Muslim Founder

Thom Defilet is an entrepreneur and revert to Islam from the Netherlands.His path to Islam began through friendships with Muslims and participation in Ramadan while still identifying as an atheist. He officially embraced Islam in 2022, taking the name Rayan - meaning "Gate of the fasting people" in reference to one of the eight gates of Paradise.Connect with Thom:https://www.youtube.com/@thomdefilethttps://www.instagram.com/thomdefilet00:00 Introduction00:44 How the nightclub conversion story went viral02:17 Growing up in the Netherlands and early life struggles04:44 Seeking purpose and self-development journey06:25 Perception of Islam before conversion08:42  Why more people are converting to Islam in the West13:39 Advice for encouraging people toward Islam19:43 The biggest shock of accepting Islam21:53 Moving to Dubai as a Muslim23:19 Balancing luxury and faith in Dubai28:13 First Umrah experience31:59 Learning Arabic and building relationship with Quran37:34 Daily routine and prioritizing Islamic practices40:37 Business ventures and entrepreneurship journey44:27 Advice for young Muslims entering business_____________Muslim Founder Podcast - conversations with leaders who have built successful companies and organisations. Our mission is to inspire Muslims to build things that empower the ummah._____________Connect with Sohaib:https://www.linkedin.com/in/sohaibash/https://www.instagram.com/sohaibashraf97https://twitter.com/sohaibashraf97

Shinaz is the founder of Niyyah, an Islamic education app that is transforming how Muslims connect with the Quran.He studied at the London School of Economics before launching his career in consulting and subsequently transitioning into the venture capital world.In 2023, he founded Niyyah, which now has over 70,000 users across 170 countries and has raised over $2m from investors.Download the Niyyah App:https://www.niyyah.app/Connect with Shinaz:https://www.linkedin.com/in/shinaznavas/00:00 - Introduction01:21 - Growing up in India and moving to the UK05:26 - From consulting to venture capital07:54 - Leaving VC to build Niyyah08:43 - What Niyyah does12:03 - Handling criticism about tech and Islam14:37 - Balancing purpose and profit16:55 - Why most investors are non-Muslims20:26 - Why Muslim consumer apps struggle24:17 - Finding product-market fit28:11 - Opportunities in Muslim tech32:26 - Skills needed as a founder37:23 - Future plans with AI42:33 - Advice for connecting with the Quran44:37 - Do you need to learn Arabic?_____________Muslim Founder Podcast - conversations with leaders who have built successful companies and organisations. Our mission is to inspire Muslims to build things that empower the ummah._____________https://www.linkedin.com/in/sohaibash/https://www.instagram.com/sohaibashraf97

Hasan Kubba is a business coach and co-author of "The Unfair Advantage." He studied economics at SOAS University before building his career in marketing, startups and entrepreneurship.His book hit #1 on Amazon's bestseller list across multiple categories and is now featured in multiple MBA programs across leading universities. He now helps entrepreneurs and creators become bestselling published authors by securing them book deals, with a 100% success rate, working with the likes of Ali Abdaal.Connect with Hassan:https://www.linkedin.com/in/startuphasan/https://www.amazon.com/The-Unfair-Advantage/dp/178816754600:00 - Introduction01:26 - Hassan's Iraqi Heritage & Journey to London02:29 - Why He Dropped Out of Medicine for Economics05:10 - Discovering The 4-Hour Work Week & Starting His Business07:20 - Meeting His Co-Author Ash Ali (Just Eat's First Marketing Director)12:25 - The MILES Framework: Your Unfair Advantages Audit19:09 - Why Your Postcode Determines Your Success22:37 - Status: The Most Powerful Unfair Advantage26:23 - From Consultant to Coach: The Mindset Shift32:46 - How to Actually Get a Traditional Book Deal36:58 - Becoming Ali Abdaal's First Business Coach40:23 - The Biggest Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make47:35 - Why Book Deals Are Like VC Funding54:26 - Personal Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs59:52 - How to Get a TEDx Talk (It's Easier Than You Think)_____________Muslim Founder Podcast - conversations with leaders who have built successful companies and organisations. Our mission is to inspire Muslims to build things that empower the ummah._____________https://www.linkedin.com/in/sohaibash/https://www.instagram.com/sohaibashraf97

