The Bahna or Behana or Dhunia are a people who live in Pakistan and India. Their name comes a word for "seed." Their traditional occupation was separating the seeds from raw cotton. The Bahna believe they originally came from Persia or Afghanistan. With the coming of the modern technology, the Bahna have gone into different jobs like selling cotton fabric, agriculture, manufacturing and trade. The Bahna were originally all Hindus. Some Bahna became Muslims during the time of the Delhi Sultanate and Moghul Empire. Many of them left India and moved to Pakistan in 1947. Most of the Bahna girls receive little formal education while the boys pursue more schooling. The primary language of the Bahna is Urdu.
The vast majority of the Muslim Bahna of Pakistan live in the province of Sindh. Some also reside in Punjab.
The Bahna marry within their community often their cousins. One spouse is the general rule while having more than one wife is legal. The sons inherit their father's property. Their dead are buried.
The Bahna are not vegetarians but as Muslims do not eat pork. Their main foods are rice, wheat, lentils, vegetables and fruit. Most Bahna live in villages with other castes.
The Bahna people are Sunni, the largest branch of Islam. They attempt to obey the teachings of the Qur 'an and the prophet Muhammad. They believe that by following the Five Pillars of Islam that they will attain heaven when they die. Sunnis pray five times a day facing Mecca. They fast the month of Ramadan. They attend mosque services on Friday. If a Muslim has the means, he or she will make a pilgrimage to Mecca once in his or her lifetime.
The two main holidays for Sunni Muslims are Eid al Fitr, the breaking of the Ramadan fast and Eid al Adha, the celebration of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son to Allah.
The Muslim Bahna need to hear the good news about Isa or Jesus in a way they can understand. They need to see the love and grace of Christ lived out before them in practical ways. Teachers can come and help Bahna women and girls learn the basics of reading and writing. Workers can help the Bahna gain access to clean water and electricity.
Pray for the Holy Spirit to work powerfully through those believers ministering to the Bahna people.
Pray for the tiny number of Bahna believers in India to be strengthened in the faith and led by God to share their faith with their people in Pakistan.
Pray for movements to Jesus to sweep through Bahna families, permeating the group from within.
Scripture Prayers for the Bahna (Muslim traditions) in Pakistan.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Behna
peoplegroupsindia.com/profiles/dhunia/comment-page-1/
Profile Source: David Kugel |
People Name General | Bahna (Muslim traditions) |
People Name in Country | Bahna (Muslim traditions) |
Pronunciation |
BAH-nah
|
Alternate Names | Behana; Dhunia; Dhunkar; Naddaf; Panjara; Panjwara; Penja; Pinja; Pinjali; Pinjara; Pinjia; Punji; बहना (मुस्लिम ट्रेडिशन्स) |
Population this Country | 198,000 |
Population all Countries | 198,000 |
Total Countries | 1 |
Indigenous | Yes |
Progress Scale | 1 ● |
Unreached | Yes |
Frontier People Group | Yes |
Pioneer Workers Needed | 4 |
People ID | 16291 |
ROP3 Code | 111416 |
Country | Pakistan | |||
Region | Asia, South | |||
Continent | Asia | |||
10/40 Window | Yes | |||
National Bible Society | Website | |||
Persecution Rank | 7 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) | |||
Total States on file | 3 | |||
Largest States |
|
Country | Pakistan |
Region | Asia, South |
Continent | Asia |
10/40 Window | Yes |
National Bible Society | Website |
Persecution Rank | 7 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) |
Total States | 3 |
Sindh 179,000 | |
Punjab 9,100 | |
Islamabad 300 | |
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 Pakistan census data. Current Christian values may substantially differ. |
Primary Language | Sindhi (107,000 speakers) | ||||||||||||
Language Code | snd Ethnologue Listing | ||||||||||||
Language Written | Yes ScriptSource Listing | ||||||||||||
Total Languages | 11 | ||||||||||||
Secondary Languages |
|
Primary Language | Sindhi (107,000 speakers) |
Language Code | snd Ethnologue Listing |
Total Languages | 11 |
Secondary Languages | |
Urdu 61,000 | |
Punjabi, Western 14,000 | |
Saraiki 11,000 | |
Dhatki 2,800 | |
Marwari 1,700 | |
Bagri 1,200 | |
Goaria 800 | |
Koli, Wadiyari 600 | |
Kacchi 500 | |
Koli, Parkari 100 | |
People Groups | Speaking Sindhi |
Primary Language: Sindhi
Bible Translation ▲ | Status (Years) |
---|---|
Bible-Portions | Yes (1825-1981) |
Bible-New Testament | Yes (1890-1992) |
Bible-Complete | Yes (1954) |
Bible-NT Audio | Online |
Possible Print Bibles | |
---|---|
Amazon | |
World Bibles | |
Forum Bible Agencies | |
National Bible Societies | |
World Bible Finder | |
Virtual Storehouse |
Photo Source | Khalid Mansoori - Wikimedia Creative Commons |
Map Source | People Group data: Omid. Map geography: UNESCO / GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project. |
Profile Source | David Kugel |
Data Sources | Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more. |