Published by Sohaib Ashraf
Conversations with leaders who have built successful companies and organisations. Our mission is to inspire Muslims to build things that empower the ummah.
Listen on Apple Podcasts47 min
Apply to Launchpad: https://founderlaunchpad.io/ The 6-week online startup school for working professionals. ------------------- Arib Khan is the founder of 24 Labs, a portfolio of internet companies built entirely without outside capital. Raised in San Jose in a Pakistani American family, he built his first company, Musicfy, to a million dollars in revenue at 19 and never went back to college. Today he owns eight businesses doing over a million a year each, and gives a large share of it away. ------------------- Follow Arib Khan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aribkhan/ https://arib.lol/ ------------------- 0:00 - Introduction 2:28 - A New Product Every Month and the $10,000 Bill He Couldn't Pay 3:41 - The Middle School Maths That Set His Whole Path 5:19 - Why Most Founders in San Francisco Fail 6:41 - Walking Away From a Big Venture Round 8:45 - His Three Rules for Deciding What to Build 10:41 - Inside 24 Labs: Eight Businesses, Zero Investors 11:48 - Why $20K of Your Own Money Beats $1M Raised 12:20 - Putting His Childhood Friends on Payroll 14:15 - Leaving San Francisco and the Billion Dollar Mindset 15:32 - Feeding 100,000 People During Ramadan 16:45 - The One Thing All Eight of His Businesses Optimise For 21:15 - Why You Have to Be a Little Delusional to Win 26:36 - Burn the Ships: The Real Story Behind the Saying 30:14 - Imam Bukhari and the Gold Thrown Overboard 35:05 - Do Muslims Have a Bad Relationship With Money? 44:00 - His Advice to Muslim Founders Starting Today
55 min
Amjad Masad is the co-founder and CEO of Replit, a $9 billion AI company. Born in Jordan to a Palestinian family displaced during the Nakba, he taught himself to code on his father's first computer - and refused to hide his identity on the way up. In this episode, he breaks down what speaking up cost him, how he built Replit to a $9B valuation, and his advice for Muslim founders looking to build. ------------------- Join Launchpad: https://founderlaunchpad.io/ The online startup school for working professionals. Go from idea to paying customers in six weeks. Start Date: 2nd Aug. ------------------- Follow Amjad: https://x.com/amasad https://www.linkedin.com/in/amjadmasad/ https://replit.com/ ------------------- 0:00 - Introduction 2:13 - His Grandfather's Life in Palestine Before the Nakba 5:31 - His Father Buying the Neighbourhood's First Computer 7:22 - Competitive Swimming, Counter-Strike & the Making of a Builder 9:20 - Why He Refuses to Hide His Palestinian Identity 12:02 - October 7th: Why He Couldn't Stay Silent 14:30 - Cancelled: Silent Group Chats, Empty Calendar, Dead Deals 17:14 - Using His Influence for Palestine 19:22 - His Advice for Muslim Builders Navigating Their Morals 21:40 - Clashing With Silicon Valley's Most Powerful VCs 23:36 - The Quran Verse That Changed How He Sees Struggle 25:56 - The Role Models He Admires 27:54 - Paul Graham Advice He Thinks About Every Day 29:35 - The Legacy He Wants to Leave in 20 Years 32:14 - Meeting Mamdani & Breaking the Rules of American Politics 35:13 - Internet Cafes in Jordan to Inventing Replit 41:13 - Turning Down $1 Billion While His Mother Fought Cancer 44:18 - $2M to $1B ARR: Inside Replit's Explosive 3 Years 51:30 - There's No Playbook: How to Build in 2026
47 min
