The Yagnob people are an ethnic minority in Tajikistan. The Soviet Union forced resettlement in 1957 and 1970 from the Yagnob Mountains to the semi-desert lowlands of Tajikistan. Red Army helicopters were sent to evacuate the population. Some Yagnobians died of shock in helicopters as they were moved to the plains. Yagnob people were forced into hard labor by communist officials to work on the cotton plantations on the plains. Through the change in climate and back-breaking work, several hundred died.
The Yagnob people live only in Tajikistan.
Since 1983, Yagnob families have begun to return to the Yagnob Valley.
The Yagnob 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.
There are no known Christian resources available in the Yagnobi language. Many of the Yagnobi people, especially the younger ones, speak the Tajiki language. There are many resources available in this language. Workers are needed to carry these resources to the Yagnobi people who speak Tajiki.
There are probably no followers of Jesus among the Yagnobi tribe. Pray for those the Lord will soon call to himself, that they won't be ashamed of the gospel, believing it is the power of God unto salvation.
Pray for a full harvest among the Yagnobi people this decade.
Pray the Yagnobi will once again be able to flourish as they did before the communists came.
Pray for good schools, for adequate medical facilities, and employment opportunities.
Scripture Prayers for the Yagnob in Tajikistan.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yaghnobis
https://cabar.asia/en/how-do-yaghnobi-people-live-a-report-from-the-remote-area-of-tajikistan
https://sacredland.org/yaghnob/
http://paramountjourney.com/en/destinations/yagnob-valley/cultureandtraditionsoftheyagnobipeople/
https://central-asia.guide/tajikistan/destinations-tj/dushanbe/yagnob-valley/
| Profile Source: Joshua Project |
