Molesalam in India
Photo Source:
Anonymous
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Map Source:
People Group data: Omid. Map geography: UNESCO / GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project.
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| People Name: | Molesalam |
| Country: | India |
| 10/40 Window: | Yes |
| Population: | 92,000 |
| World Population: | 92,000 |
| Primary Language: | Gujarati |
| Primary Religion: | Islam |
| Christian Adherents: | 0.00 % |
| Evangelicals: | 0.00 % |
| Scripture: | Complete Bible |
| Ministry Resources: | Yes |
| Jesus Film: | Yes |
| Audio Recordings: | Yes |
| People Cluster: | South Asia Muslim - other |
| Affinity Bloc: | South Asian Peoples |
| Progress Level: |
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Introduction / History
The Molesalam live in the state of Gujarat. They speak, read, and write in Gujarati.
What Are Their Lives Like?
Most are farmers. A community council judges their disagreements. The Molesalam prefer cousin marriages. They don't allow for divorce and remarriage. After the death of the father, the daughters get some of the inheritance, but not as much as the sons.
What Are Their Beliefs?
Molesalam 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?
They have a low literacy level, so the gospel needs to be presented in oral form.
Prayer Points
Pray that the Molesalam would be attracted to Jesus enough to begin their own discovery Bible studies.
Pray also that God would give them dreams and visions leading them to start a movement to Christ.
Pray that gospel recordings, gospel radio broadcasts, and the JESUS Film would lead them to salvation.
Pray for spiritual discernment and a hunger for truth that will lead them to Christ.
Fortunately, there are all kinds of gospel materials in Gujarati. Pray for Molesalam families to receive them with open hearts.