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Behavior of
Profiling information-seeking mosque
behavior of mosque speechmakers speechmakers

in Upper Egypt
Essam Mansour
Department of Library and Information Science, South Valley University,
Qena, Egypt Received 19 February 2020
Revised 4 May 2020
Accepted 14 June 2020

Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is attracting attention to the use of information by mosque
speechmakers (MSs) in the Islamic and Arabic world, specifically in Upper Egypt.
Design/methodology/approach – This study used a survey, which was conducted from September to
November 2019. A structured questionnaire was designed in Arabic and distributed to the mosques that were
chosen as a sample to represent all the mosques of Upper Egypt. The researcher sampled 5% (n = 421) of the
total of 8,421 mosques in Upper Egypt.
Findings – The findings showed the majority of the MSs in Upper Egypt are to be older (from 36 to
60 years, educated [mostly with BA degrees]), married and with an average monthly income over LE
3,500. Almost all MSs were strongly looking for information to make specific/general research, to make
a religious lecture and be aware of contemporary events. The most frequently used sources of
information by MSs were biographies, books, mass media, references and the Web. Most of the MSs had
been using information heavily. The highest percentage of them spent from 7 to 12 h a week searching
for information. MSs preferred the use of printed sources of information to those non-print sources.
Mobile apps, followed by the Web and information databases were the most significant technological
tools used by MSs. MSs’ efficiency level of using English was good and a reasonable number of them
indicated that they were not good at speaking other languages, such as French. The home/personal
library and the special library were the most important types of libraries used by MSs. The unaffected
role of the library to access information, followed by the use of foreign languages to access some sources
of information, as well as the use of technology, were the most significant problems faced by MSs when
searching for information.
Research limitations/implications – This paper investigates the topic of MSs’ use of and access to
information. This topic, unfortunately, has limited previous research, particularly in the Arabic and Islamic
environment.
Practical implications – This paper provides valuable insight into the information behavior of a very
significant client group, namely, MSs.
Originality/value – Being one of the very few studies conducted on these beneficiaries of information in
the Arab and Islamic environment, this study is considered a unique one among several studies conducted in
the area of the information-seeking behavior, especially with such a significant group of information users/
seekers in such influencing environment in the world. The findings of this study may help in a better
understanding of the information-seeking behavior of the MSs.
Keywords User studies, Survey, Information needs, Information sources,
Information-seeking behavior, Upper Egypt
Paper type Research paper

Global Knowledge, Memory and

Communication
My sincere thanks to the Mosque speechmakers in Upper Egypt for their sincere cooperation with me © Emerald Publishing Limited
2514-9342
in completing the study questionnaire and also providing the necessary advice. DOI 10.1108/GKMC-02-2020-0018
GKMC The success or failure of an influential leader, whether a political, spiritual or religious one
depends greatly on whether they have a good or a bad understanding of their people (Mansour,
2015, p. 195).

Introduction
The understanding of any leader of his/her people or group is logically dependent on good
and reasonable availability of accurate and well-organized information. As stated by
Mansour and Alkhurainej (2011), the inspiring and influential leader may fail to meet his/her
people’s needs and expectations when he/she addresses wrong or poor information. Any
positive or negative impact of any information held by these influential leaders may extend
to all who are affected by them such as their families and followers. This study, thus, was
conducted to gather data concerning the factors affecting the use of information by a clear
model of these influential leaders, namely, mosque speechmakers (MSs), especially in terms
of their methods, as well as their behavior in searching for information. This study, which is
one of the few studies concerned with discussing such topics, tries seriously to investigate
the information-seeking behavior of MSs in Upper Egypt. Additionally, it works to meet the
gap in the literature on this topic, especially at the Arab and Islamic levels, despite the
presence of nearly 1.9 billion Muslims around the world who are intensely concentrated in
the Arab region, Asia, Africa and parts of Europe and the USA. Mosque prayers may wish
to know those factors that may influence the MSs’ handling and use of information. Such use
may reshape their lives, either positively or negatively (Mansour and Alkhurainej, 2011).

Statement of the problem

The theme of the informational behavior of the preachers did not receive any proper attention
from scholars and the researchers interested in religious affairs. More research is significantly
required concerning this research topic, particularly in the Islamic and Arabic world.
Supported by Mansour (2015), little research has been undertaken about the manner preachers
access information in some countries such as Nigeria and the USA, but data on such major
topics at the level of the Arab world, where Upper Egypt is placed, are still weakly.

Purpose and significance of the study

The leading objective of this paper is to investigate the information-seeking behavior of MSs in
Upper Egypt. The study is concerned with MSs, as they are the most persuasive groups in
directing society, which unfortunately have not received enough research attention. Based on
this fact, this study attempts to explore the information-seeking behavior of this group in terms
of its beliefs, attitudes, practices, preferences, tools and challenges faced when using information.
The findings and recommendations of this study may serve those who are interested in
studying informational behavior, especially for groups that inspire and influence people’s lives.

Objectives of the study

To accomplish its key objective, this study was run by the subsequent sub-objectives:
 to profile the demographic characteristics of MSs in Upper Egypt;
 to state the reasons why MSs use information, time spent and the level of use on
each source;
 to specify the sources of information used by MSs;
 to determine the forms of information preferred by MSs;
 to determine the tools and technology used by MSs;
  to ascertain any possible role that the library can play in the search for information Behavior of
by MSs; and mosque
 to identify any problems/challenges that may face MSs when searching for speechmakers
information.

