Religious Institutions in Philanthropy-Based Activities in Pakistan

This essay unveils the philanthropic perspective of khanqahs and shrines of Sufi saints entrenched in Islamic ideology. These have always served as significant training centers and have substantially contributed towards the religious, social, and spiritual upbringing of humanity at large. Furthermore, these institutions have played a significant role in relieving suffering and grappling with social and economic issues, especially of the lower rungs of society. The founders of these khanqahs were great Islamic and mystic figures who set aside their entire spans of life for philanthropic ends to promote peace and sublime moral values and thus to rid society of the ethical, religious, political and economic ills corroding human nature. After the deaths of these sacred figures, their shrines became great socio-religious institutions and hence took the form of philanthropic organizations meant for the welfare of the needy and poverty-stricken humanity. These institutions are striving to do their utmost in various ways. They have set up schools, free lodges, established health centers, hospitals, orphan care homes, and places where the hungry and needy could feed themselves for free, and so on. The present study explores the concept of philanthropy underlying the injunctions of Islam. The research has been limited to five major shrines in Pakistan for data collection. Detailed questionnaires were completed by the target research population. This follows a mixed paradigm, qualitative as well as quantitative. The study will not only focus on the positive aspects but also on the lacunas in the work of khanqahs and shrines as institutions in Pakistan.