The Pukhtuns (also Pushtun, Pathan, or ethnic Afghan) are an ethnic/religious group of people living primarily in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India who follow Pashtunwali. The Pashtuns are the world’s largest partriarchal tribal group in existance.
***According to the Encyclopedia of Islam, the Theory of Pukhtuns descent from Israelites is traced to Maghzan-e-Afghani who compiled a history for Khan-e-Jehan Lodhi in the reign of Mughal Emperor Jehangir in the 16th century AD. This reference is in line with the commonly held view by Pukhtuns that when the twelve tribes of Israel were dispersed (see Israel and Judah, Lost Ten Tribes), the tribe of Joseph among other Hebrew tribes settled in the region. Hence the term ‘Yusef Zai’ in Pashto translates to the ‘sons of Joseph’; the Yusefzai are the 8th largest tribe of the Pukhtons. See Theory of Pukhtuns descent from Israelites. ***
There is interesting evidence about the preservation among the tribes of family trees on their origin, and on their relationship to the fathers of the Israeli people. These family trees are well preserved. Some of them are penned in golden lettering on deerskin. The names of the tribes speak for themselves: the tribe of Harabni (in the Afghan tongue) is the tribe of Reuben, the shinwari is Shimeon, the Levani - Levi, Daftani - Naftali, Jaji - Gad, Ashuri - Asher, Yusuf Su, sons of Josef, Afridi - Ephraim, and so on.
***This classical theory is based on Niamatulla’s Makhzan-i-Afghani and Hamdulla Mustaufi’s Tarikh-i-Guzida: one of Prophet Ibrahim’s descendents, Talut (or Saul) had two sons, one of whom was named Irmiya or Jeremia. Irmiya had a son named Afghan, who is supposed to have given the name to the Afghan people. Tareekh-e-Sher Shahi states that Bakht Nasr who invaded Jerusalem and destroyed it, expelled Jewish tribes, including sons of Afghan, from their homeland. During the days of the Babylonian captivity when the Jews were scattered, one of the tribes settled in the Hari Rud area of modern (south) Afghanistan. Pathan legend states that they accepted Islam during the time of the Prophet when a group of their kinsmen (Jews) living in Arabia sent word to them that the true Prophet of God as prophesied in their scriptures had appeared in Mecca. The Afghans, the story goes, sent a delegation to Arabia headed by one Imraul Qais who met the Prophet, embraced Islam, came back and converted the entire tribe to the new religion. The Prophet was so pleased with Qais that he gave him the name of Abdur Rashid, called him Malik (king) and Pehtan (keel or rudder of a ship) for showing his people the path of Islam. ***
***Culture ***
***Throughout Pashtun history poets, prophets, kings and warriors have been the most revered members of society. The term ‘Pakhto’ or ‘Pashto’ from which they derive their name is not merely the name of their language, but synonymous with an honour code and religion known as Pashtunwali. The main tenets of ‘Pakhto’ or formally known as Pashtunwali are: ***
***Hospitality and asylum to all guests seeking help. ***
***Justice: Ancient Israelite Moses’ Law, Tooth for a Tooth. ***
***Defense of ‘Zan, Zar and Zameen’ (Women/Family, Treasury and Property). ***
***Personal Independence. Pashtuns are fiercely independent and there is a lot of internal competition. ***
***Most decisions in tribal life are made by a ‘Jirga’ or ‘Senate’ of elected elders and wise men. However, Pashtun society is also marked by its matriarchal tendencies. Folktales involving reverence for Pashtun mothers and matriarchs are common and are passed down from parent to child, as most Pashtun heritage, through a rich oral tradition. ***
***Major Pashtuns tribes include: ***
Yusefzai
***Afridi ***
Achakzai
***Bangash ***
***Bhittani ***
***Barakzai ***
***Daulatzai ***
***Dilazak ***
***Gandapur ***
***Ghilzai/Khilji ***
***Jadoon ***
***Kakar ***
***Kundi ***
***Kharoti ***
***Khattak ***
***Lodhi ****** ***
***Mashwanis ***
***Mahsud ***
***Marwat ***
***Mohamedzai ***
***Mohmand ***
***Niazi ***
***Orakzai ***
***PopalZai ***
***Swati ***
***Shilmani/shalmani ***
***Shinwari *******
***Tanoli ***
***Tareens ***
***Wazir ***
***Descendants of the tribes of AFGHANA. Pakhtun, Pashtun, Pathan, Pukhtoon etc are some other names for Afghan. Their language is Pashto. They are descendants of Hazrat Ibrahim (ABRAHAM). ***
***When I was a teenager I used to go to Mahabat khan jumat in Peshawar. After prayers we would sit with tablighi jumat. I still remember when I asked a spingeray from tablighis: was there any prophet among pashtuns, the old man answered yes of course: Khalil khan (Abraham), Isaac khan (Isac), Israel khan (Jacob),Yousaf khan (Joseph), Musa khan (Moses), Isa khan (Jesus), they were all Pashtuns (Hebrews). ***
***I could not believe he was telling me something very important. I thought all prophets were Arabs, at least that’s the Arab propaganda to get respect and call themselves sayyid and exploit Pashtuns. In fact the real children of prophets are Pashtuns. All these prophets spoke Hebrew not Arabic and they were not Arabs at all. ***
***In Hebrew Abraham sounds Afroim , Avram , Afram etc.( In Pashto we use words zar-ghan etc (which can be explained as goldlike or from gold, etc). ***
***Afr-ghan (meaning from Abraham) gave origin to Afghan. (Also Hebrew is ibrani -ibran-afghan and ibrani-ifghani (Pashto). ***
***The holy book of David (Hazrat Daud) was Zabur (the Psalms), and hence Pashtuns use words Zaba-language or tongue or promise (the message or promise of God to Abraham and his descendants, zabardast- fantastic, Zabul-a region in Afghanistan. (Many words are used in Pashto -spinzar, srazar, sanzarkhel, zartasha, zamina, zarina, zarghon shah, zarghona, zahra, zanana, etc) ***
***Today some tribes use word jaba instead of zaba. ***
***The name of Abraham’s grandfather was TERAH and father was AZAR. Abraham lived in Babul and the king at that time was Nimrod. ***
***When Hebrews settled down in Afghanistan they named different regions to represent their history eg. ***
***NB! (At that time this region was called khurasan meaning kha urasan-meaning we got here safely). ***
***TERAH (Grandfather of hazrat Ibrahim) and JAMROD, NIMROZ (nimrod), ***
AZAR (father of Hazrat Ibrahim). Srazar, spinzar, zarghona, zarghonshah, zarmina, zartasha, azara - another word for Afghans. Afgans living in district hazara in NWFP. Word Hazara is mistakenly used for Mongols in Afghanistan. When real azara migrated to Hazara, abbotabad, Gilgit and Kashmir areas, the areas they came from were taken by Chengez army and those mongols came to be known as Hazaras in Afghanistan. While real azaras are living in pashtunkhwa, most of them speak hindko but they are real Afghans. Also Gilgit are Gilzai. Kashmiris are also Afghans (kasi is a Pashtun tribe, mir is a Pashto word e.g mirali; it’s actually kasimiris-kashmir. You will be astonished to know that Butt living in punjab and kashmirs are actually buttkhel Afghans (buttagram, buttkhela etc). No matter what language they have adopted during process of assimilation they were and are Afghans.
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