Zikri
Encyclopedia
The Zikris are a branch of Islam
settled in Balochistan
region of Pakistan
, Iran
and Afghanistan
. They are followers of Imam e Akhar Zama (Imam Mehdi). The name Zikri comes from the Arabic
word dhikr
' onMouseout='HidePop("30273")' href="/topics/South_Asia">South Asia
). The Zikri sect developed within Sunni Hanafi
during the 18th century Mahdi
movement as a reaction to British colonialism
and decline of Muslim
rule in modern Pakistan. Zikris are now gravitating back towards orthodox Sunni Hanafi
beliefs.
, the Hajj
, Ramadan
, Zakat
(alms-giving) and all Shahadah. Zikris, like mainstream Muslims, are religiously obligated to pray five times daily. The content of their prayer, which they call Zikr-e-Elahi, refers to a person's worship of Allah
. The Zikris perform the standard Islamic hajj
but they also make pilgrimage (ziyarat
) to the mountain where Imam Mehdi stayed, called Koh-e-Murad
(Mountain of Desire), in Persian
). They celebrate ziyarat on the 27th night of Ramadan
.
The cultural and commercial significance of the Zikri festivals are the same as other Baloch
. Their zikr khanas are like mosque
s but do not have pulpits pointing towards Mecca
, instead, there are stones and mats on which they sit and do the zikr.
Towards the end of Ramadan
, (mostly from 25th of Ramadan to 28th of Ramadan) a huge assembly called the Zikir e Elahi takes place on Koh-e-Murad to commemorate the occasion.
, where they are the largest sect in the Gwadar District
. There are also large groups of Zikris in the Pakistani city of Karachi
and a few numbered in the Pakistani province of Sindh
and in Iran
. Many of the other smaller groups live in Karachi and Makran
, although the Zikris are predominantly in south-western , where they are the largest sect in the Gwadar District
. There are also large groups of Zikris near their spiritual center, Koh-e-Murad
. However, they are becoming less visible, fear that they will also be designated a minority like Ahmadis.
The number of Zikris is not known since they identify themselves as Muslim
s. It is estimated that there are several thousands living in Pakistan. In addition, there are Zikri communities in Karachi
, Lasbela
and Quetta
. Majority of Zikri Baloch have migrated from their native villages and now are settled in Karachi for economic reasons. The Zikris in urban areas are now giving up their Zikri beliefs and moving towards orthodox Islam
especially in Karachi.
region of Pakistan
, Iran
and in Afghanistan
. The recent emphasis on Sunni and scripturalist Islam
encouraged by the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam
political-religious party is making inroads into Baloch regions. Non-governmental organization, including the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan
(HRCP) and local activists, are creating a greater awareness of the Zikri predicament and aim to forestall backlash against this scattered and impoverished community. Recently, police protection has been provided to the Zikri pilgrims.
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
settled in Balochistan
Balochistan (region)
Balochistan or Baluchistan is an arid, mountainous region in the Iranian plateau in Southwest Asia; it includes part of southeastern Iran, western Pakistan, and southwestern Afghanistan. The area is named after the numerous Baloch tribes, Iranian peoples who moved into the area from the west...
region of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. They are followers of Imam e Akhar Zama (Imam Mehdi). The name Zikri comes from the Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
word dhikr
Dhikr
Dhikr , plural ; ), is an Islamic devotional act, typically involving the repetition of the Names of God, supplications or formulas taken from hadith texts and verses of the Qur'an. Dhikr is usually done individually, but in some Sufi orders it is instituted as a ceremonial activity...
' onMouseout='HidePop("30273")' href="/topics/South_Asia">South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
). The Zikri sect developed within Sunni Hanafi
Hanafi
The Hanafi school is one of the four Madhhab in jurisprudence within Sunni Islam. The Hanafi madhhab is named after the Persian scholar Abu Hanifa an-Nu‘man ibn Thābit , a Tabi‘i whose legal views were preserved primarily by his two most important disciples, Abu Yusuf and Muhammad al-Shaybani...
during the 18th century Mahdi
Mahdi
In Islamic eschatology, the Mahdi is the prophesied redeemer of Islam who will stay on Earth for seven, nine or nineteen years- before the Day of Judgment and, alongside Jesus, will rid the world of wrongdoing, injustice and tyranny.In Shia Islam, the belief in the Mahdi is a "central religious...
movement as a reaction to British colonialism
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
and decline of Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
rule in modern Pakistan. Zikris are now gravitating back towards orthodox Sunni Hanafi
Hanafi
The Hanafi school is one of the four Madhhab in jurisprudence within Sunni Islam. The Hanafi madhhab is named after the Persian scholar Abu Hanifa an-Nu‘man ibn Thābit , a Tabi‘i whose legal views were preserved primarily by his two most important disciples, Abu Yusuf and Muhammad al-Shaybani...
beliefs.
Practices
Zikri perform all Five Pillars of IslamFive Pillars of Islam
The Pillars of Islam are basic concepts and duties for accepting the religion for the Muslims.The Shi'i and Sunni both agree on the essential details for the performance of these acts, but the Shi'a do not refer to them by the same name .-Pillars of Shia:According to Shia Islam, the...
, the Hajj
Hajj
The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
, Ramadan
Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and...
, Zakat
Zakat
Zakāt , one of the Five Pillars of Islam, is the giving of a fixed portion of one's wealth to charity, generally to the poor and needy.-History:Zakat, a practice initiated by Muhammed himself, has played an important role throughout Islamic history...
