The Momin Ansari (Urdu: مومن أنصاري ) or Ansari, are a Muslim community, found mainly in West and North India, and the province of Sindh in Pakistan. A small number of Ansaris are also found in the Terai region of Nepal. In North India, the community are known as Ansari, while in Maharashtra the community is known as Momin. The name or title of Ansari ("supporters") originated in Arabia at the time of the prophet Mohammed.
The community are found throughout West and North India, but Varanasi District, in Uttar Pradesh, is always regarded by most Momin as the centre of their community. In that city, the Ansari are said to make up a third of the city's population. Important Ansari neighbourhoods in the city include Madanpura, Adampura and Jaitpura.
The Ansaris of North India are mainly a landless community, but some are small- and medium-scale farmers. They have always been connected with the art of weaving. Many members of the community have entered private or government service. Their relationship with the Sadh community is of some importance, as they supply the Momins with the cotton cloth used for printing.
The Ansaris do not have any traditional social councils, but have an India-wide community organization, the All India Momin Conference. They are an endogamous community, only rarely marrying out of their group. There is no system of clans, and cross and parallel cousin marriages are common.
The Ansaris are Muslims of the Sunni Hanafi fiqh. Historically, the community produced the sage and philosopher, Kabir, and some members of the community had been Kabirpanthi. The Ansari are an Urdu-speaking community, although the Ansari clan of Gujarat have Gujarati as their mother tongue.
The Ansari community is found throughout Bihar and Jharkhand. In Bihar, they are found in all the districts. They are active in politics. Their socio-economic condition has constantly improved. They play active roles in all walks of life in Bihar. In Jharkhand, they are mainly found in Koderma, Aurangabad, Hazaribagh, Gumla, Ranchi, Lohardaga and Singhbhum districts. They speak the Sadri dialect, which is distinctive to the community, although most have knowledge of Urdu. The community is endogamous, and marry within a close kin group. Like other Ansaris, they were historically weavers, although most of them are medium- and small-scale farmers. Many are market gardeners, and grow and sell potatoes, cabbages and other vegetables, and sell them in Calcuta and Patna. The Momin Conference was founded in Bihar, and the Bihar Ansaris have played a key role in the organization.
Pasmanda Muslim Mahaz (Urdu: "Marginalised Muslim Front") is an Indian Muslim social reform organization dedicated to the emancipation of the Dalit Muslims belonging to the Arzal community in the South Asian Muslim clan system. It was founded by Ali Anwar in Patna, Bihar.
In Gujarat, there are two distinct communities commonly known as Momin, the native Gujarati-speaking Garana Ansari, and the immigrant Ansari community, originally from North India. The Garana Ansari community in Gujarat are found mainly in the districts of Junagarh, Ahmedabad, Surat and Kutch. They are also known as Turia and Tari. The Momin have eight clans, the Dhoralia, Mehetar, Mithwani, Rajbani, Kora, Chutani, Arbani and Dhorijiwala. They speak Gujarati with substantial Urdu loanwords.
In addition to membership in the Momin Conference, the Gujarat Ansaris also have their own clan association, Garana Sayed Fari Jamaat.
The traditional occupation of the Ansari is still weaving. Many of them are engaged in zari work, which involves sari embroidery. This is especially the case in the towns of Jamnagar and Dhoraji, which each have traditional quarters inhabited by the Ansaris. Most Surat and Ahmadabad Ansari are now employed in the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited clerk post, and local textile mills.
The Shaikh Ansari are an Urdu-speaking community, and are said to have immigrated from Delhi, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh some three hundred years ago. In Baroda, they were invited by the ruling dynasty to help in the construction of public buildings from Rajasthan. The Shaikh Ansari are divided into four endogamous groups, the Bijnor Ansari, originating from the city of Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh; the Ganga Parvala, originating from the village of Gomtipur and its surroundings in Uttar Pradesh; the Delhiwala, originally from Delhi; and the Pratapgarh Ansari originating from the city of Pratapgarh and surrounding areas in eastern Uttar Pradesh. They are mainly distributed in the cities of Ahmedabad, Surat, Bharuch, Baroda, and Rajpipla.
Weaving was the traditional occupation of the Ansari, and at present those in Ahmadabad still engage in this activity. Many Ahmadabad Ansari are now power loom owners. But many Shaikh Ansari have also diversified, and now own hotels and bakeries. They are among the more successful Muslim communities in the state, having made the transition from their traditional occupation to becoming successful businessmen. The level of literacy is steadily increasing, and many Ansari are now graduates.
