The Abduls in Nepal are said to have originated from the Abdal Muslims. The term Abdal means 'lieutenant '. Little other information is known of the origin of this group that has a strong tradition in the music, singing and particularly the playing of percussion instruments. In many parts of India they are known by the name Dafali. This majority of the over 50,000 Abduls are found in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal India as well as Bangladesh and Nepal.
Being of a lower social status has caused many Abdul families to survive on charity. In some communities they are alms gatherers while singing and drumming or selling perfume. It is said that during Ramadan some Abdul wake up early and go village to village playing their dafali (instrument) and singing the names of Allah. Traditions like this have given them the title 'wandering singers' or 'a class of wandering Muslim saints' in some places. They are Sunni Muslims in Nepal and are not vegetarians. They include wheat, rice and maize in their diet. Maithili is their primary language though most understand Urdu and Bhojpuri.
Because of the Abduls tradition of being able to share food and water with most Hindu communities, this group is likely easier to reach than some Muslim people. Their community is small and hidden in many ways.
Scripture Prayers for the Abdul in Bangladesh.
Profile Source: Anonymous |
People Name General | Abdul |
People Name in Country | Abdul |
Pronunciation |
ahb-DOOL
|
Alternate Names | Abdal; Badal; Bediya; Beria; Dafalange; Dafali; Dholakwala; Dholwala; Hashmi; Hashmi Saudagar; Saudagar; Shaikh Darwesh; Sheikh Darwesh; अब्दुल |
Population this Country | 43,000 |
Population all Countries | 86,000 |
Total Countries | 3 |
Indigenous | Yes |
Progress Scale | 1 ● |
Unreached | Yes |
Frontier People Group | Yes |
Pioneer Workers Needed | 1 |
People ID | 16152 |
ROP3 Code | 111252 |
ROP25 Code | 300010 |
ROP25 Name | Abdal |
Country | Bangladesh | |||||||||
Region | Asia, South | |||||||||
Continent | Asia | |||||||||
10/40 Window | Yes | |||||||||
National Bible Society | Website | |||||||||
Persecution Rank | 30 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) | |||||||||
Total States on file | 7 | |||||||||
Largest States |
|
Country | Bangladesh |
Region | Asia, South |
Continent | Asia |
10/40 Window | Yes |
National Bible Society | Website |
Persecution Rank | 30 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) |
Total States | 7 |
Dhaka 15,000 | |
Khulna 8,400 | |
Chittagong 6,600 | |
Rangpur 5,200 | |
Rajshahi 4,700 | |
Barisal 2,200 | |
Sylhet 1,500 | |
Website | South Asia Peoples |
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 %
|
* From latest Bangladesh census data. Current Christian values may substantially differ. |
Primary Language | Bengali (40,000 speakers) | |||
Language Code | ben Ethnologue Listing | |||
Language Written | Yes ScriptSource Listing | |||
Total Languages | 4 | |||
Secondary Languages |
|
Primary Language | Bengali (40,000 speakers) |
Language Code | ben Ethnologue Listing |
Total Languages | 4 |
Secondary Languages | |
Chittagonian 1,800 | |
Sylheti 1,600 | |
Kok Borok 100 | |
People Groups | Speaking Bengali |
Primary Language: Bengali
Bible Translation ▲ | Status (Years) |
---|---|
Bible-Portions | Yes (1800-1980) |
Bible-New Testament | Yes (1801-1984) |
Bible-Complete | Yes (1809-2022) |
FCBH NT (www.bible.is) | Online |
YouVersion NT (www.bible.com) | Online |
Possible Print Bibles | |
---|---|
Amazon | |
World Bibles | |
Forum Bible Agencies | |
National Bible Societies | |
World Bible Finder | |
Virtual Storehouse |
Photo Source |
(Representative photo) Copyrighted © 2023 Isudas All rights reserved. Used with permission |
Map Source | People Group data: Omid. Map geography: UNESCO / GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project |
Profile Source | Anonymous |
Data Sources | Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more. |