This open access book addresses for the first time Islamic social work as an emerging concept
at the interface of Islamic thought and social sciences. Applying a multidisciplinary approach
it explores on the one hand the discourse that provides religious legitimisation to social
work activities and on the other hand case studies of practical fields of Islamic social work
including educational programmes family counselling and resettlement of prisoners. Although
in many cases these activities are oriented towards Muslim clients more often than not they
go beyond the boundaries of Muslim communities to benefit society as a whole. Muslim actors are
also starting to professionalise their services and to negotiate the ways in which they can
become fully recognised service-providers within the welfare state. At a more general level
the volume also shows that in contrast to the widespread processes of secularisation of social
work and its separation from religious communities new types of activities are now emerging
which bring back to the public arena both an increased sensitivity to the religious identities
of the beneficiaries and the religious motivations of the benefactors. The edited volume will
be of interest to researchers in Islamic Studies Social and Political Sciences Social Work
and Religious Studies. This is an open access book.
