ABSTRACT
Muslim voluntary welfare associations’ services to their clients are not limited to the material or socio-economic realm. In the views of their members and workers, material poverty is often intertwined with a whole set of other social problems, such as conflicts between family members or among the local community, domestic violence, psychological abuse, sexual “immorality,” alcoholism, drug addiction, (petty) theft, violent crime, dishonest behavior, pollution and illiteracy. Apart from the issue of poverty, such phenomena may be regarded by Muslim NGOs as social problems that require tackling in one way or another. Dealing with these problems takes place from cultural perspectives that are often strongly informed by religious values, as is the case with socio-economic forms of aid.
