Meitei (Manipur Muslim) in India

Introduction / History

A unique feature of the Meitei is that their community is made of one language, but two religions. A majority of them are Hindus and have Mongoloid features, while a minority of them are Muslims and have Bengali features. In spite of this, there is good harmony between them, and they are proud of the common heritage of their mother tongue. Though there are Meitei people in neighboring Myanmar and Bangladesh, those in India have their own state: Manipur. Meitei is the official state language. Others live in Assam, another state in northeastern India.

What Are Their Lives Like?

Most Muslim Meiteis still earn a living by farming, though the younger generation would like to use their education to enter more modern fields. The Meitei are very resistant to change, particularly in the area of religion. Outsiders trying to spread the gospel are not well received, and individuals may resist the gospel for fear that they will lose their place in the Meitei society if they become Christians.

What Are Their Beliefs?

The 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?

Muslim Meitei people need the chance to allow Jesus Christ to bless them far above what they can ever imagine. There is no savior except for Jesus Christ, the King of kings.

Prayer Points

Pray that Muslim Meitei council leaders will come to Jesus Christ and lead their community into a Christ-ward direction.
Pray that gospel materials and the internet will become easily available to them.
Pray for the Lord to give their elders dreams and visions of the risen Christ that will shape their spiritual lives.
Pray for a spiritual hunger that will lead the Muslim Meitei to the cross.

Text Source:   Joshua Project