Definition of study terms

Islam
Islam is the religion of the Muslims, a monotheistic faith regarded as revealed through
Muhammad as the Prophet of Allah” (Islam, 2015a). It was founded in the Arabian
Peninsula in the 7th century AD. It spreads mainly in the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa,
the Middle East and some parts of Asia (Islam, 2015b).

Muslims
The Muslim or Moslem, is one who embraces Islam (Muslims, 2015).

The mosque and zawaya (small mosque)

The Mosque, called “Masjid” in Arabic, is the place where Muslims pray to Allah (God).
According to Oxford Dictionaries: mosques consist of an area reserved for communal
prayers, frequently in a domed building with a minaret and with a niche (mihrab) or other
structure indicating the direction of Mecca (Mosque, 2015). Zawayas are small rooms located
in private buildings, particularly in the first floor or in the basement. These zawayas are not
controlled by the state, but rather by the people. Many of these zawaya were the hotbeds of
terrorism that Egypt has witnessed, especially in the past few years.

The mosque speechmaker

Labeled as a fluent public orator, the MS, called “Khatib” in Arabic, is a person who makes
or delivers a speech/sermon during the Friday prayer and Eid (feast) prayers. He is usually
the Imam, but the two roles can be played by different people. There are no requirements of
eligibility to become a Khatib, although the person must be a male, who has attained the age
of puberty (Khatib, 2015).

Friday speech/sermon
The Friday speech/sermon, called “Khutbah” in Arabic, is a talk/sermon delivered weekly in
the mosque before the Friday prayer (Khutbah, 2015). It consists of two parts or sessions.
Each one ranges between 15 and 20 min. It was originally delivered in classical Arabic, but
now this is not a requirement.

Information-seeking behavior/information behavior

Wilson (2000) described the information-seeking behavior as “The totality of human
behavior in relation to sources and channels of information, including both active and
passive information seeking and information use” (p. 49). According to Bates (2010),
“information behavior” is the currently preferred term used to describe the many ways in
which human beings interact with information; in particular, the ways in which people seek
and use information.
GKMC Upper Egypt
Upper Egypt, called in Arabic Al-Saʿīd (“The Upland”). According to Encyclopedia
Britannica, Upper Egypt is a geographic and cultural division of Egypt, generally consisting
of the Nile River valley south of the delta and the 30th parallel N. It thus consists of the entire
Nile River valley from Cairo south to Lake Nasser (formed by the Aswan High Dam)
(Britannica, 2020).

Study methodology
This research used a survey, which was carried out from September to November 2019. As
stated by Brown and Gilmartin (1969), survey research is described to be the most
commonly used research technique in the field of social sciences. To conduct this study, a
structured questionnaire was designed in Arabic and distributed to the selected mosques.
As possible, the researcher attempted to represent all the mosques in Upper Egypt. A pilot
questionnaire was first sent to a small number (n = 10) of MSs, to help improve resolution
questions based on the background of this test. The survey form was revised and reviewed
by a group of experts (three associate professors) specialized in information studies,
especially in terms of using information. Validity and reliability were verified by a pilot test
to find an acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.820), which shows a high
level of internal consistency as mentioned by Ash (2009). Questionnaire questions contained
closed questions. However, there was an open question letting participants add any
additional explanations or comments. According to the Central Agency for Public
Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) (2018), there are 163,432 mosques and zawayas in
Egypt, 10,427 of them are located in Upper Egypt representing 6.4% of all Egyptian
mosques distributed in its 27 governorates. Of the 10,427, there are 8,421 mosques. While it
is permitted to perform Friday speeches/sermons in these mosques, they are not allowed to
be held in the zawayas.

(%) Sample
No. of No. of Of all mosques and zawayas Taken
Governorate mosques zawaya* Total in Egypt (163.432) No. (%)

Qena 4,861 947 5,808 3.6 290 5

Luxor 1,682 409 2,091 1.3 104 5
Aswan 1,878 650 2,528 1.5 126 5
Total 8,421 2,006 10,427 6.4 520 5
Table 1.
MSs’ workplace Note: Zawaya are small mosques that are often not subject to the government supervision

Statistics Std. error of

Workplace Respondents (%) Mean mean SD

1.60 0.036 0.719

Qena 219 53.8
Luxor 132 32.4
Table 2. Aswan 56 13.8
Respondents Total 407 100
 The researcher sampled 5% (n = 421) from those 8,421 mosques. The questionnaire was Behavior of
directed to those 421, but 14 of the returned questionnaires were unacceptable because they mosque
were not completed, which is why they were excluded. Therefore, the full number of
speechmakers to be analyzed reached 407, as shown in Table 1, representing, as possible,
speechmakers
the entire number of mosques/zawayas in Upper Egypt.
Statistically, Table 2 shows the number of MSs who actually responded to the study
representing the three governorates of Upper Egypt (Qena, Luxor and Aswan).

Research questions
Depending on the questions directed to the MSs in the study questionnaire, the researcher
tried to answer the following nine questions:

RQ1. What is the profile of MSs in Upper Egypt?

