Dawah
KIM Vakfı (Center for Cross Cultural Communication), a Türkiye-based non-profit organization, has launched its global fundraising campaign on LaunchGood. The organisation’s aim is countering Islamophobia and promoting intercultural understanding through educational outreach at Türkiye’s historic Islamic heritage sites. With Istanbul, currently the world’s most visited
Islamic Fintech
ZIGChain, the compliance-driven Layer-1 blockchain, has launched Nawa Finance, its first Shariah-certified yield platform—an institutional-grade attempt to bring transparency, real-world asset backing, and Islamic-finance principles into the often-opaque world of decentralised yield generation. For many users, yield opportunities are either speculative, opaque, or misaligned with their values. Nawa addresses
AI
AI is everywhere, thanks largely to Big Tech. But when two self-taught Syrian brothers left their corporate tech roles in Germany, they weren’t trying to add yet another model to the pile. They were focused on a more urgent question: Why is there still no ethical alternative to the
Apps
Taahirah, the Muslim women’s health platform, has launched its mobile app, marking an expansion from its initial web debut in January. Founded by Farzana Salik, Taahirah blends faith-driven guidance with sophisticated health tracking, addressing a crucial gap for Muslim women navigating both personal health and religious obligations. With its
Apps
A newly launched app called Swaplyst wants to make it easier for people worldwide to trade skills for experience through volunteering, internships, and peer-to-peer exchanges. Founded by Jordanian social entrepreneur Kamel Al Asmar, Swaplyst is a mobile platform that lets people exchange skills, time, and volunteer work for hands-on experience
Islamic Finance
Riyadh- and Singapore-based web3 startup Takadao has raised a total of US$3.1 million following the close of its US$1.5 million seed round, as it launches The LifeCard, a community-owned prepaid crypto VISA card designed to bridge decentralized finance (DeFi) with everyday spending. The latest round drew
Africa
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Hormuud Salaam Foundation (HSF) have launched an 18‑month initiative designed to unlock youth employment and spark innovation in Somalia’s fast‑growing green and blue economy. Backed by Hormuud Telecom and Salaam Somali Bank with funding of USD 820,000, the
AI is everywhere, thanks largely to Big Tech. But when two self-taught Syrian brothers left their corporate tech roles in Germany, they weren’t trying to add yet another model to the pile. They were focused on a more urgent question: Why is there still no ethical alternative to the
Ilmuna, the World Islamic Board of Education, was officially launched on October 9, 2025, in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The initiative marks a milestone in the global effort to revitalise Islamic education, aiming to transform educational systems from an Islamic worldview and address the unique challenges facing Muslim learners and educators
At a time when users and activists feel increasingly surveilled, silenced, and sidelined on major social platforms, particularly when expressing criticism of Israel, a new platform has been launched, which promises to be "actually on your side". Meet UpScrolled, the just-launched Instagram alternative that promises no shadowbanning, no
In 2017, a quiet yet ambitious design venture emerged with a deceptively simple name: Minimal Muslim. Founded by Amir Equbal, it began as a creative agency with a straightforward aim: to reinterpret Islamic design by incorporating minimalist principles rooted in simplicity, moderation, and functionality. Equbal sought to fill a gap
Muslim Startups, Halal Industry, Islamic Finance News
Imam Talib Abdur-Rashid (1951–2025) was an African-American imam, Muslim community leader, chaplain, and activist, widely known for his advocacy of religious pluralism, racial justice, and the empowerment of Black American Muslims. As the long-serving imam of the Mosque of Islamic Brotherhood in Harlem, New York, and as president of
Zaghloul Al-Naggar (Arabic: زغلول النجار; 17 November 1933 – 9 November 2025) was an Egyptian geologist, Islamic scholar, educator, and author. He became internationally known for his work connecting science and the Qur’an, particularly the concept of “scientific miracles”, and served in teaching, research, and advisory roles across numerous institutions
As the Managing Partner of Zamzam Capital and someone with over 25 years’ experience in Islamic banking, finance & investments, I’ve witnessed tremendous growth in both awareness and accessibility for Shariah-compliant investing in India. Currently, one finds both a great promise but also unnecessary confusion around what Halal investing
HASAN.VC marked a major milestone this week with its largest-ever Halal Startup Showcase, celebrating the graduation of Cohort 003 from its five-week accelerator program and officially launching its third venture fund. The full-day event, held at the Khazanah Auditorium at the Asia School of Business, brought together nearly 50
The world’s leading trade fair for the food and beverage industry, Anuga, and the Islamic Chamber Halal Services (ICHS), the Halal arm of the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Development (ICCD), have officially launched the 1st Anuga Halal Forum 2025, marking a milestone in global Halal industry collaboration and
Ilmuna, the World Islamic Board of Education, was officially launched on October 9, 2025, in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The initiative marks a milestone in the global effort to revitalise Islamic education, aiming to transform educational systems from an Islamic worldview and address the unique challenges facing Muslim learners and educators
Omar M. Yaghi, a chemist born to Palestinian refugees in Jordan, has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his pioneering work in developing metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), a breakthrough molecular architecture with transformative applications. Yaghi shares the prize with Susumu Kitagawa of Japan and Richard Robson of Australia.
Fasset, a Dubai and Jakarta-based digital banking platform, has secured a provisional banking license from Malaysia to offer digital banking services under Shariah-compliant regulations. The company said this approval makes it the first Islamic digital bank to operate using stablecoins. The regulatory approval enables Fasset to offer a full suite
The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) has greenlit a major financing package totalling almost US$1.27 billion, aimed at supporting sustainable development and resilient economies across 12 member countries in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. At its latest Board of Executive Directors meeting, chaired
In a move to promote financial inclusion, the Local Access Bradford Fund has launched the UK’s first Sharia-compliant social investment loan product, with £5 million in capital to support underserved social entrepreneurs, particularly Muslims who have long been excluded from conventional finance due to riba-based lending. The new fund
A new Islamic EdTech platform, focused on serving madrasas and maktabs, has been launched, specialising in Qur’an memorisation and student development. Unlike general-purpose school management tools, ilmify.app was developed in consultation with Ulama and Muftis to address the specific needs of Islamic institutions. The platform offers tools for
Oman's Islamic finance industry is witnessing robust double-digit growth in 2025, with total assets estimated at $36 billion as of August and projections to surpass $40 billion between the second half of 2025 and 2026, according to a new report from Fitch Ratings. Despite being the smallest Islamic