they would pray-- were there certain dugouts which were dedicated to prayer? Did they have carpets? What about the rats? Did nurses pray? Was there a separate section for them (women)? Perhaps more importantly, how they did abulition, considering that water could tend to be a scarce resource. Would they use sand? How would they congregate for Jummah (if at all)? Did they fast during Ramadan? Did they celebrate Eid (this one I presume is more similar to how the Allies celebrated Christmas). 

If anybody could direct me to any sources or has any information concerning the topic, that would be wonderful! Thank you all kindly. 

[knittinganddeath]

Article by Wilfred Rollman from Boston University: "The French and the sultanate were also solicitous about providing for the ritual requirements of Islam for the soldiers of the Moroccan army in Europe. Throughout the war, demands from the troops and the pressure of Ottoman propaganda critical of the treatment of Muslims fighting for the Allied side, as well as the interventions of General Lyautey moved French military and civilian officials to initiate measures to address concerns about such issues as proper Muslim burial practices, dietary requirements, prayer spaces, assignment of imams to the troops at the front, the observance of Islamic feast days and the accommodation of fasting during the month of Ramadan."

The Islamic Review, which began publication in 1913, contains some war-related articles. All issues are online at the link. The December 1914 issue addresses the topics of cemeteries for Muslim soldiers who die in the war as well as what the Koran says generally about war and how to practice one's faith while in the field ("devotional spirit in the midst of active operations"). The journal The Muslim World, founded in 1911 and published throughout the war, also looks like it might some relevance for you but unfortunately even the 100-year-old issues are locked down by the publisher and you have to pay to access.

You could also try searching Google Scholar for academic articles, although you usually have to pay to read beyond a sample or bibliography.

[KGB]

Very few Muslimah in the trenches. One can make dry wudu, no need for water. 

[kenf48]

From an Anglocentric viewpoint and this is a British Forum Gordon Corrigan's 'Sepoys in the Trenches' discusses the deployment of the Indian Army to France and Flanders in 1914/15.  The war diaries for this period can be downloaded from the National Archives for free. For example the 40th Pathans were formed from "Orakazadi, Afridis, Yousafzais and Punjabi Musselmen' Wilcox 'With The Indians in France' https://archive.org/details/dli.ernet.523407/page/252/mode/2up

Setting aside the archaic language we can assume this regiment had a high proportion of Muslim soldiers from the Punjab. Their war diary unlike many British diaries which mention the compulsory 'church parades' have no reference to religious observance either in or out of the line. When in billets it would be easy to practice religious observance. Most of the Indian Army were recruited from poorer agricultural communities and they took their oath to the King Emperor and the Regiment. The Moslem League of India offered their support to the war and therefore it seems likely dispensations were granted to those serving. That might require further research in the Indian archives.

The British officers of the Indian Army were aware of the need to mange the different practices and religions within their ranks. https://www.wilsonquarterly.com/quarterly/fall-2014-the-great-wars/forgotten-soldiers-india-in-great-war

Once wounded and out of the line most Indian soldiers were repatriated to the UK and to the major hospital centre at Brighton, much has been written about the hospital and the religious observance there. For example, imams at the hospital advised whether a soldier was fit enough to fast during Ramadan, they no doubt supervised the slaughterhouse built by the RE to serve the hospital, perhaps of note due to religious practice female nurses were withdrawn and only male orderlies were employed in the wards.  Soldiers who died were dealt with according to religious observance and there is a Chattri on the South Downs which commemorates whereHindus and Sikhs were cremated on the Downs. Muslims who died were received at the Woking Mosque.  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-26057597 

This Mosque was the first in the UK built in 1889 and published the Islamic Review referred to above from 1913 The fact it was the first Mosque in the UK and Northern Europe indicates the soldiers of the European Armies would have little concept of the religion and their encounters in the war through 'colonial troops' may have been the first encounter for many with the Muslim religion. https://www.wokingmuslim.org/work/ww1/index.htm

As mentioned above there is no doubt the Germans attempted to influence the Muslim soldiers, especially in the Indian Army but their loyalty and cultural concepts of honour would seem to have trumped religious practice.

