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The Prophet's Pulpit: Commentaries on the State of Islam
In this collection of twenty-two Islamic sermons, Khaled Abou El Fadl, distinguished law professor and classically trained Islamic jurist, delivers incisive commentaries on the current state of Islam and the Muslim world from the symbolic pulpit of the Prophet of Islam. Part Qur'anic exegesis and part socio-ethical commentary, this volume showcases the knowledge, enlightenment, and dedication to justice that once propelled the Islamic civilization to great heights of human achievement. It attempts to illuminate the spiritual and ethical path forward for Muslims amid the challenges of injustice, oppression, and the rising tide of Islamophobia in our world.
- GenresIslamNonfictionReligion
290 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2022
41 people are currently reading
201 people want to read
About the author
Khaled Abou El Fadl
38 books201 followersDr. Khaled Abou El Fadl is the most important and influential Islamic thinker in the modern age. An accomplished Islamic jurist and scholar, he is Professor of Law at the UCLA School of Law where he teaches Islamic law, Immigration, Human Rights, International and National Security Law. Dr. Abou El Fadl previously taught Islamic law at the University of Texas at Austin Law School, Yale Law School, and Princeton University. He holds degrees from Yale University (B.A.), University of Pennsylvania Law School (J.D.) and Princeton University (M.A./Ph.D.).
A high-ranking shaykh, Dr. Abou El Fadl also received formal training in Islamic jurisprudence in Egypt and Kuwait.
Dr. Abou El Fadl is a world-renowned expert in Islamic law and an American lawyer, offering a unique and seasoned perspective on the current state of Islam and the West. He is a strong proponent of human rights and is the 2007 recipient of the University of Oslo Human Rights Award, the Lisl and Leo Eitinger Prize. He was also named a Carnegie Scholar in Islam for 2005. He serves on the Advisory Board of Middle East Watch and was previously on the Board of Directors of Human Rights Watch. He was also previously appointed by President George W. Bush as a commissioner on the US Commission on International Religious Freedom. He regularly provides expert testimony in a wide variety of cases ranging from human rights and political asylum to terrorism, national security, and international and commercial law.
Dr. Abou El Fadl is a prolific author and prominent public intellectual on Islamic law and Islam, most noted for his scholarly approach to Islam from a moral point of view. He writes extensively on universal themes of morality and humanity, and the notion of beauty as a moral value. Dr. Abou El Fadl is a staunch advocate and defender of women's rights and focuses much of his written attention on issues related to women. As the most critical and powerful voice against puritan and Wahhabi Islam today, he regularly appears on national and international television and radio including CNN, NBC, PBS, NPR, and Voice of America (broadcast throughout the Middle East). His most recent work focuses on issues of authority, terrorism, tolerance, Islam and Islamic law.
He is the author of ten books and over fifty articles on Islamic law and Islam. His recent books include: The Search for Beauty in Islam: A Conference of the Books (Rowman and Littlefield, 2006); The Great Theft: Wrestling Islam from the Extremists (HarperSanFrancisco, 2005); Islam and the Challenge of Democracy (Princeton University Press, 2004); The Place of Tolerance in Islam (Beacon Press, 2002); Conference of the Books: The Search for Beauty in Islam (University Press of America/Rowman and Littlefield, 2001); And God Knows the Soldiers: The Authoritative and Authoritarian in Islamic Discourses (UPA/Rowman and Littlefield, 2001); Speaking in God's Name: Islamic law, Authority and Women (Oneworld Press, Oxford, 2001) and Rebellion and Violence in Islamic Law (Cambridge University Press, 2001).
A high-ranking shaykh, Dr. Abou El Fadl also received formal training in Islamic jurisprudence in Egypt and Kuwait.
Dr. Abou El Fadl is a world-renowned expert in Islamic law and an American lawyer, offering a unique and seasoned perspective on the current state of Islam and the West. He is a strong proponent of human rights and is the 2007 recipient of the University of Oslo Human Rights Award, the Lisl and Leo Eitinger Prize. He was also named a Carnegie Scholar in Islam for 2005. He serves on the Advisory Board of Middle East Watch and was previously on the Board of Directors of Human Rights Watch. He was also previously appointed by President George W. Bush as a commissioner on the US Commission on International Religious Freedom. He regularly provides expert testimony in a wide variety of cases ranging from human rights and political asylum to terrorism, national security, and international and commercial law.
