Khoja in Pakistan


Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge
* From latest Pakistan census data.
Current Christian values may substantially differ.

Subgroups: 2

Subgroup Name Population
Aghakhani 1,800
Asna-Ashari 1,200

Introduction / History

The Khoja are a Muslim community which still retains some Hindu practices. They maintain intercommunity linkages with all the communities, both of the Islamic faith and of the non-Islamic faith.
The Khoja community speaks a number of languages in Pakistan, though they are most likely to speak Western Punjabi.


What Are Their Lives Like?

The majority are engaged in trade. Only sons inherit ancestral property, and the eldest son inherits the father's authority. First cousins are preferred as spouses. They arrange marriages through negotiation and marry within subgroups. Disposal of the dead is by burial. They attend the mosques of both the Shias and the Sunnis.


What Are Their Beliefs?

The Khoja 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.


What Are Their Needs?

The Muslim Khoja people need to accept the warm embrace of the only savior so they can enjoy spiritually meaningful lives.


Prayer Points

Pray the Khoja will learn they can download scripture, the JESUS Film and gospel recordings from the Internet. Especially pray the younger people will become interested in these downloads and will read and listen to them.
There probably are no followers of Jesus today among the Khoja of Pakistan. However, please pray the Lord will prepare and send teachers and pastors at the proper time to those who will soon come to saving faith in Christ.
Pray the Khoja community will increasingly desire to know the love of God, and will learn that a relationship with a loving God is possible because of the sacrifice of God's Son, Jesus.


Scripture Prayers for the Khoja in Pakistan.


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Khoja
People Name in Country Khoja
Pronunciation KOH-jah
Alternate Names Firkai-Jafaria; Firkai-Jataria; Imami; Imami Ismaili Shi; Ismaili; Khoja Shia Asna Asari; Khojah; Khojura; Khwajo; Nizari; Nizarians; Shi'a; Shia Ismaili; Shias Isna Asari; खोजा
Population this Country 949,000
Population all Countries 1,449,000
Total Countries 2
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
Pioneer Workers Needed 19
People ID 17177
ROP3 Code 112531
ROP25 Code 303986
ROP25 Name Khoja
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 7
Largest States
Punjab
794,000
Sindh
102,000
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
33,000
Islamabad
9,000
Azad Kashmir
7,300
Gilgit-Baltistan
1,900
Balochistan
1,200
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 7
  Punjab 794,000
  Sindh 102,000
  Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa 33,000
  Islamabad 9,000
  Azad Kashmir 7,300
  Gilgit-Baltistan 1,900
  Balochistan 1,200
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 Punjabi, Western (418,000 speakers)
Language Code pnb   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 17
Secondary Languages
(only 15 largest shown)
Saraiki
284,000
Urdu
83,000
Sindhi
69,000
Marwari
26,000
Hindko, Northern
17,000
Pahari-Potwari
16,000
Hindko, Southern
10,000
Kacchi
7,400
Pashto, Northern
3,600
Bagri
1,300
Dhatki
1,100
Pashto, Central
700
Shina
500
Kashmiri
200
Gujarati
200
Primary Language Punjabi, Western (418,000 speakers)
Language Code pnb   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 17
Secondary Languages (only 15 largest shown)
  Saraiki 284,000
  Urdu 83,000
  Sindhi 69,000
  Marwari 26,000
  Hindko, Northern 17,000
  Pahari-Potwari 16,000
  Hindko, Southern 10,000
  Kacchi 7,400
  Pashto, Northern 3,600
  Bagri 1,300
  Dhatki 1,100
  Pashto, Central 700
  Shina 500
  Kashmiri 200
  Gujarati 200
People Groups Speaking Punjabi, Western

Primary Language:  Punjabi, Western

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (1885-1922)
Bible-New Testament Yes  (1819-2021)
Bible-Complete No
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
Resource Type Resource Name Source
Audio Recordings Audio Bible teaching Global Recordings Network
Audio Recordings DAVAR Partners recording, New Testament DAVAR Partners International
Audio Recordings Love letter to you from scripture Father's Love Letter
Audio Recordings Online Scripture / Bible General / Other
Audio Recordings Story of Jesus audio Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Indigitube.tv Video / Animation Create International
Film / Video Jesus Film: view in Punjabi, Western Jesus Film Project
Film / Video World Christian Videos World Christian Videos
General Bible for Children Bible for Children
General Biblical answers to your questions Got Questions Ministry
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Four Spiritual Laws Campus Crusade for Christ
General Gospel resources links Scripture Earth
General Gospel website in this language General / Other
General YouVersion Bible versions in text and/or audio YouVersion Bibles
General Zume Resources Zume Project
General Zume Training Zume Project
Mobile App Android Bible app: Punjabi, Western YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App iOS Bible app: Punjabi, Western YouVersion Bibles
Text / Printed Matter Cartoon Gospel tract General / Other
Text / Printed Matter Literacy primer for Punjabi, Western Literacy & Evangelism International
Text / Printed Matter Tools for faith conversations Campus Crusade for Christ
Text / Printed Matter Topical Scripture booklets and Bible studies World Missionary Press
Photo Source Anonymous 
Map Source People Group Location: Omid. Other geography / data: GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project  
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.



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