The Ansari have no traditional clan association, but are members of the All India Momin Conference. Historically, each of the four sub-divisions would have had their own informal clan association, headed by a chaudhary. These have all but disappeared.
The Ansari of Rajasthan claim that they were once warriors, who, after a defeat, took to the occupation of weaving. They are also known as Deswali Shaikh, and speak the Madri dialect, which is a mixture of Urdu and Hindi. They are one of the larger Muslim communities in Rajasthan, and re found in the districts of Tonk, Jaipur and Sawai Madhopur. The Ansari are strictly endogamous and practice both parallel and cross cousin marriages. Their main occupation is weaving, and they use both hand-held and power looms. Quite a few are now involved in tailoring and the manufacture of bidis, a local cigarette. The Rajasthan Ansari are members of the Moin Conference, as well as having local informal clan councils, which deal with inter community disputes, while the Momin Conference acts as a pressure group dealing with the state government. The Ansari are Shia Twelver and Jafari, and have provided many of the Ulema in Rajasthan.
The Momin of Maharashtra are descended from immigrants from North India. They are split into two groupings, the giyara gaonwala and the bais goanwala. The former are found in Ahmadnagar, while the latter are found near Pune. The Momin were historically a community of weavers, found mainly in the towns and cities of western Maharashtra. They are found mainly in the districts of Pune, Nasik, Ahmednagar, Aurangabad, Jaina, Osmanabad, Dhule, Nagpur, Thane, Kolhapur and Raigarh. The community speak Urdu, but the Momin are bilingual, speaking Marathi as well. They are strictly endogamous, and tend to marry close kin. The Momin are Sunni, and are a fairly orthodox community.
Their traditional occupation was weaving, and many Momin have set up handlooms. Those Momin who have set up powerlooms tend to be more successful. Many Momin are employed by other Momin in these powerlooms; this is especially the case in the towns of Bhiwandi, Malegaon and Nagpur. A significant number are also employed in the textile industries.
The Momin are largely an urban community, with only small number found as agriculturists. Many Momin are now successful entrepreneurs and professionals such as teachers, engineers and doctors. Like other Ansari communities, the Momin are members of the All-India Momin Conference, one of the oldest Muslim communal organizations in India. This organization acts as a welfare organization, as well as lobbying on behalf of the community.
After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, many members of the Momin Ansari community migrated to Pakistan and settled mainly in the Sindh province. The Momin Ansari is mainly settled in Karachi and Hyderabad cities of the Sindh province. The Momin Ansari lost their distinct group identity as they assimilated and are now integral part of the Urdu-speaking Muhajir community of Pakistan.
Tamim al-Ansari (Arabic: تميم بن زيد الأنصاري) was a Muslim saint whose dargah (shrine) is located in Kovalam, Tamil Nadu. Al-Ansari was born in Medina, Saudi Arabia and is a Sahabi (companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad).
Mohammad Hamid Ansari, (Urdu: मोहम्मद हामिद अंसारी) (born 1 April 1937), Vice-President of India.
Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, Hindi: ख़्वाजा अहमद अब्बास) (7 June 1914 – 1 June 1987), popularly known as K. A. Abbas, was an Indian film director, novelist, screenwriter, and journalist in the Urdu. Abbas's family tree goes back to Aiyub Ansari, the companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.
Asad Ansari, Pakistani-Canadian accused of terrorism.
Faheem Ansari, also known as Mohammad Faheem Ansari, arrested as a terrorist in 2008 however acquitted.
Khalid A. H. Ansari, is an Indian businessman and journalist.
Khizar Humayun Ansari, is a British academic who was awarded an OBE in 2002 for his work in the field of race and ethnic relations.
Mustafa Hussain Ansari, (Arabic: مولانا (علامه) مصطفى حسين انصارى, born March 21, 1945, died April 27, 2006 in Srinagar) was a Kashmiri writer and speaker.
Rais Ansari (or Rayees Ansari), Urdu poet from Lucknow, India.
SM Razaullah Ansari, (Shaikh Mohammad Razaullah Ansari, born 1932), historian of science, physicist, astronomer and author from India.
Sheikh Sadiq Ali Ansari, Sheikh Sadiq Ali, was a Deputy Collector in the Upper Sind Frontier District.
Zafar Ahmed Ansari, (Urdu: ﻇﻔﺮ احمد اﻧﺻﺎﺭﻯ) was the joint secretary of All India Muslim League.
