During a fundraising visit to a Muslim community in Chiapas, Mexico, Ustadh Nouman drew attention to how they embraced Islam against all odds, with no support from more affluent Muslims in the US or elsewhere.

With privilege, comes a huge responsibility, especially carried by Muslims in North America, to support their brothers and sisters that are less fortunate. It is an obligation that we must all fulfill, not only with money, but with our time by volunteering with support organizations.

He meets with a Muslim chaplain and his family, noting that Islam has culturally diverse manifestations and that becoming a Muslim does not mean shedding everything about your culture. When Islam enters your life it helps you get rid of all the frivolous, shameless aspects of your life before Islam, but it does not stipulate that you abandon your culture wholesale. It refines your behavior and makes you a better version of yourself.

In Latin America generally, he notes how you won’t find the outcry against Islam and the negative preconceptions about the religion that is prevalent in the Western world. This makes it all the more urgent to expand da’wah efforts in Latin America where Muslim chaplains will not have to struggle against existing power structures ideologically opposed to them.

The level of curiosity about Islam in this part of the world is high and genuine, and so it is a perfect opportunity to spread literature about the teachings of the religion in all the local languages. We need to use all our human and financial means to support these small communities.

There is a heavy obligation on our shoulders as affluent Muslims to support new Muslims that Allah guided without any effort on our part.