Journal of Islamic Faith
and Practice

A Publication of the Islamic Seminary of America

The Journal of Islamic Faith and Practice is an annual double-blind peer-reviewed online academic and interdisciplinary journal published by Indiana University and sponsored by  The Islamic Seminary of America Inc. The Journal invites colleagues to submit articles for publication that combine intellectual rigor with community engagement. The Journal aims to provide a platform for scholars, students, and researchers to exchange their latest findings and to foster dialogue among them and community leaders regarding the Islamic faith and its practice in America. To this end, successful proposals will reflect theoretical and methodological sophistication and engagement with existing scholarship, while also being accessible to non-specialists. 

Open Access Policy

This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.

Vol. 5 No. 1 (2024)

The Family in the American Muslim Context

Topics Include:

  • Travelers on the Straight Path: Truth Seekers
  • The Necessity of a Standard Prenuptial Agreement for American Muslims
  • Reflecting Personal, Family, and Community Ethnographies to Understand How Fasting Ramadan Fuels the Religious Development of Muslim Youth
  • Beyond Homes Around a Mosque: Muslim-Led Community Development in a Major U.S. City
  • Finding Center in the Heart (of the Pandemic): Practical Tools from the Islamic Tradition for Building Resilient Families in Times of Disruption and Trauma

Vol. 4 No. 1 (2022)

Domestic Violence and the American Muslim Community’s Response

Topics Include:

  • Transforming the Self, Family and Society through a Qur’anic Ethos
  • Becoming Allies: Introducing a Framework for Intersectional Allyship to Muslim Survivors of Gender-Based Violence
  • Punishment, Child Abuse, and Mandated Reporting
  • The Role of Muslim American Nonprofits in Combating Domestic Violence in the Community: An Exploratory Overview
  • Trauma, Witness, and Healing: Muslim Women Artists on Domestic Violence
  • Domestic Violence: A Personal Reflection and Journey

Vol. 3 No. 1 (2020)

Topics Include:

  • Kafāla: The Qur’anic-Prophetic Model of Orphan Care
  • Directive vs. Non-directive Clinical Approaches: Liberation Psychology and Muslim Mental Health
  • Standing in the Chaos: Cross-cultural Competency in Curriculum Materials
  • The Power of Prejudice: Cross-cultural Competency and Muslim Populations
  • The Role of the Imam in Leading American Mosques
  • Book Reviews: Understanding Muslim Chaplaincy
  • Islam, Individual Freedom, and the Pandemic: Reflections of a Muslim American Woman Living in the Middle East
  • Islamic Psychology: Expanding Beyond the Clinic

 

Vol. 2 No. 1 (2019)

Islamic Ethics in the American Context

Topics Include:

  • Toward a Muslim Ethics of Care: Leadership in American Islamic schools
  • “Walking Gently on the Earth”: An Interview with Nana Firman on Islamic Environmental Ethics
  • Navigating Ethical Dilemmas in Mental Health Practice Between Professional Ethics and Islamic Values
  • Practicing Clinical Bioethics: Reflections from the Bedside
  • Transformational Teaching: Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as a Teacher and Murabbī
  • Book Review- Beyond Timbuktu: An Intellectual History of Muslim West Africa
  • Book Review- The Ethics of Disagreement in Islam
  • Without a Profession: The Politics of Being and Becoming an American Imam
  • “National Shura and In-Service for Chaplains, Imams, and Other Service Providers to the Muslim Community”
  • Spiritual Abuse: Education and Prevention for our Communities
  • Dissecting the Ethics of Organ Donation

 

Vol. 1 No. 1 (2018)

Modern American Contextuality in Understanding Islamic Faith and Practice

Topics Include:

  • The Islamic Seminary Foundation: Preserving Prophetic Principles
  • Al-waḥda al-bināʾiyya li-l-Qurʾān: A Methodology for Understanding the Qurʾān in the Modern Day”
  • “Islam and the American Common Good”
  • “Governance Issues in American Mosques: Exploring the Present and Making Recommendations for the Future”
  • Book Review- Kambiz GhaneaBassiri’s A History of Islam in America: From the New World to the New World Order
  • “National Shura and In-service Training for Chaplains and Imams and Other Service Providers to the Muslim Community”
  • “Howard University School of Divinity’s International Conference on the Qur’ān”

Call for Papers, 2024-2025 

Advancing Islamic Chaplaincy in North America 

The sixth edition of the Journal will discuss and analyze the theme of Advancing Islamic  Chaplaincy in North America. Papers should focus on how Islamic chaplaincy relates to key contemporary issues facing American Muslims, such as those listed below. We are also open to other topics that fit within the primary theme of this volume. 

