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A University of Sussex DPhil thesis Available online via Sussex Research Online: http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/ This thesis is protected by copyright which belongs to the author. This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the Author The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the Author When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given Please visit Sussex Research Online for more information and further details Islamic Reform, Piety and Charity among Muslim Businessmen and Entrepreneurs in Birmingham, UK Sufyan Abid PhD Thesis Department of Anthropology School of Global Studies University of Sussex, UK June 2015 i Declaration: Work Not Submitted Elsewhere for Examination I hereby declare that this thesis has not been and will not be, submitted in whole or in part to another University for the award of any other degree. Signature …………Sufyan Abid……………….. ii “The alms are only for the poor, for the needy, for those employed to collect it, for bring the hearts together for Islam, for freeing captives or slaves, for those who are in debt, for the cause of Allah, for the travellers; this is ordained by Allah who is Know-all and Wise”. Al-Quran. Chapter 9, Al-Tobbah (The Repentance), Verse 60 iii Abstract This thesis explores the practices of Muslim businessmen and entrepreneurs in Birmingham in relation to their beliefs in a variety of Islamic reformisms, ideals of piety and responses towards charity and philanthropy. The thesis problematizes various streams of Islamic reformisms among different groups of reformist Muslims and elaborates how these groups engage with Muslim businessmen and entrepreneurs in order to establish and assert their identity as ‘authentic and good Muslims’ in public spheres. The thesis discusses how reformist Muslim businessmen and entrepreneurs give public performances of their pious lives and how their ideals of piety and living a moral life are reshaped and negotiated among Birmingham Muslims while they search for role models in social and economic spheres of life. Finally, this thesis explores and establishes the links between charity and donation related practices of Birmingham Muslims with their beliefs in any particular reformist interpretation of practicing Islam in everyday life; and how doing charity and philanthropy becomes a site for the public performance of piety. This thesis further explores charity practices of Birmingham Muslims in order to understand the context, motivations and background of Muslim charitable organisations and Muslim philanthropists. One year ethnographic fieldwork was conducted in predominantly Muslim neighbourhoods of Birmingham, UK as part of this anthropological research. This thesis claims its originality by filling the gap of lack of anthropological research on Birmingham Muslims in the context of ongoing anthropological debate on Islamic reformism, piety and charity that has emerged as a result of anthropological researches conducted in other Muslim societies. My argument, in this thesis is that there is an element of Islamic reforms in all forms of different Islamic streams or sects of Muslims. The charity practices of Muslim businessmen and entrepreneurs are highly influenced by their adherence to any interpretation of reformist Islam that too, is greatly influenced by local realities and global trends. iv Table of Contents Chapter 1 Part 1: Introduction ……………………………………………………………. 1 1.1 Operational Definitions of Concepts and Categories of Analysis……………. 2 1.2 Islamic Reformism: Past and Present…………………………………………. 10 1.3 Moral Economies as Reformist Agenda………………………………………. 20 1.4 Piety-led Moral Lives of Muslim Businessmen and Entrepreneurs ………….. 25 1.5 Charity and Philanthropy……………………………………………………… 30 Part 2: Methodology 1.6 The Setting……………………………………………………………………… 40 1.7 Reflexivity, Positionality and Access…………………………………………… 46 1.8 Other Methodological Complexities and Challenges ………………………….. 49 1.9 Data Collection and Methods……………………………………………………. 53 1.10 Structure of Thesis…………………………………………………….…….. 55 Chapter 2 Contesting Islamic Reformisms and Multiple Interpretations of Being a ‘Good Muslim’: The Everyday Life Experiences and Religious Practices of Birmingham Muslims ………………………………………………………………………… 59 2.1 A Grave Waiting for its Dead: Reformist Agendas of Barelvis at Ghamkol Sharif Mosque, Birmingham……………………………………… 61 2.2 Dawat-i-Islami: Reforming and Modernising Barelvi Islam………………… 67 2.3 Networks of Pirs, their Devotees, and the Establishment of Pir-Khanas (saint-dwellings) ………………………………………………………………. 70 2.4 The Making of a Pir: The Process and Contestation over Acquiring Spiritual Powers and Establishing Moral Authority…………………………………………….. 