Overwhelmed by poverty, rent struggles, and wavering faith as a minority Muslim – need genuine advice

Salam alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh, I’m a young Muslim man, and I’m going through a really hard time. I need some real talk from scholars or brothers and sisters in the Ummah who know their stuff. Sorry if my English isn’t great-just bear with me. I’m hoping someone can help me make sense of things through the Quran and Sunnah. My family is dirt poor. We literally have nothing-no land, savings, gold, or any assets. For over 30 years, all we’ve known is renting. I work myself to the bone, but my pay barely covers the rent and basic food. Because of this, marriage feels like a dream I can’t catch. I don’t even have a room to call my own, let alone a place to bring a wife. I know in Islam a husband should provide a home, but right now it seems impossible. I gotta say, it bugs me when speakers go on about how the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was “poor.” To me, if you own just a tiny house-even without a separate room-you’ve got some security, so you’re not really poor by today’s standards. And the Prophet (PBUH) owned his own place. Yeah, they say he’d go a month without a cooking fire or food. My family’s been there too, with empty stomachs. But there’s a huge difference: we can’t just wait it out quietly. The rent doesn’t care if we’ve eaten or not. The landlord just wants his money, or we’re out on the street. The Prophet (PBUH) never had to deal with the stress of eviction notices or rent hanging over his head. In that worldly way, we’re worse off. On top of that, in my country, Muslims are a tiny minority-maybe 9-10%. We face daily discrimination, tensions, and hurdles just for practicing our deen, like wearing hijab or eating halal. Being a minority makes everything harder, and crushing poverty makes you feel like there’s no way out. Then I look at some wealthy Arab Muslims in the Gulf-Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar-with oil money, fancy cars, palaces, and easy lives. Meanwhile, so many non-Arab Muslims, who are actually the majority of the Ummah in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Africa, are barely scraping by. We work like dogs from morning to night and still can’t afford the basics. This messes with my head and my faith. Why does it seem like Allah gives so much to Arabs but leaves non-Arab minorities with nothing? I’m not asking for a palace or multiple wives like the rich folks. I just want one righteous wife and a simple little house so we can live peacefully. It gets even worse. Some local Christian groups come to poor Muslims here and offer real help: a house, money, and support for marriage-if we’d just convert. A few have left Islam out of pure desperation. I can’t totally judge them, because the struggle is real-living with no future, no home, facing prejudice, and feeling completely alone. Sometimes it feels like we have to choose between staying Muslim and dying in hardship, or leaving Islam just to survive. I know the teachings: an Arab isn’t better than a non-Arab except through taqwa. I know wealth and poverty are tests. But when I see this huge gap, and when some rich people look down on or mock poor, dark-skinned non-Arabs, it cuts deep. How can I trust that Allah will bring justice in the Hereafter when the Ummah feels so forgotten in this life? Does Allah only care about the rich and the Arabs? I’m still holding onto my faith, but my heart is heavy. I make dua every day for a wife and a home, but nothing seems to change. Please, I need clarity on these things: - How should a poor minority Muslim make sense of this massive gap between well-off Arab Muslims and the struggling bulk of the Ummah? - Is it sinful that I feel this much pain, anger, and doubt? - What practical steps can a guy take for marriage and a home when the system seems stacked against us poor folks? - How do I hold onto my iman so I don’t fall into hopelessness or get pulled in by charities that offer help if I leave Islam? Are there any Muslim groups-local or worldwide-that actually help poor minorities with housing or interest-free marriage support, instead of just giving lectures from textbooks? I’m not trying to complain against Allah. I just want honest answers and guidance so I can keep my faith with some peace in my heart. Jazakum Allahu khairan.