Impact Of Modernization On Religious Institution: A Case Study Of Khyber Pakhtun Khwa, Pakistan

Abstract

Religion is a unified system of sacred norms, values, beliefs and objects. In any society religion plays an important role in the shaping of the people’s lives, behaviour and interactions. In every aspect of life people consult with their religion and act according to the teachings of religion. At present modernization, globalization and social change are creating very drastic changes in every sphere of life. These changes have both negative and positive impacts on the society. Modernisation is also creating very serious changes in the social institution of religion. In Pakistan, modernization have very severe impact on religion and many sub-sects have been created under the religion of Islam. Each and every sect is claiming that their teachings are true. This phenomenon is crating sectarian violence in Pakistani society. Present study was conducted in the province of “Khyber Pakhtun Khwa, Pakistan”. Pakhtun people follow religion strictly in every segment of life. They sacrifices their lives on the name of Islam. But at present due to modernization, this phenomenon has been changed. Main objective of this study was to analyze the major impacts of modernisation on the religion of Islam in “Pakhtun” culture and society.