Communities of Care and Muslims in Portugal

A significant body of anthropological literature discusses the ethical and spiritual dimensions of charity practised by Muslims. This has brought volunteering and giving into consideration in recent research on the anthropology of Islam, highlighting the spiritual and material rewards for those who give to charity. This article is based on one year of ethnographic fieldwork in a charitable organisation in Portugal called Noor Fatima, founded by a Muslim woman. It explores the workings of emotional and cosmopolitan aspects of Islamic religiosity expressed through charity. The Noor Fatima brings Muslim and non-Muslim volunteers together to collaborate and aid homeless and vulnerable people. This article argues for the importance of emotions in contemporary forms of Islamic giving, particularly those that are also common in Catholic social care initiatives.