Negotiation space between worship and economics on friday prayer in urban societies

This article explains the negotiation space between worship and economic practice on Friday prayer at Masjid Ulul Albab (MUA) Medan. The main focus of this study is the appearance of pedagang kagetan (sudden traders) on Friday prayer laying down their merchandises such as worship equipments, Moslem clothing, meal, snack, mineral water, etc around the mosque. The finding of this article is the phenomenon of changing function of the mosque to a market. To understand this phenomenon, two questions appear: what are the factors that contribute to the negotiations of worship and conomic practice, and how the economic practice progress. This paper explains that the factor pushing this situation is the blur between the room of worship and economic boundaries. Thus there is dominance of economic practice in the worship space. It happens because there is mutual need between merchants and pilgrims. It is done to meet the needs of the merchant family