History of Ansari

Ansari (Arabic: انصاری) is a Nesbat in Middle East and South Asia. It originates from Ansar (Arabic: انصار) the Medinan people that helped Islamic prophet Muhammad when he migrated from Mecca to Medina. The literal meaning of Ansar is supporters.

Arabic Usage


The name itself is not used as a surname among Arabs, patronymics is used instead. The word is added as a title to the end of the name, if one has an ancestor who was an Ansar. This kind of use of a name is called "Nesbat" in Arabic, meaning "relation". In modern times, however, the surname Al-Ansari is widely used in many Persian Gulf and Arab nations.

Iranian Usage

In contrast, Iranians use surnames instead of Patronymics. In Iran, it has become a a Surname, since Iranian use surnames. This has also happened with the "Tabatabai", also originally a Nesbat.

Pakistani and Indian Usage


The Ansari surname goes as far as being used in Pakistan, northern India and Bangladesh, to show a lineage or ancestral link to the Ansar of Medina. Through the various waves of migration from the Arabian Peninsula, Iran, Central Asia, and Afghanistan, descendants of the Ansar tribes arrived in the Indian Subcontinent. These families, mainly came either as scholars, government administrators and functionaries, soldiers or officers. Ansaris in the Indian Subcontinent hail both from the Shi'a and Sunni Muslim schools of thought.

The main original settlements and concentrations of Ansaris on the Indian Subcontinent, were in Multan, Pakistan; the Sindh province, Pakistan; Lilla, in western Punjab, Pakistan; Panipat, India; Saharanpur, India; Gorakhpur, India; and Lucknow, India - see,Firangi Mahal.

It seems that over a period of time, others, and many of the new Muslim converts, in India also identified themselves as Ansari, to show reverence to their Islamic faith. Many of these in northern India and Pakistan were involved in fabric manufacturing i.e. weavers (Urdu: julahay). Often, but not necessarily, Ansari is used to identify a caste, as well. In the Indian Hindu Caste System and in the (Urdu: baradari) system traditionally, different cast were involved or associated with different trades or professions. See also, Islam in India.

 
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4 Responses
  1. gravatar Anonymous

    OBC among muslims majority belong to Ansari community.The It originates from Ansar the Medinan people that helped Islamic prophet Muhammad when he migrated from Mecca to Medina.

    Khan Bahadur Sheikh Sadiq Ali wrote in his works published in 1901-

    "Ansaris were originally Jews or Bani Israel. Their great ancestor, Shamul, was a physician and councillor in the service of King Toba, who was a king in Yemen. Toba, during the time of his reign, marched into Arabia and arrived in Yasrab, which was then the name of the town of Medina. He had four hundred physicians and councillors with him, of whom Shamul was the chief and they all told the king that they intended to settle down there as the last of the prophets would immigrate to that place and live there and they wished to be reckoned amongst his followers.Toba wrote a letter by his own hand, declaring that he embraced Islam in anticipation, and delivered it to Shamul, with instructions that the letter was to be treated as a legacy to be delivered in succession until it was handed over to the prophet by some one of his descendants. The letter was delivered to the prophet one thousand and fifty three years after by the writer’s great ancestor, Khalid bin Zed, commonly known as Hazrat Abu Ayub Ansari. After Shamul, our ancestors were divided into two sub-divisions, called – 1. Al Khazraj and 2. Al Os"

    Hazrat Ayub was descended from Khazraj. When the prophet emigrated to Medina, he stopped for seven months in the house of Hazrat Ayub, and the two families of Khazraj and Os were given distinction of ‘Ansar’, which became tribal name afterwards, as they gave protection to the prophet after his emigration from Mecca and assisted him in his mission ever after and composed his army.The ancestral link from Medina was brought to India by the descendants of Abu Ayub Ansari who were members of Mohammed Bin Qasim's army when he invaded Sindh. Some of those early Ansaris settled in Paat, district Dadu.They are settled in Punjab, Pakistan; Panipat, Kairana, Allahabad, Kanpur, Lucknow, Meerut, Saharanpur, Gangoh, Gorakhpur, Ballia, Moradabad,and Lucknow.The ansari of indian origin their traditional work is to weave the cloths these majority of Ansaris living in Varanasi, Bhadohi, Jaunpur, Azamgarh belong to weaver community.

    Its irony that the community of arab/ansar is included in OBC list of bihar state and central government, sharing a bread with traditional weaver,s community.

  2. yes ansar is higger caste so why should we be treated as obc remove ansari from obc in india
    Imran ansari- mumbai(law student)

  3. Thank you for your useful information.
    In terms of caste and community i want to say something...
    "All Muslim brothers must be united
    irrespective of the title written after our name "

    Because insaan kabhi bhi title , paisa ya fir aude se nahi bada hota balki wo apni soch aur apne kaam se bada hota hai ... Er. Tabish Ansari

  4. gravatar Kamal Ansari Sindh Pakistan

    Thanks to all who have taken part in collecting history of our tribe. So in that case we Ansaris of Sindh Pakistan had come with Muhammad bin Qasim and helped him in conquering it, wow its great our ancesters helped Holy Prophet Muammad (p.b.u.h) to conquer whole Arab, n our ancestors helped Muhammad bin Qasim to conquer Sindh which is known as Bab-ul-Islam as Islam spread to all indian sub-continent therafter.So the other castes who became Muslims should be thankful to us! But by this it doesn,t mean that we r superior to others but its just telling u guys the facts of our glorious History.