Awan in Pakistan


Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge
* Data can be from various sources including official census, agencies, and local research. Data from these sources can sometimes differ even by orders of magnitude. Joshua Project attempts to present a conservative, balanced estimate.

Introduction / History

Historians describe the Awan as valiant warriors and farmers who imposed their supremacy on the Janjua in part of the Salt Range and established large colonies all along the Indus to Sind. The Awan were among those the British considered to be "martial races" and, as such, formed an important part of the British Indian Army. In particular, the Awan were part of the core Muslim group recruited by the British during the First and Second World Wars.


What Are Their Lives Like?

Awan people belong to the Zamindar or landowning class, and many Awan families to this day live on and cultivate land which their ancestors have held for centuries. They are exclusively Muslim and probably the descendants of some of the earlier Muslim invaders of the tenth century or earlier.


Awan people have been entirely Muslim for centuries.
What Are Their Beliefs?

The Awan 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?

The Awan have put their identity in the Islamic religion for centuries. They do not believe they need a sin-free savior.


Prayer Points

Pray the Awan people would see they can enjoy abundant life if they put their trust in Jesus Christ.
Pray for the Lord to intervene in their families, calling people to his side and blessing them in every way.
Pray for loving workers.
Pray for their hearts to be drawn to the Lord of lords.
Pray for a church planting movement to thrive in their communities.


Scripture Prayers for the Awan in Pakistan.


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Awan
People Name in Country Awan
Pronunciation ah-WAHN
Alternate Names आवाँ (मुस्लिम ट्रेडिशन्स)
Population this Country 5,805,000
Population all Countries 5,827,000
Total Countries 2
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
Pioneer Workers Needed 116
PeopleID3 16264
ROP3 Code 111389
Country Pakistan
Region Asia, South
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 7  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Total States on file 6
Largest States
Punjab
3,388,000
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
2,026,000
Islamabad
219,000
Azad Kashmir
85,000
Sindh
71,000
Balochistan
17,000
Country Pakistan
Region Asia, South
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 7  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Total States 6
  Punjab 3,388,000
  Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa 2,026,000
  Islamabad 219,000
  Azad Kashmir 85,000
  Sindh 71,000
  Balochistan 17,000
Website South Asia Peoples
Primary Religion: Islam
Major Religion Percent *
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.00 %)
0.00 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
100.00 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
* From latest Pakistan census data.
Current Christian values may substantially differ.
Primary Language Punjabi, Western (1,843,000 speakers)
Language Code pnb   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 23
Secondary Languages
(only 15 largest shown)
Hindko, Northern
1,061,000
Saraiki
948,000
Hindko, Southern
501,000
Pashto, Northern
498,000
Pahari-Potwari
383,000
Urdu
244,000
Pashto, Central
64,000
Sindhi
40,000
Marwari (Pakistan)
22,000
Shina
15,000
Shina, Kohistani
9,800
Pashto, Southern
5,200
Marwari (India)
5,000
Kashmiri
3,200
Kohistani, Indus
1,900
Primary Language Punjabi, Western (1,843,000 speakers)
Language Code pnb   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 23
Secondary Languages (only 15 largest shown)
  Hindko, Northern 1,061,000
  Saraiki 948,000
  Hindko, Southern 501,000
  Pashto, Northern 498,000
  Pahari-Potwari 383,000
  Urdu 244,000
  Pashto, Central 64,000
  Sindhi 40,000
  Marwari (Pakistan) 22,000
  Shina 15,000
  Shina, Kohistani 9,800
  Pashto, Southern 5,200
  Marwari (India) 5,000
  Kashmiri 3,200
  Kohistani, Indus 1,900
People Groups Speaking Punjabi, Western

Primary Language:  Punjabi, Western

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (1885-1922)
Bible-New Testament Yes  (1819-2021)
Bible-Complete No
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, New Testament DAVAR Partners International
Audio Recordings Love letter to you from scripture Father's Love Letter
Audio Recordings Online Scripture / Bible General / Other
Film / Video Indigitube.tv Video / Animation Create International
Film / Video Jesus Film: view in Punjabi, Western Jesus Film Project
Film / Video World Christian Videos World Christian Videos
General Bible for Children Bible for Children
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 Four Spiritual Laws Cru
General Gospel website in this language General / Other
General Scripture Earth Gospel resources links Scripture Earth
General Voice of the Martyrs resources Voice of the Martyrs
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: Punjabi, Western YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App iOS Bible app: Punjabi, Western YouVersion Bibles
Text / Printed Matter Cartoon Gospel tract General / Other
Text / Printed Matter Literacy primer for Punjabi, Western 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 Galen Frysinger 
Map Source People Group Location: Omid. Other geography / data: GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project  
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.


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