An American Muslim Guide to the Art and Life of Preaching explores the art and craft of creating effective Islamic sermons and delivering them with care, passion, and integrity. The life of the preacher is also addressed, and a model of spiritual formation is provided for those serving Muslim communities of faith in positions of religious leadership.
Sultan's vision and approach to preaching is holistic. This book is as much about the knowledge and care placed behind a sermon as it is about the tone, tenor, and shape of that sermon. It is as much about the character of the person delivering these words as it is about the nature and shape of the words themselves. It is as much about tending to the people of faith that fill the worship space as it is about the aesthetics and arrangement of that same space. This means that this book on preaching is not meant for preachers alone. It was written for us all, whether we are called to address and care for a congregation, or we are one of the many called to be part of one.
While the book is clearly written for Muslim preachers and Islamic preaching, many of the insights in the book could easily apply to preaching in Christian or other settings. Reflecting on a theology of the spoken word in the Islamic tradition, Martin Nguyen remarks that the sermon in and of itself is not automatically worthy of praise. Rather, its value for the life of faith is measured by its message, its mode of delivery, and the model of living that accompanies it. An appendix to the book includes a collection of duʿāʾs, or supplicatory prayers, that were composed and delivered by women from the Princeton Muslim Life Community.
Sohaib Sultan was the first full-time Muslim Life Coordinator and Chaplain at Princeton University, where he served for thirteen years. His scholarship focused on Islamic spirituality and psychology as well as practical skills in religious leadership. He is the author of The Koran for Dummies (2004) and The Qur'an and Sayings of Prophet Muhammad: Selections Annotated and Explained (2007).
Martin Nguyen is professor of Islamic Studies at Fairfield University. His scholarship revolves around Muslim theology, ethics, Qur'anic studies, and the intersection of race and religion. His most recent book Modern Muslim Theology: Engaging God and the World with Faith and Imagination presents a contemporary theology of the religious imagination.