(alms-giving) and all Shahadah. Zikris, like mainstream Muslims, are religiously obligated to pray five times daily. The content of their prayer, which they call Zikr-e-Elahi, refers to a person's worship of Allah
Allah
Allah is a word for God used in the context of Islam. In Arabic, the word means simply "God". It is used primarily by Muslims and Bahá'ís, and often, albeit not exclusively, used by Arabic-speaking Eastern Catholic Christians, Maltese Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Mizrahi Jews and...
. The Zikris perform the standard Islamic hajj
Hajj
The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
but they also make pilgrimage (ziyarat
Ziyarat
Ziyārah is an Arabic term literally means "visit", used to refer to a pilgrimage to sites associated with Muhammad, his family members and descendants , his companions, or other venerated figures in Islām, such as the Prophets, Sufi saints and Islāmic scholars...
) to the mountain where Imam Mehdi stayed, called Koh-e-Murad
Koh-e-Murad
Koh-e-Murad is a shrine, which is located in Turbat, Baluchistan. This location is a sacred site for Zikris where prayers have been offered for many years...
(Mountain of Desire), in Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
). They celebrate ziyarat on the 27th night of Ramadan
Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and...
.
The cultural and commercial significance of the Zikri festivals are the same as other Baloch
Baloch people
The Baloch or Baluch are an ethnic group that belong to the larger Iranian peoples. Baluch people mainly inhabit the Balochistan region and Sistan and Baluchestan Province in the southeast corner of the Iranian plateau in Western Asia....
. Their zikr khanas are like mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
s but do not have pulpits pointing towards Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
, instead, there are stones and mats on which they sit and do the zikr.
Towards the end of Ramadan
Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and...
, (mostly from 25th of Ramadan to 28th of Ramadan) a huge assembly called the Zikir e Elahi takes place on Koh-e-Murad to commemorate the occasion.
Socio-economics
Most Zikris live in BalochistanBalochistan (Pakistan)
Balochistan is one of the four provinces or federating units of Pakistan. With an area of 134,051 mi2 or , it is the largest province of Pakistan, constituting approximately 44% of the total land mass of Pakistan. According to the 1998 population census, Balochistan had a population of...
, where they are the largest sect in the Gwadar District
Gwadar District
Gwadar District is a coastal district in Balochistan province of Pakistan. Gwadar city is the district headquarters of Gwadar District.-Administration:Gwadar District is subdivided into the following tehsils or subdistricts:* Gwadar* Jiwani* Ormara...
. There are also large groups of Zikris in the Pakistani city of Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
and a few numbered in the Pakistani province of Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
and in Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. Many of the other smaller groups live in Karachi and Makran
Makran Division
Makran Division was an administrative division of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan, until the reforms of 2000 abolished the third tier of government.Disctricts of Makran DivisionGwadarTurbatPanjgoor-See also:*Makran...
, although the Zikris are predominantly in south-western , where they are the largest sect in the Gwadar District
Gwadar District
Gwadar District is a coastal district in Balochistan province of Pakistan. Gwadar city is the district headquarters of Gwadar District.-Administration:Gwadar District is subdivided into the following tehsils or subdistricts:* Gwadar* Jiwani* Ormara...
. There are also large groups of Zikris near their spiritual center, Koh-e-Murad
Koh-e-Murad
Koh-e-Murad is a shrine, which is located in Turbat, Baluchistan. This location is a sacred site for Zikris where prayers have been offered for many years...
. However, they are becoming less visible, fear that they will also be designated a minority like Ahmadis.
The number of Zikris is not known since they identify themselves as Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s. It is estimated that there are several thousands living in Pakistan. In addition, there are Zikri communities in Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, Lasbela
Lasbela District
Lasbela is a coastal district of Balochistan province of Pakistan. It became a separate district in Kalat Division on 30 June 1954. The name is derived from the words Las which in Sanskrit signifies a settlement or lived in or lively and Bela which means "A Sea's Shore" in Sanskrit and is also the...
and Quetta
Quetta
is the largest city and the provincial capital of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. Known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan" due to the diversity of its plant and animal wildlife, Quetta is home to the Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, which contains some of the rarest species of wildlife in the...
. Majority of Zikri Baloch have migrated from their native villages and now are settled in Karachi for economic reasons. The Zikris in urban areas are now giving up their Zikri beliefs and moving towards orthodox Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
especially in Karachi.
Discrimination
Zikris had been discriminated in BalochistanBalochistan (region)
Balochistan or Baluchistan is an arid, mountainous region in the Iranian plateau in Southwest Asia; it includes part of southeastern Iran, western Pakistan, and southwestern Afghanistan. The area is named after the numerous Baloch tribes, Iranian peoples who moved into the area from the west...
region of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
and in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. The recent emphasis on Sunni and scripturalist Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
encouraged by the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam
The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam is a political party in Pakistan. It formed a combined government in national elections in 2002 and 2008...
political-religious party is making inroads into Baloch regions. Non-governmental organization, including the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan
Human Rights Commission of Pakistan
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan , or HRCP, is an independent, non-profit organization, founded in 1987, which is not associated or affiliated with the government or any political party. It is committed to act with impartiality and objectivity in all matters...
(HRCP) and local activists, are creating a greater awareness of the Zikri predicament and aim to forestall backlash against this scattered and impoverished community. Recently, police protection has been provided to the Zikri pilgrims.