Ma`rifat

The ritual, behavioral, and performative dimension of religion is termed manāsik (rites/rituals). Rituals represent the objective embodiment and symbolic manifestation of beliefs, values, attitudes, and devotional orientations in the guise of concrete behaviors. In other words, rituals constitute a part of the practical wisdom of religion, which, as a rule, is founded upon theoretical wisdom and metaphysical foundations and assumptions. Through the performance of rituals, believers express the degree of their doctrinal and faith-based commitment, thereby providing the ground for the continuous acquisition of devotional experiences. Among the functions of mass media, particularly religious media or media active in the sphere of religious media, are the propagation, promotion, interpretation, representation, reformation, and modification of religious rituals—both primary and secondary—and, in some cases, the creation of new rituals commensurate with the needs and exigencies of the public sphere. Adopting a normative approach, this article aims to codify and prescribe the requirements and preferences of the national media in its engagement with religious rituals, with reference to general criteria derived from religious texts. Its method consists of content analysis of transmitted and prescriptive propositions, and the derivation of their explicit and implicit implications.