Sikligar (Muslim traditions) in India


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 word Saiqai, which is related to their name, means a "polisher." Sikligars say they were once Rajputs.
Sikligar people are weapon polishers by tradition. This profession was ended by a combination of mass production and government distrust of weapons makers.
There are separate Sikligar communities based on their religion: Hinduism, Sikhism or Islam. The Muslims among them live in various parts of India, but also in Pakistan and Bangladesh.


What Are Their Lives Like?

They work as blacksmiths and sharpen knives, scissors and other metal goods for a living. They often live as nomads, roaming from village to village seeking customers. Often their children work with parents in their craft.
They marry within their own Muslim community. Families and clans are important just as they are for other rural South Asian communities.


What Are Their Beliefs?

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. 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?

Muslim Sikligars need to learn new job skills so they can compete in the rapidly changing Indian economy.


Prayer Points

Pray for spiritual hunger and discernment that will lead these Muslims to follow the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
Pray that God will give them dreams and visions leading them to Jesus Christ.
Pray that Indian Christians will lead them into a disciple making movement.


Scripture Prayers for the Sikligar (Muslim traditions) in India.


References

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/sikligar


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Sikligar (Muslim traditions)
People Name in Country Sikligar (Muslim traditions)
Alternate Names Bhisti; Kotari; Kottari; Saikalgar; Saiqalgar; Sakka; Saqqa; Shikalgar; Shikkaligar; Shishgar; Sikalgar; Sikkaligar; Sikkligar; Sikligar; Sisgar; Visti; सिकलिगर (मुस्लिम ट्रेडिशन्स)
Population this Country 52,000
Population all Countries 68,000
Total Countries 3
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
Pioneer Workers Needed 1
PeopleID3 18102
ROP3 Code 113605
Country India
Region Asia, South
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 11  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Total States on file 8
Largest States
Uttar Pradesh
22,000
Maharashtra
16,000
Karnataka
4,500
Bihar
4,100
Madhya Pradesh
3,600
Uttarakhand
1,300
Rajasthan
100
Punjab
90
Districts Interactive map, listing and data download
Specialized Website South Asia Peoples
Country India
Region Asia, South
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 11  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Total States 8
  Uttar Pradesh 22,000
  Maharashtra 16,000
  Karnataka 4,500
  Bihar 4,100
  Madhya Pradesh 3,600
  Uttarakhand 1,300
  Rajasthan 100
  Punjab 90
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 India census data.
Current Christian values may substantially differ.
Primary Language Urdu (24,000 speakers)
Language Code urd   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 12
Secondary Languages
Hindi
13,000
Marathi
4,700
Bhojpuri
2,500
Awadhi
700
Telugu
600
Marwari (India)
100
Punjabi, Eastern
80
Garhwali
80
Bundeli
50
Maithili
40
Kannada
40
Primary Language Urdu (24,000 speakers)
Language Code urd   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 12
Secondary Languages
  Hindi 13,000
  Marathi 4,700
  Bhojpuri 2,500
  Awadhi 700
  Telugu 600
  Marwari (India) 100
  Punjabi, Eastern 80
  Garhwali 80
  Bundeli 50
  Maithili 40
  Kannada 40
People Groups Speaking Urdu

Primary Language:  Urdu

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (1747-1894)
Bible-New Testament Yes  (1758-2000)
Bible-Complete Yes  (1843-2022)
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YouVersion NT (www.bible.com) Online
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Audio Recordings Audio Bible teaching Global Recordings Network
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Film / Video God's Love Story General / Other
Film / Video God's Story video God's Story
Film / Video Indigitube.tv Video / Animation Create International
Film / Video Jesus Film: view in Urdu Jesus Film Project
Film / Video LUMO film of Gospels Bible Media Group/LUMO
Film / Video Magdalena video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video My Last Day video, anime Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Rock International: King of Glory Rock International
Film / Video Story of Jesus for Children Jesus Film Project
Film / Video The Hope Video Mars Hill Media
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General YouVersion Bible versions in text and/or audio YouVersion Bibles
General Zume Resources Zume Project
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Mobile App Android Bible app direct APK download SIL
Mobile App Android Bible app: Kitab e Muqaddas Urdu General / Other
Mobile App Android Bible app: Urdu YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Android Bible app: Urdu Bible Biblica
Mobile App Android Bible App: Urdu Devnagri Bible (उर्दू बाइबिल) Indian Revised Version (IRV) Operation Agape
Mobile App Android Bible app: Urdu Injeel Sharif General / Other
Mobile App Android Bible Radio app: Urdu Bible Radio Shalom Design S2dio
Mobile App Android Book Reading app: Ek Rasta Urdu General / Other
Mobile App Download audio Bible app as APK file Faith Comes by Hearing
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Mobile App Download audio Bible app from Google Play Store Faith Comes by Hearing
Mobile App iOS Bible app: Urdu YouVersion Bibles
Text / Printed Matter Jesus Messiah comic book General / Other
Text / Printed Matter Literacy primer for Urdu Literacy & Evangelism International
Text / Printed Matter Love letter to you from scripture Father's Love Letter
Text / Printed Matter The Ancient Path Live Global
Text / Printed Matter Tools for faith conversations Cru
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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