RQ2. Why are MSs searching for information?
RQ3. What kinds of sources of information are MSs using?
RQ4. What kinds of formats of information do MSs prefer when searching for information?
RQ5. What kinds of technology tools are MSs using when searching for information?
RQ6. How much time do MSs spend a week searching for information?
RQ7. What is the proficiency level of foreign languages performed by MSs when
searching for information?
RQ8. How strong is the use of library holdings by MSs when searching for information?
RQ9. What are the problems faced by MSs when searching for information?

Literature review
Although the researcher conducted a similar study in the State of Kuwait, he did not seek to
make a comparison between the two studies or the two societies for two reasons. The first is
that both studies are exploratory that means that they are not theorized and the second is
the clear difference between socioeconomic factors between the two study groups. However,
the researcher used his previous study to be one of the references and parts of the literature
of this current study, which would enhance this literature, at least at the Arab level. This is
in addition to comparing what can be compared with the results of the first study, whether
to support or deny the results of this study.
There are very few studies that have been conducted regarding the use of information by
religious scholars, especially for religious purposes. Despite the great role these scholars
play in shaping the conscience of people and nations, they have not received the appropriate
attention from researchers and specialists that other scholars and those of other professions
are receiving significantly and with noticeable attention. Chronologically, the literature of
this study has been divided into two main parts. Though the first part dealt with the
Christian clergy’s information-seeking behavior, the second one dealt with the Muslim
clergy’s information-seeking behavior.

Christian preachers’ information-seeking behavior

Few studies have been done in Western countries regarding the use of Christian pastors for
information sources. Curran and Burns (2011), for example, looked at some responsibilities of
GKMC the clergy, such as preaching, teaching, handling, carrying out services and counseling. They
found that clergies depend heavily on their own personal resources, as well as relations to
meet their needs of information. Furthermore, the clergy did not use any type of libraries
when searching for information. Michels (2010) focused, through a micro-ethnographic case
study technique, on the information-seeking behavior of one minister who regularly used the
internet searching for information with the aim of making a religious sermon/lecture. He
found that the use of the internet, as well as social networking sites (SSNs), such as Twitter
and Facebook, did help through the building of the sermon. Furthermore, Michels revealed
that missionary biographies, references and specialized books were the most important
sources of information followed by the studied minister. Kari (2006) conducted his study,
which was described to be the first of its kind handling the information from a spiritual
perspective trying to discover any possible relationship between information and spirituality.
Carey concluded that there is an important relationship between spirituality and information.
Using a qualitative study approach, Michels (2005) tried to address the informal behavior of
scholars interested in Bible-related studies when searching for information. The study
concluded that people were often consulted as a suitable source of information. Adetimiriin
(2004) studied the information-seeking behavior of 92 Nigerian Catholic religious scholars to
find that most of these scholars used specialized books, specifically Bible books, to find
information related to their church work. He also showed that some other informal sources of
information, such as the internet and newspapers, as well as friends and colleagues, were
higher than journals and books when searching for information. Using a survey and a
personal interview, Wicks (1999) attempted to discover the information-seeking behavior of
the pastoral clergy. He found that pastoral clergy used different types of information sources
in different roles that may form their information-seeking behavior. For instance, the pastor
is more likely to prefer to use formal information sources when he prepares to discourse and
informal sources when he is going to make an administrative decision. Tanner (1992)
attempted to study how a priest collects and disseminates information professionally
through formal and informal networks/channels. He addressed two major roles of the
minister as an information publisher. The first as a counselor, when he uses several
strategies to meet his diverse needs of information, and the other as a preacher, when he uses
both his personal skills and his acquired experiences. Gorman (1990) attempted, through a
survey, to address areas related to theologians’ use of information in Adelaide, Australia,
such as their demographic characteristics, research, as well as their research methods and
habits. He found that theologians rely mainly on the “invisible college” for exchanging ideas
and information, with a simple use of the library. He also found that theologians are likely to
search for information in their own ways by themselves instead of asking for help from
others such as librarians. Allen (1987) studied the information-seeking behavior of Central
America Baptist pastors with special reference to South America. He revealed that the
increasing responsibilities of church leadership and education were the robust predictors of
the use of different sources of information, as well as the media. He also revealed that radio
and television are the most widely used channels for gathering information. Regarding the
use of the library, Erdel (1978) surveyed Evangelical Mennonite Church pastors in the USA to
find that they relied more on their own personal library than any other types of libraries.

