Sindhi in Afghanistan


Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge

Introduction / History

The Sindhi of Afghanistan are part of a much larger Sindhi people group. This larger group is the second largest ethnic group in Pakistan. The Sindhi, named after the Sindhu (Indus) River, are also said to be one of the oldest people groups in Pakistan. Most of them have lived there for centuries and call themselves the pukka, or "real," Sindhi. Some have traced their origin back to the Arab invaders who introduced Islam to Pakistan in 711 A.D. Prior to 1947, Muslim and Hindu Sindhi lived together in the same region. Today, however, most of the Hindu Sindhi live in India and most of the Muslim Sindhi live in Pakistan, but a smaller number of these Muslims spilled over into neighboring Afghanistan. Other Sindhi are scattered all over the world, from the oil fields of Oman to the business centers of Hong Kong and Singapore. These are the fortunate few; most of the Muslim Sindhis who remain in their Pakistani and Afghan homeland are less prosperous.


What Are Their Lives Like?

Today, a majority of the Sindhi in Afghanistan are engaged in irrigation farming. Their principal crops include wheat, rice, cotton, sugarcane, various fruits, and oilseed. Some farmers also raise sheep, goats and camels. The Sindhi living in cities often work as merchants, physicians, lawyers, and teachers. Those in rural areas abide in mud or baked-brick houses built close together for protection. Even very small homes are surrounded by high walls. The houses are designed so that male guests never see the women.
The family is the basic unity of Sindhi society, with the male head being the authority. Generally, Muslim Sindhi women stay home, leaving only for special occasions such as visiting the temple or calling on relatives. They wear long black dresses and cover their faces with heavy veils. The Sindhi traditionally do not marry outside of their own social classes. They prefer marriages between first cousins, and long engagements are common. The wedding ceremony includes a reading from the Koran and is performed by a local Muslim teacher.
The Sindhis in Afghanistan hold many of their own festivals in a given year. They celebrate with singing, dancing and reading poetry.


What Are Their Beliefs?

Most of the Sindhi in Afghanistan are Muslim. The majority of the rural Sindhi, however, have no clear understanding of their Muslim faith and still believe in "folk spirits." Before 1947, many Hindu and Muslim practices were combined. For example, it was not uncommon for both Hindus and Muslims to venerate the same saint. Today, the practice of saint worship still persists. There are also Sufi shrines in Sindhi communities. Two religious ceremonies are closely related to birth: naming the child and shaving its head. At the naming ceremony, the father whispers, "Allah is great," into the child's ear so that Allah's name is the first thing the child hears. The head-shaving ceremony seems to be a symbolic act of sacrifice. The young child's head is shaved, and the hair is buried along with the bones of a sacrificed goat.


What Are Their Needs?

The Muslim Sindhis need the chance to put all their trust in Jesus Christ, sent by the Living God to bless all nations. They also need abundant rain for their crops so they can have an adequate harvest.


Prayer Points

Pray for abundant rain so the Sindhis can have an abundant harvest as a testimony of God's mercy and power.
Pray for the gift of faith to come to Muslim Sindhi family and community leaders so they can open the door for a movement to Christ.
Pray for peace in Afghanistan so ideas can flow freely in this volatile region.
Pray for the Lord to thrust out Holy Spirit anointed workers to the Muslim Sindhis in Afghanistan.


Scripture Prayers for the Sindhi in Afghanistan.


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Sindhi
People Name in Country Sindhi
Pronunciation SIN-dee
Alternate Names
Population this Country 26,000
Population all Countries 181,000
Total Countries 8
Indigenous No
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
GSEC 1  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed 1
People ID 14192
ROP3 Code 109027
ROP25 Code 307539
ROP25 Name Sindhi
Country Afghanistan
Region Asia, Central
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
Persecution Rank 10  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Country Afghanistan
Region Asia, Central
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
Persecution Rank 10  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Primary Religion: Islam
Religion Subdivision: Sunni
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.08 %)
0.08 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
99.92 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Sindhi (26,000 speakers)
Language Code snd   Ethnologue Listing
Primary Dialect Visholi
Dialect Code 16748   Global Recordings Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Sindhi (26,000 speakers)
Language Code snd   Ethnologue Listing
Primary Dialect Visholi
Dialect Code 16748   Global Recordings Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking Sindhi

Primary Language:  Sindhi

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (1825-1981)
Bible-New Testament Yes  (1890-1992)
Bible-Complete Yes  (1954)
FCBH NT (www.bible.is) Online
YouVersion NT (www.bible.com) Online
Possible Print Bibles
Amazon
World Bibles
Forum Bible Agencies
National Bible Societies
World Bible Finder
Virtual Storehouse
Resource Type Resource Name Source
Audio Recordings Audio Bible teaching Global Recordings Network
Audio Recordings Recorded oral Bible Oral Bibles
Audio Recordings Story of Jesus audio Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Indigitube.tv Video / Animation Create International
Film / Video Jesus Film: view in Sindhi Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Magdalena video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video The Hope Video Mars Hill Media
Film / Video World Christian Videos World Christian Videos
General Bible for Children Bible for Children
General Biblical answers to your questions Got Questions Ministry
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Gospel resources links Scripture Earth
General Gospel website in this language General / Other
General YouVersion Bible versions in text and/or audio YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Android Bible app: Sindhi YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Download audio Bible app as APK file Faith Comes by Hearing
Mobile App iOS Bible app: Sindhi YouVersion Bibles
Text / Printed Matter Literacy primer for Sindhi Literacy & Evangelism International
Text / Printed Matter Topical Scripture booklets and Bible studies World Missionary Press
Photo Source Khalid Mahmood - Wikimedia  Creative Commons 
Map Source Bethany World Prayer Center  
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.



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