Murao (Muslim traditions) in India

Introduction / History

Murao comes from a variation of the Hindi word mula, meaning radish. Traditionally they were farmers, famous for growing radishes. The Muslim Murao live in Uttar Pradesh.

What Are Their Lives Like?

The Murao people consider themselves to have high status. Their belief is not validated by other communities who place them much lower in the social order. Still, the Murao people maintain good relationships with a broad spectrum of other castes, even ones with much lower status.

However, they will only marry within their own community. Marriages are arranged by elders from both families. A Hindu priest officiates at the gate of their house for the wedding. They circle a sacred fire seven times to seal their marriage.

When it comes to education, they want their sons to get a good education although many must drop out for economic reasons. Some of the younger Murao men who have access to education have become professionals or government employees. Murao girls are marginalized by not having access to higher education.

Most Muslim Murao people do what they have been doing for generations: farming and selling their crops or working as unskilled laborers.

What Are Their Beliefs?

There are both Hindus and Sunni Muslims among the Murao people. Sunni Muslims who believe that the supreme God, Allah, spoke 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.

Sunni religious practices are staid and simple. They believe that Allah has pre-determined our fates; they minimize free will.

In most of the Muslim world, people 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. They often use charms and amulets to help them with spiritual forces.

What Are Their Needs?

They need to accept the blessings of Jesus Christ, the one who came to offer life to the full. But first, someone must go to them with the gospel.

Prayer Points

Pray they will have messengers of the good news of Christ sent to them. Pray that Murao disciples will make more disciples until their culture is transformed to fully glorify God and represent his kingdom in India. Pray for the Lord to open hearts to see and receive the living Christ.

Text Source:   Joshua Project