Dhund in India

Introduction / History

The Dhund tribe is small by South Asian standards. Yet they have enjoyed much power through their long history. They have a royal history, filled with cultural reformers, rulers, feudal chiefs, conquerors, and religious leaders.

Where Are they Located?

Though most Dhund people live in Pakistan, there is a small number of them in India.

What Are Their Lives Like?

Though some still consider them to be only a "tribe," the Dhund people are by no means backwards. They are a force to be reckoned with, even in today's world. They are known for their teachers and quality education.

What Are Their Beliefs?

The Dhund people are Sunni, the largest branch of Islam. They believe that the One, Supreme God, Allah, spoken through his prophet, Mohammed, and taught mankind how to live a righteous life through the Koran and the Hadith. To live a righteous life, you must utter the Shahada (a statement of faith), pray five times a day facing Mecca, fast from sunup to sundown during the month of Ramadan, give alms to the poor, and make a pilgrimage to Mecca if you have the means. Muslims are prohibited from drinking alcohol, eating pork, gambling, stealing, slandering, and making idols. They gather for corporate prayer on Friday afternoons at a mosque, their place of worship.

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.

In most of the Muslim world, peoples like the Dhund depend on the spirit world for their daily needs since they regard Allah as too distant. Allah may determine their eternal salvation, but the spirits determine how well we live in our daily lives. For that reason, they must appease the spirits. The often use charms and amulets to help them with spiritual forces.

What Are Their Needs?

These people need a missionary team, burning with a purpose and a passion for the Savior of the Dhund people. The Muslim Dhund people remain entrenched in teachings that Jesus was only a prophet, and the way to Allah is through obedience to the Koran.

Prayer Points

Pray for His kingdom to come and His will to be done among the Muslim Dhund people.
Pray for a movement of Dhund households to study the Bible and accept the blessings of Christ, both in Pakistan and India.
Pray for a spiritual hunger that will drive the Dhund people to the arms of Jesus.
Pray for workers who are filled with the fruit and the power of the Holy Spirit to go to the Dhund people.

Text Source:   Keith Carey