Dr. Abou El Fadl is a prolific author and prominent public intellectual on Islamic law and Islam, most noted for his scholarly approach to Islam from a moral point of view. He writes extensively on universal themes of morality and humanity, and the notion of beauty as a moral value. Dr. Abou El Fadl is a staunch advocate and defender of women's rights and focuses much of his written attention on issues related to women. As the most critical and powerful voice against puritan and Wahhabi Islam today, he regularly appears on national and international television and radio including CNN, NBC, PBS, NPR, and Voice of America (broadcast throughout the Middle East). His most recent work focuses on issues of authority, terrorism, tolerance, Islam and Islamic law.
He is the author of ten books and over fifty articles on Islamic law and Islam. His recent books include: The Search for Beauty in Islam: A Conference of the Books (Rowman and Littlefield, 2006); The Great Theft: Wrestling Islam from the Extremists (HarperSanFrancisco, 2005); Islam and the Challenge of Democracy (Princeton University Press, 2004); The Place of Tolerance in Islam (Beacon Press, 2002); Conference of the Books: The Search for Beauty in Islam (University Press of America/Rowman and Littlefield, 2001); And God Knows the Soldiers: The Authoritative and Authoritarian in Islamic Discourses (UPA/Rowman and Littlefield, 2001); Speaking in God's Name: Islamic law, Authority and Women (Oneworld Press, Oxford, 2001) and Rebellion and Violence in Islamic Law (Cambridge University Press, 2001).
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 14, 2022
Honored to be the first to write a review of this book on goodreads! I just finished this book and it is on track to be book of the year 2022. If you are looking for the perfect blend of spirituality and politics, a call to worship and a call for justice, this is the book for you. Especially when we live in a time when most khutbahs put us to sleep, these ones will wake you up. Shaykh Abou Fadl addresses issues of distance from the mosque, the concept of light in the Quran, the imperative of justice as well as corrupt scholars and illegal organ harvesting. If you have the money, go and buy this book right now. It is an investment worth making 100%. I will be reading this book every Ramadan and will working some of these ideas in to my own khutbahs.
August 18, 2024
This is a very powerful book which is very challenging and inspiring for any Muslim. As an Islamic thinker I can’t recommend Dr. Abou El Fadl highly enough. His reflections on justice, dhikr and personal moral responsibility in Islam are truly moving and thought provoking.
I do have to add two caveats (caveats that requires me to give this book a 2/5 rather than 5/5) and that is, while Abou El Fadl is very knowledgeable when it comes to Islam, he frequently makes false claims in fields outside his expertise. For example, he claimed a certain verse was added to the Bible in the 16th century, when it was closer to the 2nd century, he claimed we no longer have the ‘original Aramaic texts’ of the New Testament, when the scholarly consensus is that the New Testament was originally written in Greek, not Aramaic. He also made claims about Christian practice, saying for example that Christians don’t memorise the Bible or read it cover to cover (he has obviously never met an evangelical). He also claimed that animals release a poison into their blood when they’re scared, which is not true, unless you consider cortisol a poison. All this to say; if Dr. Abou El Fadl makes a claim about Islamic theology it is well worth listening to. If, however, he makes even the smallest claim outside his field of expertise, it is well worth being skeptical and even assuming it’s likely wrong given his track record.
I also found some of his rhetoric about the coronavirus to be harmful; I don’t think it’s productive or wise to speculate as to whether the coronavirus was a ‘punishment’ from God; it only results in fear and anxiety. In one khutbah he even suggests that it was a punishment for the rich, which is absurd because the coronavirus disproportionately affected the poor and oppressed. Moreover, in one khutbah he speculated that maybe it could be a punishment for the Chinese people’s cruel treatment of animals and for them eating bats, both sinophobic tropes that led to many Asian people (Chinese or not) being attacked during the pandemic. As a public facing religious figure he should be more responsible and thoughtful about the effects his words can have, and, indeed, it did seem that he retrospectively realised some of his mistakes and change his messaging as time went on, but maybe that’s just my perception. Honestly if I had been sitting in that khutbah I likely would have stood up and never come back.