74 v 2.5 The Convergence and Divergence of Various Streams of Islamic Reformisms, Interpretations and Practices among Barelvis………………………………… 79 2.6 Rich Salafis: Struggling to Establish Local Influence and Global Ummah………………………………………………………………. 81 2.7 Back to Basics: Literalist and Scripturalist Salafi Reformism………………... 83 2.8 Going Global: British Converts and their Popularity among Muslim Youth…………………………………………………………………. 86 2.9 Islamising Britain: Participation in Active Local Politics……………………... 90 2.10 Varieties of Salafi Islamic Reformisms, Interpretations and Practices in Birmingham…………………………………………………. 94 2.11 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………… 96 Chapter 3 The Economic Networks, Practices and Ideals of ‘Being Successful’ amongst Muslim Businessmen and Entrepreneurs in Birmingham……………………………. 98 3.1 Muslim Businessmen and Entrepreneurs ……………………………………… 99 3.2 Friendships, Social Gatherings, Businesses and Economic/Social Networking among Muslim Businessmen and Entrepreneurs………………… 101 3.2.1 Socialites…………………………………………………………….. 106 3.2.2 Gatekeepers…………………………………………………………. 108 3.2.3 Tycoons……………………………………………………………… 109 3.2.4 Brotherhood…………………………………………………………..112 3.3 “How Much Did you Save?” Measuring and Inquiring about Each Other’s Success and Savings…………………………………………….. 115 3.4 Being Secretive about Business Expansion Plans and Economic Deals ……… 121 3.5 Family ‘Empire’ Map: A Story of Success and Failure of Business and Social Relations …………………………………………………………. 123 3.6 Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………... 126 vi Chapter 4 Public Performances of Piety and Moral Life amongst Muslim Businessmen and Entrepreneurs in Birmingham …………………………………………………… 129 4.1 Learning Public Performance of Piety and Moral Life through Practising Islam in Everyday Life………………………………………………. 131 4.2 A Pious Introduction: Acquiring Trusteeship at the Central Mosque of Birmingham ………………………………………………………………… 133 4.3 Encouraging the Public Performance of Piety ………………………………… 135 4.4 Economic Dimensions of the Public Performance of Piety: Selling the ‘Self-Righteousness’ ……………………………………………………… 141 4.5 Reputation Matters: Conversations and Gossips at Public Gatherings ………… 144 4.6 Pious Self-Projections through Local Print and Electronic Media …………….. 145 4.7 The Public Performance of Pious and Successful Lives ……………………….. 148 4.7.1 Mr. Pirzada …………………………………………………………. 148 4.7.2 Mr. Mufti …………………………………………………………… 151 4.8 Conclusion …………………………………………………………………….. 154 Chapter 5 Purifying the Profits: Motivations Behind Charity and Philanthropy among Birmingham Muslims ……………………………………………………………. 158 5.1 ‘Fair Trade’ with Allah: Ten in life, seventy in the afterlife …………………. 160 5.2 Guilt and Sympathy: Pressures of Prosperity ………………………………... 168 5.3 Wa’eed and Fears: Disseminating the Consequences of not Doing Charity … 172 5.4 Conclusion ………………………………………………………………….. 177 vii Chapter 6 Contestations among Muslim Charitable Organisations with Competing Worldviews ……………………………………………………………………. 180 6.1 The Background and Evolution of Muslim Charity and Philanthropy in Birmingham ……………………………………………………………. 181 6.2 How Islamic is Islamic Relief Now? Contestations and (Re)definitions of the Idea of a Muslim Charity ………………………………………….. 186 6.3 Accusing Each Other: The Personal and Local Dimensions of Muslim Charity …………………………………………………………… 194 6.4 Transnational/Transcendental Charity from the ‘Muslim South to the Muslim North’ via Birmingham …………………………………… 199 6.5 The Bargaining Tricks: Spending Less Money, Gaining More Spiritual Merits ……………………………………………………………. 201 6.6 Conclusion ………………………………………………………………… 203 Chapter 7 Conclusions ……………………………………………………………………... 207 Bibliography ……………………………………………………………………. 218 viii Acknowledgements This thesis is a result of cooperation and goodwill of Muslim businessmen and entrepreneurs in Birmingham which they showed to me during my fieldwork and continued to show their cooperation and friendliness after I finished my fieldwork. I am indebted to the Muslim Charity Organisations in Birmingham who are doing selfless work and making sincere efforts to change everyday lives of people in Birmingham and across the world. I am also thankful to reformist Muslim individuals, groups and organisations in Birmingham who are devoted to recreate a sense of community among Muslims based on shared values between them and trying to introduce how to live as Muslim in compatibility with British society and culture. Thanks to Birmingham Muslims in general; you were very kind, hospitable and cooperative. By living with you and doing my research and fieldwork with you, I could become professionally what I am today, I am humbled by you and cannot