Dhobi (Muslim traditions) 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

The Dhobi are a large collective community of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal. They derive their name from the Sanskrit term dahv which means 'wash '. The Dhobi are traditionally the clothes washers. They are a schedule caste in many of the states of India, where most of the Dhobi live. A majority of the Muslim Dhobi live in Pakistan.


What Are Their Lives Like?

Today more than most South Asian communities the Dhobi have maintained their traditional occupation of washing clothes and running laundry services. Yet they are struggling; washing machines are replacing them even in Muslim Pakistan.


What Are Their Beliefs?

These Dhobi 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?

Though some small success has come in ministry to the Hindu Dhobi, the Muslim Dhobi have no known work among them in Pakistan. In general, the attitude of the Dhobi to education is quite good and literacy in some locations is higher than other Muslim communities. May the Lord use education to bringing many Muslim Dhobi in Pakistan to faith.


Prayer Points

Pray for the Muslim Dhobi 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 their family and community leaders to seek his face and enjoy his blessings.
Pray for the Lord to thrust out workers who will be compelled to nurture a Disciple Making Movement among the Dhobi people.
Pray that soon the Muslim Dhobi people will have faith that will lead them to live honorable lives that will draw others to the savior.


Scripture Prayers for the Dhobi (Muslim traditions) in Pakistan.


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Dhobi (Muslim traditions)
People Name in Country Dhobi (Muslim traditions)
Pronunciation DOH-bee
Alternate Names Agasa; Agasaru; Agheria; Awari; Bana; Baretha; Batham; Bhai; Chakala; Chakali; Chandbar; Charhoya; Chauhan-Bhatti; Chawla; Chhimba; Darhi; Dharhiadu; Dharhiannan; Dharhiannari; Dhob; Dhoba; Dhobi; Dhopa; Dhopi; Dhupi; Hawari; Jada; Khurdanai; Madiwal; Madiyal; Madvali; Madwai; Modiyal; Monson; Pak; Parit; Prasad Dhobi; Qasab; Raipal; Rajak; Rajaka; Rajpar; Rajukula; Ram Dhobi; Ramdu; Sakala; SakalaDarhi; Shaheri; Sukladas; Tanwar; Togata; Tsakala; Turaka Chakali; Turka Chakla; Turka Sakala; Vannan; Warathi; Watts; धोबी (मुस्लिम ट्रेडिशन्स)
Population this Country 1,312,000
Population all Countries 2,455,000
Total Countries 4
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
Pioneer Workers Needed 26
PeopleID3 17519
ROP3 Code 112937
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 7
Largest States
Punjab
1,089,000
Sindh
133,000
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
77,000
Islamabad
6,300
Azad Kashmir
4,500
Balochistan
500
Gilgit-Baltistan
70
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 7
  Punjab 1,089,000
  Sindh 133,000
  Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa 77,000
  Islamabad 6,300
  Azad Kashmir 4,500
  Balochistan 500
  Gilgit-Baltistan 70
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 Saraiki (480,000 speakers)
Language Code skr   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 16
Secondary Languages
(only 15 largest shown)
Punjabi, Western
473,000
Urdu
103,000
Sindhi
73,000
Hindko, Northern
37,000
Marwari (Pakistan)
35,000
Hindko, Southern
28,000
Pahari-Potwari
17,000
Pashto, Northern
11,000
Dhatki
3,200
Bagri
2,400
Kacchi
900
Pashto, Central
900
Koli, Wadiyari
400
Shina, Kohistani
100
Koli, Parkari
100
Primary Language Saraiki (480,000 speakers)
Language Code skr   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 16
Secondary Languages (only 15 largest shown)
  Punjabi, Western 473,000
  Urdu 103,000
  Sindhi 73,000
  Hindko, Northern 37,000
  Marwari (Pakistan) 35,000
  Hindko, Southern 28,000
  Pahari-Potwari 17,000
  Pashto, Northern 11,000
  Dhatki 3,200
  Bagri 2,400
  Kacchi 900
  Pashto, Central 900
  Koli, Wadiyari 400
  Shina, Kohistani 100
  Koli, Parkari 100
People Groups Speaking Saraiki
Photo Source Oxlaey - Flickr  Creative Commons 
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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