Chaplaincy and British Muslims -- Pastoral care in Islam -- Chaplaincy people -- Chaplaincy practice -- Chaplaincy politics -- The impact of chaplaincy -- Muslim chaplaincy in the United States of America -- Chaplaincy, religious diversity and public life.

Understanding Muslim Chaplaincy provides a lens through which to explore critical questions relating to contemporary religion in public life, and the institutionalisation of Islam in particular. Providing a rich description of the personnel, practice, and politics of contemporary Muslim chaplaincy, the authors consider the extent to which Muslim chaplaincy might be distinctive in Britain relative to the work of Muslim chaplains in the USA and other countries. This book will make a major contribution to international debate about the place of religion in public life and institutions. This book derives from research that has depended on exclusive access to a wide range of public institutions and personnel who largely work 'behind closed doors'. By making public the work of these chaplains and critically examining the impact of their work within and beyond their institutions, this book offers a groundbreaking study in the field of contemporary religion that will stimulate discussion for many years to come about Islam and Muslims in Western societies.

Understanding Muslim Chaplaincy provides a lens through which to explore critical questions relating to contemporary religion in public life, and the institutionalisation of Islam in particular. Providing a rich description of the personnel, practice, and politics of contemporary Muslim chaplaincy, the authors consider the extent to which Muslim chaplaincy might be distinctive in Britain relative to the work of Muslim chaplains in the USA and other countries. This book will make a major contribution to international debate about the place of religion in public life and institutions. This book derives from research that has depended on exclusive access to a wide range of public institutions and personnel who largely work 'behind closed doors'. By making public the work of these chaplains and critically examining the impact of their work within and beyond their institutions, this book offers a groundbreaking study in the field of contemporary religion that will stimulate discussion for many years to come about Islam and Muslims in Western societies.

This engaging collection presents thirty essays by Muslim chaplains reflecting on their experiences as spiritual caregivers. Through their first-hand accounts, they impart how they skillfully apply the mercy and compassion of the Prophet Muhammad to the people in their care. They also share how their faith informs their service, how they navigate the obstacles of a predominantly Christian profession, and how they administer to the spiritual needs of people of different faiths or of no faith at all. Working in a variety of settings—including hospitals, prisons, universities, and the armed forces—Muslim chaplains encounter unique challenges on a daily basis, requiring them to call upon the resources of their Islamic faith with wisdom and tenderness. The contributors to this volume explore these circumstances vividly and honestly. Their personal stories are instructive of how Islamic principles can be employed with spiritual insight to bring strength and comfort to the sick and suffering.

Lean into the discomfort. She wanted to gag. She wanted to run out. She wanted to make any excuse to leave. But she leaned in. And when she did, she heard him say, "Thank you for staying with me. Do you have to leave soon? Please stay," as he gripped her hand from his bed restraints.This book chronicles the journey of a Muslim hospital chaplain, from the beginning of her internship through her appointment as the first Muslim chaplain at a prominent hospital in Southern California. As a hospital chaplain, Sondos Kholaki Kahf often finds herself at the intersection of joy and grief, life and death, humor and sorrow, community and solitude. Through various encounters, the author gives us a unique glimpse into the world of clinical pastoral care. In one story, she recounts a patient whose cancer disabled his speech. With only a pad of paper, pen, and hand gestures, the patient struggled to communicate. Several minutes in, amid much frustration from both ends, she finally interpreted what the patient so adamantly wanted her to hear: "Is God in your life?"

Since the 1990s, the religious diversity of United States universities has increased, with growing numbers of students, faculty, and staff who are Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, and Humanist. To support these demographics, university chaplaincies and spiritual life programs have been expanding beyond their Christian and Jewish compositions to include chaplains and programs for these traditions. Through interviews with these new chaplains, this book examines how these chaplaincies developed, the preparation the chaplains needed, their responsibilities, and the current challenges and the future prospects of these programs. It provides valuable advice for university leaders about how and why to develop spiritual life programs to support today’s religious diversity.

This book chronicles the journey of a Muslim hospital chaplain from the beginning of her internship and residency through the first two years of her appointment as a staff chaplain. As a hospital chaplain, Sondos Kholaki often finds herself at the intersection of joy and grief, life and death, humor and sorrow, community and solitude. Through various encounters, the author gives us a unique glimpse into the world of clinical pastoral care. In one story, she recounts a patient whose cancer disabled his speech. With only a pad of paper, pen, and hand gestures, the patient struggled to communicate. Several minutes in, amid much frustration from both ends, she finally interpreted what the patient so adamantly wanted her to hear: "Is God in your life?"

Comprised of the wisdom of over fifty scholars, preachers, poets, and artists, this anthology is born of the conviction that open-hearted engagement across our differences is a prerequisite for healthy civic life today. The collection offers inspiration to faith leaders, social-justice activists, and secular readers alike, while simultaneously providing an accessible window onto lived Islam. Taken as a whole, One Nation, Indivisible highlights principles and practices of anti-racism work, and its contributors argue for a robust vision of American pluralism. While most of the contributors reside in the United States, through their stories of encounter, they bring a global perspective and encourage us all, wherever we may be, to find ways of traversing our otherwise isolating enclaves.