Do Customers Perceive Islamic Banking as Really Islamic? A Case of Pakistan

Abstract

Islamic banking, a growing financial system in the existing world has constantly been asserted to be different from conventional banking systems. Islamic banks in Pakistan have emerged as an alternative to conventional banks but they are still facing tough competition from these banks. They are offering services in Pakistan with the concept that they are working under the rules of Shariah and Quran. However, there is a debate over the practices of the profit and loss sharing mode of financing by Islamic banks in Pakistani society and that whether these services are really Islamic or not. This study aimed to describe the perceptions of customers in Pakistan regarding Islamic banks and investigate whether they perceive the existing Islamic banking as really Islamic. Data was collected through a questionnaire from account holders of Islamic banks as well as of conventional banks. Chi-square test was used to analyze the data. The results showed that respondents with accounts in Islamic banks had positive perception about Islamic banks and perceived them to be really Islamic whereas most of the account holders of conventional banks did not consider the Islamic banks in Pakistan to be truly Islamic.