Ziaur Rahman Ansari, former minister and politician.
Abidullah Ghazi, author of Islamic educational textbooks for children and the executive director of International Educational Foundation.
Wazir Khan (Lahore), (real name Hakim Shaikh Ilam-ud-din Ansari) was a native of Chiniot, whose family migrated to Lahore. For other family connections in Lahore also see the articles on Fakir Khana and Hakim Ahmad Shuja.
Abu Salem, underworld Don and former member of D-company.
Imdad Ali Imam Ali Kazi, (Sindhi: علامه آء آء قاضي) (b. 1886 – d.1968), was a scholar, philosopher, jurist, and educationist. Kazi was the second son of the second wife of Kazi Imam Ali Ansari.
Ishaque Ahmed Ansari,(Sindhi: اسحاق احمد انصاري) is a writer in the Sindhi language.
Sarah Ansari,is a professor of history at Royal Holloway, University of London. Ansari's research interests relate to the recent history of South Asia, and particularly Pakistan.
Aziz Ansari, (born 1983), American stand-up comedian.
Bushra Ansari, (Urdu: بشریٰ انصاری; PP) is a Pakistani television presenter, singer, actress, comedian, playwright, and author who started as a child performer in the 1960s and has remained a major TV personality for over four decades.
Asma Hussain, Hindi: अस्मा हुसैन, born Lucknow, India) is an Indian fashion designer.
Jamshed Ansari, (Urdu: جمشید انصاری) (c. 1945 – 24 August 2005), Pakistani film actor.
Suzana Ansar, (born 1989), English singer and actor of Bangladeshi descent.
Humayun Saeed, (Urdu: ہمایوں سعید; born 27 July 1971), Pakistani actor, producer and director; CEO of Six Sigma Entertainment.
Saman Ansari, is a Pakistani actress and public speaker. Residing in Dubai, she starting acting in October 2014 and has performed in various Pakistani television dramas and TV soaps.
Ghulam Ali (cricketer), (born September 8, 1966, Karachi, Sindh) is a former Pakistani cricketer who played three ODIs between 1993 and 1995.
Akbar Ansari, (born 3 July 1988) is an English first class and List A cricketer who played his first class games for Cambridge University Cricket Club and Cambridge University Centre of Cricketing Excellence.
Mohammad Ansari, a Pakistani cricketer.
Munis Ansari, an Indian-born Omani cricketer.
Shahensha Ansari, (born 23 December 1981) is an Indian footballer who plays as a midfielder for United Sikkim F.C. in the I-League.
Zafar Ansari, (born 10 December 1991) is an English cricketer who plays for Surrey County Cricket Club. A spin-bowling all-rounder, he bowls left-arm orthodox spin, and bats left-handed.
Fatima Ansari(born 12 June 1995) is a football player from Pakistan.
Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari, (Hindi: मुख़्तार अहमद अंसारी Urdu: مُختار احمد انصاری) was an Indian nationalist and political leader, and former president of the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League during the Indian Independence Movement.
Abdur Razzaque Ansari, was a nationalist, freedom fighter, and a weavers revolution leader. He was from Ranchi.
Mukhtar Ansari, is an Indian gangster-turned-politician from Uttar Pradesh. He has been elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly from the Mau constituency a record four times.
Afzal Ansari, (born 14 August 1953) is an Indian politician belonging to the Quami Ekta Dal. He won the 2004 general Lok Sabha election on the Samajwadi Party ticket from Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh.
Sibakatullah Ansari, is a Samajwadi Party politician from Mohammadabad in eastern Uttar Pradesh, India.
Abbas Ansari,(born 12 Feb 1992) is an Indian shooter, in shotgun shooting.
Azimulhaq Pahalwan,(Urdu: عظیم الحق پہلوان Hindi: अजीमुल हक पहलवान) is an Indian politician and a member of the Sixteenth Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh of India.
Mohammad Jasmir Ansari,(Hindi: मोहम्मद जसमीर अंसारी) is an Indian politician and a member of the 16th Legislative Assembly in India.
Mohammad Yusuf Ansari,(Hindi: मोहम्मद युसूफ अंसारी) is an Indian politician and a member of the 16th Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh of India. He represents the Moradabad Nagar constituency of Uttar Pradesh and is a member of the Samajwadi Party.
Shazil Islam Ansari,(Hindi: शाज़िल इस्लाम अंसारी) is an Indian politician and a member of the Sixteenth Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh in India. He represents the Bhojipura constituency of Uttar Pradesh and is a member of the Ittehad-e-Millat Council political party.
