Introduction / History

The name they have is related to doing good. The Nikari live in West Bengal. They speak, read and write in Bengali.

What Are Their Lives Like?

The Nikari work selling fish and growing fruit. They have a community council to help them. Girls are educated but boys are usually given more education. They use modern medicines. The Nikari are endogamous, that is, they prefer to marry only within their community. The divorced and bereaved can marry again. On the death of the father, daughters get less of the property than the sons with the oldest son taking charge of the home. The dead are buried.

What Are Their Beliefs?

The Nikari people are Sunni Muslims who believe that the One, 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. 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. The often use charms and amulets to help them with spiritual forces.

What Are Their Needs?

They need to accept the blessings of Jesus Christ, the one who came to offer abundant life to all who call on His name.

Prayer Points

Pray that the council leaders come to Jesus Christ and lead their entire community into a disciple making movement. Pray that God will give them dreams and visions leading them to salvation in Christ alone. Pray that they will taste and see that the Lord Jesus Christ is good, and worthy of their full devotion. Pray for workers.

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