I do have to add two caveats (caveats that requires me to give this book a 2/5 rather than 5/5) and that is, while Abou El Fadl is very knowledgeable when it comes to Islam, he frequently makes false claims in fields outside his expertise. For example, he claimed a certain verse was added to the Bible in the 16th century, when it was closer to the 2nd century, he claimed we no longer have the ‘original Aramaic texts’ of the New Testament, when the scholarly consensus is that the New Testament was originally written in Greek, not Aramaic. He also made claims about Christian practice, saying for example that Christians don’t memorise the Bible or read it cover to cover (he has obviously never met an evangelical). He also claimed that animals release a poison into their blood when they’re scared, which is not true, unless you consider cortisol a poison. All this to say; if Dr. Abou El Fadl makes a claim about Islamic theology it is well worth listening to. If, however, he makes even the smallest claim outside his field of expertise, it is well worth being skeptical and even assuming it’s likely wrong given his track record.
I also found some of his rhetoric about the coronavirus to be harmful; I don’t think it’s productive or wise to speculate as to whether the coronavirus was a ‘punishment’ from God; it only results in fear and anxiety. In one khutbah he even suggests that it was a punishment for the rich, which is absurd because the coronavirus disproportionately affected the poor and oppressed. Moreover, in one khutbah he speculated that maybe it could be a punishment for the Chinese people’s cruel treatment of animals and for them eating bats, both sinophobic tropes that led to many Asian people (Chinese or not) being attacked during the pandemic. As a public facing religious figure he should be more responsible and thoughtful about the effects his words can have, and, indeed, it did seem that he retrospectively realised some of his mistakes and change his messaging as time went on, but maybe that’s just my perception. Honestly if I had been sitting in that khutbah I likely would have stood up and never come back.
June 17, 2022
One of the best books on Islamic thought I’ve ever read.
This book is a collection of Friday sermons turned into essays that encourage modern Muslims to wake up and engage with the morality behind our faith.
Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl is a leading scholar in Islamic studies, law, and in the field of human rights. His Friday sermons, which can be found on the Usuli Institute’s YouTube page bring relevance and honor to the practice of jumu’a. To have his words captured in this book is a blessing. For anyone interested in what true Islam is or for Muslims who find their mosque’s Friday sermons lacking, this is an immensely powerful book.
I have nothing but gratitude for everyone involved in making this book a reality. This is something I wish I had access to growing up but I’m glad it exists now and am looking forward to sharing it with others.
This book is a collection of Friday sermons turned into essays that encourage modern Muslims to wake up and engage with the morality behind our faith.
Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl is a leading scholar in Islamic studies, law, and in the field of human rights. His Friday sermons, which can be found on the Usuli Institute’s YouTube page bring relevance and honor to the practice of jumu’a. To have his words captured in this book is a blessing. For anyone interested in what true Islam is or for Muslims who find their mosque’s Friday sermons lacking, this is an immensely powerful book.
I have nothing but gratitude for everyone involved in making this book a reality. This is something I wish I had access to growing up but I’m glad it exists now and am looking forward to sharing it with others.
July 20, 2022
I was excited to read this book and I did not get disappointed!
The Prophet's Pulpit is a collection of khutbahs (Friday sermons) by Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl turned into 22 essays. As always shaykh Abou El Fadl manages to bring together the spiritual, the moral, and the political. What does it mean to be Muslim? That's the question he repeatedly answers. His words force you to reflect upon your relationship with God, while at the same time awakening you to be more politically aware/active as well as a better human being in general.
As someone who actively follows Dr. Abou El Fadl's work, this is something that I've become accustomed to. But I do not take it for granted! Because I still remember the many Islamic books and lectures I've encountered in my life that did not manage to have the same effect. I can't help but imagine how different the Ummah, the world, would look like if khutbahs around the world would be given in the same invigorating way. In shaa Allah someday we'll find out!
The Prophet's Pulpit is a collection of khutbahs (Friday sermons) by Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl turned into 22 essays. As always shaykh Abou El Fadl manages to bring together the spiritual, the moral, and the political. What does it mean to be Muslim? That's the question he repeatedly answers. His words force you to reflect upon your relationship with God, while at the same time awakening you to be more politically aware/active as well as a better human being in general.
As someone who actively follows Dr. Abou El Fadl's work, this is something that I've become accustomed to. But I do not take it for granted! Because I still remember the many Islamic books and lectures I've encountered in my life that did not manage to have the same effect. I can't help but imagine how different the Ummah, the world, would look like if khutbahs around the world would be given in the same invigorating way. In shaa Allah someday we'll find out!
