Sitting in a corner bench in the Lahore High Court, Wassim, a young Arain man, feverishly took notes on his laptop. Drops of perspiration were falling on the computer screen. The relentless Lahore summer heat and humidity didn't spare even those within this Mughal-Gothic style building. Wassim's father wished that his son would become as good a lawyer as he is. Wassim was eager not only to be a good lawyer, but also to reform Pakistan's legal system.
The Arains are an agricultural caste that over the years has reached the echelons of lawmakers and politicians. Fabled to have come along with Muhammad bin Qasim, a Syrian Umayyad General, the Arains claim to have come from Areeha (Jericho, Syria). Claiming also to be of Arab descent, they pride themselves of "unbroken practice of Islam." However, there are 19,000 Sikhs among them.
Today they primarily live in the Punjab, a region straddling the border between India and Pakistan. During the time of the British Raj or rule, the Arains were chiefly employed to cultivate the land around the cities. They were favored over the other tribes because they were diligent in their work. They used their newfound wealth to further education, which has left them with a legacy of extensive contributions in the field of politics and the practice of the law.
The Arain 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 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.
Like all other peoples of the world, this people group needs the blessings and guidance that only Jesus Christ can offer.
Ask God to raise up Arain who are more desirous to know the truth than to stay on the broad road to death.
Ask God to send loving, committed workers to the Arain in the near future.
Pray the Arain would no longer be hidden away from the influence of Christ.
Scripture Prayers for the Arain (Muslim traditions) in Pakistan.
| Profile Source: Joshua Project |