Mariam Ahmed is the co-founder of Menza, an AI intelligence platform for consumer brands. Born and raised in New York, she studied computer science at King's College London before joining Goldman Sachs. Today she's growing Menza toward a billion-dollar company, backed by Y Combinator and featured in Forbes. ------------------- Subscribe to the Muslim Founder Newsletter: https://muslimfounder.kit.com/32ea939ddd For the latest updates on events, programs and announcements. ------------------- Follow Mariam Ahmed: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariamaahmed/ https://menza.ai/ ------------------- 0:00 Intro 2:07 Growing up in New York 4:26 From medicine to coding 7:40 Inside Goldman Sachs: how to find winners and losers 11:21 The dinner that ended her finance career 15:02 Last day Friday, flew Saturday, YC on Sunday 17:11 The real reason they got into Y Combinator 20:56 100 conversations in one week to find the idea 22:40 What Menza actually does 23:40 Why 80% of her YC batch is already dead 27:09 The brutal truth about having no boss 33:14 How to build with zero money in 2026 34:06 "You don't need to fundraise anymore" 36:18 Building a billion-dollar company on Islamic values 39:46 America's abundance vs Britain's scarcity 45:59 The failures she's most proud of
1 hr 0 min
Iqbal Nasim is the former CEO of the National Zakat Foundation. He studied economics at Cambridge before going into investment banking, then left a seven-figure package to build NZF, transforming how Muslims across the country give their zakat. He's the founder of Transform My Prayer, helping Muslims connect with their salah, and the Last Day Leadership program, helping them find purpose. Over the past year, his podcast "In Good Faith" has become a home for the conversations most people avoid ------------------- Subscribe to the Muslim Founder Newsletter: https://muslimfounder.kit.com/32ea939ddd For the latest updates on events, programs and announcements. ------------------- Follow Iqbal Nasim: https://www.youtube.com/@UCZ4GnufkU9g_wWUmmfaOKrA https://www.iqbalnasim.com/ ------------------- 0:00 Intro 1:25 "There's no such thing as Islam" 3:38 What does the Quran say on this? 5:09 The misunderstanding of the word "Islam" 8:23 How we lost the original meaning 10:33 The trap of "Islamic everything" 13:07 Why "non-Muslim" is a dehumanizing word 15:57 Do you believe in Allah because you're "Muslim"? 20:40 Would a non-Muslim really not understand halal? 26:47 Are Islamic schools a help or a harm? 30:05 The hard lines we draw between "us" and "them" 32:29 "The Muslim ummah is a complete myth" 36:42 Muslim pride & the obsession with "Muslim power" 45:01 "There is no ummah" - so what do you belong to? 49:12 "Why should anyone even care about this?" 52:27 The real harms of clinging to the label 54:38 What keeps Iqbal up at night: NDEs & psychedelics 57:48 Panentheism
56 min
Abu Lahya is a Muslim entrepreneur specialising in influencer marketing agencies. He spent 3 years failing in business before making his first $100K. Today, after building a multi-6-figure marketing agency, he runs one of the biggest business mentorship programs in the Muslim space - with over 40,000 applications and students who've changed their lives, quit their jobs, and made hijrah. In this episode, he breaks down the exact roadmap from broke to your first $100K, why your relationship with Allah determines your success in business, and how dua became the foundation of everything he built. ------------------- Join Abu Lahya's mentorship: https://application.imaccelerator.com/sohaib ------------------- Follow Abu Lahya: https://www.youtube.com/@AbuLayha https://www.instagram.com/abu_lahya1/ ------------------- 0:00 Introduction 2:07 The art of sales & never taking no for an answer 3:25 The origin story: rejection and failed businesses 4:39 Why beginners should start with service-based businesses 8:40 Zero to one: the $100 course that changed everything 10:12 Why Muslims avoid business 13:17 Why most people quit and fail 15:36 How the influencer marketing agency model works 16:54 Finding influencers & how to price deals 19:47 The outreach strategy & how to stand out 24:39 Is your niche saturated, or is it a skill issue? 30:06 This sounds too good to be true? 33:05 "I was crying how broke I was, making dua" 35:01 Fix your relationship with Allah before your business 40:08 "Using Islam to sell your course" 44:31 Meeting Alex Hormozi 49:51 The roadmap for starting. 53:51 Abu Lahya's legacy
47 min