  • The Changing Landscape of Chaplaincy and its Significance for Muslim Chaplains
  • Religion and Profession: Aligning the Duality of Islamic Chaplaincy
  • The Significance of Religious Endorsement 
  • Theological Boundaries: Where and When to Draw the Lines 
  • Navigating Personal Biases (Implicit or Explicit) Through a Qur’ānic Perspective  on Justice 
  • Gender-Based Experiences of Muslim Chaplains: The Challenges and  Opportunities 
  • The Responsibilities of Seminaries in Islamic Chaplaincy Pedagogy
  • The Responsibilities of Institutions in Islamic Chaplaincy Pedagogy
  • What Does the Future of Islamic Chaplaincy in America Look Like?
  • The Case for a CPE Model Based on the Islamic Paradigm 
  • Practical Approaches for Addressing and Overcoming Systemic Biases
  • Exercising Pastoral Authority: Balancing Compassion, Leadership, Ethics, and  Knowledge 
  • Reflections on the Challenges and Opportunities Facing Islamic Chaplaincy  Students in Seminaries, Universities, and Colleges

The timeline for peer review and publication is approximately 8 to 12 months.

This issue will include any of the following types of academic articles. Shorter reflection pieces, abstracts or research briefings, book reviews, and conference reports related to the current theme are also welcomed. 

  • Original research findings: How do we understand these empirical research findings as they relate to Islamic chaplaincy? What can the American Muslim community learn from these findings and conclusions? 
  • Theoretical articles: How do we examine and analyze American Muslim contributions in terms of developing methodologies and frameworks to approach the Qur’ān, Sunnah, and Islamic traditions as they relate to Islamic chaplaincy? 
  • Historical studies: How do we read and examine historical events, individuals, and organizations that influence the American Muslim community’s understanding and practice of Islamic chaplaincy? 
  • American Islamic praxis articles: How do we examine the new practices, traditions,  and cultures developing within the American Muslim community as they relate to  Islamic chaplaincy? 
  • Case studies, qualitative interviews, and oral histories of key individuals or organizations: How do we examine and evaluate the conduct of American Muslims’  religious leadership, including the role of scholars, imams, chaplains, and institutions, concerning responding to the internal and external challenges related to Islamic chaplaincy? 

Guidelines for Authors 

The Journal of Islamic Faith and Practice Invites: 

  • Social science- and humanities-based academic papers reflecting on all aspects related to the current theme: 7,000-10,000 words. 
  • Shorter reflection pieces by activists, imams, and chaplains: 2,000-3,000 words.
  • Abstracts of dissertations, theses, and research findings related to the American  Muslim community, especially about the current theme: 700-1,000 words.
  • Reviews of books relevant to Islamic practice in America and American Muslims,  especially about the current theme: 1,000-2,000 words. 
  • Short reports on conferences, workshops, and intensives related to the American  Muslim community, especially about the current theme: 1,000-2,000 words. 

Assembly of the Manuscript: Standard academic papers should be 7,000-10,000 words in length or longer if approved by the editor. The article should be in Microsoft Word format. All submissions must conform to the Journal guidelines: original, unpublished research; double-spaced and single-sided; and in the Chicago (Author-Date) Style.

The manuscript of an academic article should contain the following parts: a title, an abstract, 3- 5 keywords, text, footnotes, references, tables, figures, and appendices. Not all papers will have all the elements. However, if they do, this is the order in which they would generally be arranged. 

Submission of the Manuscript: 

  • Short abstract: Send a brief note of intent to contribute noting the type, scope, and focus of your submission by March 1, 2024. You will receive a note of acceptance/non-acceptance by April 15, 2024. 
  • Draft for review: Send the completed paper by September 30, 2024, as an attachment, along with a 250-word abstract, 3-5 keywords, and a maximum 150-word  author bio. 
  • Tentative decision date after peer review: November 15, 2024,
  • Tentative submission deadline of revised manuscript: January 2, 2025
  • Planned publication date: February 2025 

Submissions are accepted via e-mail: journal@islamicseminary.us 

Subscription Information 

The Journal of Islamic Faith and Practice has access to the subscription of e-journals for individuals and libraries. If you are interested, please contact us at  journal@islamicseminary.us.

Editor-in-Chief

Dr. Zainab Alwani, Howard University

Editorial Board

  • Dr. Ihsan Bagby, University of Kentucky
  • Chaplain Omer Bajwa, Yale University
  • Dr. Jonathan Brown, Georgetown University
  • Dr. James Jones, Manhattanville College
  • Dr. Nancy Khalil, University of Michigan
  • Dr. Shariq Siddiqui, Indiana University
  • Chaplain Sohaib Sultan, Princeton University
  • Dr. Nisa Muhammad, Howard University