Muslim preachers’ information-seeking behavior

The informational behavior of Muslim preachers has not received any noteworthy or
sufficient attention from researchers, despite there are about 1.9 billion Muslims spread
throughout the world (24% of the world’s population), which makes Islam be the second
largest religion worldwide (World Population Review, 2019). Mansour (2015) tried to study
the information-seeking behavior of MSs in Kuwait (n = 561 out of 795) in terms of their Behavior of
thoughts, tactics, habits, preferences, tools, as well as problems encountered when searching mosque
for information. He found that MSs were looking for information to make specific/general
speechmakers
research, collect statistics and make a speech and to deliver religious lectures. The home/
personal library and printed sources of information were much preferred by MSs. Book,
biographies and mass media were found to be the most significant sources accessed by MSs
in Kuwait. Problems such as shortage role of libraries, use of non-Arabic languages and
technology were the most significant problems met by MSs when searching for information.
Saleh and Abu Bakr (2013) noted that despite studying the information-seeking behavior of
many professional groups, a very important professional group of information users, i.e.
Muslim clergy has been passed over. Thus, the researchers attempted to examine the
information-seeking behavior of this group (Muslim clerics), who are called Ulama (religious
scholars) (n = 281) in Nigeria. They revealed that these scholars consulted various sources of
information for different tasks and many purposes. For preaching purposes, for example,
scholars often consult with their personal collections searching for information, such as the
Qur’an (the Muslims’ Holy Book), Hadith (the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be
upon him), deeds documented by the Prophet’s followers, as well as comments by other
scholars. However, when scholars play an advisory role, they consult with informal
channels, such as the council of scholars, friends and colleagues. Their study also revealed
that scientists have succeeded in creating numerous research strategies to locate sources of
information when using libraries. El-Safty (2010) examined the information-seeking
behavior of the formal MSs and Muslim preachers (Imams) (MSMPs) (n = 387) in Egypt to
find that there is a relationship between their demography and their access to information,
as well as a relationship between their professional characteristics and their access to
information sources, particularly biographical and religious books. However, a great
number of MSMPs lacked the essential search skills needed to use information.

Limitations of the study

This study investigates the information-seeking behavior of MSs in Upper Egypt. Any
results from this study are limited to those speechmakers only. The size of this study is
relatively small, which would not have greatly helped in generalizing the remaining MSs in
Egypt or the Arab world.

Data analysis
Valid questionnaires were encoded using SPSS (V. 23). The following methods were
performed:
 The number of frequency counts, percentages, means, standard errors and standard
deviations for the categories included in the study questionnaire.
 Cross-tabulation, as possible, for the degree of relationship among different
variables as possible.
 The one-way ANalysis Of VAariance (ANOVA) was undertaken to check whether
there are any significant differences among the means of independent groups or not.

Findings of the study

The findings of this study were designed based on the items listed in its questionnaire. They
were also handled in terms of the answers to its nine questions.
 other
GKMC

Table 3.

income) cross
MSs’ demography
(age, education and

tabulated with each

Age Total
Education - 25 26–30 31–35 36–40 41–45 46–50 51–55 56–60

Informal education Income 2,000 – 2,500 LE* 1 1

Total 1 1
Prep school Income 2,501 – 3,000 LE 6 6
Total 6 6

3,001 – 3,500 LE 9 1 0 8 0 18
High school/diploma Income 3,501 – 4,000 LE 2 9 5 38 27 81
4,001 – LE 0 0 0 0 7 7
Total 11 10 5 46 34 106
2,501 – 3,000 LE 17 32 0 0 0 0 0 0 49
BA Income 3,001 – 3,500 LE 0 4 33 12 0 5 3 0 57
3,501 – 4,000 LE 0 0 4 36 44 38 15 15 152
4,001 – LE 0 0 0 0 0 2 20 2 24
Total 17 36 37 48 44 45 38 17 282
Master Income 3,501 – 4,000 LE 4 0 0 0 0 4
4,001 – LE 0 2 2 2 1 7
Total 4 2 2 2 1 11
PhD Income 4,001 – LE 1 1
Total 1 1

2,501 – 3,000 LE 17 32 0 0 0 0 0 0 49
Total Income 3001 – 3,500 LE 0 4 33 21 1 5 11 1 76
3,501 – 4,000 LE 0 0 4 42 53 43 53 48 243
4,001 – LE 0 0 0 0 2 4 22 11 39
Total 17 36 37 63 56 52 86 60 407

Notes: *MSs’ income in Egyptian pound (LE) ($1 = LE 15.64). Exchange rate as at May 2020 (www.currency.com)
RQ1. What is the profile of mosque speechmakers in Upper Egypt? Behavior of
The findings showed the tendency of the MSs in Upper Egypt to be older (from 36 to mosque
60 years), representing more than two-thirds (78%) of the MSs, educated (mostly with BA
degrees), representing nearly two-thirds of the MSs (69.3%) and with an average monthly
speechmakers
income over LE 3500, representing about two-thirds of the MSs (69.3%). Regarding their
marital status, the study revealed that a very large number (95.6%) of MSs were married.
Details are shown in Tables 3 and 4.
It is worth noting that, according to Islamic traditions, as well as the regulations issued by
the religious authorities in Egypt, the MSs’ position is restricted to men only.
As shown in Table 5, the findings revealed that a very large number (92.9%) of MSs had
an Islamic academic qualification and the rest of them (7.1%) did not have such a
qualification.
Regarding their work experience, the findings showed that the largest number of the
MSs (24.3%) have spent more than 30 years in the rhetorical field, followed by 22.5% who
have spent from 16–20 years and 17.2% who have stayed from 26–30 years. See Table 6 for
more detailed information. Additionally, the findings revealed that 85% of MSs were
speechmakers and Imams (the person who leads the prayer) and the rest of them (15%) were
only speechmakers (Table 7).

