My mother found a perspective rishta for me, but the girl is a memon. I am not familiar with memons, can someone please shed some light on this sect.
Are they muslims, shias, or some other sect. What are their beliefs etc.?
P.S I know I have been away, I joined peace corps and just came back. I see that GS has changed a a lot many new guppies.
Re: Memons
They are all Hanafi Sunnis.
Re: Memons
I am sorry I have been away from civilization. I was in Venezuala for three years. I just came back, and my mother is on my arse trying to get me to settle.
And what is the difference between Hanafi/Wahabi/Salaif. I am curious. I kow Shiite are different then the the three I mentioned. Thanks for your help.
Re: Memons
Um, well, we're sunnis.
Of sindhi ascent. Migrated to Gujrat centuries ago and settled there as a sub-population. The bloodline did not mix with the Gujratis (well, for the most part), but the language is a mixture between Gujrati and Sindhi - so are the customs.
There are different types of memons that vary in where their families migrated to - some are located in specific parts of Gujrat, some located outside of Gujrat.
For example, I'm a Kutchi Memon - so my descent is from the families that settled in Kutch, Gujrat (Kutch is an area of Gujrat). {Does not mean Kutchi, as in the opposite of pakki!}
Um, as far as religion goes, they're not any different than your average Pakistani Sunni from any cultural background.
The differences are more cultural. Depends on the family and how educated they are frankly.
As long as they are not the Kheri-Anjaar-walay, go for it! (Those guys are just ... weird)
:)
Re: Memons
Oh, but you might want to check out my Chicken Pehra thread in Culture.
Also, the Bantwa Memons - Men for Sale.
The first is strange tradition that you might want to watch out for on your nikkah day. Just say no, man.
The second...well for you it wont be a big deal cuz you'll get this muffat ka jehez that is like killer - house fully furnished, etc. But it depends on what kind of memon they are and how traditional they are in their ways.
A perk benefit - MOST memon families (not all - trends are changing fast), the girls side pays for the hospital and doctor bills for their pregnant daughters when they baby is being born. Eh well, less kharcha for you to worry about nudge nudge
Re: Memons
Azim Premji of Wipro is a Kucchi Memon or a Khoja, not sure which one. Are these two communities similar in background.
Re: Memons
Are Boras and Memons the same thing, whats the difference between Hanafi/Salafi/Wahabi? This is all very new to me. I was brought up as a muslim and now I hear all these fancy terms I dont understand.
Re: Memons
Boras are Brahmins converted to Islam, mostly Nagar Brahmins. Back in India, there was a sweet Bohra lady in my office, who used to call herself of the Bohra/Anavil Brahmin community.
Re: Memons
sighz
Boras, Memons, and Khojas were all Brahmins who converted long ago - all from Sindh.
Story goes something like this from what I've researched:
Leader class (Brahmins) in Sindh (Thatta, I believe) converted to Islam and then had to leave the area for reasons still unclear to me --> migrated all over the place eventually settling into Gujrat --> broke apart into Boras, Memons, and Khoja classifications due to differences in religious beliefs
Memons - Sunni mainstream muslim thought
Boras - another sect in Islam - have their own Imam and religious customs
Khojas - another sect in Islam - also have their own Imam and religious customs
So Boras and Memons and Khojas are cousin groups basically. The split happened centuries ago, so the groups have evolved to have their own significant cultural and religious differences enough that they tend not to cross-marry.
Some memons eventually moved out of Gujrat - some stayed there. Example: Burmese Memons moved out to Burma.
All 3 Groups were mainly based out of Gujrat.
Re: Memons
Also, if you look at the Bohra, Khoja, and Memon languages - they're really similar. I can usually understand those people because of my own familiarity with Memoni.
A very interesting phenomenon.
Re: Memons
Bohra and Khojas are shia.. Khojas are shia and bohra/bohris are a splinter from mainstream shia. they believe in six imams, and after that have their own system and are usually very religious. (ones I know atleast)
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PyCg: What do you mean memons have their own language. Waht do you mean by their own imam with respect to the othe sects (Bohras, Khojas). Why are they brahmins what about marrying a regular Indian muslim. This is very knowledgeable. Thank You.
Re: Memons
Sorry I thought brahmins were Indians what about other classes can they be a part of memons bohras and the khojas? Where do the hanafi,salafi,whahabi thing kicks in?
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What about Iraqis and iranis are they bohras or khojas I am serious? Iam very curious. The six imams are they in present or are they a thing of past. So memons are sunnis/wahabis/salafis? and khojas/bohras are shiites?
Re: Memons
no, iraqis and iranis are arabs/persian. ethnically khojas bohras and memons are the same/similar as pcg said, its just that memons are sunnis and khojas and bohras are shias i think.
Re: Memons
What about imams do the iraqis and iranians have that 6/12 imam belief? what is the number is it 1, 6, or 12? ethnically khojas bohras and memons are brahmins? Just split after conversion?What about marriages can khojas marry bohras and what about memon? what about marrying outside the three groups? is it allowed?
Re: Memons
yes