Chhimba (Muslim traditions) in India
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Map Source:
People Group data: Omid. Map geography: UNESCO / GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project
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| People Name: | Chhimba (Muslim traditions) |
| Country: | India |
| 10/40 Window: | Yes |
| Population: | 4,500 |
| World Population: | 519,500 |
| Primary Language: | Urdu |
| Primary Religion: | Islam |
| Christian Adherents: | 0.00 % |
| Evangelicals: | 0.00 % |
| Scripture: | Complete Bible |
| Ministry Resources: | Yes |
| Jesus Film: | Yes |
| Audio Recordings: | Yes |
| People Cluster: | South Asia Muslim - other |
| Affinity Bloc: | South Asian Peoples |
| Progress Level: |
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Introduction / History
The Chhimba people claim to be from the powerful Rajput community. They converted to Islam from Hinduism. There are Hindus from the Chhimba community, but they live in northern India, not Pakistan. Muslim Chhimba people live in Pakistan's Sindh and Punjab Provinces. A smaller number live in India's northern states of Haryana and Punjab.
What Are Their Lives Like?
Though some are still tailors like their ancestors, many are landowners in Haryana and Punjab. Those who live in urban centers are usually small business owners.
What Are Their Beliefs?
The Chhimba 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 Allah has pre-determined our fates; they minimize free will.
In most of the Muslim world, common 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 they live on a daily basis. For that reason, some Muslims appease spirits using charms and amulets to help them with spiritual forces. More orthodox Muslims consider these practices heretical and un-Islamic.
What Are Their Needs?
The Chhimba people need to be given the chance to hear the life-changing gospel so they can enjoy life to the full.
Prayer Points
Pray for loving gospel workers to catch a vision for reaching the Chhimba people for Jesus and that in God's sovereign timing the hearts of these people would be open and ready to follow him.
Pray for Jesus movements to bless extended families so the gospel will spread rapidly.
Pray for the spiritual lives of the Chhimba people to become fruitful so others will be drawn to Jesus Christ.