Labbay

Labbay is derived from the Arabic phrase Labbay'k (Arabic : لبیک ), which means - Here I am, is a title for Tamil-speaking & Urdu-speaking Muslims who are converts to Islam who self-identify as descendants of Arab traders who intermarried with local women.[3][4]

The earliest historical evidence of Muslim settlement on the Coromandel 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 the Mappillas, the Coromandel Muslims became prosperous maritime traders. In later times they took on the appellations of maraikkayar to distinguish themselves from the rural Hanafi Muslims of the Tamil hinterland[3].

Before the arrival of the Dutch in the region, the Muslim hinterland traders and Muslim maritime traders & boat makers were part of the same community. They both claimed to descend from Arabs and intermarried with Hindus. 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.[4]

Since the Labbay traders were the only literate Muslims in the region, they became priests, registrars, and commentators of the Quran. 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 the Arabic script also known as Arwi. They previously prohibited intermarriages and common funeral grounds between them and other Muslim communities.[4]

• Tamil Muslim