Memon Totally Explained

Everything about Memon totally explained

Memon (; ; ) a small but important linguistic and social group originating from Indian sub-continent trace their roots largely to Sindh and subsequently to Kutch and Kathiawar. A Sunni Muslims group predominantly adheres to Hanafi Sunni Islam although some are Maliki. Historically Memons are mercantile community (and are generally referred to as Business Community in Pakistan and India. Most of them are merchants and traders, industrialists, professionals and managers and generally hold white collar jobs. They share a common tongue, which is a hybrid of Sindhi and Kutchi language . Fundamentally it's Sindhi language metamorphosed into a new vernacular due to its centuries of intermingling with first kucthi and then Gujrati of Kathiawar.

History

Sindhi origins

More than one narration have been proposed about the origins of the Memon community. These narrations, although similar, differ in their details. This could be due to the fact that Memons have had to rely on oral history in order to determine their origins.
   According to Dadani, 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 Katchi 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). 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 (rahimahullah) and finding themselves banished by their erstwhile Hindu brothers were forced to migrate.
   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, Katchi 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 structure of Memoni generally follows subject -> object -> verb order.
Memoni is falling into disuse due to various reasons:

Non-existence of language learning tools, especially disappearance of Gujarati in Pakistan
Many second generation parents don't know their mother tongue themselves.
Fear of being discriminated or being ridiculed by some Urdu speaking
Development of inferiority complex about their heritage by many Memons

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 (Gujarāti script: જમાત) of the Memons community which generally refer to their ancestral village or town.

Kathiawadi Memons jamat

Bantva; Kutiyana; Dhoraji; Jetpur; Vanthli; Gondal; Upleta; Mangrol; Veraval; Okhai; Junagarh Keshod; Porbandar; Halai Jamnagar; Morvi Rajkot; Manavadar; Balagam; Vasavad; Bhavnagar; Kodinar Himmatnagar, Idar Bagasra;

Kutchi(Cutchi) Memon Jamats

Sindhi Memon Jamats

Nasserpuria; Deeplai

Others: Sardargarh; Tharadi Lalpuria; Ranava;

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're scattered throughout India and Pakistan, with significant communities in the United Kingdom, Canada, USA, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, UAE, South Africa, Malawi, Kenya 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 . Up till now, the Memons have not produced many Top Islamic scholars of their own, they generally rely on others for their spiritual guidance.

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 Kutchi 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 (for example 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, alongside other Indian cultural communities, 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

Industrialist

Adamjee Haji Dawood, Adamjee business empire, Provided assistance in creating Pakistan

Ghulam Muhammad A. Fecto, prominent industrialist, founder and chairman of Fecto Group of Industries, philanthropist, and former president All Pakistan Memon Federation

Seth Ahmad Dawood

Business and Entrepreneur

Hussain Dawood, Dynamic Businessman, Dawood business group, Pakistan

Aqeel Karim dhehdi prominent businessman

Faruq sodagar darvesh prominent business man from INDIA

Muhammad Faruq Ghani, prominent lawyer and philanthropist

Abdul Razzaq SteelWala prominent businessman

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

Ghulam Hussain Memon.MD and Chair-Person of Ahmed Son's Builders and Developers. Hyderabad, Sindh, Pakistan.

Haji Iqbal Memon (Chara Africawala) R.A., Businessman, Philanthropist, Social Worker

Ebrahim Bawani

Bashir Ali Mohammad - Gul Ahmed Group

Iqbal Ebrahim, Managing Director, Al-Karam Textile Mills (Pvt) Ltd

Fawad Anwar Teli, Director, Orient Textile Mills & Al-Karam Textile Mills (Pvt) Ltd

Haji Tarmohammed Suleman Suriya prominent business man from Okhamandal

Mehboob Ebrahim Vayani, Director, White Label Finance UK Ltd

Haji Abdul Karim Memon (1914-1992), KARIM'S Handicraft since 1936 introducing new textile handicraft and block printed product to all over the world

Dr Yunus Langha - Renowned Pediatric Dentist, Educationalist, Philanthropist, Entrepreneur and CEO of Midas-Traders Inc

Mohammed Hanif Janoo, President of Pakistan Tea Association (PTA) and Council General of Kenya

Mohammed Yayha Razzak Janoo, Official Distributor of Barbie, Hot Wheels and Disney in Pakistan, owner of Pakistan's famous tea brand JSL

Mohammed Rahim Janoo,Former President of REAP (Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan and Former President of Karachi Chamber of Commerce

Asif Akhai, CEO, Akhai Pharmaceuticals, Karachi, Pakistan

M.Arif Bumbia - Chief Executive - FAB COMMUNICATIONS, Karachi, Pakistan

Educators

Hajiani Khatijabai Batwa

Suleman Bhoora (External Link

)

Allama Abdul Aziz Al-Memony Arabic language scholar well recognize in Middle-eastAbdul Razzaq SteelWala SteelWala

Religious personalities

Allama Maulana Muhammad Ilyas Attar Qadri founder of Dawat-e-Islami

Maulana Abdul Karim Parekh Renowned and well respected Indian Muslim scholar and translator of the Holy Qur'an into Urdu and many other indic languages.

Al-Faqir Hussain Abdul Ghaffar Ferozi (Agari) Sheikh ul Tareeqah

Financiers

Administration

Rahim JANOO chairman REAP

Ammar Ilyas Moten, Chairman Paf Chapter

Mohsin Dada, Chairman ISDLAF+, U.S.A.

Majed Aziz, ST President of KCCI

Zubair Sattar Motiwala President KCCI

Professionals

Shaheed Haji Abdul Ghaffar Saudagar (Andha) - Marine & Energy Insurance Expert (Jubayl - Kingdom of Saudi Arabia)

Engineer Ayub W. Bumbia - Managing Director Al Joaib Group (Dammam - Kingdom of Saudi Arabia)

Engineer M.Arif Bumbia - Chief Executive - FAB COMMUNICATIONS (Pakistan)

Politics and Government

Saleem Abdullah - Brigadier from PAK Army serving in Karachi

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 (External Link

)

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 (from which city Satara)

Arts and Science

Salman Jangda, Investment Banker, Philanthropist, ??Hollywood Producer

Sattar teli visionary person in memon community

Bilal Memon for his work in business, film, and dance

Ismail Merchant India born Hollywood Film Director and Producer

Shakeel Noorani Indian Film Industry, Producer, Director and writer of Films like Joru Ka Ghulam, Bade Dilwala, Vishnu Dava RASHID GODIL CANDIDATE FOR NATIONAL ASSEMBLY NA-252,KARACHI FROM MQM

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)

Local social workers

Dr.Jamal Nasir Memon social worker Islamabad

Yunus Ahmed Kachchhi - Social Worker from Karad (from which city Satara)

Sattar Masota councillor and ground level worker which city?

Amin Chamadia prominent social worker which city?

A.Rashid Ahmed Godil prominent social worker of community coordinator and ex-Nazim Of uc2 gulshantown karachi

Late - Haji Iqbal Memon Chara, Al-Mustafa Welfare society Karachi Pakistan

Farha Marfani, dedicated social worker and reporter extraordinaire (Baltimore, USA)

Western Countries

Ahmad Adaya founding partner of prominent California real estate company IDS Real Estate Group (1927-2006) Batwa

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)

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

India

Mr. Kashif Memon, Class X, International Indian School Dammam

Sri Lanka

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;

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 mosque 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).Further Information

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