Islamic Religious Identity and Socio-Political Attitudes among University Students in Pakistan: A Revised Sociological and Islamic Studies Analysis

Abstract

Islamic religious identity occupies a distinctive position in the social and cultural formation of Pakistani society, where religion is not confined to the private sphere but remains closely connected with family life, education, moral values, collective belonging, political discourse, and conceptions of citizenship. University students constitute a particularly significant social group within this context because higher education exposes young people to diverse intellectual traditions, political ideas, social networks, digital media, and competing interpretations of religion. This article examines the relationship between Islamic religious identity and socio-political attitudes among university students in Pakistan from an interdisciplinary perspective that brings together sociology and Islamic studies. Rather than treating religiosity as a single or uniform variable, the article conceptualizes Islamic identity as a multidimensional phenomenon involving belief, ritual practice, moral orientation, communal belonging, social responsibility, and political interpretation. It argues that religious identity can contribute simultaneously to political engagement, civic responsibility, social solidarity, democratic participation, and moral concern, while particular forms of exclusive or politicized identity may also be associated with intolerance, sectarian boundary-making, or restrictive understandings of citizenship. The article further explores the roles of family, educational institutions, peer networks, religious institutions, social media, and political discourse in shaping students’ religious and socio-political orientations. The Islamic normative framework emphasizes justice, consultation, human dignity, accountability, moderation, and recognition of human diversity, suggesting that an Islamic conception of religious identity cannot be reduced to sectarian or partisan identification. The article concludes that the relationship between religiosity and socio-political attitudes among Pakistani university students is complex, contextual, and mediated by socialization processes. A more constructive understanding of Islamic identity requires connecting religious commitment with ethical citizenship, intellectual openness, social justice, and responsible participation in pluralistic society.