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Zikri is an offshoot of Sunni
Hanafi
Islam that is concentrated in
Balochistan
province of Pakistan.
There are about seven-hundred fifty
thousand followers in this sect. It
is based around the teachings of Nur
Pak, a 15th century self proclaimed
Mahdi. Not much is known about him,
but he is believed to have lived in
Balochistan,
specifically in Makran. Nur Pak claimed
to be the Mahdi, and was seen as a
reformer of Islam
in his area. He introduced new teachings
that would grow into to Zikri sect.
In religious practice, the Zikris differ
greatly from mainstream Muslims. Zikris
perform five times daily prayers called
Zikr in which sacred verses are recited,
as compared to the orthodox practice
of Salah (Namaz). They perform Ziarat
(pilgramage) of shrine Koh-e-Murad
, which is located in the city of
Turbat in Balochistan, on the twenty
seventh night of Ramadan . The name
Zikri comes from the Arabic word 'dhikr'
(pronounced 'Zikr' in Farsi (Persian)
and Urdu.) that refers to remembrance,
usually of Allah. This is reflective
of the Zikri worship centering on
the recitation of Islamic credos.
Most of Zikris live in Balochistan, but
a large number also live in Karachi,
interior Sindh
and Iran. They tend to vote for secular
parties in elections, and they constitute
the majority religious group in the
district of Gwadar. Zikris have faced
persecution from mainstream Muslims
who consider them heretics and apostates.
'Koh' means mountain and Murad is a name,
meaning aim and desire. It has been
reported that the Zikris perform rites
similar to Hajj when performing the
Ziarah at the shrine at Koh-e-Murad
as described above.
The Zikri came to Balochistan through
searching for a safe place, and in
their isolation from the mainstream
Muslims, developed these practices
that are in deviance from the majority
Muslims.
Page last updated:
Thursday, February 02, 2006 19:51:31 -0500
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