Understanding the Islamic Concept of Usrah and Its Application to Group Work

With the significant growth of the Muslim population and the promotion of multicultural group work for diverse populations in the United States, there is an increased need to provide group approaches that are relevant to the concepts and spirituality of Islam. The Usrah group, an Islamic group work approach commonly practiced by Asian Muslims, and its goals, history, and foundational principles are described. Comparisons with Western group work practice are made, and gender homogeneity, leader and members’ roles, and group norms are discussed. Culturally relevant application issues, future research, and implications for group workers are included.