Karal (Muslim traditions) in Pakistan
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Map Source:
People Group data: Omid. Map geography: UNESCO / GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project
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| People Name: | Karal (Muslim traditions) |
| Country: | Pakistan |
| 10/40 Window: | Yes |
| Population: | 242,000 |
| World Population: | 242,000 |
| Primary Language: | Hindko, Northern |
| Primary Religion: | Islam |
| Christian Adherents: | 0.00 % |
| Evangelicals: | 0.00 % |
| Scripture: | New Testament |
| Ministry Resources: | No |
| 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
According to their oral traditions, the Karal tribe is descended from Karral Shah, a leader who migrated north from what is now southern Pakistan. Their name Karal means chief or ruler. They are proud of their military history and have always had to fight to keep their land independent from conquerors.
Where Are they Located?
The Muslim Karal people only live in northern Pakistan, specifically the Hazara district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province.
What Are Their Lives Like?
They speak Northern Hindko, a major language in northern Pakistan. Ethnically and culturally, they are more related to the Hazaras than they are to the more dominant Pashtuns in that part of northern Pakistan. These two groups are hostile to one another both in Pakistan and in neighboring Afghanistan. For this reason, some of the Karal people have wanted the Hazara district to become a separate state.
Today most are farmers. They plant wheat, vegetables and fruit. They also raise animals for meat and dairy products.
What Are Their Beliefs?
This group is entirely Muslim. They believe that the One, Supreme God, Allah, spoken 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, using deceit, slandering, and making idols. They gather for corporate prayer on Friday afternoons at a mosque, their place of worship.
What Are Their Needs?
The Karal people need peace in their land. They live in a place where there is much potential for ethnic conflict.
Prayer Points
Pray for the Holy Spirit to give the Karal people in Pakistan teachable and understanding hearts.
Pray that a strong movement of the Holy Spirit will bring entire Karal families into a rich experience of God's blessing.
Pray for Karal families to be drawn by the Holy Spirit to seek forgiveness and to understand the adequacy of Christ's work on the cross.
Pray for teams of believers to do sustained, focused prayer for the Lord to open the hearts of Karal family leaders to experience God's blessing through a movement of family-based discovery Bible studies.