Southeast Asia’s Muslims can be confident that when it comes to some key beliefs they are among the most
devout in the world.
A Pew Research Center survey into
the values, rituals and lifestyles of more than 35,000 Muslims around the world
showed that the Muslims of Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand were often among
the most enthusiastic followers of some of the five pillars of Islam: the declaration
of faith, prayer, alms giving, fasting during Ramadan and going on a pilgrimage
to Mecca.
The survey, which included about
5,000 people from the region, showed that believers in Southeast Asia were more
enthusiastic than those in Africa, Asia, Europe and even the Middle East in
upholding most of these pillars.
Some 98% of Indonesians said they
gave alms annually, followed by 93% of Malaysians and Thais. Those were among
the three highest rates for charity in the world. In most other Muslim communities,
less than 80% of those surveyed participated in what is called zakat.
“Annual almsgiving, which by
custom is supposed to equal approximately 2.5% of a person’s total wealth, is
almost as widely observed as fasting during Ramadan,” the report released
earlier this month said. “In Southeast Asia and South Asia, the median of
roughly nine-in-ten Muslims say they performed zakat.”
This corner of Asia also
outperformed when it came to fasting during Ramadan. While most of the Muslim
world enthusiastically embraces the ritual of fasting during the holy month,
99% of Malaysians and Indonesians surveyed said they did. In Asia, only Thai
Muslims were more devout, with 100% of them saying they fasted.
In Indonesia, mosque attendance
is also among the highest in the world. The Pew report said 72% of Indonesians
surveyed said they went to a mosque at least once a week. That compares to just
57% in Malaysia, 61% in Egypt and 44% in Turkey.
Southeast Asia ranked a bit lower
when it came to daily prayers. More than 75% of those surveyed said they prayed
several times a day, which is well above the average for most of Asia and the
Middle East, but below most African countries.
Few of the Muslims surveyed had
made it to Mecca yet: Only 6% of Southeast Asians, compared to 17% in the
Middle East and northern Africa.
Interestingly, belief in angels
is highest in Southeast Asia, with 99% of Indonesian Muslims, 98% of Malaysian
Muslims and 91% of Thai Muslims believing in them.
Belief in powerful angels may be
why few in the region think they need lucky charms. On average, Southeast Asian
Muslims were among the biggest believers in witchcraft but at the same time the
least likely to believe in using talismans to ward off evil or misfortune.
While around 40% of the Muslims
surveyed in Pakistan and Albania believed in the protective power of charms,
amulets or precious stones, less than 5% of Southeast Asian Muslims said they
would use them.
“In all countries surveyed, a
majority of Muslims report that they do not use magical objects to ward off
evil or misfortune,” the report said. “Indeed, in 21 of 23 countries where the
question was asked, fewer than three-in ten Muslims say they wear talismans or
precious stones for protection.”
Eric Bellman
Business & Investment Opportunities
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