Statistics
Workplace Respondents (%) Mean Std. error of mean SD

2.03 0.019 0.376

Single 8 2
Married 389 95.6
Widow 8 2
Divorced/separate 2 0.5 Table 4.
Total 407 100 MSs’ marital status

Statistics
Major Respondents (%) Mean SE SD

1.07 0.013 0.258

Islamic studies 378 92.9
Non-Islamic studies 29 7.1 Table 5.
Total 407 100 MSs’ major

Statistics
Work experience Respondents (%) Mean SE SD

4.74 0.092 1.849

5 years 21 5.2
6–10 years 37 9.1
11–15 years 51 12.5
16–20 years 77 18.9
21–25 years 52 12.8
26–30 years 70 17.2 Table 6.
31 years 99 24.3 MSs’ work
Total 407 100 experience
GKMC RQ2. Why are mosque speechmakers seeking information?
Regarding the reasons for seeking information, the findings revealed that almost all MSs in
Upper Egypt (99.8%) were strongly looking for information to make specific/general
research, followed by 98.5% who were seeking information to make a religious lecture and
92.1% of them to be aware of contemporary events. See Table 8 for much detailed
information.

RQ3. What kinds of sources of information are mosque speechmakers using?

MSs in Upper Egypt were requested to specify their level of the strong need for information
sources they were seeking for by choosing one of the four scales of strength presented to
them. The findings showed that the MSs’ answers ranged from “not strong” to “very
strong.” The highest strength level was “biographies” (76.4%), followed by “books” (66.1%),
“mass media” (61.4%), “references” (44.5%) and “the Web” (41.8%). See Table 9 for much
detailed information.

RQ4. What kinds of formats of information do mosque speechmakers prefer when

searching for information?
The findings showed that the most preferred formats of information mentioned by MSs
were “printed formats” (87.7%), followed by “non-printed formats” (19.9%) (Table 10).

RQ5. What kinds of technology tools are mosque speechmakers using when searching for
information?
As shown in Table 11, the findings revealed that the highest level technology tool MSs in
Upper Egypt used was “Mobile apps” (74.9%), followed by “the Web” (71%), “the computer”
(62%) and “information databases” (49.6%).

Statistics
Job title Respondents (%) Mean SE SD

3.55 0.053 1.072

MS only 61 15
Table 7. MS and Imam 346 85
MSs’ job title Total 407 100

Level Statistics
Very Somewhat Not SE
Reasons for seeking information strong (%) Strong (%) strong (%) strong (%) Mean of mean SD

To make specific research 93.1 6.6 0.2 0 1.07 0.013 0.267

Table 8. To make general research 88.5 11.3 0.2 0 1.12 0.016 0.330
To make a speech/sermon 80.6 11.5 7.9 0 1.27 0.030 0.597
MSs’ reasons for
To present a religious lecture 70 28.5 1.5 0 1.31 0.025 0.497
seeking information To collect statistics 69 25.6 5.4 0 1.36 0.029 0.583
based on the level of To be in line with current events 61.9 34.9 3.2 0 1.141 0.027 0.554
strength To make a religious debate 31.9 40.5 27.5 0 1.96 0.038 0.771
 Level
Behavior of
Very Somewhat Not Do not Statistics mosque
strong Strong strong strong Use SE of
Information sources (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) Mean mean SD
speechmakers
Biographies 76.4 22.9 0.2 0.5 0 1.25 0.023 0.471
Books 66.1 33.7 0.2 0 0 1.34 0.024 0.480
Mass media 61.4 35.6 1 1.7 0.2 1.44 0.031 0.632
References 44.5 46.2 7.4 2 0 1.67 0.035 0.699
The Web 41.8 47.7 6.6 3.9 0 1.73 0.037 754
Encyclopedias 34.9 51.4 10.1 2.5 1.2 1.84 0.039 0.796
Newspapers and magazines 17.7 60.2 15.7 5.7 0.7 2.12 0.039 0.784
Terminological dictionaries 14.5 61.9 16.5 5.9 1.2 2.17 0.039 0.792
Abstracts of books and 13.3 40.5 36.1 6.9 3.2 2.46 0.046 0.919
articles
Specialized bulletins 8.6 51.1 26 9.3 4.9 2.51 0.047 0.952
Specialized journals 8.1 65.6 15 7.9 3.4 2.33 0.043 0.865
Lingual dictionaries 4.9 45.7 34.4 10.1 4.9 2.64 0.045 0.909
Thesis and dissertations 2.9 20.9 43.7 21.1 11.3 3.17 0.049 0.982
Library catalogs 2.7 22.1 43 20.6 11.5 3.16 0.049 0.987
Conferences works 1.7 21.1 42.8 22.1 12.3 3.22 0.048 0.973 Table 9.
Information networks 1.2 24.8 43 21.6 9.3 3.13 0.046 0.934
MSs’ level of using
Directories 0.7 22.9 45.2 20.6 10.6 3.03 0.041 0.982
Microfilms and microfiches 0.2 2.5 14 37.3 45.9 4.26 0.040 0.808 information sources
Research reports 0 15.7 37.8 22.4 24.1 3.55 0.051 1.023 based on the level of
Atlases and gazettes 0 14.5 44.2 30.7 10.6 3.37 0.043 0.859 strength

Preference Statistics
Too much Just Not much SR Table 10.
Information formats preferred (%) preferred (%) preferred (%) Mean of mean SD MSs’ preference of
(%) (%) information formats
Printed information formats 87.7 12.3 0 1.12 0.016 0.329 based on the
Non-printed information formats 19.9 59 21.1 2.01 0.032 0.641 preference level