Sh Mustafa Briggs is an Islamic historian, author, and specialist in Arabic and Islamic texts. He converted to Islam at 13 and went on to study across West Africa, Mauritania, Morocco, and Al-Azhar University in Cairo. Today he's a leading voice for uncovering the hidden, forgotten, and erased stories of Islamic history, having delivered over 100 lectures across 50+ universities worldwide and authored two books - Beyond Bilal and Islam and the Making of the Modern World. In this episode, he breaks down the lost ring of the Prophet ﷺ and the fitna that followed, the Black poets and scholars who shaped Islamic civilization, and the theory that Muslims discovered America 200 years before Columbus ever set sail. ------------------- Follow Mustafa Briggs https://www.instagram.com/mustafabriggs/ https://mustafabriggs.com/ ------------------- 0:00 Introduction 2:07 How Mustafa uncovers hidden Islamic history 4:23 The lost ring of the Prophet ﷺ 6:44 Why anti-Blackness exists in Muslim history 12:44 The scholars who defended Black Muslims 14:01 The Black Sahaba you've never heard of 15:36 Ubada bin Samit and the opening of Palestine 17:53 Why race matters in Islamic history 23:28 Crows of the Arabs: the Black poets of Arabia 26:24 Antara & Abla: the Romeo and Juliet of Arabia 29:43 Did Muslims discover America before Columbus? 33:33 The 2,000 ships that vanished 36:51 Mustafa's journey to Islam at 13 40:19 Studying across West Africa, Mauritania & Cairo 44:14 What's next for Mustafa Briggs
46 min
Omar Waseem is the 21-year-old CEO of Alif, an investment fund for Muslim founders based in Silicon Valley. By 19, he had built multiple seven-figure businesses and served as CMO of Fei Protocol, a startup that peaked at a $2B valuation. Today he invests in early-stage Muslim founders and runs an ecosystem that hosts entrepreneurs and investors from across the world. In this episode, he breaks down how Muslim entrepreneurs can build wealth and start companies in 2026. ------------------- Join Alif Sessions: https://alif.build/sessions Use promo code "muslimfounder" in your application for 20% off and a guaranteed spot in the program. Program starts on 10th May. ------------------- Follow Omar Waseem: https://www.linkedin.com/in/omarwaseem/ https://x.com/omarwasm https://www.youtube.com/@omarwasm ------------------- 0:00 Introduction 2:14 Omar's entrepreneurial journey 4:26 The car accident that changed everything 6:53 The Fund backing Muslim founders 10:14 What Omar looks for in founders 11:26 The mission: 25 Muslim billionaires 12:15 Do Muslims sell out to build big? 14:53 How Alif actually makes money 16:32 The best business to start in 2026 18:56 Why 2026 is the moment 21:22 Building Muslim entrepreneurial power 23:56 Why San Francisco wins 26:44 Is money the real problem? 28:27 How to hire a world-class team 36:42 Omar's role models 38:10 How he made it so young 40:20 Who keeps Omar grounded 44:14 Rapid fire
30 min
Humza Yousaf is a Scottish-Pakistani politician and the former First Minister of Scotland - the first Muslim to ever lead a Western nation. The son of Pakistani immigrants, he entered politics at 22 and, over 15 years rose to the top of Scottish politics. During his time in office, he became the first Western leader to call for a ceasefire in Gaza - while his own wife's family was trapped there. ------------------- Join Alif Sessions: https://alif.build/sessions Use promo code "muslimfounder" in your application for 20% off and a guaranteed spot with the Alif team. ------------------- Follow Humza: https://x.com/HumzaYousaf https://www.instagram.com/humzayousaf/ ------------------- 0:00 Introduction 2:31 Family background and early political career 5:44 Was becoming First Minister the end goal? 7:18 The moment he became First Minister 9:28 Praying Maghrib inside Bute House 10:13 Islamophobia and navigating politics as a Muslim 13:54 Palestine and his wife's family trapped in Gaza 19:33 Elon Musk calling him a racist 22:04 Navigating conflicts between Islam and politics 25:02 The Prophet ﷺ as the ultimate peacemaker 27:08 What's next for Humza Yousaf 28:31 Standing before God - what Humza would say
