August: South Asian Muslims
Who They Are
The South Asian Muslim Peoples are the largest bloc of Muslims in the world. There are more Muslims in South Asia than in the entire Middle East and North Africa combined. The most accessible and reachable Muslim population in the world is in India, and yet it is perhaps the least reached and most neglected.
When South Asia was divided after the end of British rule, the Muslims demanded a separate state, resulting in the creation of Pakistan and later Bangladesh. The chaos that proceeded from this, with mass migrations of Muslims and Hindus in and out of these areas, resulted in tens of thousands of deaths. Even to this day, the tension is high between Muslim and Hindu communities. Pakistan and India, both nuclear powers now, have created the world’s most dangerous region and are essentially at a state of war with each other over the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir.
What God Is Doing
The most significant breakthrough today among Muslims is happening in
Bangladesh. Although persecution is beginning to increase, and many leaders
have been martyred, the gospel continues to advance. Leaders from
this Bengali movement have been sent to India and a similar movement
among Urdu speaking peoples has been birthed.
How To Pray:
-Ask God for the protection of emerging leaders and for the rapid multiplication
of disciple-making fellowships.
-Pray for more organized effort and concern by India’s Christians to reach the
Muslims in their country.
-Pray against fundamentalist Muslims in Pakistan that want to create an Islamic
state and enforce Sharia law, which makes conversion a capital offense.
-Pray for more missionaries to be sent from Bangladesh into India.
Day | Prayer Focus | Hub Country | Population | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Bengali Muslim | Bangladesh | 130,000,000 | |
2 | Panjabi Muslim | Pakistan | 75,000,000 | |
3 | North Indian Muslims | India | 50,000,000 | |
4 | Saraiki | Pakistan | 20,000,000 | |
5 | Muhajirs | Pakistan | 20,000,000 | |
6 | Dakhani Muslim | India | 19,000,000 | |
7 | Sindhi Muslims | Pakistan | 19,000,000 | |
8 | Bihari Muslims | India | 17,000,000 | |
9 | Chattagrami | Bangladesh | 14,000,000 | |
10 | Marathi Muslims | India | 10,200,000 | |
11 | Rangpuri Muslims | Bangladesh | 10,000,000 | |
12 | Mappila | India | 9,000,000 | |
13 | Kashmiri Muslim | India | 8,400,000 | |
14 | Telugu Muslim | India | 7,000,000 | |
15 | Sylhetti Muslims | Bangladesh | 6,000,000 | |
16 | Rajasthani Muslims | India | 5,000,000 | |
17 | Gujjar Muslims | Pakistan | 4,800,000 | |
18 | Gujarati Muslims | India | 4,500,000 | |
19 | Tamil Muslim | India | 4,200,000 | |
20 | Pahari Muslims | Pakistan | 3,000,000 | |
21 | Hindkowan | Pakistan | 3,000,000 | |
22 | Assamese Muslim | India | 2,800,000 | |
23 | Brahui | Pakistan | 2,500,000 | |
24 | Sri Lankan Moors | Sri Lanka | 2,000,000 | |
25 | Rohingya | Myanmar | 1,600,000 | |
26 | Nepali Muslims | Nepal | 1,500,000 | |
27 | Kannadiga Muslims | India | 1,500,000 | |
28 | Odia Muslims | India | 900,000 | |
29 | Shina | Pakistan | 600,000 | |
30 | Pashai | Afghanistan | 500,000 | |
31 | Maldivian | Maldives | 320,000 |