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LANGUAGE There are minor Variations in the language. These differences arose in different villages in India . There are also related ethnic groups such as the Kutchi Memons and Sindhi Memon s. CULTURE AND HISTORY Memons are Sunni Hanafi Muslim s, and it is widely Believed that they originated when a group of Hindus from Sindh belonging to the Kshatriya Lohana Caste converted to Islam by Sufi missionaries of the Qadiriyyah Order . According to Dadani, Memon community came into existence in 842 Hijri ( 1432 CE) when 700 families comprising of 6,178 persons belonging to the Lohana community of Sindh accepted Islam . Not all members of the The devotion of Memons to Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani (founder of the Qadiri order) is well-known. Although Memons tend to be religious, they have retained many cultural traits from their pre-Islamic past. According to Mr. Anthovan, ''Those Lohanas of Thhato, who had converted to Islam too and become 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 business fortune there. Later, the Memons reached Bombay''. Many Memon families did not migrate to Gujarat and stayed in Sindh and now are part of Memon Tribe . 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. This is revealed in a book entitled 'Abraazul Hq' by Sayed Ameeruddin Nuzat, under the guidance of one Peer Buzrug Alli, published in Bombay in 1873. 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 one Sayed Yusuffuddin Quadri R.A. and finding themselves banished by their erstwhile Hindu brothers were forced to migrate. This was also stated by Hussain Cassim Dada from his Presidential Chail at the first ever All India Memon Conference in Rajkot in the year 1931. Memons migrated from Sindh to Kutch , and Kathiawar (Kathiawad) in modern Gujarat following their conversion. 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 Pakistan , with significant communities in the United Kingdom , Canada, USA and South Africa . MEMONS TODAY Memons are known for their involvement in business and Philanthropy , with Memon immigrants having played a major part in the building of Pakistani industry, although an increasing number of Memons are turning to professional occupations. The success of many Memons has aroused some jealousy from other ethnic groups, who sometimes Stereotype Memons as being stingy. Owing to their tradition of management and attention to detail, the Memons are one of the most prosperous communities in South Asia and else where. They have built vast business legacies and most Memons around the world belong to the upper-middle class. The Memon language is falling into disuse in many parts of the world. FAMOUS MEMONS Famous Memons have included Pakistani statesman Nisar Memon ( Sindhi Memon ), Pakistani philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi and Chief Justice Of South Africa and Namibia Ismail Mohammed . Memon Personalities and their achievements The following are common Jamat or well organzied groups of Memon Community which is generally identify as their ansestral village.
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