People group profile · PG041270
The Sayyid of India
The Sayyid of India, numbering about 8,265,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a hereditary social community within the Muslim population. Many Sayyids speak local languages such as Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali, Gujarati, Kashmiri, or Sindhi and are integrated into the regional cultures where they live.
They are an indigenous people in the Sayyid people cluster of the South Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Shia Islam, and they primarily speak Urdu.

Fast facts
- Country
- India
- Population
- 8,265,000
- Affinity group
- South Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- Sayyid
- Primary language
- Urdu (urd)
- Primary religion
- Shia Islam
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, Concentrated CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Region
- Southern Asia, Asia
Where they live
Gospel status
The Sayyid are Engaged yet Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, but there are sustained efforts to establish self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical but there has been initial or concentrated church planting among them within the past two years.
- Congregations exist Yes
- Church planting in the last two years Concentrated Church Planting
Next steps for the Sayyid
- 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
Primary religion
Shia Islam · Islam
50% adherents
Primary language
Urdu · Indo-European family
100% speak Urdu
Gospel resources in Urdu
- Bible available
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- JESUS (Urdu)
- Magdalena (Urdu)
- The Savior (Urdu (Indian))
- The Savior (Urdu)
Bibles
- Easy-to-Read Version · audio, text
- Geo Version · audio, text
- Geo Version · audio, text
- Geo Version · audio, text
- Pakistan Bible Society · audio
- Revised · video
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Sayyid
- 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
- Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
- Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
- Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
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