November 18, 2023
“The Prophet’s Pulpit: Commentaries on the State of Islam” by accomplished UCLA law professor Khaled Abou El Fadl, is an intriguing ensemble of 22 Islamic sermons sure to inform and engender discussion. These commentaries on what Islam and the Muslim world are like today originate from the Prophet of Islam. Readers will find topics on society, ethics, and interpretations as they relate to justice and spirituality. Reading about Islamophobia from varying viewpoints could go a long way in healing and understanding those who have been oppressed. These powerful messages will have you thinking and considering, not just the spirituality of others, but maybe your own. The messages about morality are compelling and timely, a way for us to keep moving toward a more thoughtful, respectful world.
Author Khaled Abou El Fadl breaks these commentaries down into neatly organized sections, so they are quite easy to go back to and read again if you wish. Part 1 is about foundations, moral character, and trusting intuition, just to name a few issues. Part 2 is about love and building relationships with God, including prayers. Part 3 deals with holding on to faith in modern times, and dealing with racism and hypocrisy. Part 4 is about justice and aspiring to be more just. It also covers the coronavirus. The final section, Part 5, is about gratitude and enduring hard times.
The author has included a glossary, which helps with terms that may be unfamiliar. The commentaries are brief and impactful, but very thorough, leading you to a deeper understanding, and possibly to an examination of your beliefs and attitudes. Whether you have a different faith or no particular faith, you can learn something from this book and this author.
Those who may have been judged or ostracized for their beliefs may find themselves connecting with these commentaries. You will read where the author has been criticized by bringing politics into the pulpit, and his response that silence could be considered just as political. If you like reading about religion and faith or just want to expand your horizons, try the warm and inspiring “The Prophet’s Pulpit: Commentaries on the State of Islam” by accomplished UCLA law professor Khaled Abou El Fadl.
Author Khaled Abou El Fadl breaks these commentaries down into neatly organized sections, so they are quite easy to go back to and read again if you wish. Part 1 is about foundations, moral character, and trusting intuition, just to name a few issues. Part 2 is about love and building relationships with God, including prayers. Part 3 deals with holding on to faith in modern times, and dealing with racism and hypocrisy. Part 4 is about justice and aspiring to be more just. It also covers the coronavirus. The final section, Part 5, is about gratitude and enduring hard times.
The author has included a glossary, which helps with terms that may be unfamiliar. The commentaries are brief and impactful, but very thorough, leading you to a deeper understanding, and possibly to an examination of your beliefs and attitudes. Whether you have a different faith or no particular faith, you can learn something from this book and this author.
Those who may have been judged or ostracized for their beliefs may find themselves connecting with these commentaries. You will read where the author has been criticized by bringing politics into the pulpit, and his response that silence could be considered just as political. If you like reading about religion and faith or just want to expand your horizons, try the warm and inspiring “The Prophet’s Pulpit: Commentaries on the State of Islam” by accomplished UCLA law professor Khaled Abou El Fadl.
June 10, 2023
I used to really enjoy going to Friday prayer because I would love hearing the Khutbah and for community. I haven’t been the past few months because of the exact reasons listed in this book. Unfortunately the khutbahs are out of touch and just when I think a topic is going to be interesting, they barely scratch the surface. This was validating because it said everything I have been thinking for ages but far more eloquently and with better examples.
I like that even though these are khutbahs that have been turned into essays it reads exactly like he is talking to you. He starts off with a topic and sometimes towards the end you wonder how you even got here but I love it because this is what happens when you’re passionately speaking about something. Also , it’s an easy read.
What I would liked to see more are citations ! He brings up a lot of examples but there’s no citation following it up. And I know as the reader I can just search it up but sometimes I would not be able to find the exact quote he’s referring to. That would irritate me quite a bit. Also this is a minor personal one , but I would’ve liked to see him critique Saudi just as much. A lot of his attention was focused on Egypt (which was great don’t get me wrong) but a lot of the muslim population still treats the Saudi government as the be all end all for everything Islamic related.
Overall , I would definitely recommend reading this.
I like that even though these are khutbahs that have been turned into essays it reads exactly like he is talking to you. He starts off with a topic and sometimes towards the end you wonder how you even got here but I love it because this is what happens when you’re passionately speaking about something. Also , it’s an easy read.
What I would liked to see more are citations ! He brings up a lot of examples but there’s no citation following it up. And I know as the reader I can just search it up but sometimes I would not be able to find the exact quote he’s referring to. That would irritate me quite a bit. Also this is a minor personal one , but I would’ve liked to see him critique Saudi just as much. A lot of his attention was focused on Egypt (which was great don’t get me wrong) but a lot of the muslim population still treats the Saudi government as the be all end all for everything Islamic related.
