Attar in Pakistan

People Name:	Attar
Country:	Pakistan
10/40 Window:	Yes
Population:	600
World Population:	600
Primary Language:	Pashto, Northern
Primary Religion:	Islam
Christian Adherents:	0.00 %
Evangelicals:	0.00 %
Scripture:	Complete Bible
Online Audio NT:	No
Jesus Film:	Yes
Audio Recordings:	Yes
People Cluster:	South Asia Muslim - other
Affinity Bloc:	South Asian Peoples
Progress Level:

Introduction / History

The Attar are a very small Jat community. They live either in Maharashtra, India or in Pakistan.

What Are Their Lives Like?

Ironically these Muslims have a patron-client relationship with Hindus whom they sell incense, dried coconut and special oils. They have their own caste association, and they seldom marry outside their community. The Attar are mainly farmers or landowners, though some have moved into Pakistan's urban centers. Others are in Western countries in North America or Europe.

What Are Their Beliefs?

The Attar people are conservative, traditional Sunni Muslims. They believe that the One, 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. 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. The often use charms and amulets to help them with spiritual forces.

What Are Their Needs?

The Attar people need to submit to Jesus Christ so they can experience the abundant life He offers them in John 10:10.

Prayer Points

Pray for a spiritual hunger that will lead the Attar people of Pakistan to Jesus Christ, the King of kings. Pray for Holy Spirit directed workers to go to them. Pray for a Disciple Making Movement to sweep through the Attar community this decade.