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Memon (; ; ) an ethnic group tracing their roots largely to Sindh, Kutch and Kathiawar and are sometimes seen as transitional between the two regions. A Sunni Muslim group, Memons predominantly adhere to Hanafi Sunni Islam although some are Maliki. Historically Memons are a mercantile community (and are generally referred to as a business community in Pakistan and India). Most of them are merchants and traders, industrialists, professionals and generally hold white collar jobs.
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Memon (; ; ) an ethnic group tracing their roots largely to Sindh, Kutch and Kathiawar and are sometimes seen as transitional between the two regions. A Sunni Muslim group, Memons predominantly adhere to Hanafi Sunni Islam although some are Maliki. Historically Memons are a mercantile community (and are generally referred to as a business community in Pakistan and India). Most of them are merchants and traders, industrialists, professionals and generally hold white collar jobs. The Memons of Kutch speak kutchi, which is a hybrid of Sindhi]The Kutchi language is one of the Indo-Aryan languages, part of the Indo-European language family. Now Most Kachhis living in India, pakistan, south africa, canada, usa, uk and europe and also speak closely-related languages such as Gujarati, sindhi, memonii , especially those living in cosmopolitan cities such as Mumbai (Bombay) and states like kerala. There are too many casts in kutchi community like nohriya, lohar wadha, hingora, sanghar, jat, rathod, khatri, bhatti, khalifa, memon, geerahi, batala, gaanchi, jakohi, wahgair, juneje wara etc...Some people says about kutchi language that kutchi language is driven from sindi language and memoni language is driven from kutchi language. Sindhi, memoni and kutchi language are similar at each other and all people of these language can understand and talk freely each other. The kutchi language has a lot of extant, some extant is similar to sindi and some is similar to memonii. the boht religious people hindu and muslim are present in kutchi community....the culture of katuchis people look like the culture of rajistani,
. Fundamentally it is Sindhi language metamorphosed into a new vernacular due to its centuries of intermingling with first Kucthi and then Gujrati of Kathiawar.
History
Traditionally, the name Memon is corrupted version of Momin meaning faithful. This was used when this community converted to Islam.
Sindhi, Gujarati, and Arab origins
More than one narration has been proposed about the origins of the Memon community. These narrations, although similar, differ in their details. This could be because Memons have had to rely on oral history in order to determine their origins.
According to Cutchi Memon, Memon community came into existence in 824 Hijri (1422 CE) when 700 families comprising of 6,178 persons belonging to the Lohana community of Sindh accepted Islam.
According to Anthovan, those Lohanas of Thhato, who had also converted to Islam and became Memons, were invited by Jarejho Roa Khanghar, ruler of Bhuj (1548-1584) to settle in Bhuj. It is from there that Cutchi Memons migrated to Kathiawar and Gujarat. Surat in Gujarat was an important trading center during 1580 to 1680 and Memons made their bounty there. Later, the Memons reached Bombay. Diwan Bherumal M. Advani writes that all the Memons of Bombay, Gujarat and Kutch are Lohanas from Sindh. (A volume written by Mr. Anthovan, part 2, pages 52 and 53).
Another theory states that Memons originated in 1422 CE from Thatta in Sindh. The converts were first called Momins or Mumins and the term, with the march of time, changed to Memons. The story related therein states that some 700 Lohana families, (inclusive, perhaps of some earlier covert and neo-Muslim converts) comprising of some 6178 individuals, accepted Islam at the hands of one Sayed Yusuffuddin Qadri (rahimathullah) and finding themselves banished by their erstwhile Hindu brothers were forced to migrate. This was also stated by Hussain Kassim Dada from his Presidential Chail at the first ever All India Memon Conference in Rajkot in the year 1931.
A fourth theory according to Karimbaksh Khalid is that, certain soldiers of Arab tribe Banu Tamim of Qatif, near Ta’if, came to Sindh along with Muhammad bin Qasim, they were known as Maymenah, right-wingers in the army, and later this word was corrupted to Memons. If this theory is accepted, then the Memons were originally Arabs.
Branch
Memon community may be divided into three main groups. Those who traced their ancestors from Kutch region are identified as Cutchi Memon and they speak Kutchi dialects. Those who traced their ancestry to Kathiawar are identified as simply Memon or Kathiawadi Memons or Halai Memons and they speak Memoni. Those Memon who remained in Sindh (their ancestor never migrated to neighboring regions such as Kutch and Kathiawar) are identified as Sindhi Memon and speak Sindhi language.
Many Memon, especially Kathiawadi Memon, further distinguished themselves into various sub-groups which generally refer to their ancestral villages or towns such as Bantva Memons, Jutpur Memons, Bombaywala Memons (whose ancestors used to live in the main city of bombay and its suburbs) and Deeplai Memon. It is estimated that the number of Kathiawadi Memon, other than Cutchi and Sindhi Memon, worldwide are over one million.
Generally? a Memon is a Muslim person born within a Memon family which traces its ancestry back to the descendants of the ?community originating from Sindh whose members first embraced Islam, including Halai Memon, Okhai Memon, Sindhi ?Memon, Kutchi Memon, Kathri, Tharati, Nasarpuria and others?
