Shaikh (Urdu) of Pakistan (PGID: PG046177)

The Shaikh (Urdu) of Pakistan

The Shaikh (Urdu) of Pakistan, numbering approximately 132,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a large socio-religious community of India. Shaiks are Muslim communities who claim descent from Arab settlers or early Islamic migrants or traders and who adopted the title "Shaikh" as a mark of status or identity. They mostly adhere to Sunni Islam and Urdu is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3.1 Flash: Urdu Shaikh

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: South Asian Peoples
Country: Pakistan
People Cluster: Shaikh
Primary Language(s): Urdu (urd)
Primary Religion(s): Sunni Islam
Population: 132,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG046177

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Pray for the Shaikh (Urdu) of Pakistan

Join others around the world in praying for the lost to be saved, the gospel to advance, the global Church to grow, and for laborers to be sent out and sustained in the harvest.

Pray Now!

Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Sunni Islam
Religious Affiliation: Islam

99%

Sunni Islam Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Urdu
Language Family: Indo-European

100%

Urdu Speakers

Media Resources in Urdu:

Films:

Title	Link
JESUS	View Film
Magdalena	View Film
The Savior	View Film
The Savior	View Film

4 films

Provided by the Jesus Film Project

View all resources

Bible Resources in Urdu:

Bible Name (Translation)	Video	Audio	Text
Easy-to-Read Version		✓	✓
Geo Version		✓	✓
Geo Version		✓	✓
Geo Version		✓	✓
Pakistan Bible Society		✓
Revised	✓

6 entries

Provided by Faith Comes by Hearing

Or check out the Urdu bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

View all resources

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Shaikh (Urdu) are Engaged yet Unreached, which means there are less than 2% evangelical Christian populations but there are sustained efforts at establishing self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice.

Next steps for the Shaikh (Urdu):

Continue prayer and fasting for this group

Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group

Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people

Pray specifically for the Shaikh (Urdu) of Pakistan

These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self- made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.
Colossians 2:23

Pray for those without Christ, that they will see the emptiness of human traditions and turn to the truth and grace found in Jesus.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Psalm 119:105

Pray that they will receive the Word of God as a lamp to their feet and commit their ways to Him.

For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins.
Hebrews 10:26

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will live with reverence for God and not deliberately keep sinning after they receive the knowledge of the truth.

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.
1 Corinthians 15:3-4

Pray that God will raise up believers to go to the lost and faithfully proclaim the good news of Jesus' death and resurrection so that all may have an opportunity to access and believe.

Shaikh, Urdu Across Countries (ROP3 - 116705) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index

All

Engaged yet Unreached UUPG No Longer Unreached

CountryReligion

4 people groups

People Group ID	Name ▲	Country	Population	Strategic Progress Index	Language	Religion
PG046159	Shaikh (Urdu)	India	62,010,000	Engaged yet Unreached	Urdu	Sunni Islam
PG046174	Shaikh (Urdu)	Nepal	831,000	Engaged yet Unreached	Urdu	Sunni Islam
PG046177	Shaikh (Urdu)	Pakistan	132,000	Engaged yet Unreached	Urdu	Sunni Islam
PG050351	Shaikh (Urdu)	United States	60,500	Engaged yet Unreached	Urdu	Sunni Islam

To download a comprehensive people group list in spreadsheet form, visit our Research Data page.

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