The Qur’an in Tzotzil Language
- About the community (Mexico)
In a small place called San Cristobal de Las Casas, in the southern state of Chiapas in Mexico lives a small community of largely indigenous Muslims. The community of Masjid Omar is one that Ahlaha has been remotely involved with for some years now. Sayyid Zain from Ahlaha visited this place first in Ramadan 1443 (April 2022).
2.1 Why is Ahlaha involved
A key point raised is that this small community of Muslims here know of the Ummah, a larger worldwide Muslim community. However, it is something in the mind, but not felt in the hearts of this young remote society. Ahlaha together with the local imam from Syria have outlined a string of projects the community is in need of and their priorities. These projects will help this Muslim community to root itself stronger within the community and allow it to grow and provide access for the indigenous people to learn about Islam and in reading the Quran (in their native language).
2.2 How is Ahlaha involved
The Ahlaha Team in collaboration with the local imam is creating a platform to enable the community to run their projects in this remote area of Mexico with local volunteers. An area where it’s the second slowest economy in Mexico, people (including early teens at times) need to work for the household, so the volunteers could not continue. Funds are needed to get the volunteers as staff and for printing, and basic commentary for clarity and context. Some of the community members are blind or illiterate and it is in the plan to get recording equipment and have the translation recorded in audio. Cost estimate: USD700 a month and it’s difficult to say at this moment, how many months will this continue for.
2.3 Summary mention of the projects done in the past (one pic – name – date – summary – when ready, a hyper link to the blogpost that explains that project in more detail)
PROJECT 1:
Name: Running a charity entity
Date:
Summary: The requirements of running a charity entity in Mexico requires the community to pay an accountant to maintain the accounts. This is normal but for a small community this is costly. This is needed however if they are going to continue to receive funds from abroad to grow.
Picture: Insert picture of an account lol
Insert Link
PROJECT 2:
Name: Permanent place for a Mosque and Women’s Learning Community Center
Date:
Summary: After observing how they’ve developed the current site, the landlord is keen to take back the property. Albeit a small community, the mosque is the only place in Mexico that is open for five prayers a day. It’s also the place where lessons for women take place, as the men are based at a musolla they built nearby.
Picture: Insert picture of the Mosque of Center
Insert Link
PROJECT 3:
Name: Translation of the Quran in local language (Tzotzil)
Date:
Summary: The translation project is important as during our visit Sayyid Zain had given a lesson in English, translated into Spanish by the local Imam. Afterwards a youth member spoke with him and then went to the elders to re-convey key points of the lesson in Tzotzil, their native language. When an old man or woman embraces Islam, so does those in his family and in this family oriented society, this is a big deal. Current update of the translation project:
- 33 surahs/chapters have been done, mainly the last two juzs of the Qur’an.
- 10 long surahs have been done too but have yet to be reviewed.
Picture: Insert picture
Insert Link
If you’re interested in donating to this specific initiative, or another project for this same community, contact Zain al-Haddad at ahlaha.project@gmail.com. Depending on where you are, funds are usually sent to my UK, Singapore or Malaysian bank account. Only if need be, to PayPal. For North American donors tend to channel their donations straight to Mexico.
A more elaborate background
In 2014 Idris and Yusuf, two Muslims of this same community, were my classmates during my first year of Arabic lessons in Dar al-Mustafa seminary for Islamic studies in Tareem, Hadhramout (Yemen).
Idris left in 2016/2017 as his wife was expecting their third child and Yusuf left in 2021. The others were ladies, one being Idris’s wife and the other being her sister who is still in Dar az-Zahraa, in Tareem.
In Tareem, these four Mexican students were taken care of by an American brother originally from Honduras, by the name of Ustadh Gibril Hernandez. He knew of them before and had spent Ramadhan in 2013 or 2014 in San Cristobal teaching there.
They were sent to Tareem by their local imam, a Syrian trained scholar by the name of Shaykh Mudar Abdul Ghani who moved to Mexico about twenty years ago. He was initially the imam in the main mosque in Mexico City as well as lecturing about Islam in the university there. He later relocated to the south where he found he was able to contribute more.
Zain’s and Gibril’s involvement:
I, on the other hand, backpacked in South America in 2008 and 2010 and when I was in Tareem in 2013 for the summer school program, I happened to be one of the students Gibril had to take care of. Due to my Latin American experience, and him being married to a Malaysian, and our affinity for humour and hip hop, we naturally got along.
When I moved to Tareem in 2014, assisted again by Gibril, he introduced me to Shaykh Mudar as well as the cohort of Mexican students that came and became my classmates. Him, others and myself would overlook the welfare of this first batch of Mexicans to study in Tareem, including hosting Shaykh Mudar each time he came to visit.
In 2019, my family and I made plans to move to Mexico to assist the Masjid Omar community. Unfortunately after flying from London, we were told upon arrival at Mexico City, that we were denied entry. We were detained and sent back to London the next day. No clear reason was given despite the Malaysian Embassy coming to help. The immigration insisted that we were not banned, a Reject stamp won’t be on our passports and that perhaps we can come again but just not now.
In 2022, I made a solo 12 day trip to San Cristobal de Las Casas via Mexico City and alhamdulillah all went well.
A key point mentioned by Shaykh Mudar is that the small community of Muslims here know of the ummah, a larger worldwide Muslim community. However, it is something in the mind, but not felt in the hearts of this young remote society.
