A Struggle to remain giving Dawa according to
Quran and Sunnah
Provided by Muslim Center de Mexico
The presence of Muslims in Mexico is hard to trace, we know that we've had many immigrants mainly from Turkey, Lebanon and Syria, but we don't know for certain how many Muslims were among them. A study was made by Theresa Velcamp, from Georgetown University in 1999 that showed evidence that approximately 10 % of the immigrants of Syrian or Lebanese origin were Muslim. Today the Syrian Lebanese community is one of the richest in Mexico and exceeds 200,000 people. Among them is the richest man in Latin America Carlos Slim the son of Yusof Salim.
Among this wave of Arab immigrants Islam has for the most part been removed from their daily lives. Islam is a verb that means obedience and submission to a way of life consequently it wouldn't be fair to say that Islam has been present in Mexico. There's no proof that Islam was present in any way in Mexico with or before these waves of Arab immigration. We have however found one specific exception in a book called "Un hereje y Un Musulman" by Pascual Almazan. The book mentions a story of Yusof bin Alabaz who was one of those expelled by the Christains in Reconquista of Spain and went to Morroco where he was robbed by the Pirates so he found his way to Mexico in the 16th Century. It is reported that Yusof bin Alabaz hated the Christians who obliged his father (who accordingly was from the Family of the Prophet Muhammed SAW) to leave Islam and become Christian. He Started corresponding with the Muslim World and received a letter from a Qadi in Morroco encouraging him to be steadfast. It has been reported that he used to try and make everyone in Veracruz, Mexico accept Islam, may Allah reward him for his efforts.
Islam today is beginning to be noticed and recognized by hundreds of thousands of Mexicans, including dozens of institutions, universities and governmental bodies. This is due to Allah's degree and secondly to a group of organized Muslims that are working hard to raise the honor of Islam and help the Mexican people see the True Light of Islam.
