In 1866, the Ottoman vessel in which Imam Aburrahman Al-Baghdádi was traveling, while fleeing strong winds on his journey to Iraq, docked in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Upon arriving at the port, the Imam was surprised by a large black Islamic community living in the country. Representati- ves of this community asked the Imam to stay longer in the country so they could learn from him. Due to the Brazilian government’s strong repression against Muslim religious organizations after the Malês Insurrection, the Imam began teaching clandestinely and stayed in Brazil for 3 years, living among black communities, in the states of Rio de Janeiro, Bahia and Pernambuco. AL-Baghdádi left a very complete account of his experience in Brazil and his words are very important for the understanding we have today of these communities that fought for freedom and expressed their faith in the most diverse ways in search of physical and spiritual survival.