Language
Memons speak a non-written dialect called Memoni, a mixture of Sindhi and Kutchi which belongs to the Indic North-Western Zone family of languages. While the Sindhi and Kutchi languages are spoken by both Muslims and non-Muslims, Memoni refers exclusively to the vernacular of the Kathiawadi Memons who are predominately Sunni Muslims that migrated from Sindh to the neighbouring regions of Kutch and Kathiawar in Gujarat several centuries ago .
In stress, intonation, and everyday speech, Memoni is very similar to Sindhi, but it borrows vocabulary extensively from Gujarati, Hindustani and lately English. Like most languages of the Indian subcontinent the Sentence
Social structure
Role of the Jamaat
Memons generally tie to their respective locally well-organized societies called "Jamat", literally means congregation, which are generally established for the betterment and social welfare of its members which may include issuance of marriage license, matrimonial dispute resolution, adaptation and enforcement of the rules and guidelines against certain undesirable customs, establish healthcare and education centres, provide various facilities for the community need? and also financial support and housing? for the poor and needy members and sometime non-members.
The following are some common well organized societies or welfare associations called Jamaat (Gujarati script: ????) of the Memons community which generally refer to their ancestral village or town.
Kathiawadi Memon Jamats
Memons Worldwide
Memons migrated from Sindh to Kutch, and latter to Kathiawar (Kathiawad) and other part of Gujarat. Memons spread throughout the Indian Ocean basin in the 19th century, but most Memons lived in Kathiawar, prior to the Partition of India. Many later settled in Pakistan. Today, they are scattered throughout India and the port city of Karachi in Pakistan, with significant communities in the United Kingdom, Canada, USA, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Tanzania, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Malawi, Kenya, Mauritius, Singapore, Australia and Burma.
Memons are known for their involvement in business and philanthropy, with Memons having played a major part in the building of Pakistani industry, an increasing number of Memons are turning to professional occupations.
Owing to their tradition of management and attention to detail, Memons are a prosperous community. They have built vast business legacies and a high percentage of Memons around the world belong to the upper-middle class.
Religious beliefs and customs
Religious practices
Memons follow the Hanafi school of Sunni Islam .
Marriage customs
Memons usually marry within their own social affiliation (Jamat) (endogamy), depending on circumstances a group (Jamat) may be as small as few hundred families and as large as few thousand families. For example Cutchi Memon define their jamat to be entire group having very few sub-groups whereas Kathiawadi Memons are branched into few dozens sub-groups. For Kathiawadi Memon a group, by and large, usually shares their ancestor village in Kathiawad as a reference point. Marriage between close relatives especially first cousins is discouraged but such reunion is possible where a group is too small. Marriage outside the social group (e.g. marrying a Surti Muslim) is now quite common and accepted by most Memons, although some community elders may still discourage it.
Famous Memons
Throughout the world, the Memon community has contributed significantly in various fields.
International reputation
- Abdul Sattar Edhi, "Nishan-e-Imtiaz" Ambulance and Hospital Services, burial of homeless, Women Welfare orphanage, Founder of Edhi Welfare trust foundation.
Business and Entrepreneur
- Hussain Kassim Dada Founder of Dada Limited, a powerful multinational business concern that dominated the food and grain trading business in pre-partition South and South East Asia, and a philanthropist who founded the Hussaini Orphanage.
- Haji Ali Mohammad- Pakolawala's
- Mohammed Hanif Janoo, President of Pakistan Tea Association (PTA) and Council General of Kenya
- Abdul Rahim Janoo, Former President of REAP (Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan and former President of Karachi Chamber of Commerce
- Abdul Kader Jaffer, businessman, philanthropist, and former Pakistani High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.
- Late-Haji Ahmed Haji Abdullah Durvesh, Board Director of Karachi Stock Exchange, Former President of Jamnaghar Wehvaria Memon Jamat, Successful Stock Broker
Educators
Administration
- Rahim JANOO chairman REAP
- Ammar Ilyas Moten, Chairman Paf Chapter
- Fahad Arif Moten, Chairman Jaffar Public School
- Siraj kassim teli leader of business man group
Politics and Government
- Abdul Fatah Memon - MLA Sindh Assembly 1952 t0 1958, Ex-Ambassador of Pakistan to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Somalia 1963 to 1967.
- G.M. Banatwalla - an Indian politician Member of the House of the People (Lok Sabha), the lower house of the Parliament of India
- Abdul Rashid Godil MNA of Pakistan. Supreme council member of APMF and board member of WMO, law & order of K.C.C.I. and others
- Gul Muhammed Lot ( Diplai Memon), ADVISOR To CM SINDH ANTI_CURRUPTION DEPT: 2008.
- Haji Hanif Tayab, Former Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Pakistan and Community Leader
- Major General Abu Bakr Osman Mitha
- Abdul Karim Sumar
- Yunus Ahmed Kachchhi from Karad in Maharashtra, India
- Farooq Sattar, MNA MQM.
