| Total population |
|---|
| about 1 Million |
| Regions with significant populations |
| Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, UAE & US |
| Languages |
Labbay, Labbai, Labba, Labbabeen (Tamil : லப்பய், Urdu : ﻟﺐ ﺑﮯ) is an Islamic community in southern India. A trading community spread through the southern states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, Labbays follow either the Hanafi or Shafi'i school of fiqh.
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Their name is derived from the Arabic phrase Labbay'k (Arabic: لبیک), which translated means - Here I am. The Labbay Community is thought to be one of the first trading communities to arrive on the Coromandel and Malabar Coasts from abroad.
Labbays are said to have descended from traders who originated in the Persian Gulf,[1] and also many converts from the southern states of India. Since the late thirteenth century, Labbays specialised in the trade and manufacture of leather, tobacco, grains and spices from as far away as China and South East Asia.
The community is now based in towns such as Kilakarai, Kayalpatnam and Adiramapattinam. This community also lives in Vellore District. A large Number of population who are traders and leather manufacturers. They live in Vellore, Melvisharam, Amber, Vaniyambadi, Pernambut in large numbers. These people have distinct culture, decent living. The people belonging to this community should have migrated from Pondicherry, Cuddalore, Tirunelveli and from other coastal district about two hundred years ago. Presently the Labbai community people in Vellore district speak Urdu. The majority in the latter two towns are thought to be descendants of people from Cairo, Egypt, whereas those in Kilakarai are mostly descended from Arabia, Yemen and Iran.