Abstract:

Offering a seemingly endless array of options, the Internet has expanded the realm of Islamic belief and practice. This article adds to scholarly conversation on this topic, focusing on American Muslim use of Friday khutbahs, or sermons, on the Internet. A major goal of the article is to present data, gathered through Internet searching and through correspondence with American Muslims, regarding the prevalence and use of khutbahs on the Internet. The other major goal is to provide a conceptual framework from within the Islamic tradition to reflect on the data. Drawing upon the thought of Muhammad Iqbal, the argument will be made that Muslims who access khutbahs on the Internet instantiate their status as co-workers of God by taking control of sequential time for the sake of improving humankind.

Author: Steven Fink