Mohammed Faris is the founder of The Productive Muslim and author of the book "The Barakah Effect." In the mid-2000s, he started the Productive Muslim blog, becoming a pioneer in bridging Islamic spirituality, productivity and personal development. Beyond his writing and speaking career, he's developed frameworks like the "Barakah Culture", which frames spiritual growth alongside worldly achievement. Connect with Mohammed Faris:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohammedfaris/https://x.com/MohammedAFarishttps://productivemuslim.com/https://barakaheffectbook.com/00:00 - Introduction 02:07 - What is Barakah? (The Secret to True Productivity)08:04 - Why Hustle Culture is Destroying Your Soul12:56 - Your First Steps to Attaining Barakah.15:40 - How to Invite Barakah Into Your Daily Life18:50 - Habits That Kill Your Barakah.20:56 - The Prophet's ﷺ Daily Routine 25:45 - How to Apply This in the Modern World27:42 - Why Morning Hours Have Special Power29:20 - Building Your Tahajjud Practice (Step-by-Step)31:37 - The Islamic Art of Time Management35:53 - Gardener vs Carpenter: Two Approaches to Life39:07 - Breaking Free From Dunya Attachment42:02 - The 3 Levels of Intention (Niyyah)45:32 - Setting Goals the Islamic Way51:23 - Final piece of advice_____________Muslim Founder Podcast - conversations with leaders who have built successful companies and organisations. Our mission is to inspire Muslims to build things that empower the ummah._____________https://www.linkedin.com/in/sohaibash/https://www.instagram.com/sohaibashraf97

Ibrahim Khan is the co-founder of Islamic Finance Guru and Cur8 Capital, a shariah-compliant investment platform.He studied PPE at Oxford University before starting his career as a corporate lawyer, where he gained experience working in private funds.In 2019, after running IFG as a blog, he decided to leave his corporate career to go full-time on the company. Since then, IFG now educates millions of muslims every year, and its sister company, Cur8 Capital, manages over $120m for over 2,500 Muslims across the world Connect with Ibrahim Khan:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mibrahimkhan/https://www.youtube.com/@IFGuruhttps://cur8.capital/-----00:00 - Introduction 02:02 - How did you know you wanted go into Islamic Finance? 04:55 - What skillset should you acquire to go into Islamic Finance?07:25 - How important are Islamic qualifications for this field?09:51 - What does a TRUE Islamic Finance system look like? 12:15 - What are the missing pieces of Islamic Economics?15:30 - What are the key gaps still missing in Islamic Finance?18:02 - What’s the importance of payment infrastructure?22:30 - Why is insurance ignored?23:59 - Why are there so many failed Islamic Finance startups?26:57 - Is there a talent problem with Islamic startups?28:24 - What’s the IFG/Cur8 story?32:07 - Why did you raise Venture Capital funding?35:47 - What do most founders get wrong when building startups?38:26 - What gets Ibrahim excited about founders?41:25 - Is there a conflict of interest in building an Islamic company?43:51 - Is there a Quran verse you reflect upon a lot?47:42 - Ibrahim's startup advice for Sohaib49:55 - How can Sohaib improve as a person?51:30 - Sohaib’s best and worst moments at IFG_____________Muslim Founder Podcast - conversations with leaders who have built successful companies and organisations. Our mission is to inspire Muslims to build things that empower the ummah.----------https://www.linkedin.com/in/sohaibash/https://www.instagram.com/sohaibashraf97

Abdul Rahman Abbas is a medical doctor and the founder of Pillars, a prayer app used by over a million Muslims worldwide.More recently, he's launched Jibreel, the "Duolingo for Fiqh" - teaching Islamic knowledge through bite-sized lessons.Abdul Rahman is also a pioneer of the Muslim tech community and is known for his "building in public" approach.He’s now left medicine to focus full-time on his tech ventures.Connect with Abdul Rahman:https://x.com/asabbas98https://www.thepillarsapp.com/https://jibreel.app/_____________Muslim Founder Podcast - conversations with leaders who have built successful companies and organisations. Our mission is to inspire Muslims to build things that empower the ummah._____________00:00 - Introduction 01:36 - Balancing medicine with entrepreneurship06:12 - Pillars app origins11:54 - Building your business in public 14:26 - Why did you decide to go full-time in building?15:35 - Pillars, specialities, and long-term commitment18:36 - What is the Jibreel app?22:07 - Which school of thought are you building for?25:39 - Balancing Islamic tech with scholars' input29:02 - Why Muslims should pay for Islamic Knowledge32:47 - Why Muslims don't want to build for Muslim consumers  35:42 - The need for role models in Muslim businesses37:25 - Advice for wanting to build something whilst in a Corporate job?39:25 - Is entrepreneurship a privileged game?44:23 - Muslims applying for tech accelerators46:42 - Why should Muslims build companies?----------https://www.linkedin.com/in/sohaibash/https://www.instagram.com/sohaibashraf97

