The Muslim Halwai are a

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

community found in various parts of India and Pakistan, mainly in Uttar Pradesh. They have their ancestral backgrounds from Arabian tribes. Halwai

caste Caste is a form of social stratification characterised by endogamy, hereditary transmission of a style of life which often includes an occupation, ritual status in a hierarchy, and customary social interaction and exclusion based on cultura ...

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Halva Halva (also halvah, halwa, and other spellings, Persian : حلوا) is a type of confectionery originating from Persia and widely spread throughout the Middle East. The name is used for a broad variety of recipes, generally a thick paste made f ...

means ''sweets'' in Hindi and ''Halvai'' or ''Halwai'' are sweet makers. Their preferred self-designation is Shaikh. They are also known as Mohammadi Halwai, Faridi, Adnani, Siddiqui.

History and origin

The Halwai are a community associated with the manufacture of sweetmeats. Their name comes from the Arabic word

, which means a sweetmeat. They have the following subdivision, the Purbi or eastern and Pachaon or western group, and speak Urdu, as well as local dialects of Hindi. These sub-divisions are further divided into clans, known as ''biradaris'', which claim descent from a common ancestor. Important biradaris include the Tobacco Traders, The biscuit Traders and the Sweet Makers but Halwai is common among them. Marriages are preferred within the biradari, and only rarely will take place outside the community.

Present circumstances

The Halwai are a

Sunni Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagr ...

community. They also visit the shrines of various

Sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...

saints found in North India, such as Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti.People of India Uttar Pradesh Volume XLII Part Three by K S Singh page 1042 Manohar Publications. They are a landless community, involved in the selling of sweetmeats, tobacco, and as well as the occupation of dyeing clothes. Members of the community members have taken up jobs in government and private service. They are largely an urban community, living in their residential quarters. Almost all older cities in North India and Pakistan have a ''Halwai Mohalla''People of India Uttar Pradesh Volume XLII Part Three by K S Singh page 1240 Manohar Publications. The Muslim Halwai have their own registered committee with name of All India Muslim Halwai biradari committee to deal with matters relating to the community. Haji Mahmood Ahmad is a founder and President of all India Muslim halwai biradari committee.

References

{{Indian Muslim Muslim communities of India Social groups of Pakistan Social groups of Uttar Pradesh Social groups of Bihar Shaikh clans Muslim communities of Uttar Pradesh

History and origin

Present circumstances

See also

References