According to a Gilani Research Foundation Survey carried out by Gallup Pakistan, 96 per cent Pakistanis believe that giving charity is right according to religion; 74 per cent believe that eating food given as charity is right.
A nationally representative sample of adult men and women, from across the four provinces was asked, “With regards to religion, do you think the following are right or wrong?”
In response to this question, 96 per cent respondents said that giving charity is right, while four per cent said it is wrong. Regarding eating food given as charity, 74 per cent respondents said that it is right, while 26 per cent said that it is wrong. Regarding the belief that saints have knowledge of the occult, 40 per cent respondents said it is right, while 59 per cent said that it is wrong and one per cent did not respond. Regarding kissing and prostrating to ancestors’ graves.
20 per cent said that it is right, while 80 per cent said that it is wrong. Regarding the belief that those who are close to Allah don’t need to fast or pray, 15 per cent believe it is right, while 85 per cent believe it is wrong. 60 per cent respondents said that distributing food on the 11th of Muharram is right, while 40 per cent said it is wrong. 38 per cent respondents said that cementing graves is right, while 62 per cent said it is wrong. 54 per cent respondents said that organizing urs and qawwali is right, while 45 per cent said it is wrong, and 1 per cent did not respond. 56 per cent respondents said that decorating graves with chaddars is right, while 43 per cent said it is wrong and one per cent did not respond.
The study was released by Gilani Research Foundation and carried out by GallupPakistan, the Pakistani affiliate of Gallup International.
The recent survey was carried out among a sample of 1783 men and women in rural and urban areas of all four provinces of the country, during May 04 – May 11, 2015. Error margin is estimated to be approximately ± 2-3 per cent at 95 per cent confidence level.