Giving and belonging: Religious networks of Sub-Saharan African Muslims in Guangzhou, China

Abstract

This paper presents empirical data on how religious giving structures African Muslims’ transnational lives in Guangzhou, China. It provides insight into mechanisms of mutual aid within a socially and economically marginalized migrant group in a Muslim-minority society. I argue that in this context Islamic charitable giving helps enable African Muslims to cope with everyday challenges, especially those related to their tenuous immigration statuses and social exclusion. Giving that promotes mutual charity is especially important for African Muslims in Guangzhou since the city’s formal welfare system is inaccessible to most migrants. The article argues that African Muslims’ religious giving creates a social network that safeguards group members from socioeconomic hardship and offers African Migrants a sense of belonging. It concludes by discussing the limitations of religious giving when ties of religious engagement are weak, with individuals failing to fulfil their religious responsibilities in the eyes of the community.