Jatt (Muslim traditions) in Pakistan
Photo Source:
Steve Evans - Flickr
Creative Commons
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Map Source:
People Group Location: Omid. Other geography / data: GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project
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| People Name: | Jatt (Muslim traditions) |
| Country: | Pakistan |
| 10/40 Window: | Yes |
| Population: | 786,000 |
| World Population: | 786,000 |
| Primary Language: | Balochi, Eastern |
| Primary Religion: | Islam |
| Christian Adherents: | 0.00 % |
| Evangelicals: | 0.00 % |
| Scripture: | New Testament |
| Ministry Resources: | Yes |
| Jesus Film: | Yes |
| Audio Recordings: | Yes |
| People Cluster: | South Asia Muslim - other |
| Affinity Bloc: | South Asian Peoples |
| Progress Level: |
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Introduction / History
The Jatts are a Muslim community in Pakistan. They are often confused with the Jats, a sheep herding community that also lives in India. The Jatts speak Saraiki, a Western Punjabi language.
What Are Their Lives Like?
We know very little about the lifestyle of the Jatt people.
What Are Their Beliefs?
The Jatt people are 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?
Not only is the Pakistani government hostile to the gospel, but we know almost nothing about the Jatt people except their language, location, and religion. Gospel recordings are available in Saraiki, and the Jatt people can download them and listen to them if they have access to computers.
Prayer Points
As far as is known, none of the Jatt people follow Christ. They are solidly Sunni Muslim. Pray for the Lord to bless the Jatt people in such unmistakable ways that they will thank him and give him their full devotion.
Pray for the Jatt people to have a spiritual hunger that will lead them to the Savior.
Pray for the Lord to open the door for believers to go as His ambassadors to the Jatt people.