Iqbal Nasim is the former CEO of NZF, the National Zakat Foundation.He studied economics at Cambridge University before starting his career in investment banking, which he left to join NZF.Under his leadership, NZF transformed how Muslims distribute their zakat, emphasising local impact and institutional development.He’s now the founder of Transform My Prayer, a program which helps muslims spiritually connect with their salah. The Last Day Leadership program, which helps muslims find meaning and purpose in their life.And the In Good Faith Podcast, which helps people lead a God-centred life.Connect with Iqbal Nasimhttps://www.iqbalnasim.com/https://www.youtube.com/@IqbalNasimhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/iqbalnasim/(Also, apologies for my voice, I was very ill whilst recording this episode.)_____________Muslim Founder Podcast - conversations with leaders who have built successful companies and organisations. Our mission is to inspire Muslims to build things that empower the ummah._____________00:00 - Introduction01:35 - Leaving $1m Investment Banking Career.04:12 - What do Muslims get wrong about Zakat?12:51 - Leaving NZF after 10 years.15:14 - Framework for finding the highest impact work in our lives.18:53 - The 3-year death experiment to find our purpose.22:25 - How to transform our prayer.32:52 - The biggest mindset problem in our community.39:55 - Advising Sohaib on his next career steps.44:02 - What is the biggest problem in our community that needs tackling?45:35 - How to find money whilst pursuing our purpose in life? 46:18 - What keeps Iqbal up at night?----------https://www.linkedin.com/in/sohaibash/https://www.instagram.com/sohaibashraf97

Dr. Salah Sharief is an entrepreneur, a student of knowledge, and the founder of Chaptrs, the first audiobook platform for Muslims.He studied law at university, completing his Bachelor's, Master's, and PhD, before spending four years in Egypt studying Islamic knowledge. His first business, Wordsmiths Press, was in translation and editing for Islamic publishers.This expertise also led him to develop Sheikh Yasir Qadhi's renowned Seerah series into a comprehensive book.Connect with Dr Salah:https://www.getchaptrs.com/https://www.facebook.com/salahshariefpage/https://www.instagram.com/drsalahsharief/https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-salah-sharief-12b823137/_____________Muslim Founder Podcast - conversations with leaders who have built successful companies and organisations. Our mission is to inspire Muslims to build things that empower the ummah._____________00:00 - Introduction01:30 - Wanting to be an actor03:05 - Pursuing Academia05:43 - Starting his first business 10:20 - Why students of knowledge stay poor 12:18 - Why did you pursue islamic knowledge?13:12 - How students can be financially stable16:03 - How scholars are financially enslaved17:53 - Quality of people becoming scholars19:06 - Producing Yasir Qadhi Seerah Book.23:23 - Biggest challenge of producing the Seerah Book.28:03 - Building audio books for Muslims 32:15 - Why not just use audible?33:33 - How do you produce the audio books?35:33 - The impact of Chaptrs39:18 - Advice for building a company.  42:05 - Perseverance 42:50 - Dr Salah’s Ted Talk ----------https://www.linkedin.com/in/sohaibash/https://www.instagram.com/sohaibashraf97