Level Statistics
Very good Good Somewhat good Not good SR
Tools (%) (%) (%) (%) Mean of mean SD Table 11.
Mobile apps 74.9 23.8 1.2 0 1.26 0.023 0.468 MSs’ level of use of
The Web 71 25.1 3.4 0.5 1.33 0.028 0.567 technological tools
Computer 60.2 36.4 3.4 0 1.43 0.028 0.561 when accessing
Information databases 49.6 37.1 3.4 3.9 1.79 0.054 1.086 information

RQ6. How much time do mosque speechmakers spend a week searching for information?
The findings showed that more than two-thirds of MSs had been using information heavily.
The highest percentage of them (74.8%) spends from 7 to 12 h a week searching for
information. See Table 12 for much detailed information.
GKMC RQ7. What is the proficiency level of foreign languages performed by mosque speechmakers
when searching for information?
MSs in Upper Egypt were requested to specify their efficiency level of using non-Arabic
languages they were using when using information by choosing one of the four scales
presented to them. The findings showed that the efficiency level ranged from “not good” to
“very good.” In detail, more than two-thirds (75.9%) of MSs determined that their efficiency
in English, being one of the most important languages in which the sources of information
appear, was at least “good.” A reasonable number of MSs (63.4%) indicated that they were
not good at speaking other languages such as French (Table 13).

RQ8. How strong is the use of library holdings by MSs when searching for information?
The findings showed that the highest rate of using libraries by MSs when searching for
information was for “the home/personal library”, where 96.6% of them confirmed that their
use of this type of libraries was very strong. See much detailed information in Table 14.

RQ9. What are the problems faced by mosque speechmakers when searching for information?
Table 15 shows that the ineffective role of the library to access information, the use of
foreign languages to access some sources of information, followed by, the use of technology

Statistics
Time (weekly) (h) (%) Mean SR of mean SD

3.18 0.044 0.887

3 3.2
4–6 20.1
Table 12. 7–9 33.7
Time spent a week 10–12 41
by MSs searching for 13 2
information Total 100

Table 13.
MSs’ level of the Level Statistics
efficiency of Languages Very good (%) Good (%) Somewhat good (%) Not good (%) Mean SR of mean SD
languages followed
English 5.9 70 21.6 2.5 2.21 0.029 0.576
to access information French 0 3.2 33.4 63.4 3.60 0.027 0.552
based on the level
of good

Level Statistics
Very Strong Somewhat Not Do not SR
Library type strong (%) (%) strong (%) strong (%) use (%) Mean of mean SD

(%) (%) (%) (%)

Table 14.
The home/personal library 96.6 3.4 0 0 0 1.02 0.008 0.182
MSs’ use of libraries The special library 80.1 18.4 0.5 0 0 1.21 0.021 0.415
when searching for The academic library 18.7 39.1 37.3 4.9 5.2 2.29 0.41 0.823
information based on The national library 1 10.3 30 40.3 18.4 3.63 0.46 0.929
the level of strength The public library 0.2 15 58 20.6 6.1 3.17 0.040 0.763
tools and the place of information were to be at least the most significant problems MSs Behavior of
were facing when searching for information. See Table 15 for much detailed information. mosque
speechmakers
Discussions and conclusion
The purpose of this study is to show the information-seeking behavior of MSs in Upper
Egypt when searching for information to achieve their preaching and rhetorical work. To
meet this purpose, nine questions were made to lead the study. The range of MSs’ answers
to the questions of the study reflected their perceptions and attitudes toward their rhetorical
work. Some of the findings of this study were highly consistent with the results of previous
studies mentioned in this study, especially with regard to studies conducted in the Islamic
environment.
As shown in Table 16, the demographic part of this study showed that the most of MSs
in Upper Egypt were likely to be older, educated with a large Islamic background and with
an average relatively high monthly income. For the use of information sources, this study
revealed that there is a significant relationship between the demographic characteristics
(income and education) of MSs and some of information sources used by them. There is, for
example, a significant difference between MSs’ income and their use of abstracts of books
and articles (p = 0.040; p < 0.05), references (p = 0.003; p < 0.05) and thesis and dissertations
(p = 0.025; p < 0.05). There is also a significant difference between the education level of
MSs and their use of abstracts of books and articles (p = 0.000; p < 0.05), conference works
(p = 0.000; p < 0.05), library catalogs (p = 0.000; p < 0.05), microfilms and microfiches (p =
0.000; p < 0.05), references (p = 0.007; p < 0.05) and thesis and dissertations (p = 0.000; p <
0.05).
These results are highly consistent with the studies of Mansour (2015), Saleh and Abu
Bakar (2013) and El-Safty (2010), which reported that there is a significant relationship
between demographic characteristics (age and education) of Muslim preachers and their use
of sources of information. These results confirm that MSs were spending much time using
sources of information, as the highest percentage of them (74.8%) was spending from 7 to 12
h a week searching for information. Consistent with Mansour (2015), this study found that a
very large number (92.9%) of MSs in Upper Egypt carry an Islamic academic qualification
granted to them from specialized and accredited Islamic universities, mostly from Al-Azhar
University (established in 970), which is described as the largest and oldest Islamic
University in the world, whether the ancient or modern world. MSs (the authorized person
who is able to deliver sermons, especially Friday and feast sermons) could be Imam (the
person who leads the prayers during prayer), but, on the contrary, the Imam cannot play
the role of the speechmaker or exercise his duties except in some cases and emergencies. The
study showed that 85% of MSs in Upper Egypt were both Khatibs (MSs) and Imam (prayer

