Mahdavis Mahdavia

mahdavis offshoot of mahdavi movement found in balochistan region of western pakistan.

they follow prophet mohammed, 5 pillars of islam , offer namaz prayers in common mosques hanafi muslims condition imam must of mahdavi belief. content of prayer, call zikr-e-elahi, refers worship of god. in addition hajj, zikris visit (ziyarat) koh-e-murad ( mountain of desire in balochi), promised imam al-mahdi syed muhammad jaunpuri believed have stayed , in 1504 ad, offered 2 raka (cycles) special giving prayers dougana laylath ul qadr in midnight of 27th ramadan 908 hijri. following tradition, including zikris mahdavis offer dougna laylathu l-qadr prayers on 27th ramadan midnight every year, under leadership of murshid. thus, mahdavis sect follow sufi order, defined medieval saint syed muhammad jaunpuri of capital city of sharqi dynasty. city known shiraz of east, due academic , intellectual eminence , presence of many islamic scholars in era.

the number of mahdavis not known confidence. gall (1998) stated estimated number on 750,000 people , while united states senate committee on foreign relations in 2004 stated there approximately 200,000 . mahdavis form local majority in pakistan s gwadar district, , there sizable communities in karachi, pakistani part of makran, lasbela district, , quetta, , in pakistan s sindh province. concentration in urban karachi due many mahdavis having relocated city, neighborhood of lyari town.

with general rise of islamic extremism , jihadism in region since 1980s, mahdavis have been discriminated against, targeted, , killed sunni militants in pakistan. result, mahdavis community has been shrinking , becoming less visible, many killing sunni hanafi, , of ismaili nizari, sect of islam. non-governmental organizations including human rights commission of pakistan (hrcp) working local activists create greater awareness of mahdavis predicament. recently, police protection has been provided mahdavis pilgrims. many mahdavis have been killed sunni , terrorist during fasting in ramadan.

the persecution of mahdavis sunni militants of 2014 has been part of larger backlash against religious minorities in pakistani balochistan, targeting hindus, hazaras, shias, , zikris, resulting in migration of on 300,000 shias, zikris, , hindus pakistani balochistan.

the persecutions due both banned militant organizations such lashkar-i-jhangvi , pakistani taliban.