In this collection of twenty-five Islamic sermons, Khaled Abou El Fadl, distinguished law professor and classically trained Islamic jurist, responds to some of the major developments that have taken place between April 2018 and May 2024 relating to Israel-Palestine, leading up to and including the aftermath of 7 October 2023. Part Qur’anic exegesis and part socio-ethical commentary, this volume illuminates the path forward for Muslims and people of conscience amid the great challenges of injustice and oppression in our world.
“Jerusalem affirms Islam as the universal religion of Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. It symbolizes the primordial message of Islam that long predates the prophecy of Muhammad. It represents that Islam is a gift to humanity, and not simply an Arabian peculiarity."
(Chapter 5: Why Jerusalem Matters)
“Gaza is a watershed moment. Everything has to change. Our approach to reading our sources has to change. What books we use must change. The way we read the Qur’an has to change. The way we relate to one another has to change. What is happening in Gaza and our powerlessness is a direct lesson from God...After Gaza, everything has to change, and nothing else matters."
(Chapter 24: After Gaza, Everything Must Change)
“The present work…offers an original contribution to the extensive literature on Israel-Palestine. There is perhaps no other work that engages the conflict from a distinctly Islamic theological perspective, nor in the context of a collection of sermons…The result is a volume that deepens our understanding not just of the Palestine question, but of the Islamic message itself.”
– Josef Linnhoff, Editor, Introduction to The Palestine Sermons
Khaled Abou El Fadl is the Omar and Azmeralda Alfi Distinguished Professor of Law at the UCLA School of Law, and founder of The Institute for Advanced Usuli Studies (The Usuli Institute). He was awarded the American Academy of Religion (AAR) 2020 Martin E. Marty Award for the Public Understanding of Religion.
Year: 2024
Paperback
Share this item: