Sayyid ancestors migrated to India from different parts of Iran. The Sayyid are one of the larger segments of Muslims in India. The word literally means master; the closest English equivalent would be sir or lord. Some Muslims use the term sayyid for the descendants of Abu Talib, uncle of Mohammad.
The Sayyid occupy the highest of social class among Muslims. They are traditionally the priests and religious teachers of the Muslim communities. More recently they can be found in a host of government service, teaching and business occupations. They marry mainly among their own clans and other Ashraf category Muslims.
The Sayyid can be found in both major sect divisions of the Shia and the Sunni. Many of them adhere to the more emotional and mystical Sufi form of Sunni Islam. Because of their position as religious teachers and priests they are considered 100% Muslim in each of the countries where their live.
As Muslims they 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.
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.
The Sayyid may have an inadequate understanding of who Jesus truly is. However, because of the religious and political weight the Sayyid carry in their respective communities, a transformed Sayyid leader for Christ could have influence like that of Paul in his day. Whole districts could become followers of Jesus (whom Muslims call Isa al-Masih) if Sayyid leaders came to know and trust Christ.
Pray the followers of Christ that will soon be found in the Sayyid community will become well established in the faith, fully trusting in Christ for their eternal life and for power to live the present life. Pray they will live holy lives.
Pray for God's blessing, strengthening and healing of families and communities within the Sayyid people through the abundant life Jesus offers to all who call on his name.
Pray they will increasingly hunger to truly know and follow Jesus (whom Muslims call Isa al-Masih).
Pray for Christian workers to build good relationships with the Sayyid people, friendships based upon trust.
Scripture Prayers for the Sayyid in India.
https://www.globalprayerdigest.org/issue/day/2019/09/21
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sayyid
Profile Source: Joshua Project |
Global Prayer Digest: 2007-10-26 |
Global Prayer Digest: 2013-08-11 |
Global Prayer Digest: 2015-08-17 |
Global Prayer Digest: 2016-10-15 |
Global Prayer Digest: 2019-09-21 |
People Name General | Sayyid |
People Name in Country | Sayyid |
Pronunciation | SAH-yeed |
Alternate Names | Barwar; Dayarewale; Ghair-e-mehdi; Mahadavia; Mashaikh; Mehdiwale; Mulla; Mushaik; Mushaq; Nadim Guruvulu; Pirzada; Saiyed; Saiyid; Sayad; Sayd; Sayyad; Syed; साइयिड |
Population this Country | 9,296,000 |
Population all Countries | 17,915,000 |
Total Countries | 5 |
Indigenous | Yes |
Progress Scale | 1 ● |
Unreached | Yes |
Frontier People Group | Yes |
GSEC | 2 (per PeopleGroups.org) |
Pioneer Workers Needed | 186 |
People ID | 18045 |
ROP3 Code | 113540 |
Affinity Bloc | South Asian Peoples |
People Cluster | South Asia Muslim - Sayyid |
People Group | Sayyid |
Ethnic Code | CNN25 |
Affinity Bloc | South Asian Peoples |
People Cluster | South Asia Muslim - Sayyid |
People Group | Sayyid |
Ethnic Code | CNN25 |
Total Subgroups | 27 (only 15 largest shown) |
Qizwi 331,000 | |
Zaidi 163,000 | |
Bukhari 138,000 | |
Jafri 62,000 | |
Naqvi 42,000 | |
Kuzaimi 34,000 | |
Abidi 31,000 | |
Mehdi 31,000 | |
Taqwi 30,000 | |
Mullah 23,000 |
Country | India | |||||||||||||||
Region | Asia, South | |||||||||||||||
Continent | Asia | |||||||||||||||
10/40 Window | Yes | |||||||||||||||
National Bible Society | Website | |||||||||||||||
Persecution Rank | 11 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) | |||||||||||||||
Total States on file | 36 | |||||||||||||||
Largest States (only 15 largest shown) |
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Districts | Interactive map, listing and data download | |||||||||||||||
Specialized Website | South Asia Peoples |
Country | India |
Region | Asia, South |
Continent | Asia |
10/40 Window | Yes |
National Bible Society | Website |
Persecution Rank | 11 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) |
Total States | 36 (only 20 largest shown) |
Uttar Pradesh 1,994,000 | |
Maharashtra 1,510,000 | |
Karnataka 1,004,000 | |
Rajasthan 639,000 | |
Bihar 638,000 | |
West Bengal 625,000 | |
Telangana 473,000 | |
Andhra Pradesh 464,000 | |
Madhya Pradesh 408,000 | |
Gujarat 332,000 | |
Tamil Nadu 228,000 | |
Delhi 178,000 | |
Assam 160,000 | |
Jharkhand 146,000 | |
Haryana 90,000 | |
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 India census data. Current Christian values may substantially differ. |
Primary Language | Urdu (6,313,000 speakers) | |||||||||||||||
Language Code | urd Ethnologue Listing | |||||||||||||||
Language Written | Yes ScriptSource Listing | |||||||||||||||
Total Languages | 49 | |||||||||||||||
Secondary Languages (only 15 largest shown) |
|
Primary Language | Urdu (6,313,000 speakers) |
Language Code | urd Ethnologue Listing |
Total Languages | 49 |
Secondary Languages (only 15 largest shown) | |
Bengali 430,000 | |
Marwari 158,000 | |
Gujarati 144,000 | |
Telugu 142,000 | |
Tamil 131,000 | |
Bhojpuri 85,000 | |
Marathi 74,000 | |
Kannada 71,000 | |
Punjabi, Eastern 63,000 | |
Dhundari 56,000 | |
Assamese 28,000 | |
Arabic, Mesopotamian Spoken 18,000 | |
Awadhi 18,000 | |
Maithili 17,000 | |
Shekhawati 12,000 | |
People Groups | Speaking Urdu |
Primary Language: Urdu
Bible Translation ▲ | Status (Years) |
---|---|
Bible-Portions | Yes (1747-1894) |
Bible-New Testament | Yes (1758-2000) |
Bible-Complete | Yes (1843-2022) |
Bible-NT Audio | Online |
Possible Print Bibles | |
---|---|
Amazon | |
World Bibles | |
Forum Bible Agencies | |
National Bible Societies | |
World Bible Finder | |
Virtual Storehouse |
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. |