1 hr 26 min
Yousef "FaZe Apex" is a Palestinian-American YouTuber and entrepreneur and co-founder of FaZe Clan, one of the biggest gaming and entertainment brands in history. He joined at 14, grew his channel to over 6 million subscribers, and over 15 years helped build it into a cultural phenomenon that peaked at a $2 billion valuation. After the company collapsed, he walked away. Throughout his career, he kept his Muslim identity hidden - praying behind locked doors, never revealing his real name to his audience. ------------------- Join Alif Sessions: https://alif.build/sessions Use promo code "muslimfounder" in your application to get 20% off and a guaranteed spot. ------------------- Follow Yousef: https://www.youtube.com/@apex https://www.instagram.com/apex ------------------- 0:00 Introduction 1:07 Growing up Palestinian-American in Orange County 4:29 Visiting Palestine for the first time at 21 7:27 The story of his cousin who was killed 10:54 Studying Arabic and enrolling in Islamic studies 14:56 How 14-year-old Yousef discovered YouTube and gaming 16:58 Joining FaZe Clan 19:57 First $200 from YouTube 20:45 Why he hid his Muslim identity online 22:11 Getting hacked and swatted at his family home 24:03 Moving to New York at 18 and holding onto his faith 28:28 The moment a friend stopped him from smoking weed 30:10 FaZe Clan's explosive growth and business evolution 36:29 Learning business through experience vs education 39:49 The IPO, $2 billion peak, and the crash 44:55 Watching FaZe collapse and accepting Allah's decree 48:40 Why he deleted 1,200 YouTube videos after reading a Quran ayah 54:07 Advice to young Muslim creators on content 59:25 Khabib's influence and going public about being Muslim 1:04:29 Guilt over Palestine and trying to do enough 1:07:06 Building a new startup after FaZe 1:11:42 Why he paused content creation to focus on building 1:15:36 Applying to YC and learning the startup world 1:17:14 What legacy means to him 1:20:50 Stories of Abu Bakr and Omar that shaped his worldview _____________ Muslim Founder Socials: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sohaibash/ https://www.instagram.com/muslimfounderpodcast/ https://twitter.com/sohaibashraf97/
46 min
Yusuf Adam is a 24-year-old entrepreneur from Blackburn who's done over £3 million in sales. He started scanning £1 products in clearance aisles with his dad, scaled to £450,000 in profit, rejected a £200,000 deal with an Israeli company on principle, and built a software company along the way. He now mentors young Muslims on building real wealth outside the traditional 9-to-5 blueprint. Follow Yusuf: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yusuf-a-ceo/ https://www.instagram.com/_ceoyusuf/ https://www.youtube.com/@CEOyusuf Join his mentorship: https://apply.amzfbanetwork.com/vsl3?el=youtube-about&htrafficsource=youtube 00:00 Introduction 02:28 How He Made His First Million in Revenue 04:18 Discovering Amazon FBA 05:33 Scanning Clearance Aisles With His Dad 07:01 Amazon FBA Explained For Beginners 09:42 How Much Capital Do You Need to Start? 15:22 Secret Sauce: Finding Your Competitive Edge 17:25 Biggest Headaches When Starting Out 20:00 Replacing Yourself: Outsourcing Low-ROI Tasks 22:31 How He Scaled to Seven Figures So Fast 24:31 Why He Didn't Drop Out of Uni 27:24 Building a SaaS for Amazon Sellers 30:27 When to Go Full-Time on Amazon 34:35 Rejecting a £200K Deal With an Israeli Company 38:38 Why Muslims Stay Stuck in the Traditional Blueprint 43:06 Why He Started a Paid Mentorship Group _____________ 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. _____________ Follow Sohaib (Host): https://www.linkedin.com/in/sohaibash/ https://www.instagram.com/sohaibashraf97 https://twitter.com/sohaibashraf97 _____________ Podcast Studio: https://www.dubaipodcaststudio.com/ Apply 15% off all services with the promo code "MuslimFOUNDER".