Abu Musa started his career working in recruitment before starting his own business at the age of 25.Since then, he now runs a portfolio of companies making over $50k a month.This includes a recruitment company, an education platform, an AI Saas startup and a call centre operation in Pakistan. He’s also a social media influencer who educates Muslims about starting businesses and achieving financial independence in line with Islamic values.Connect with Abu Musa:https://www.youtube.com/@abumusa_chhttps://www.instagram.com/abumusa_ch/https://www.recruitmentle.com/_____________Muslim Founder Podcast - conversations with leaders who have built successful companies and organisations. Our mission is to inspire Muslims to build things that empower the ummah._____________00:00 - Introduction 02:47 - Career overview making $50/k month.05:31 - Starting his first business.07:25 - Advice for starting your first business.08:55 - Making your first $10k/month11:25 - Social Media Gurus12:26 - The issue with making content.13:53 - Balancing Islam with social media.14:42 - University or not18:08 - Why Abu Musa started content?19:51 - Abu Musa bluntness on social media.23:44 - How to use social media to grow business25:40 - Is social media overhyped?27:26 - The Sunnah Guy28:44 - The most important advice for Muslims30:49 - Moving to Sharjah 34:15 - Cost of living in Sharjah 36:36 - Abu Musa mission in life----------https://www.linkedin.com/in/sohaibash/https://www.instagram.com/sohaibashraf97

Faisal Choudhry is the founder of Freshly Grounded, one of the world’s most popular Muslim podcasts with over 100 million impressions. Faisal is also a social media master guru, a marketing genius and has inspired a generation of muslim influencers.He was also the Head of Marketing at Tarteel, an AI Quran learning app.Connect with Faisal:https://www.youtube.com/@FreshlyGroundedhttps://www.instagram.com/freshly_grounded/https://www.instagram.com/faisalchdry/_____________Muslim Founder Podcast - conversations with leaders who have built successful companies and organisations. Our mission is to inspire Muslims to build things that empower the ummah._____________00:00 Introduction02:34 Freshly Grounded origin story06:40 Did you know Freshly Grounded was going to grow into this brand?09:47 The Freshly Grounded Live Events13:32 Advice for Muslim's building personal brands17:10 How to balance your iman and putting yourself online19:42 How to build the relationship with the viewer22:36 How to become better at making content 27:10 Podcasting in 2025?29:21 Different paths in monetising content?33:13 What is Tarteel?35:40 How is fatherhood changed your life?38:50 Advice for first time fatherhood40:30 Faisal's TED Talk 45:44 What's next for Freshly Grounded?47:47 Leaving Tarteel - what's next for Faisal?48:58 Live show in Dubai?----------https://www.linkedin.com/in/sohaibash/https://www.instagram.com/sohaibashraf97

Sunny Araf is a serial entrepreneur. He started his career in the West Midlands Police before transitioning into the business world, where he now runs an 8 figure security company. Sunny is also an active philanthropist and runs his own charity the ISA Foundation. In 2022, he was named in The Time Top 50 Most Ambitious Leaders. Connect with Sunny:https://www.instagram.com/sunnyaraf1/https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunnyaraf/_____________Muslim Founder Podcast - conversations with leaders who have built successful companies and organisations. Our mission is to inspire Muslims to build things that empower the ummah._____________00:00 Introduction 01:27 Interest in politics 03:16 Early upbringing07:13 Why did you leave the police?10:37 How did you make the transition into entrepreneurship?13:00 What does Sunny’s security business do?13:56 Nicki Minaj opportunity 16:10 Importance of barakah in business17:51 Business deal with a Jewish guy.21:32 How did you land your first large contract24:15 Biggest mistake new business owners make26:30 Importance of long-term relationships.27:47 How did you get into charity work?31:56 Little Hearts Charity Project33:43 How to manage business through hardships35:10 Dua that was answered 36:17 Importance of team39:27 How to find purpose and fulfilment in life 42:57 Advice for your younger self44:36 What do the next 5 years look like for you?46:35 Moving to Dubai?----------https://www.linkedin.com/in/sohaibash/https://www.instagram.com/sohaibashraf97