Very Level Somewhat Not Statistics

significant Significant significant significant SR
Problems (%) (%) (%) (%) Mean of mean SD Table 15.
Problems faced by
The humble role of the library 37.8 44.7 12.5 4.9 1.87 0.047 939
The use of foreign languages 37.3 45.2 16 1.5 1.89 0.036 0.734 MSs when searching
The place of information 6.4 41.3 41 11.3 2.57 0.038 0.775 for information based
The use of technology tools 0 44.5 45 10.6 2.66 0.033 0.661 on the level of
The high cost of information 0 18.7 60.9 20.4 3.02 0.031 0.626 significance
GKMC leaders) and 15% were only Khatibs. Though there is no statistically significant difference
between MSs’ job title and workplace and their use of information sources (except
biographies: p = 0.016; p = 0.05), there is a significant difference between MSs’ academic
major and their use of some of these sources, such as conferences works (p = 0.022; p = 0.05),
directories (p = 0.000; p = 0.05), information networks (p = 0.003; p = 0.05), library
catalogues (p = 0.009; p = 0.05), mass media (p = 0.002; p = 0.05), research reports (p = 0.022;
p = 0.05), specialized journals (p = 0.000; p = 0.05) and theses and dissertations (p = 0.018;
p = 0.05) (p = 0.003; p = 0.05) (Table 17).
MSs in Upper Egypt succeeded in determining their goals from using the information as
these goals were largely consistent with the nature of their rhetorical tasks. Almost all of
them indicated that they were mostly searching for information to carry out research,
whether specific or general. Additionally, a very large number (98.5%) of them indicated at
least strongly that they were searching for information to present a religious lecture,
followed by 96.8% who indicated at least strongly that they were looking for information to
be aware of contemporary events. However, 92.1% of them indicated at least strongly that
they were using the information to make the Friday sermon. Although making the Friday
sermon is at the core of the work of the MS, he is forced and obligated, in some times and
cases, to follow what is imposed on him by the religious authorities to bring speeches
prepared in advance to keep pace with some of the events that the state is passing through
or to deliver and pass a message from the state to the people by taking advantage of the
MS’s influential position. MSs were using both printed and non-printed sources of
information, concentrating more on old-printed sources, particularly biographies and books.
A large number (87.7%) of MSs strongly prefer that information that appears in printed
form such as books. Almost all (99.2%) of the MSs in Upper Egypt indicated that they were
at least strongly searching for biographies, particularly explanatory books of the Holy
Qur’an and Hadith and books or what is known as biographical books that largely discuss

Information sources Significance

in alphabetical order Age Income Education Marital status

Abstracts of books and articles 0.240 0.040 0.000 0.637

Atlases and gazettes 0.122 0.208 0.479 0.624
Biographies 0.164 0.403 0.970 0.330
Books 0.718 0.770 0.109 0.595
Conferences works 0.942 0.171 0.000 0.931
Directories 0.578 0.833 0.390 0.825
Encyclopedias 0.839 0.937 0.232 0.603
Information networks 0.847 0.220 0.247 0.926
Library catalogs 0.526 0.096 0.000 0.958
Lingual dictionaries 0.223 0.408 0.644 0.748
Mass media 0.977 0.733 0.154 0.429
Microfilms and microfiches 0.800 0.087 0.000 0.294
Newspapers and magazines 0.537 0.970 0.204 0.866
Table 16. References 0.000 0.003 0.007 0.280
Research reports 0.642 0.840 0.763 0.828
ANOVA (shortened)
Specialized bulletins 0.725 0.953 0.520 0.751
by MSs’ demography Specialized journals 0.265 0.641 0.067 0.446
(age, income, Terminological dictionaries 0.685 0.293 0.687 0.970
education and social The Web 0.852 0.915 0.685 0.779
status) Thesis and dissertations 0.733 0.025 0.000 0.960
Information sources Significance
Behavior of
in alphabetical order Job title Work Work experience Major mosque
speechmakers
Abstracts of books and articles 0.564 0.193 0.440 0.477
Atlases and gazettes 0.184 0.595 0.216 0.108
Biographies 0.016 0.596 0.296 0.461
Books 0.413 0.980 0.241 0.401
Conferences works 0.074 0.935 0.957 0.022
Directories 0.423 0.730 0.729 0.000
Encyclopedias 0.394 0.938 0.765 0.371
Information networks 0.135 0.998 0.860 0.003
Library catalogs 0.118 0.736 0.502 0.009
Lingual dictionaries 0.792 0.461 0.172 0.077
Mass media 0.142 0.543 0.838 0.002
Microfilms and microfiches 0.602 0.886 0.728 0.297
Newspapers and magazines 0.159 0.207 0.615 0.747 Table 17.
References 0.807 0.853 0.051 0.512 ANOVA (shortened)
Research reports 0.065 0.787 0.383 0.022
by MSs’ professional
Specialized bulletins 0.245 0.910 0.662 0.800
Specialized journals 0.621 0.355 0.332 0.000 characteristics (job
Terminological dictionaries 0.197 0.203 0.701 0.457 title, workplace/
The Web 0.085 0.816 0.927 0.131 experience and
Thesis and dissertations 0.424 0.760 0.799 0.018 major)

