Islamic Philanthropy in the United States

Abstract

Muslims in the United States—a religious community that is diverse in terms of race, ethnicity, and class—demonstrate various understandings, practices, and forms of Islamic philanthropy. For example, for members of the Nation of Islam in the 1960s and 1970s, giving was connected to resisting racial injustice through self-help. During the same period, members of the Muslim Students Association—mostly made up of immigrants to the United States—were establishing their own institutions to meet their needs as a religious minority. In addition to these various examples of philanthropy, Islamic philanthropy—in line with mainstream philanthropy and as related to socio-legal regulations of philanthropy such as tax regulations—has evolved in terms of institutionalization and professionalization since the late 20th century. US Muslim philanthropic institutions grew rapidly after the 1980s and diversified in the aftermath of 9/11. In particular, Muslim nonprofit organizations have emerged in a variety of fields, ranging from humanitarian organizations to social-justice advocacy organizations. In these settings, Muslim giving engages with a range of ethical commitments to social, economic, racial, and gender justice. Notably, some of these Muslim nonprofit organizations also claim themselves to be “zakat eligible.” Zakat is commonly translated as “obligatory Muslim giving,” and these nonprofit organizations have expanded its meaning to encompass various causes, including social-justice-related causes. New forms of philanthropy in nonprofit and for-profit settings since the 2010s, within and beyond Muslim contexts, are also increasingly connecting giving to techniques and strategies common in finance capitalism to increase their effect. For example, some nonprofit organizations have built endowments through investment-based companies. These meanings and forms of Islamic philanthropy demonstrate how traditions of Muslim giving and charity are in conversation with Islamic ethical and legal frameworks. Along with the incorporation of Islamic philanthropy into professionalization and financialization, there are also other forms of giving that have not been professionalized and financialized, such as mutual aid initiatives. Islamic philanthropy in the United States has not developed along a linear timeline toward formalization; rather, a more nuanced picture of Muslim giving—which is continually being interpreted, practiced, and experienced—can be seen by recognizing the multiplicity of meanings, practices, and forms of Muslim giving.