Omar Khaleil is the founder and CEO of the Riba Free Foundation, an organisation created to educate people about the negative impact of riba.The foundation provides financial training and promotes ethical alternatives through education and awareness campaigns.Omar started his career in financial services, working across the Middle East and the UK before launching the organisation. Connect with Omar Khaleil:https://www.linkedin.com/in/omar-khalielhttps://www.ribafree.org.uk/_____________Muslim Founder Podcast - conversations with leaders who have built successful companies and organisations. Our mission is to inspire Muslims to build things that empower the ummah._____________00:00 Introduction: The Dust of Riba Affects Everyone 01:20 What is the Riba Free Foundation & Why It Was Created 03:17 The Importance of Financial Literacy Before Understanding Riba 05:17 Common Mistakes Muslims Make Regarding Riba & Finance 09:35 Why Does Islamic Finance Have a Bad Reputation? 12:54 Challenges in Islamic Banking & the Path Forward 18:38 Polarization in Islamic Finance: Finding Common Ground 24:42 Making Ethical Financial Decisions: Halal vs. Haram Costs 28:34 Advice for the younger Omar34:48 The Future of the Riba Free Foundation 41:35 Final Thoughts: Leaving a Lasting Legacy ----------https://www.linkedin.com/in/sohaibash/https://www.instagram.com/sohaibashraf97

Ibrahim Alkurd is a tech and finance entrepreneur. He started his first company at the age of 20 and generated over $2 million in sales while still in medical school.Today, he is a Fund Manager, has founded four other companies, runs a non-profit charity and is an active angel investor. In 2023, he was named on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Finance & Big Money. He’s also an active Dawah influencer and student of knowledge with over 1 million followers on Instagram.Connect with Ibrahim Alkurd:https://www.instagram.com/ibrahimalkurd/https://www.linkedin.com/in/ibrahim-alkurd/_____________Muslim Founder Podcast - conversations with leaders who have built successful companies and organisations. Our mission is to inspire Muslims to build things that empower the ummah._____________00:00 Introduction 01:40 Hadith reminder02:49 Doing $2m in sales whilst in Medical School06:16 Where did early success come from?07:47 Doctor, Lawyer, Engineer career path09:42 Advice for Muslims starting a business today12:30 Successes and failures in business13:28 Breaking into Crypto (halal way)16:42 Islamic Finance in Crypto18:01 Ibrahim's spiritual journey19:57 Importance of seeking Islamic knowledge 21:28 The story of Prophet Sulaiman AS22:34 Dubai and Islam25:27 Fajr Habits and Islamic Routine28:00 1m followers for dawah content30:45 Flawed mentality when it comes to success 32:50 Finding initial success in business34:37 People don't know how to make money 35:42 Islam and Crypto38:10 What the next 5-10 years look like39:40 Best padel player in Dubai40:32 Importance of good friends----------https://www.linkedin.com/in/sohaibash/https://www.instagram.com/sohaibashraf97

Rabii is the founder and CEO of Remo AI, an AI-compliance startup based between San Francisco and Dubai that he started last year at the age of 25.Since starting the company, he’s raised millions of dollars in funding from leading Silicon Valley investors, including YCombinator and scaled the company to hundreds of thousands in revenue in a number of months.Rabii studied PPE at Oxford University and began his career at McKinsey before transitioning to the startup world.Connect with Rabiihttps://www.linkedin.com/in/rabii-malik/YCombinator channelhttps://www.youtube.com/c/ycombinator_____________Muslim Founder Podcast - conversations with leaders who have built successful companies and organisations. Our mission is to inspire Muslims to build things that empower the ummah._____________00:00 Introduction 01:20 Why did you start a company?03:22 Early career 04:38 What is YCombinator?05:32 How to get accepted into YC?09:15 What is Rabii’s company (Remo AI)?10:07 How do you come up with a startup idea?12:15 What to do in first 30 days of starting a company?14:00 How do you find your first customers?15:00 How to raise millions from Silicon Valley investors?16:27 Advice for starting a company today18:02 How do you find a co-founder?20:07 How to break in AI?21:45 Building a startup is scary - how to navigate this?24:35 What is the harsh reality of building a startup?26:30 How do you overcome rejection?27:28 Growing Muslim Tech Community28:38 What’s been the biggest change in your life since starting a company?29:26 Dubai/Middle East startup ecosystem ----------https://www.linkedin.com/in/sohaibash/https://www.instagram.com/sohaibashraf97