the life of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him). These findings
are highly consistent with Mansour (2015) and El-Safty (2010), which showed that MSs in
Kuwait and Egypt preferred to use books/biographical books more than any other source of
information, as well as with Adetimiriin (2004), which showed that Catholic leaders relied
more on books as a primary source for obtaining the necessary information. MSs were also
interested in non-printed sources of information when searching for information, especially
the sources that appear in electronic or audio/visual form. Almost all (99.%) of MSs
indicated that they relied on mass media, such as TV and radio, to seek information and
93.4% of them reported that they were using the Web to access information.
Regarding the role of libraries in the process of searching for information by MSs, the
study stated that MSs indicated at least strongly that the personal/home library was playing
a major and fundamental role in helping MSs to obtain information more than any other
type of libraries. However, the special libraries, such as the mosque library, were also of
great interest to MSs, as almost all (99.5%) of them reported that they rely heavily on them
to get information. These findings are consistent with Mansour (2015) and Saleh and Abu
Bakar (2013), which indicated that the personal/home library and personal collections were
very important sources of information. Unfortunately, the role of other types of libraries
acknowledged by a reasonable number of the MSs, such as the public/academic/national/
libraries was perceived as a peripheral role. These libraries, unfortunately, did not convince
MSs of their role in helping them obtain information. This may be because of the fact that
almost all of the MSs rely on alternative sources that might replace the use of these libraries,
such as smartphone applications as well as SNSs, information networks/databases. These
alternative sources of information are perceived by the MSs as a huge, wide-ranging and
modern repository of variant information. These findings are in line with the findings of the
studies by Mansour (2015), Adetimiriin (2004) and Erdel (1978), which revealed that MSs in
Kuwait, Church pastors in America and Catholic leaders in Nigeria depend mostly on their
GKMC personal library and at the same time they were not relying much on other libraries,
especially the public and national ones. However, these findings run contrary to the study of
Allen (1987), which showed a very high level of use of libraries, especially the public and
academic libraries. Moreover, Curran and Burns (2011) stated that Clergy they interviewed
did not mention any role of the library when searching for information. In conjunction with
the use of the Arabic language, the formal language of all the MSs in Upper Egypt, about
two-thirds (70%) of MSs confirmed that their efficiency in using other languages, such as
English was at least “good.” A reasonable number (63.4%) of MSs indicated that they were
not good at using French. According to Mansour (2015), the key reason MSs do not use such
foreign languages in searching for information may be because that they prefer the Arabic
language, being their native language and also the language of most sources of information,
especially the religious ones, on which they depend. This is also along with their origin and
education, which plays a significant role in cultural formation.
To access information, MSs indicated that they encountered important problems and
challenges while seeking information. They indicated that the most significant problems
were the weak role of the library to get information, the use of foreign languages and the use
of technology tools. Other significant problems, such as the place of information and the
high cost of getting information, were also present in the process of information gathering
by MSs. Each problem, supported by Mansour and Alkhurainej (2011), was clearly affected
by other problems, as when the library’s role, for example, is absent in accessing
information, this may affect the currency of information, and therefore, it may lead some of
the MSs to look for other places or alternative sources that might be outside Upper Egypt
and may also be written in foreign languages and at a high cost.

Recommendations for further research

As possible, this study attempted to explore the information-seeking behavior from the
perspective of MSs in Upper Egypt. Such topics have unfortunately limited earlier research.
This study purposes to meet gaps in such an area of study with such an influential and
inspiring group of information seekers. In light of the results of this study, as well as the lack
of relevant literature, much research needs to be carried out to discover the information-
seeking behavior of such significant groups of information seekers, especially in the Arab
world. The findings of this study showed that many issues related to the topic of the study
need to be studied by further research. The researcher attempted to explore all possible
characteristics and facets related to the information-seeking behavior of MSs in Upper
Egypt. However, future research should be conducted to check more other characteristics
related to the use of information by this significant group of information users.
Generally, the study tried to discover the MSs’ use of different information sources.
Further research should be conducted to identify each source plainly. Because there is a
relationship between some of the MSs’ demography, as well as their profession and their use
of some of the information sources, serious efforts should be put into account to consider the
reasons, which lead to the establishment of such relationships. With regard to the unused
sources of information or those that were not reasonably accepted by the MSs, such as
microfilms and microfiches, research reports, conferences works, library catalogs, thesis and
dissertations and atlases and gazettes, MSs need to become more aware of the importance of
these sources as one of the forms of information that could serve in learning and knowledge,
as well as making the right decision. Furthermore, more information is needed to know the
real reasons that led some MSs to not use certain types of libraries, such as national and
public libraries, as such libraries could help in shaping the informative awareness of MSs
and then help learn more. To improve access to information sources available in languages
other than Arabic, MSs should be helped toward the improvement of their foreign language Behavior of
skills. Supporting Saleh and Abu Bakar’s (2013) study, the lack of necessary skills related to mosque
the use of technology may shape the factors that constitute information behavior for not
only the MSs but also many other professions. Supporting Mansour (2015), MSs should have
speechmakers
an adequate degree of freedom in making religious speeches/sermons away from any
restrictions imposed by the authorities, as such liberation helps them deal with a lot of
information away from any government interference.

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Corresponding author
Essam Mansour can be contacted at: [email protected]

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