Nanbai 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

Naan is the bread of life throughout South Asia. The Nanbai are a community that are experts in baking this popular bread. The word Nanbai is a Persian word for baker. Most likely these expert naan makers originated from families of cooks that served in the northern Indian courts of Muslim rulers.
The Nanbai speak both Urdu and Hindi. Most Nanbai live in the North Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and a very few live in South India. Many of the Muslim Nanbai migrated to Pakistan after Indian independence in 1947 and have settled in Karachi, Sindh. A few of them live also in Nepal.


What Are Their Lives Like?

A Nanbai might work from home where he has his own equipment, or he might even take his work to the streets. They use their bare hands to knead dough, slap it into shape, and attach it in the oven. Soon, they retrieve it and serve it to their customers. Fathers teach their young sons how to make naan and they carry this skill from generation to generation.
Today, most Nanbai still work as bakers and cooks. Some also run tea stalls.
The Nanbai only marry within their own community. They have no formal clan system. They perceive themselves to be forming part of the prestigious Muslim Shaikh community.


What Are Their Beliefs?

Nanbai people can be either Muslim or Hindu, and they are accepted by both religious communities.
Those who are predominantly Sunni Muslims 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. Sunni Muslims follow the teachings of the Koran and consider the first four caliphs to be the rightful successors of Mohammad.
To live a righteous life, they 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 they have the means. Muslims are prohibited from drinking alcohol, eating pork, gambling, and 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 and 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 they live in their daily lives. For that reason, they try to appease spirits. They use charms and amulets to help them with spiritual forces.


What Are Their Needs?

The Nanbai face exploitation by the traders and by the flour mill owners who sell them their essential wheat flour at an inflated price. Then the Nanbai are prohibited from selling naan for a price they deem as fair. To achieve their goal of a fair price for their products, they stage demonstrations and organize peaceful protests by shutting down their naan production from time to time. They need to be able to earn a fair living.


Prayer Points

Pray for the Lord to bless the Nanbai community economically and spiritually.
Pray that the Bread of Life, Jesus, will reveal himself to Nanbai community, and be met with open hearts and minds.
Pray that Bibles, Christian literature, and gospel recordings will find their way to Nanbai homes.
Pray for the Lord to send them Urdu speaking gospel workers who will clearly explain Christ and teach them the way of discipleship.
Pray for Muslim background Nanbai disciples to disciple others.
Pray that the people should understand and embrace that Jesus wants to bless their families and neighborhoods.


Scripture Prayers for the Nanbai in Pakistan.


References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanbai
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2261254/nanbai-association


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Nanbai
People Name in Country Nanbai
Alternate Names Nanbar; Nanpaz; नंबई
Population this Country 16,000
Population all Countries 32,000
Total Countries 2
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
Pioneer Workers Needed 1
PeopleID3 17759
ROP3 Code 113218
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 3
Largest States
Sindh
9,400
Punjab
6,500
Islamabad
100
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 3
  Sindh 9,400
  Punjab 6,500
  Islamabad 100
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 Sindhi (5,800 speakers)
Language Code snd   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 7
Secondary Languages
Urdu
3,600
Saraiki
3,200
Punjabi, Western
2,800
Dhatki
300
Marwari (Pakistan)
100
Pahari-Potwari
60
Primary Language Sindhi (5,800 speakers)
Language Code snd   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 7
Secondary Languages
  Urdu 3,600
  Saraiki 3,200
  Punjabi, Western 2,800
  Dhatki 300
  Marwari (Pakistan) 100
  Pahari-Potwari 60
People Groups Speaking Sindhi

Primary Language:  Sindhi

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (1825-1981)
Bible-New Testament Yes  (1890-1992)
Bible-Complete Yes  (1954)
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 Recorded oral Bible Oral Bibles
Film / Video Indigitube.tv Video / Animation Create International
Film / Video Jesus Film: view in Sindhi Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Magdalena video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video The Hope Video Mars Hill Media
Film / Video World Christian Videos World Christian Videos
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 Scripture Earth Gospel resources links Scripture Earth
General YouVersion Bible versions in text and/or audio YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Android Bible app: Sindhi YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Download audio Bible app as APK file Faith Comes by Hearing
Mobile App iOS Bible app: Sindhi YouVersion Bibles
Text / Printed Matter Literacy primer for Sindhi Literacy & Evangelism International
Text / Printed Matter Topical Scripture booklets and Bible studies World Missionary Press
Map Source People Group data: Omid. Map geography: UNESCO / GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project.  
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.


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