Punjabi in Saudi Arabia


Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge

Introduction / History

The name "Punjabi" is used to describe both those who speak Punjabi and those who inhabit the Punjab region in India and Pakistan. Punjabi is an Indo-European language that is divided into six main dialects. Those in Saudi Arabia speak the Eastern Punjabi dialect.


Modern Punjabi culture was largely shaped by the partitioning of India and Pakistan in 1947. This event resulted in massive migrations that separated the Muslims from the Hindus and Sikhs. In general, the Muslim Punjabis live in Pakistan, while the Hindu or Sikhs are in India. One can also find large Punjabi communities in nearly thirty other countries including Saudi Arabia.


What Are Their Lives Like?

While the living conditions of the Punjabis differ from country to country, they have kept much of their traditional culture and language. Though the language is still Punjabi, there are cultural differences between each of the three religious affiliations.


Punjabi immigrants have taken on a variety of occupations. Many have excelled as mechanics, construction workers, and business professionals. Others have found work in retail and trade, particularly through small family businesses. There are many who work in the oil industry in Saudi Arabia.


Punjabis often say that their conflicts arise from "land, women, and water." This means they deem it necessary to control the means by which a person perpetuates his family and property. This kind of thinking affects the Diaspora Punjabis, though they are unlikely to be landowners in other countries.


In traditional Muslim Punjabi culture, the men oversee the family possessions such as land, shops or other business assets. The women manage the homes. They cook, care for the children, manage the household finances, and take care of any domestic animals.


Among the diaspora Punjabis, newly married couples set up their homes wherever they choose. Parents still arrange marriages most of the time, but this involves extensive discussions.


There are a number of Punjabi emigrant communities scattered around the world, including Canada. They are traditionally Hindu, Muslim or Sikh. Most of those in Canada are Sikh and they are well-established in that country.
What Are Their Beliefs?

The Diaspora Punjabi reflect the three major religions of their homeland: Hinduism, Islam, and Sikhism. Those in Saudi Arabia are usually Sunni Muslim, like their Saudi hosts.


"Sunni," is derived from the Islamic term, sunnah, which means "well-trodden path." Sunnis believe that the correct path is that of the majority. They believe that the One, 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.


What Are Their Needs?

Although there are many Christian resources available in the Punjabi language, very few Muslim Punjabi have been reached with the gospel. There is a great need for church planting teams to begin focusing on the Punjabi.


Prayer Points

Pray for the Punjabi people in Saudi Arabia to have hearts that are open to the abundant blessings of Jesus Christ.


Pray for their families to prosper financially and spiritually as they experience a relationship with Jesus Christ.


Pray for a movement to Christ among the Punjabi people in Saudi Arabia that will spread joy, peace, and salvation.


Pray for the Punjabi culture to be renewed and enhanced by a work of the Holy Spirit and shaped into a God-centered and God-honoring mold.


Pray for the Holy Spirit to move among Punjabi family and community leaders to seek his face and enjoy his blessings.


Scripture Prayers for the Punjabi in Saudi Arabia.


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Punjabi
People Name in Country Punjabi
Pronunciation puhn-JAH-bee
Alternate Names Eastern Punjabi; Gurmukhi; Mirpur Punjabi; Panjabi; Sikh
Population this Country 884,000
Population all Countries 2,184,000
Total Countries 18
Indigenous No
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group No
Pioneer Workers Needed 18
PeopleID3 14483
ROP3 Code 108182
Country Saudi Arabia
Region Africa, North and Middle East
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
Persecution Rank 13  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Country Saudi Arabia
Region Africa, North and Middle East
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
Persecution Rank 13  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)

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Primary Religion: Islam
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.00 %)
1.00 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
41.00 %
Islam
50.00 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
8.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Punjabi, Eastern (884,000 speakers)
Language Code pan   Ethnologue Listing
Primary Dialect Punjabi
Dialect Code 761   Global Recordings Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Punjabi, Eastern (884,000 speakers)
Language Code pan   Ethnologue Listing
Primary Dialect Punjabi
Dialect Code 761   Global Recordings Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking Punjabi, Eastern

Primary Language:  Punjabi, Eastern

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (1818-1954)
Bible-New Testament Yes  (1815-2011)
Bible-Complete Yes  (1959-2021)
FCBH NT (www.bible.is) Online
YouVersion NT (www.bible.com) Online
Possible Print Bibles
Amazon
World Bibles
Forum Bible Agencies
National Bible Societies
World Bible Finder
Virtual Storehouse
Resource Type Resource Name Source
Audio Recordings Audio Bible teaching Global Recordings Network
Audio Recordings DAVAR Partners recording, complete Bible DAVAR Partners International
Audio Recordings Online Audio Scripture Talking Bibles
Audio Recordings Recorded oral Bible Oral Bibles
Film / Video Following Jesus video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video God's Story video God's Story
Film / Video Jesus Film: view in Punjabi, Eastern Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Magdalena video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Story of Jesus for Children Jesus Film Project
General Bible for Children Bible for Children
General Bible in text or audio or video Internet Publishing Sevice
General Bible in text or audio or video South Asia Bibles
General Biblical answers to your questions Got Questions Ministry
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Four Spiritual Laws Cru
General Scripture Earth Gospel resources links Scripture Earth
General YouVersion Bible versions in text and/or audio YouVersion Bibles
General Zume Resources Zume Project
General Zume Training Zume Project
Mobile App Android Bible app direct APK download SIL
Mobile App Android Bible App: Punjabi Bible (ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਬਾਈਬਲ) Indian Revised Version (IRV) Operation Agape
Mobile App Android Bible app: Punjabi, Eastern YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Android Bible Radio app: Punjabi Bible Radio Shalom Design S2dio
Mobile App Android Book Reading app: Open Bible Stories (Punjabi) Shalom Design S2dio
Mobile App iOS Bible app: Punjabi, Eastern YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App iOS Bible Radio App: Punjabi Bible Radio iOS Revive India
Text / Printed Matter Children and youth resources One Hope
Text / Printed Matter Download scripture in this language eBible.org
Text / Printed Matter Literacy primer for Punjabi, Eastern Literacy & Evangelism International
Text / Printed Matter Tools for faith conversations Cru
Text / Printed Matter Topical Scripture booklets and Bible studies World Missionary Press
Photo Source Web Flippy - Pixabay 
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.


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