- Toff WAHAB (Mohammed Toafiq Wahab) - British Diplomat served in South Asia and Africa continents. Born in UK and grew up in Blackburn, Lancashire. Speaker of 7 to 8 languages. Has been recognised as a High Achiever by the Queen and invited to Buckingham Palace.
Arts and Science
- Ismail Merchant India born Hollywood Film Director and Producer
- Shakeel Noorani Indian Film Industry, Producer, Director and writer of films such as "Joru Ka Ghulam", "Bade Dilwala", "Vishnu Dava" and others
- Obaid Kadwani, actor and host of "Namaste America" telecast on cable in the US, and creator of a project to serve pizza to the indigent in the US under the auspices of eyeBlink, a nonprofit organization
- Qurrat Kadwani, actress and creator of eyeBlink, a nonprofit organization, based in New York, U.S. producing plays in the English language, organizing art and other special events such as distribution of pizzas to the indigent in shelters in the US.
- Aziz Anom, behavioural psychologist, for his work on behaviour therapy resulting in the ground breaking and award winning paper entitled "Reinforcing Behaviour Therapy".
Community leaders
- Sir Iqbal Sacranie, leader of the Muslim Council of Great Britain award for social services from Queen of England
- Sattar Dada from Botswana (WMO)
- M.A.Rangoonwala, President, International chamber leader of Memon
- Haji Abdul Razzak Yaqoob, prominent Pakistani businessman, president of ARY Group of Companies and World Memon Organization (WMO)
Crime
Western Countries
- Faisal Danka - A prominent professional of Management Consulting and Risk Advisory in Britian, having received global acclaim (CNN, BBC, etc) for discovering and reporting most severe vulnerability in Microsoft Passport / Hotmail services. , and Windows Live ID
- Ahmad Adaya founding partner of prominent California real estate company IDS Real Estate Group (1927-2006) Batwa
- Abdul Ghaffar Variend, financial consultant and advisor Canada and US
- Aziz Katiya FCA, fellow of chartered accountants, a tax partner and member of the board of directors of KPMG Canada
- Muhammad Yunus Ayub Mussa - Involved in property investment and the retail industry in the United Kingdom. (1948-1999)
- Abdul Sattar Oza - Created the first branch of the Abdul Sattar Edhi Foundation in the United States (???-1995)
Africa
- Ismail Mohammed, Chief Justice of South Africa and Namibia.
- Yusuf Ahmed Khamissa - Entrepreneur and Businessman from the Republic of South Africa
- Majid vakil award winner from govt in Africa
- Aboo Tayob from South Africa
Middle East
Sri Lanka
The Memon, originally from Sindh (in modern Pakistan), first arrived in Sri Lanka during the 1870s as traders. Initially the Memon traders resided in Sri Lanka temporarily for business purposes, however after partition of India and Pakistan in 1947, many settled in Sri Lanka along with their families. In the 1980s they numbered only about 3,000.
Other Countries
Social contribution from the Memon community
The Memon community can be proud of the social work it has done. Many countries across the globe have seen this through the many Memon humanitarian ground workers. Examples such as the Calcutta, Kashmir, Turkey and Quetta earthquakes. Gujrat, Karachi and Bosnia are just a few recognised achievements of Memon humanitarian work.
Memons help people in need purely on a humanitarian ground upholding the moto social work will better our society. A few examples of they're work;
- Umar Hajee Ahmed Jhaveri was a Memon Indian-South African businessman. It was a court case concerning him that brought Mahatma Gandhi to South Africa. Hajee Ahmed assisted Gandhi in setting up the South African Indian Congress.
- Larkana college of commerce established by Late Abdul Fatah Memon (1920-2002), former MLA Sindh Assaebly (1952), Ambassador of Pakistan to Saudi Arabia and Somalia (1963) in early fifties.
- The Jama Masjid of Durban built by the Memons, is the largest MASJID in the Southern Hemisphere.
- Abdullah Haroon established Hajiyani Hanifabai Girls School in Karachi in 1914, which was the first girl's school in Sindh for Muslim girls.
- Hajiyani Khadija, although an illiterate widow, was the founder of Raunaq-eIslam chain of girls schools, colleges and industrial homes under the banner of the Pakistan Memon Women's Educational society.
"Salik Papatia" complied Gujarati Reader Sahitay Sindhu for the Gujarati students of secondary schools in the early sixties, and got it published at his own expense.
- Kenya Mombasa, where the Memon community after emigrating just 50 years ago, built 200 mosques and madrasas (religious schools).
- Hajee Sir Ismail Sait, a philanthropist of the Cutchi Memon community of Bangalore raised the mosque about 100 years ago, with his own funds. He built the mosque for dwellers of the locality, now called Frazer Town. After the mosque came up, the road was named Hajee Sir Ismail Sait Mosque Road, in short, Mosque Road.
- Adam Noor, Founder of World Memon Organization. Recently visited North America to check the progress of community welfare program. He is also writing a book on his experience as the founder of World Memon Organization. He is also a well known social worker in Mumbai.
See also
External links
Web Sites
Pakistan
Sri Lanka
Africa
Western Countries
Others
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- - Hameed Karim Bhoja - DN Wed May 31, 2006
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