Surti Muslims

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Surti Muslims (Surtees) adhere to Hanafi Sunni Islam. They originated from the districts of Surat and Ankleshwar in the state of Gujarat, India. Outside of India, Gujarati-speaking Sunni Muslims are also regarded as Surti or Surtees. A large number of Gujarati-speaking Muslims have immigrated throughout the world, especially to Pakistan, United Kingdom, South Africa, United States of America and Canada. The majority follow Darul Uloom Deoband for their religious guidance. They have established many mosques and Islamic schools throughout the world and have produced a large number of well-respected Ālim and Hifz. They are a Gujarati Muslim community.

[edit] Surti around the World

Many Surti Muslims live in Mumbai , especially in the Northern and Western suburbs such as Andheri , Jogeshwari , Goregaon , Malad , Kandivali and Nala Sopara where the Muslim population is quite high. They share the living space in Mumbai with Gujarati Hindus and Jains , especially along the busy SV Road. Most of them are Gujarati-speaking and are characterized by writing in the Gujarati script rather than in the Arabic script. They are mostly engaged in medium-sized businesses, and some of them are very prominent industrialists while some are very poor people. They still retain the traditional dress - the men wear a white skullcap known as topi and wear a white cotton full-sleeved shirt flowing and reaching down to the knees and sometimes to above the ankles, cut across to the upper thighs. The women still wear the all-enveloping Burqa sometimes referred to as the oonghat or ghoomto. This usually covers the head and hair, but not the face. Affluent women sometimes wear "designer" Burqas embroidered and sequinned. Many Surti Muslims live in the middle-class residential areas such as Sunder Nagar, Madinah Manzil and Rani Sati Nagar on SV Road. Many Surti Muslims can be found , usually engaged in the Dairy-business, such as owning Milk and Dairy products' stores , owning large Milking Centres and Cow and Buffalo sheds. Many of them are also professionally qualified Doctors and Engineers , and some have diversified into other business, like the Meat-Processing industry in Mumbai, and the Pharmaceutical Retail business. Surti Muslims are divided on the lines of Caste and Class like most other Gujarati Muslim communities. The Vohra (merchant) Caste is at the top of the social ladder, while the Backward Castes such as Khalipha (musician), Hajjam (barber) and Dhobi are much lower in the socio-economic ladder.^{[citation needed]}