Tajiki Arab in Tajikistan


Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge

Introduction / History

There was a time when Muslim Arab missionaries came to Tajikistan to spread the Islamic religion. Their ancestors were from the Banu Tamim tribe originating from what is now Iraq and Syria. Today their descendants live in the southern part of Tajikistan and in Afghanistan. Their language is a hybrid between Tajik and Arabic. These Tajik Arabs live mainly in Tajikistan's Shakhritus and Kabodiyon regions. A small number live in the two neighboring districts of Kabodiyansky and Nosiri Khusravsky. The Tajik Arabs are few in number, both in Tajikistan and Afghanistan.


What Are Their Lives Like?

Today most of Tajik Arabs are farmers like the people around them. They have their own mosques, but sometimes they pray with the Tajiks. They get along well with the Tajik majority, but they don't intermarry with them. Most of the Tajik Arabs are farmers or herdsmen like the people around them. The farmers raise cotton, barley, wheat, and various grains. They live in small villages that consist of flat roofed mud or stone houses. Some of the villagers follow a semi-nomadic way of life. In the winter they remain in the villages, whereas in the summer they take their herds to higher altitudes. A few Tajik Arabs live in the major cities and work as merchants or highly skilled craftsmen.


What Are Their Beliefs?

Tajik Arabs are virtually all Sunni Muslim. Islam is intended to permeate lives, governing what people eat, how they act, and how the women dress. Tajik Arabs observe Islamic rituals that are related to birth, puberty, marriage, and death. They faithfully repeat memorized prayers five times each day, facing Mecca, Islam's holy city. In addition to their Islamic beliefs, many practice spiritism, practices that make use of charms and amulets. Such practices are frowned upon by orthodox Sunni Muslims.


What Are Their Needs?

As far as we know, there are almost no Tajik Arabs who follow Jesus Christ. They rely upon what their imams teach them regarding obedience to the laws of Islam, believing this will provide them with enough good works to be saved on the Day of Judgment.


Prayer Points

Pray for bold, loving believers to go to the Tajik Arabs in Afghanistan and Tajikistan. Pray for the Tajik Arabs to crave true spiritual nourishment that comes from a relationship with Jesus Christ. Pray for a Christ-ward movement to flourish among Tajik Arabs in the 2020s. Pray for Tajik Arabs to be blessed with peace, joy and spiritual prosperity as they follow Jesus Christ.


Scripture Prayers for the Arab, Tajiki in Tajikistan.


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Arab, Tajiki
People Name in Country Arab, Tajiki
Natural Name Tajiki Arab
Pronunciation TAH-jeeki AE-rub
Alternate Names Arab; Balkh Arab; Central Asian Arab; Tajiki Spoken; Tajikistani, Arab-Speaking; Taziki
Population this Country 1,500
Population all Countries 21,000
Total Countries 2
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
GSEC 1  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed 1
People ID 15202
ROP3 Code 109734
ROP25 Code 300421
ROP25 Name Arab, Tajiki
Country Tajikistan
Region Asia, Central
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
Persecution Rank 46  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Location in Country Khatlon province, Vakhsh Valley villages; Kuliab and Leninabad cities. Mainly small villages.   Source:  Ethnologue 2016
Country Tajikistan
Region Asia, Central
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
Persecution Rank 46  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Location in Country Khatlon province, Vakhsh Valley villages; Kuliab and Leninabad cities. Mainly small villages..   Source:  Ethnologue 2016
Primary Religion: Islam
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.00 %)
0.00 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
100.00 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Arabic, Tajiki
Language Code abh   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Unknown
Total Languages 2
Secondary Languages
Tajik
Primary Language Arabic, Tajiki
Language Code abh   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 2
Secondary Languages
  Tajik
People Groups Speaking Arabic, Tajiki

Primary Language:  Arabic, Tajiki

Bible Translation Status:  Translation Needed

Resource Type Resource Name Source
Audio Recordings Arabic Bible Online Arabic Bible Outreach Ministry
Audio Recordings Audio Bible teaching Global Recordings Network
Text / Printed Matter Tools for faith conversations Campus Crusade for Christ
Photo Source Anonymous 
Map Source Bethany World Prayer Center  
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.



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