Al-Mahdi Institute (AMI), through its Muslims, Societies and Cultures research area, is convening a major international conference titled “Who Cares? Care and Support Practitioners in Muslim Contexts” to be held on 27th to 28th April 2026 at Al-Mahdi Institute. The deadline for abstract submissions is Monday, 12 January 2026.
Introduction:
The title of the 2026 conference, “Who Cares? Care and Support Practitioners in Muslim Contexts”, signals the urgent need for compassionate and effective care within Muslim communities, while raising a broader question of responsibility: who takes on this work, and how is it sustained? At a time of global mental health crisis, chronic underfunding of social services, and the displacement of communities through conflict and migration, the question of “who cares” has never been more acute. This conference invites reflection not only on the challenges faced by care and support practitioners, but also on innovative, solution-driven responses that can strengthen resilience and wellbeing across Muslim societies.
The conference will explore this terrain within Muslim contexts through three broad, interrelated themes:
(1) The lived challenges that necessitate care and support
(2) The frameworks—professional, ethical, and religious—through which such care is provided, including how practitioners draw on, contest, or reinterpret Islamic scriptural, ethical, and legal traditions
(3) The socio-political and cultural contexts that shape these challenges and responses, particularly as they intersect with the historical and contemporary realities of Muslim societies.
The first theme considers the range of challenges experienced within Muslim communities—both in Muslim-majority societies and in diasporic minority contexts—that call for care and support. These include struggles around mental health, divorce, domestic abuse, the reintegration of ex-offenders, and the socio-economic pressures affecting families and individuals. Such issues highlight not only personal struggles but also broader structural vulnerabilities that practitioners must navigate. Examining these across different contexts opens space to learn how strategies and solutions travel across cultural and geographic boundaries.
The second theme examines how care and support frameworks are developed, negotiated, and adapted. It addresses challenges of spiritual or religious conflict—for example, when personal circumstances clash with religious teachings on gender, sexuality, or faith practice. Central to this discussion is the practitioner’s role in balancing ethical responsibilities, professional standards, and urgent needs, with an emphasis on practical insights and constructive models to help navigate this complex terrain.
The third theme situates care and support within its wider socio-political environment. Islamophobia, racism, and toxic digital media create distinctive psychological and social strains. At the same time, Islamic ethical traditions—both historical and contemporary—offer resources for developing innovative, community-rooted responses. This theme highlights not only the challenges of context but also the opportunities to craft solution-oriented models of care.
As a sociological endeavour, the conference foregrounds care and support as practices embedded in social structures, community dynamics, and lived experience. At the same time, it recognises that a rounded understanding requires insight from multiple disciplines. We therefore welcome contributions not only from sociology, but also from psychology and counselling, as well as strands of traditional Islamic studies, anthropology, social work, chaplaincy studies, and related fields.
The CFP invites both academic scholars and practitioner-researchers to present their work. Non-academic practitioners engaged in care and support are also warmly invited to attend as participants, contributing their experiences through dialogue and networking. In this way, the conference aims to bridge the academic and practitioner perspectives, with the shared goal of developing constructive, community-rooted models of care for Muslim contexts.
The conference invites – but is not limited to – contributions on topics such as:
- Mental health and wellbeing, and how these are framed through Islamic ethical and theological discourse.
- Pastoral, chaplaincy, and counselling practices, and their negotiation with Islamic legal and spiritual traditions.
- Care and support for refugees and displaced communities, including scriptural and juristic perspectives on migration and hospitality.
- Approaches to domestic abuse, family breakdown, and divorce considering scriptural interpretation, fiqh, and evolving community practices.
- Reintegration and support for ex-offenders, and the role of Islamic ethics of repentance and redemption.
- Navigating tensions between religious teachings and personal circumstances (e.g., gender, sexuality, faith practice) through hermeneutical engagement with scripture and ethical reasoning.
- Models of care within Islamic ethical traditions, past and present, including classical sources and contemporary reinterpretations.
- Practitioner perspectives on balancing professional standards with Islamic moral, legal, and spiritual commitments.
- Care work in Muslim-majority vs. minority contexts, and how hermeneutical approaches shift between these environments.
- Responding to Islamophobia, racism, and toxic digital media environments, alongside Islamic theological and ethical resources for resilience.
- Community-based initiatives for socio-economic resilience.
- Interdisciplinary perspectives on care that integrate sociology, psychology, Islamic studies, anthropology, social work, and hermeneutics.
The Conference:
By applying to this Conference, applicants also commit to submitting a 9,000- to 12,000-word article four months after the Conference, in accordance with the schedule below.
This conference is organised by Al-Mahdi Institute. Shortlisted abstracts are expected to be developed into full academic papers following the Conference, which will take place on 27-28 April 2026. Al-Mahdi Institute will arrange and cover presenters’ accommodation and board in Birmingham, UK, for the duration of the Conference. The conference proceedings will be published in an edited volume by Brill Academic Publishing. The language of the workshop (and published papers) will be English only. The workshop will run over two days, including lunch, refreshments, and dinner. Each presentation will be 20 minutes long, followed by a Q&A session and discussion with fellow delegates and presenters.
Submission of Abstracts:
- Abstracts: The deadline for abstract submission is Monday, 12 January 2026. Abstracts should be a maximum of 400 words, and should be submitted along with a CV (maximum 2 pages, with a listing of the applicant’s publications and recent work experience) in either MS Word or PDF format. Applicants should also provide a short biography of themselves. All submissions should be made to: [email protected]
- Shortlisting Abstracts: Presenters shortlisted for the workshop will be notified by Friday, 23 January 2026.
- Full papers: Final papers must be submitted by Tuesday, 1st September 2026. Papers should be presented in line with the house style of AMI Press and have a word count between 9,000 and 12,000 words, excluding the bibliography.
- The final submissions will undergo a peer review and editing process and will be published in an edited volume in partnership with Brill.