39 min
Mohammad Taher, also known as "The Airport Guy," is a content creator, entrepreneur, and former aerospace engineer who built a following of hundreds of thousands by sharing his journey through the aviation industry. He started by documenting his graduate program at Heathrow Airport, eventually becoming an Aviation Ambassador for the UK government. After being told at 16 that "they don't hire Muslims in aviation," he defied expectations, worked on critical airport systems, and built an independent platform that surpassed Heathrow's own social media presence. Today he speaks at global aviation events - all while working toward his vision of redefining how the world sees Islam and building an ecosystem to solve the aviation industry's talent crisis. Follow Mohammad: https://www.instagram.com/theairportguy/ https://www.tiktok.com/@mo_t_ivate https://www.youtube.com/c/mohammadtaher 00:00 Introduction 01:44 The Struggle of Having Impact at Scale 05:44 Social Media as an Amanah 08:22 Don't Leave Your Faith at Home 11:42 "They Don't Hire Muslims in Aviation" 13:36 The Interview That Changed Everything 17:00 Getting Into the Heathrow Graduate Programme 19:31 His Auntie's Advice That Started It All 21:24 Navigating Content Creation at Work 24:40 Why He Stayed Independent from Heathrow's Brand 28:35 The Email That Changed Everything 31:38 "Expect a Resignation Letter" 34:30 What's next for Mohammad? 37:21 The Bigger Mission - Redefining Islam Globally _____________ 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. _____________ Follow Sohaib (Host): https://www.linkedin.com/in/sohaibash/ https://www.instagram.com/sohaibashraf97 https://twitter.com/sohaibashraf97 _____________ Podcast Studio: https://www.dubaipodcaststudio.com/ Apply 15% off all services with the promo code "MuslimFOUNDER".
1 hr 34 min
Sheikh Sajid Umar is a qualified judge, scholar, and educator who has spent the past two decades working with Muslim communities worldwide. He's helped Muslims navigate Islamic principles in modern contexts - from Islamic finance and business to family life and personal development. Sheikh Sajid is also the author of several books, including his commentary on Surah Yusuf as well as his latest work, "A Journey to Success". Follow Sh Sajid Umar: https://www.instagram.com/sajidahmedumar/ https://www.youtube.com/@SajidUmarOfficial Purchase "A Journey to Success" https://quillspire.com/products/a-journey-to-excellence-1 00:00 Introduction 02:17 Vision of Ignited Communities 03:32 Why We Need an Islamic Alternative 05:21 The Legacy After Prophet Muhammad ﷺ 06:47 Carriers of the Greatest Legacy 08:02 The Three I's of Success: Ikhlas 09:45 Living a Paradise-Centric Life 10:14 Result vs Purpose 13:45 Making Allah Your Purpose 17:25 Building Jannah Through Daily Actions 19:13 Converting Life Into Worship 21:35 Wanting More While Staying God-Centric 24:21 Hope for Those Who Feel Lost 26:22 Introduction to Ihsan (Excellence) 28:42 Following Muhammad ﷺ as the Standard 30:40 Worshipping as If You See Allah 35:26 Management vs Balance in Life 38:22 Value Creation Over Profit 40:08 Car Wash vs Mixed Stocks 42:32 The Camera in the Office Story 43:59 Introduction to Istiqamah 46:49 The Daily Grind 48:14 Time: Your Greatest Resource 50:22 The Journey to Success Book 52:17 Rewards of Istiqamah 55:01 Excellence in Effort, Not Result 59:24 Judging Yourself on Effort 1:03:11 Wealth is Ordained, Not Obtained 1:05:03 The Saddle Story 1:07:14 How Do You Want to Die? 1:14:32 The Blueprint Before the House 1:16:19 Vision Helps Right Decisions 1:19:31 We Have Every Excuse to Succeed 1:21:36 The Prophet ﷺ as Master Visionary 1:22:54 The Two Bangles Promise 1:24:15 Treasures During the Trench 1:28:18 Visionary Moves, Not Random 1:31:48 The Last Smile 1:32:17 Where to Find the Book _____________ 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. _____________ Follow Sohaib (Host): https://www.linkedin.com/in/sohaibash/ https://www.instagram.com/sohaibashraf97 https://twitter.com/sohaibashraf97 _____________ Podcast Studio: https://www.dubaipodcaststudio.com/ Apply 15% off all services with the promo code "MuslimFOUNDER".
