Zikri - Definition and Overview

Zikri is a small Islamic sect that is concentrated in Balochistan. The sect is generally seen as heretical by mainstream Muslims. There are about seven-hundred fifty thousand followers of the religion.

The sect is based around the teachings of Nur Pak, a figure who lived in the 15th century, and claimed to be the Mahdi, and who is seen by Zikris as a prophet. In religious practice, the Zikris differ greatly from mainstream Muslims. Zikris do not perform the five daily prayers (Salah), and do not perform the Hajj. They have their own pilgrimage, to a local shrine in the Baluchi city of Turbat that is carried out on the twenty seventh night of Ramadan. The name Zikri comes from the Arabic word zikr that refers to rememberence, usually of Allah. This is reflective of the Zikri worship centring on the recitation of Islamic credos.

Almost all Zikris live in Baluchistan. 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 other Muslims, but this usually occurs in areas where they are a minority such as Iran or the city of Karachi.