Introduction / History

The Muslim Cheruman people live in Kerala and speak Malayalam, Kerala's language.

What Are Their Lives Like?

They work mainly in agriculture. They are not vegetarians, but their staple food is rice.

The Cheruman have cousin marriages and there is a dowry. Marriage is by mutual consent or by negotiation.

The bereaved can marry again but they don't allow for divorce. They bury their dead. On the death of the father, sons inherit the property with the oldest son taking charge of the family estate.

The Cheruman have a parish council which are a local group of churches. It looks after their needs. They believe in education for boys and girls and use traditional and modern medicines.

What Are Their Beliefs?

Cheruman Muslims are from the Sunni branch of Islam. They 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?

They need the Holy Spirit to empower them to open their eyes and see Jesus.

Prayer Points

Pray the Cheruman would see they can enjoy abundant life if they put their trust in Jesus Christ.
Pray for loving workers to go to the Cheruman people.
Pray that gospel materials lead them to salvation.
Pray for them to find their need for a sin-free savior and find it in Jesus Christ.
Pray for spiritual discernment and a hunger for truth.

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

References

Singh, K. S., ed. "India's Communities A-Z", Oxford University Press, USA 1999