48 min
Peter Gould is a designer and author who has spent over two decades integrating Islamic spirituality with contemporary design. He's the founder of Gould Studio and author of "The Heart of Design," developing frameworks that apply Islamic principles to creative work. His influence extends from designing products for Muslim families to teaching Islamic design concepts to big tech companies such as Apple and Google. Follow Peter Gould: https://www.instagram.com/petergouldart/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/petergouldart/ https://peter-gould.com/ Heart of Design: https://www.theheartofdesign.com/ Tales of Khayaal: https://www.talesofkhayaal.com/ 00:00 Introduction 02:55 Peter's Journey to Islam At 20 06:40 Visiting Muslim Countries & Islamic Architecture 09:30 What Makes Design "Islamic"? 11:14 Design for Remembrance vs Distraction 14:56 Bringing Islamic Principles to Apple & Google 17:26 Implementing Islamic Design In the Corporate World 21:03 Lessons from Photographer Peter Sanders 22:50 Writing "The Heart of Design" 25:58 Heart of Design vs Modern Design 28:04 Tales of Khayaal: Building Muslim Media 31:17 Why "Muslim Alternatives" Isn't Enough 36:39 The Rise of Global Muslim Digital Nomads 40:33 Advice for 21-Year-Olds Starting Out 44:41 The Taraweeh Melbourne Story 47:44 How Peter Wants to Be Remembered _____________ 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. _____________ Follow Sohaib (Host): https://www.linkedin.com/in/sohaibash/ https://www.instagram.com/sohaibashraf97 https://twitter.com/sohaibashraf97
39 min
Adil Abbuthalha is the Founder of Boycat, an app that has diverted over $200 million from companies supporting Israeli interests. Adil studied at UC Davis, California, before starting his career in Silicon Valley, where he worked at a number of notable tech companies. In 2023, after the ongoing events in Palestine, he launched the boycat app that would put him on government watch lists worldwide. Support Boycat: Boycat VPN: https://boycat.io/vpn/order?via=muslimfounder Boycat Membership: https://www.boycat.io/membership Follow Boycat: https://www.instagram.com/boycatapp/ https://www.tiktok.com/@boycat.io https://x.com/boycatapp 00:00 Introduction 01:46 Life Ambitions Before October 7th 04:19 How Gaza Changed Everything 06:52 The Dream That Started It All 09:08 Why Boycotting Actually Works 10:55 What Does The Boycat App Do? 12:36 Prophet Musa Inspiration 14:00 How The App Went Viral Overnight 15:03 What Is The Long-Term Vision? 18:15 Getting Fired For Building Boycat 19:40 Building For The Dunya vs Akhira 22:20 Advice For People Wanting To Build Tech 23:27 Lesson From The Life Of The Prophet ﷺ 24:45 Israeli Government Tried To Buy The App 26:16 Dealing With Negativity Death Threats 31:09 Lessons From The Past Two Years 33:53 Biggest Fear: Becoming Arrogant 34:49 How You Can Support The Boycat Movement 37:24 Final Message: Build Like A Prophet _____________ 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/sohaibashraf97 https://twitter.com/sohaibashraf97
52 min
Mohammed Paracha is a Partner and Head of Middle East at Norton Rose Fulbright, one of the world's largest law firms. He began his career in the early 2000s and has become a pioneer of Islamic Banking. Beyond his law career, he’s also the co-founder of Nester, a regulated Shariah-compliant investment platform in the UK. Earlier this year, Mohammed also completed nearly 10 years of Islamic studies to become a qualified scholar. Connect with Mohammed Paracha: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohammed-paracha-977873b/ https://nester.com/ 00:00 Introduction 01:53 Early Days of Islamic Finance in the UK 04:33 The Governor of Bank of England Story 06:40 Creating the Legal Framework for Islamic Finance 07:29 "Golden Age" of Islamic Finance 9:37 Why High Street Banks Withdrew from Islamic Finance 12:03 The Future of Islamic Banking in the UK 16:39 Paracha's Journey into Islamic Finance 22:49 Moving from Law to Investment Banking 25:24 The Birth of Nester 29:42 Fixed Returns and Sharia Compliance Debate 34:50 Branding Challenges in Islamic Finance 37:53 Biggest Shock Building a Startup 39:24 Advice for Aspiring Islamic Fintech Founders 45:25 Completing 10 Years of Islamic Studies 49:06 Applying Islamic Scholarship to 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/sohaibashraf97 https://twitter.com/sohaibashraf97
