| Languages | |
|---|---|
| Tamil,Dakhni | |
| Religion | |
 Islam (Sect:-Sunni, Madhab:-Hanafi orShafi'i) | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Tamil Muslims,Tamil people,Rowther,Marakkar,Deccani Muslims |
Labbay (Tamil : லப்பய் ,Urdu : ﻟﺐ ﺑﮯ alsoLabbai,Labba,Labbabeen,Lebbay,Lebbai), are aTamilMuslim trading community[1][2] insouthern India found throughout the southern Indian states ofTamil Nadu,Karnataka,Kerala andAndhra Pradesh. The Labbay are a subgroup within theTamil Muslim community.[3]
Labbay is derived from the Arabic phraseLabbay'k[citation needed] (Arabic : لبیک ), from a prayer known in Arabic asTalbiyah. Labbay is a surname forArwi-speaking Muslims in coastal regions, especiallyKayalpattinam,Adirampattinam,Kilakarai andSri Lanka, in addition to many other coastal villages in Tamil Nadu.[citation needed] Labbays identify as descendants of Arab traders who intermarried with local women.[4][5]
The earliest historical evidence of Muslim settlement on theCoromandel coast dates from the ninth century; with an edict in 875 A.D. by the king of Madurai granting asylum to a group of Arab immigrants. Even as the community gained momentum their connection with North India was thin. Like theMappillas, the Coromandel Muslims became prosperous maritime traders. In later times they took on the appellations ofmaraikkayar to distinguish themselves from the hinterlandHanafi Labbay Muslims of the tamilnadu[4]
Before the arrival of theDutch in the region, the Muslim hinterland traders and Muslim maritime traders and boat makers were part of the same community. They both claimed to descend fromArabs and intermarried withHindus. While in some regions the title "Labbay" carried a stigma due to it being held by converts, the Labbay traders were able to change its meaning into a title of social and religious superiority.[5]
Since the Labbay traders were the only literate Muslims in the region, they became priests, registrars, and commentators of theQuran. Their role as priests gave them high-status in the Muslim community, and great wealth in their role as traders. They spoke Tamil, but wrote it in theArabic script also known asArwi. They previously prohibited intermarriages and common funeral grounds between them and other Muslim communities.[5]
The Labbay are Sunni Muslims. They follow theHanafi school or theShafi'i school infiqh.[6][7] The Labbay community mostly live in coastal settlements in Tamil Nadu.[8]
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