Overall , I would definitely recommend reading this.
May 1, 2023
Unique aspects of scholarship
1. Not an armchair scholar, whose ideas have faced the heat of test, trial and suffering, speak’s truth to power, intellectual courage to set a moral example, the imperative of justice, condemning despotism
2. Criticism abound that stems from a lack of proper engagement with his ideas, despite evidence of and commitment to the Quran, the moral example of the Prophet (‘s), a defense of the Islamic tradition and more importantly a love for the Ummah
Unique aspects of the work
1. Expresses Islam’s meaning to the World and place in World Civilization
2. It tackles real ethical issues, while being versed in the Western and Islamic legal tradition
3. Provides a proper and much needed context that expresses
a. The power and beauty of faith
b. Speaks to the demands of ethics, justice and beauty
c. Appeals to the heart and the mind
d. Engages with inquiry not as enemies but as a means to faith
e. More importantly, placing Islams meaning and relevance to the World today
4. Covering a breadth of topics
a. Islamic history, theology, jurisprudence, US, Islam and Human constitutional rights
b. Basic fundamentals of the faith
c. Addressing what is not Islam, as being ugly, unjust and oppressive
d. Islam, as being reason-able and sensible, beyond the minutia of the law
1. Not an armchair scholar, whose ideas have faced the heat of test, trial and suffering, speak’s truth to power, intellectual courage to set a moral example, the imperative of justice, condemning despotism
2. Criticism abound that stems from a lack of proper engagement with his ideas, despite evidence of and commitment to the Quran, the moral example of the Prophet (‘s), a defense of the Islamic tradition and more importantly a love for the Ummah
Unique aspects of the work
1. Expresses Islam’s meaning to the World and place in World Civilization
2. It tackles real ethical issues, while being versed in the Western and Islamic legal tradition
3. Provides a proper and much needed context that expresses
a. The power and beauty of faith
b. Speaks to the demands of ethics, justice and beauty
c. Appeals to the heart and the mind
d. Engages with inquiry not as enemies but as a means to faith
e. More importantly, placing Islams meaning and relevance to the World today
4. Covering a breadth of topics
a. Islamic history, theology, jurisprudence, US, Islam and Human constitutional rights
b. Basic fundamentals of the faith
c. Addressing what is not Islam, as being ugly, unjust and oppressive
d. Islam, as being reason-able and sensible, beyond the minutia of the law
February 2, 2025
extremely grateful these khutpahs were collected and disseminated via publishing so as to reach a wider audience outside of the rooms they were delivered in—each one of these lectures was an incredible, illuminating read. he did not mince words and offers a substantial amount of tough love to the ummah, challenging us all to reckon with practice the heart of islam in its firm sense of justice, refusing oppression and despotism, humbling ourselves, keeping responsibilities to our communities both local and worldwide, and finding love and trust in Allah. i could marvel on at how expansive these topics were, the necessary mirror the book shows us as muslims to rectify our intentions and live with the truth. reading much of this book with my mom in the room was a fun exercise as well, i'd read her a few passages and start a dialogue about what it made us think about the world and our own responsibilities in it.
March 8, 2023
I was very lucky to have the opportunity to read this before Ramadan starts this year. I almost cried while reading it because I have never felt so seen nor so grateful to have read something before, and it feels pathetic to say that because why is it so rare to find an Islamic scholar who makes it their mission to prioritize giving a voice to issues affecting women, people of colour and the disenfranchised people in the world today, from the Uyghurs to the Rohingya? But Dr Khaled is that scholar and far more, guiding us to reflect on what is most horrific and also what is most beautiful as well as the very nature of love. There's nothing else that clears my mind more than Dr Khaled's writing and there's no better gift to the world than his words.
July 15, 2025
Great book that tackles contemporary issues facing Muslims today, most notably the despotism, corruption and politicisation of Islam in Muslim majority countries! Inspiring book that urges you to speak truth to power. Reading second volume.
May 28, 2023
Modern Muslims seem to think that Islam is primarily about ritual and that ritual is an objective in and of itself. Modern Muslims seem to think that you can claim to love God, but be neutral about God’s creation or indifferent as to who suffers, who lives, and who dies.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews