The term Shaikh is used for a sociocultural group that originated with Arab settlers in South Asia which now includes many subgroups including the Qureshi. Islam arrived in the area now known as Pakistan in 711 AD when a Muslim Arab army conquered the northwestern part of the Indus Valley from Jammu and Kashmir to the Arabian Sea. Technocrats, bureaucrats, soldiers, traders, scientists, architects, teachers, theologians, and Sufis flocked from the rest of the Arab and Muslim world to the Islamic Sultanate in South Asia and settled permanently. The descendants of these Arabs usually go by the title of Shaikh and are also known in Pakistan as Muslim Khatri. They are a sub-group of the Zamindar group traditionally associated with farming.
Shaikh is also a term that is usually attributed to the leaders or elders of Arabian social groups. After the advent of Islam in South Asia, some high caste (Brahmins, Muslim Rajputs and Khatris) converted to Islam in the Punjab region and adopted the Shaikh title. They are known as Punjabi Shaikh.
There are a couple of Shaikh subgroups, including the Usmani, the Faruqi and the Qureshi. Each has a corresponding surname. Qureshi Shaikhs are all scattered throughout India. There are the same number of them in Pakistan and a small Qureshi community in Nepal.
The large South Asian caste of Shaikhs is not bound by one particular profession. The Shaikh can be broadly grouped into five communities.
Qureshi Shaikhs marry within their group. Families arrange marriages. Marriage to one spouse is the norm but a man may marry more wives if he can afford them. Sons inherit property. As Muslims, they will not eat pork.
Qureshi Shaikhs profess Islam and have both Sunni and Shia traditions among them. Both groups try to obey the teachings of the Koran and the prophet Mohammad. They believe that by following the Five Pillars of Islam that they will attain heaven when they die. However, Allah, the supreme God of the universe, determines who enters paradise. Sunnis pray five times a day facing Mecca. They fast the month of Ramadan. They attend mosque services on Friday. If a Muslim has the means, he or she will make a pilgrimage to Mecca once in his or her lifetime. Muslims are also prohibited from drinking alcohol, eating pork, gambling, stealing, deceiving, slandering, and making idols. The two main holidays for Sunni Muslims are Eid al Fitr, the breaking of the monthly fast and Eid al Adha, the celebration of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son to Allah.
There has been ministry activity among the Shaikh in India. Unfortunately, these efforts have brought few Shaikh into God's kingdom. Shaikhs who live in rural villages often lack access to modern medicine, electricity and clean water. Teams of believers can help meet these needs.
Ask the Lord to open the hearts of Qureshi Shaikhs so they will receive the good news.
Pray for a disciple making movement that will bless Qureshi Shaikhs this decade.
Pray for the Lord to send workers to Qureshi Shaikhs to tell them about Jesus or Isa.
Pray for dreams and visions to lead them to the cross.
Scripture Prayers for the Shaikh Qureshi in India.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaikhs_in_South_Asia
Profile Source: Joshua Project |
Global Prayer Digest: 2019-09-22 |
People Name General | Shaikh Qureshi |
People Name in Country | Shaikh Qureshi |
Natural Name | Qureshi Shaikh |
Pronunciation | koo-RESH-ee SHAYK |
Alternate Names | Kuresi; Matoa Quershi; Quraishi; Qureshi; शैख़ करिशी |
Population this Country | 9,727,000 |
Population all Countries | 10,825,000 |
Total Countries | 3 |
Indigenous | Yes |
Progress Scale | 1 ● |
Unreached | Yes |
Frontier People Group | Yes |
Pioneer Workers Needed | 195 |
People ID | 21236 |
ROP3 Code | 118058 |
Country | India | |||||||||||||||
Region | Asia, South | |||||||||||||||
Continent | Asia | |||||||||||||||
10/40 Window | Yes | |||||||||||||||
National Bible Society | Website | |||||||||||||||
Persecution Rank | 11 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) | |||||||||||||||
Total States on file | 30 | |||||||||||||||
Largest States (only 15 largest shown) |
|
|||||||||||||||
Districts | Interactive map, listing and data download | |||||||||||||||
Specialized Website | South Asia Peoples |
Country | India |
Region | Asia, South |
Continent | Asia |
10/40 Window | Yes |
National Bible Society | Website |
Persecution Rank | 11 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) |
Total States | 30 (only 20 largest shown) |
West Bengal 2,644,000 | |
Uttar Pradesh 1,866,000 | |
Bihar 1,368,000 | |
Maharashtra 957,000 | |
Karnataka 571,000 | |
Jharkhand 356,000 | |
Andhra Pradesh 353,000 | |
Rajasthan 301,000 | |
Gujarat 267,000 | |
Telangana 215,000 | |
Madhya Pradesh 177,000 | |
Delhi 146,000 | |
Tamil Nadu 104,000 | |
Haryana 77,000 | |
Odisha 51,000 | |
Website | South Asia Peoples |
Primary Religion: | Islam |
Major Religion ▲ | Percent * |
---|---|
Buddhism |
0.00 %
|
Christianity (Evangelical 0.00 %) |
0.00 %
|
Ethnic Religions |
0.00 %
|
Hinduism |
0.00 %
|
Islam |
100.00 %
|
Non-Religious |
0.00 %
|
Other / Small |
0.00 %
|
Unknown |
0.00 %
|
* From latest India census data. Current Christian values may substantially differ. |
Primary Language | Urdu (5,709,000 speakers) | |||||||||||||||
Language Code | urd Ethnologue Listing | |||||||||||||||
Language Written | Yes ScriptSource Listing | |||||||||||||||
Total Languages | 37 | |||||||||||||||
Secondary Languages (only 15 largest shown) |
|
Primary Language | Urdu (5,709,000 speakers) |
Language Code | urd Ethnologue Listing |
Total Languages | 37 |
Secondary Languages (only 15 largest shown) | |
Bengali 1,872,000 | |
Gujarati 122,000 | |
Maithili 73,000 | |
Marathi 67,000 | |
Bhojpuri 65,000 | |
Telugu 61,000 | |
Punjabi, Eastern 50,000 | |
Marwari 45,000 | |
Awadhi 31,000 | |
Kannada 29,000 | |
Dhundari 16,000 | |
Shekhawati 15,000 | |
Tamil 14,000 | |
Kacchi 5,800 | |
Kanauji 5,400 | |
People Groups | Speaking Urdu |
Primary Language: Urdu
Bible Translation ▲ | Status (Years) |
---|---|
Bible-Portions | Yes (1747-1894) |
Bible-New Testament | Yes (1758-2000) |
Bible-Complete | Yes (1843-2022) |
Bible-NT Audio | Online |
Possible Print Bibles | |
---|---|
Amazon | |
World Bibles | |
Forum Bible Agencies | |
National Bible Societies | |
World Bible Finder | |
Virtual Storehouse |
Photo Source | Anonymous |
Map Source | People Group Location: Omid. Other geography / data: GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project |
Profile Source | Joshua Project |
Data Sources | Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more. |