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The question of Memons has always been close to my heart and I have delved deeply into its origin. There has been some controversy as to the veracity of various versions. There have been attempts by many historians to lend unnecessary scholarly elaboration and color to the debut of our modest, magnanimous, and devoutly religious society. The research is undoubtedly very thorough and verifiable, so much so, that it becomes complex and awkward for the layman. The reason for the investigation is undoubtedly to establish the fact that the advent of Memons was much earlier than the date propounded. However, this misguided scholarship merely confuses and obscures the whole issue by the introducing the Bohras, the Khojas, varieties of Ismailis, the Ishnasaries, the Shias and the whole issue of the propagation of Islam into the sub-continent of Indo-Pakistan, tracing it to Muhammad Bin Kasim.
The widely accepted version is that this community of Memons might have originated around the year 1433 AD (838 H) at a place called Nagar Thatta, and then a capital, in the province of southern Sindh, then in India and now in Pakistan. It seems such a modest claim, not needing a great deal of ado and glorification. Even if it is sucked from the thumb, the passage of time has lent it a degree of authenticity, despite its record of somewhat questionable origin. The converts were first called Momins, and the term, with the march of time, changed to Memons. This is revealed in a book entitled Abraazul Haq, by Syed Ameeruddin Nuzat, under the guidance of one Peer Buzrug Ali, published in Bombay in 1873. The story related therein states that some 700 Lohanas families, (inclusive, perhaps of some earlier converts and neo-Muslim converts) comprised of some 6178 individuals, accepted Islam at the hands one Syed Yusufuddin Gilani. Finding themselves banished by their erstwhile Hindu brothers, they were eventually forced to migrate. This version has persisted over decades, to the extent that it was reiterated by one Hussain Kasim Dada at the first ever All India Memon Conference in Rajkot in the year 1931 and is in vogue even to this day.
What lends authenticity to this version is the extreme faith of the Memons in the Peers and Aulias, to whom they are grateful for their acceptance of Islam, and in particular to Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani R.A., whom they refer to as peran-e-Peer Dastagir, Gausal-e-Azam, Vado Peer and Gaus Paak as a mark of respect and reverence.
Another aspect that adds plausibility to this version of the Memons’ origin is the fact that the Memons are members of the merchant class, as were their ancestors, the Lohanas, a Hindu sect whose métier was business.
The origin may or may not be so significant, but what is extraordinary is that Memons is a peculiar brotherhood that has defied extinction. It has suffered ravages of war to the point of catastrophe. It has been forced to migrate under circumstances of holocaust. It has survived and even prospered under adverse circumstances, including the tyranny of fanatical religious sects.
Memons are not a nation. At best they are a tribe, and a nomadic tribe at that. They have no country that is exclusively their own. Nor do they have an aspiration for such a “promised land.” They have no king, crown, flag, anthem, or a leader to whom everyone swears allegiance. There was a time when concentration of wealth alone defined sovereignty. Now, given the proliferation of wealth and the far-flung settlements of the Memons, there is no need for a central leadership.
Having fled Sindh, the Memons settled in Okha Bundar, then proceeded to Kutch and then to Kathiawar, where they remained for quite a long time. However, with the advent of the partition of the sub-continent of Indo-Pakistan, the base was shifted to Karachi, Pakistan.
Their arrival and stay in the Republic of South Africa is well documented in the text itself. I am sure that my exploration of this history will be of some importance to the people concerned. There are huge colonies of Memons in the United Kingdom, United States, the Latin American countries, and all over Europe, especially Portugal. Isolated pockets exist in the various islands all over the world. In India there are large numbers in Mumbai (Bombay) and in the South, especially in Hyderabad, Madras, and Madurai; there are scattered colonies over the rest of India, and in Bangladesh also there is a sizeable colony. The largest concentration is of course in dear old Pakistan, nowadays the hub of Memon brother- hood. It is a fact of history that the Memons were the driving force behind the creation and establishment of Pakistan. In the year 1940, when Pakistan was first mooted, Memons came out in open and full support of Quaide Azam Mohamed Ali Jinnah and the Muslim League. They gave blank checks in support of the cause. The price they had to pay for this was a catastrophe in the form of holocaust unprecedented in the history of mankind. The village of Kutiyana was nearly wiped off the face of the earth, in so far as the Memon community was concerned.
Another aspect of the culture I wish to mention is that Memons are never averse to inter-communal marriages, if these are between a Muslim and Muslim, since a Nikah between a Muslim and a non-Muslim is invalid. Moreover, polygamy is permissible in Islam, but only under very strict conditions.
The origin of the Memons as a community date back to 1433 AD corresponding to 838 AH (Muslim Calendar), when some 700 Hindu families, representing some 6178 people belonging to the old and famous Lohanas community of Sindh, now part of Pakistan accepted Islam.
In adopting the Islamic faith, the adherents accepted a new form of dress and style of living that differed substantially from what was customary for their forebears. But certain customs and traditions have survived, and it is on account of this that Memons were and are easily distinguishable from other Muslim communities. In narrating the history of the Memons and describing details of their religious and cultural life, I intended to highlight Memon unity, their continuous struggle for identity, and their subsequent triumph in the face of evil. Their achievements provide a source of inspiration to succeeding generations.