Ustadh Tahair is an Arabic and Quran teacher and founder of Quranbound, a platform that has helped over 500 students learn Arabic through the Quran.​He studied in Egypt for 5 years, learning traditional Islamic sciences and Arabic under the supervision of senior scholars. Ustadh holds Ijazaat in the 7 modes of recitation from scholars from Al-Azhar.Ustadh Tahair also previously served as the Head of Arabic at a private school in London, designing and delivering their entire Arabic syllabus. Learn Arabic through the Quran with Ustadh Tahair:https://www.quranbound.com/Follow Ustadh Tahair on social media:https://www.instagram.com/quranbound/_____________Muslim Founder: interviewing founders, leaders and entrepreneurs who have built successful companies and world-class organisations. My mission is to empower the next generation of Muslims to build impactful companies that serve and elevate the ummah._____________00:00 Introduction01:21 Why did Allah reveal the Quran in Arabic?04:00 How can we appreciate the eloquence of the Quran in modern times?06:50 A linguistic miracle of the Quran09:01 Are translations sufficient?12:09 What is one story from the Quran that has impacted your life?14:50 Ustadh's journey seeking knowledge in Egypt.17:32 What is your advice for seeking knowledge?21:46 How Allah creates barakah in our life26:13 What is Quranbound, and what is the vision behind it?27:46 What is the biggest misconception about learning Arabic?32:48 What is your advice for learning Arabic today?36:46 Recommended Arabic Schools38:32 What do Muslims get wrong about the Quran?42:44 How do we become people of the Quran?----------https://www.linkedin.com/in/sohaibash/https://www.instagram.com/sohaibashraf97

Rhyad is an Islamic teacher and content creator. He studied in Mauritania and currently resides in Medinah. He’s also the founder of The Muslim Lighthouse, an online community that educates Muslims about Islam worldwide. In this conversation, I discuss how one becomes a student of knowledge, the vision behind The Muslim Lighthouse, and why Rhyad chose to live in Medinah. We'll also talk about some issues that we see in the young muslim community today and why young people are finding it so hard to get married these days.Follow Rhyad on social media:https://www.instagram.com/rhyadmuslim/https://www.youtube.com/@rhyadmuslim/Join the Muslim Lighthouse:https://muslimlighthouse.com/_____________Muslim Founder Podcast: We interview successful Muslim entrepreneurs who have built industry leading companies and world-changing organisations. Through our conversations, you'll learn how they started, dealt with challenges, and used Islamic principles to succeed.Our mission is simple: to inspire the next generation of Muslim founders to build great companies that make a real difference in our ummah._____________00:00 Introduction 01:03 Blessings of Mauritania05:23 Why did you seek knowledge?07:19 How do you become a student of knowledge?09:16 The importance of good company?12:25 Why did you move to Medinah?16:09 What is a story from the Quran that has impacted your life?20:05 Advice you would give to younger muslims?22:52 What do people get wrong with their relationship with Allah?24:24 What is the most dangerous ideology in our community?28:00 Why are the youth struggling to get married?----------https://www.linkedin.com/in/sohaibash/

Zaid is an Islamic content creator with 10s of millions of views online. Through his content, he calls people to Islam and reminds them of Allah in a way that is relevant to our everyday lives.In this conversation, I discuss how to build habits in our 9-5 lives that bring us closer to Allah, The importance of developing our love for the Prophet ﷺ And discuss some of the key challenges and issues facing our community today.Adkhaar video mentioned by Zaid - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCLZNUtg-ig&t=14sFollow Zaid on social media:https://www.instagram.com/zaidelomarhttps://www.tiktok.com/@zaidelomar------------Muslim Founder Podcast: We interview successful Muslim entrepreneurs who have built industry leading companies and world-changing organisations. Through our conversations, you'll learn how they started, dealt with challenges, and used Islamic principles to succeed.Our mission is simple: to inspire the next generation of Muslim founders to build great companies that make a real difference in our ummah.----------- 00:00 Introduction 00:35 Dua break01:53 Building an Islamic routine06:34 How to feel a connection with Allah09:40 Feeling khushoo in prayer.12:08 Why we should gain knowledge 14:00 Importance of loving Prophet ﷺ18:58 What is Zaid most afraid of?20:47 How do we make Allah the focus of our life?23:10 Who is the most intelligent muslim?25:15 Living in Dubai as a Muslim?27:22 What do people get wrong with their relationship with Allah?29:44 What is the most dangerous ideology in our community?35:04 Advice to your younger self36:40 Why Muslims are struggling to get married?----------https://www.linkedin.com/in/sohaibash/