Mohamed Ayub, Hindi: डॉ. मोहम्मद अयूब {Tamil - டாக்டர் முஹம்மது அயுப்} is an Indian politician and president of the Peace Party of India.
Hayatullah Ansari, (1912-1999) was an Indian author and politician from Uttar Pradesh.
Furkan Ansari, (born 5 February 1948), was an Indian politician.
Ali Anwar, a politician from Janata Dal (United) party, is a member of the Parliament of India representing Bihar in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Parliament.
Haji Hussain Ansari, is a minister in Government of Jharkhand headed by Hemant Soren. Ansari is a leader of JMM.
Dr. Shaukatullah Shah Ansari, (12 May 1908 – 29 December 1972) was an Indian politician and diplomat.
Mohammad Abbas Ansari, is a prominent political leader and Shia cleric from Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir.
Maulana Mohammad Abbas Ansari, (born 1936), revolutionary Shiite Muslim leader in Jammu & Kashmir and founder of Ittihadul Muslimeen.
Molvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari, (Kashmiri: मौलवी इफ्तिखार हुसैन अंसारी (Devanagari), مولوی افتخار حسین انصاری (Nastaleeq)) is a Kashmiri Shia cleric, politician and businessman.
Molvi Imran Raza Ansari, (Urdu: مولوی عمران رضا انصاری, born 7 March 1972), son of veteran statesman Molvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari.
Muhammad Akram Ansari, Pakistani politician, member of the National Assembly of Pakistan (MNA).
Muhammad Hanif Ansari, (Urdu: محمد حنیف انصاری) was a politician, businessman and philatelist from Faisalabad.
Salim Miya Ansari, a Nepalese politician.
Master Taj-ud-Din Ansari, a Pakistani politician.
Zain Ansari (born July 17, 1950 in Pir-jo Goth, Sindh, a Pakistani politician.
Army officers and freedom fighters
Abdul Qaiyum Ansari,(1 July 1905 – 18 January 1973) was a participant in the freedom struggle of India. leader against the demand of Muslim league for creation of a separate Muslim nation.
Abdur Razzaque Ansari, nationalist, freedom fighter, and weavers' revolution leader.
Mateen Ansari, GC (c. 1915 – 29 October 1943) of the 5th Battalion, 7th Rajput Regiment, in the Indian Army during World War II.
Brigadier Mohammad Usman (15 July 1912 – 3 July 1948) was the highest-ranking officer of Indian Army killed in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947.
Mufti Amjad Ali Aazmi, Urdu: مفتى امجد على اعظمى) (November 1882 – September 6, 1948), also known as Sadr-ush-Shariah (Urdu: صدر الشريعه, Chief of the Islamic Law), was an Islamic jurist, writer and former Grand Mufti and Qadi of India.
Abdul Hakim Ansari (Urdu خواجه عبدالحكيم انصاري) (July 29, 1893 – January 23, 1977), a Sufi of the Naqshbandi, Chishti orders.
Abdul Haq Ansari (1 September 1931 – 3 October 2012), Islamic scholar from India.
Rashid Ahmad Gangohi (Abū Mas‘ūd Rashīd Aḥmad ibn Hidāyat Aḥmad Ayyūbī Anṣārī Rāmpūrī Gangohī) (Urdu: ابو مسعود رشید احمد بن ہدایت احمد ایوبی انصاری رامپوری گنگوہی; Arabic: رشيد أحمد الكنكوهي) (Rashīd Aḥmad al-Kankūhī; 10 May 1829 – 11 August 1905) was an Indian Islamic scholar who co-founded the Deobandi Islamic movement at the Darul Uloom Deoband Madrasah.
Sahar Ansari, TI (Urdu: سحر انصاری) is an Urdu poet, critic, and scholar of Urdu literature and linguistics from Pakistan.
Zafar Ishaq Ansari, Pakistani scholar of Islamic Studies.
Pir Roshan (Pashto: بايزيد انصاري), also known as Pīr Roshān or Pīr Rokhān (Pashto: پیر روښان, "the enlightened Pir"; Persian: پیر روشن) (1525 - 1581/1585), was a Pashtun warrior, poet, Sufi master and intellectual from the Ormur tribe.
Muhammad Mian Mansoor Ansari(Urdu: مولانا محمد میاں منصور انصاری), (March 10, 1884 - January 11, 1946) was a leader and a political activist of the Indian independence movement.