In addition to the Indian Army the British also created Labour Units, most notably the Egyptian Labour Corps, though little is known of them. The study and commemoration of these soldiers is the subject of research and acknowledgement within the history of the Great War.  I think the difficulty with your question is to suggest there was a single 'Muslim experience' within the context of the combatant armies on all sides. Every religious faith had to compromise or rationalise their participation in the Great War.

. 

[KGB]

I am unsure if there is a Hadith about female nurses. 

[knittinganddeath]

3 hours ago, KGB said:

I am unsure if there is a Hadith about female nurses. 

Sahih Muslim 1812g: It has been narrated on the authority of Umm 'Atiyya, the Ansarite, who said: I took part with the Messenger of Allah in seven battles. I would stay behind in the camp of men, cook their food, treat the wounded and nurse the sick.

Sahih Muslim 1810: It has been narrated on the authority of Anas b. Malik who said that the Messenger of Allah allowed Umm Sulaim and some other women of the Ansar to accompany him when he went to war; they would give water (to the soldiers) and would treat the wounded.

Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 1129: Mahmud ibn Labid said, "When Sa'd's eye was gravely wounded in the Battle of the Ditch, they moved him to the house of a woman called Rufayda who used to treat the wounded..."

All translations are from Sunnah.com.

The above-mentioned Rufaydah al-Aslamiyah is often cited these days as an example for modern women, but I don't know how prominently she would have figured 100+ years ago.

[Stereoview Paul]

There are several images of Sikhs  in acts of worship amongst the Girdwood collection but none that directly involve Muslim troops.

There is no reason to expect that the Muslim troops were not given the same freedom.

It is recorded that Gen. Willcocks arranged with French for a furlough involving Muslim troops to coincide with Ramadan. All religious requirements in respect to food for the various religious groups were carefully observed - to the extent that even the hospitals in Brighton had three separate kitchens.

 

Note. All Girdwood images are used with the permission of the Girdwood family

Edited 23 February by Stereoview Paul
Copyright note

[KGB]

I think Gurkhas (Hindu) had religious services in the trenches. One anecdote regarding diet, Gurkhas/Hindus abjure beef, they were given tins of it in 1915-17, asking for the image of a cow to be removed "let it be pork". 

 

[Stereoview Paul]

52 minutes ago, KGB said:

I think Gurkhas (Hindu) had religious services in the trenches. One anecdote regarding diet, Gurkhas/Hindus abjure beef, they were given tins of it in 1915-17, asking for the image of a cow to be removed "let it be pork". 

 

Your anecdote is slightly wrong, the tins did contain mutton but the suppliers logo was a bull! The sepoys actually went up to Sir Pertab Singh who was able to re-assure them that it was indeed mutton - the story is given in Gen. Willcocks book With the Indians in France

[KGB]

23 hours ago, Stereoview Paul said:

Your anecdote is slightly wrong, the tins did contain mutton but the suppliers logo was a bull! The sepoys actually went up to Sir Pertab Singh who was able to re-assure them that it was indeed mutton - the story is given in Gen. Willcocks book With the Indians in France

Also in "Bugles and a Tiger" (Masters). 

[michaeldr]

On 22/02/2024 at 12:46, kenf48 said:

perhaps of note due to religious practice female nurses were withdrawn and only male orderlies were employed in the wards.

 

On 23/02/2024 at 15:59, knittinganddeath said:

Sahih Muslim 1812g: It has been narrated on the authority of Umm 'Atiyya, the Ansarite, who said: I took part with the Messenger of Allah in seven battles. I would stay behind in the camp of men, cook their food, treat the wounded and nurse the sick.

Sahih Muslim 1810: It has been narrated on the authority of Anas b. Malik who said that the Messenger of Allah allowed Umm Sulaim and some other women of the Ansar to accompany him when he went to war; they would give water (to the soldiers) and would treat the wounded.

Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 1129: Mahmud ibn Labid said, "When Sa'd's eye was gravely wounded in the Battle of the Ditch, they moved him to the house of a woman called Rufayda who used to treat the wounded..."

All translations are from Sunnah.com.

The above-mentioned Rufaydah al-Aslamiyah is often cited these days as an example for modern women, but I don't know how prominently she would have figured 100+ years ago.

Perhaps of interest;

the Ottoman army had female nurses on Gallipoli in 1915 and serving on the ships taking their wounded to hospital in Istanbul; they were not many in number, but they were there.

As an occupation for women, nursing was only just beginning in Turkey at this time, and the illustration below shows that even by 1917 their numbers were relatively few

Edited 26 February by michaeldr

[kenf48]

I made no comment as to the ethnicity or faith of the female nurses but it appears I was incorrect to attribute their withdrawal from Brighton Pavilion hospital was due to religious practice.

For the avoidance of doubt only male orderlies were employed on the wards after 1915 due to Imperial sensitivity (for want of a better phrase)

See http://www.sikhmuseum.com/brighton/doctor/pavilion/staff.html

The point I was making was that the British with their long association with India and as demonstrated above were well aware of the religious practice and sensibility within the sub-Continent and appropriate provision was made to accommodate some, if not all of the issues raised by the OP.

 

[seaJane]

I have just googled Muslim observance 1914-1918 and it leads to some articles which are downloadable, although I can't guarantee the degree of relevance.

[ilkley remembers]

Whilst discussing WW 1 with groups of secondary school children of south Asian heritage in Bradford, the issue of religious practice and ritual was raised on several occasions. The pupils were a mixture of hindus, sikhs and muslims with the latter predominating.

Amongst the Muslim pupils they were well aware that the answer to the question how prayers (salat) and ablutions (wudhu) could be achieved in an environment like that experienced on the Western Front was covered by the teachings of The Prophet as revealed in the Quran. Thus in front line the rigorous application of ritual was not expected and as long as certain conditions were met a much looser form of worship could be practiced. This could mean for example that alternative short prayers were recited or even a simple nod of the head in the rough direction of Mecca. Likewise there was an alternative to Wudhu; a truncated form using water from a canteen.

I suppose that one of the problems is that published first hand accounts of an ordinary muslim soldiers life in WW 1 are rare indeed. Those written by British Officers cannot offer the insights into the life of the Indian soldier because of the cultural distance between the two. In any case most white officers still adhered to ‘Martial Race Theory’ which largely judged Indian troops in terms or perceived physical and mental attributes. However, as was noted earlier in this thread the Indian Army made great strides in accommodating cultural and religious practices of Indian soldiers, although, this was probably more to do with memories of the 1857 revolt. There is evidence that the army did try to rotate battalions in the front line to ensure that month long fast of Ramadan and the celebrations of Eid could be experienced by all Muslim troops.

There is some evidence that the form of Islam practiced by soldiers of the Indian army was less ritualistic and looser version than that found amongst the civilian muslim population. Recruiting officers for the Muslim regions of India were given instructions in the form of a handbook on how to identify Muslims who might fit into a military environment. I have seen the term ‘Barrack Islam’ in describing the form of religious adherence that was common in the Indian Army.

Although, published works by Indian soldiers are rare the troops were not simply silent witnesses to the events to going on around them. Despite low levels of literacy many of the soldiers did have basic writing skills and those that didn’t could use scribes. Their testimony was in the form of man thousands of letters written home and which were heavily censored by an anxious India Office concerned about morale levels and the danger of sedition in the ranks. Many of these letters were transcribed and the copies are now held in the British Library. They do give a picture of life for the Indian Soldier and include comments about religious practice including group worship, arrangements for Ramadan and Eid. David Omissi, a researcher from Hull University has published a large selection of these transcriptions in ‘Indian Voices of the Great War; Soldiers Letters 1914-1918’. This is an academic text and is priced accordingly with cheapest paperback about £50. It was available through Inter-Library Loan a few years ago.

Hope that this is of some use and good luck with your research

 

IR