47 min
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/@thomdefilet https://www.instagram.com/thomdefilet 00:00 Introduction 00:44 How the nightclub conversion story went viral 02:17 Growing up in the Netherlands and early life struggles 04:44 Seeking purpose and self-development journey 06:25 Perception of Islam before conversion 08:42 Why more people are converting to Islam in the West 13:39 Advice for encouraging people toward Islam 19:43 The biggest shock of accepting Islam 21:53 Moving to Dubai as a Muslim 23:19 Balancing luxury and faith in Dubai 28:13 First Umrah experience 31:59 Learning Arabic and building relationship with Quran 37:34 Daily routine and prioritizing Islamic practices 40:37 Business ventures and entrepreneurship journey 44:27 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/sohaibashraf97 https://twitter.com/sohaibashraf97
45 min
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 - Introduction 01:21 - Growing up in India and moving to the UK 05:26 - From consulting to venture capital 07:54 - Leaving VC to build Niyyah 08:43 - What Niyyah does 12:03 - Handling criticism about tech and Islam 14:37 - Balancing purpose and profit 16:55 - Why most investors are non-Muslims 20:26 - Why Muslim consumer apps struggle 24:17 - Finding product-market fit 28:11 - Opportunities in Muslim tech 32:26 - Skills needed as a founder 37:23 - Future plans with AI 42:33 - Advice for connecting with the Quran 44:37 - 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
1 hr 4 min
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/1788167546 00:00 - Introduction 01:26 - Hassan's Iraqi Heritage & Journey to London 02:29 - Why He Dropped Out of Medicine for Economics 05:10 - Discovering The 4-Hour Work Week & Starting His Business 07:20 - Meeting His Co-Author Ash Ali (Just Eat's First Marketing Director) 12:25 - The MILES Framework: Your Unfair Advantages Audit 19:09 - Why Your Postcode Determines Your Success 22:37 - Status: The Most Powerful Unfair Advantage 26:23 - From Consultant to Coach: The Mindset Shift 32:46 - How to Actually Get a Traditional Book Deal 36:58 - Becoming Ali Abdaal's First Business Coach 40:23 - The Biggest Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make 47:35 - Why Book Deals Are Like VC Funding 54:26 - Personal Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs 59:52 - 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
51 min
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/MohammedAFaris https://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 Soul 12:56 - Your First Steps to Attaining Barakah. 15:40 - How to Invite Barakah Into Your Daily Life 18:50 - Habits That Kill Your Barakah. 20:56 - The Prophet's ﷺ Daily Routine 25:45 - How to Apply This in the Modern World 27:42 - Why Morning Hours Have Special Power 29:20 - Building Your Tahajjud Practice (Step-by-Step) 31:37 - The Islamic Art of Time Management 35:53 - Gardener vs Carpenter: Two Approaches to Life 39:07 - Breaking Free From Dunya Attachment 42:02 - The 3 Levels of Intention (Niyyah) 45:32 - Setting Goals the Islamic Way 51:23 - 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
52 min
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/@IFGuru https://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 Sohaib 49:55 - 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