Islamic Pastoral Care and the Development of Muslim Chaplaincy

An increasing number of public institutions are providing Muslim chaplaincy services. However, Muslim chaplaincy is still an emerging profession and, as such, the exact function of a Muslim chaplain as well as his or her distinction from other care providers is often unclear among other professionals. To shed light on this developing field, this article presents a descriptive definition of Muslim chaplaincy together with essential elements of its Islamic foundations, professional development, and practice. It is based on a review of relevant literature, consultation with Muslim chaplains, and the views and experiences of the authors.