Thathera (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 Thathera community claims that they are descendants of Haihay kings that reigned during the Middle Ages. They claim royalty in their blood, but their jobs have always had to do with being artisans, especially metal work. They have 47 clans, which is fairly large even by South Asian standards. Though most are Hindu, some converted to Islam hundreds of years ago during invasions. Today there is a small Muslim community among the Thathera people.


Where Are they Located?

The Muslim Thathera people live either in Pakistan or India's Punjab state.


What Are Their Lives Like?

Most of the Thathera people produce and repair metal household utensils. They work with brass, bronze, aluminum, and copper goods. A smaller number of them are either farmers or jewelers.


What Are Their Beliefs?

The Thathera people are Sunni, the largest branch of Islam. They believe that the One, Supreme God, Allah, spoken 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.

In most of the Muslim world, peoples like the Thathera 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. The often use charms and amulets to help them with spiritual forces.


What Are Their Needs?

The Thathera people, be they Hindu or Muslim, need to put their faith in Jesus Christ, the only one who can bless them with abundant life and eternal salvation from sin and death.


Prayer Points

Pray for his kingdom to come and his will to be done among the Muslim Thathera people in both India and Pakistan.
Pray for a movement of Thathera households to study the Bible and accept the blessings of Christ.
Pray for a spiritual hunger that will drive Muslim Thathera people to the arms of Jesus.
Pray for workers who are filled with the fruit and the power of the Holy Spirit to go to the Muslim Thathera people in India and Pakistan.


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


References

https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/17693
https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/18241/IN
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thathera
https://books.google.com/books?id=Sdz9AAAAQBAJ&pg=PA44&lpg=PA44&dq=Muslim+Thathera+People&source=bl&ots=Y1nLlX-f8c&sig=ACfU3U2ljgj7RNnD0G-PcPzGe--T-8pKhg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiQqIrQ7uTiAhXR5p8KHZULD4cQ6AEwDXoECAkQAQ#v=onepage&q=Muslim%20Thathera%20People&f=false


Profile Source:   Keith Carey  

People Name General Thathera (Muslim traditions)
People Name in Country Thathera (Muslim traditions)
Alternate Names Thathiar; ठठेरा (मुस्लिम ट्रेडिशन्स)
Population this Country 2,500
Population all Countries 7,300
Total Countries 2
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
Pioneer Workers Needed 1
PeopleID3 17693
ROP3 Code 113138
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 4
Largest States
Punjab
1,600
Sindh
800
Gilgit-Baltistan
90
Azad Kashmir
40
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 4
  Punjab 1,600
  Sindh 800
  Gilgit-Baltistan 90
  Azad Kashmir 40
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 (1,500 speakers)
Language Code skr   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 5
Secondary Languages
Urdu
600
Sindhi
200
Hindko, Northern
100
Punjabi, Western
70
Primary Language Saraiki (1,500 speakers)
Language Code skr   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 5
Secondary Languages
  Urdu 600
  Sindhi 200
  Hindko, Northern 100
  Punjabi, Western 70
People Groups Speaking Saraiki
Photo Source Anonymous 
Map Source People Group data: Omid. Map geography: UNESCO / GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project  
Profile Source Keith Carey 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.


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