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 ar, مؤمن, muʾmin, lit=believer) were originally followers of the
Satpanthi Ismaili tradition of the fifteenth-century
Ismaili
Isma'ilism ( ar, الإسماعيلية, al-ʾIsmāʿīlīyah) is a branch or sub-sect of Shia Islam. The Isma'ili () get their name from their acceptance of Imam Isma'il ibn Jafar as the appointed spiritual successor (imām) to Ja'far al-Sa ...
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'').
References
{{Indian Muslim
Muslim communities of India