Momna

The momna, sometimes referred to as Mumna or Momina, is a Muslim community found in the state of Gujarat in India.

History and origin

Momnas or Momans (from Arabic: مؤمن, romanized: muʾmin, lit. 'believer') were originally followers of the Satpanthi Ismaili tradition of the fifteenth-century Ismaili Shi‘i dignitary Imam al-Din, or Imamshah. However, during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Aurengzeb, the Ismaili Momnas were heavily persecuted and were forced to practice pious circumspection (taqiyyah), outwardly adhering to other traditions within Islam. Over time, many Momnas lost contact with their original faith. Presently, the Momnas who adhere to Ismailism are known as “the Momnas of the old faith” (junā dharma nā moman), while those who were converted to Sunni Islam are known as “the Momnas of the new faith” (navā dharma nā moman).