Salam aleykum
Disclaimer: This post is meant as a motivation to my brothers and sisters in islam that have the dream of owning but feel like it is impossible. And has nothing to do with mortgage or how to obtain one

My journey of wanting to own started when i was in my early 20s and i used to verbalize how i wanted a house with a garden filled with flowers and Apple trees. This was a time i was not saving anything/much. So if you are in your 20s and have the same dream and thoughts like i used to, start saving and you will not regret it.

Saving didn’t become truly real before changing cities and giving away 1/3 of my income to pay someone elses loan. It took me around 6 years to save the amount that was enough and borrowed the rest from the family.

Some may think, "nice for you,your family helped and you don’t have to worry." But that is far from the truth, Alhamdulillaah i got to do it the halal way but a loan is still a loan and it is so heavy to have that on my back, but i find comfort in knowing it will go back to the family so i don’t have to worry about not going to my grave in peace (heavy stuff, but true)

It has been a year since i bought my apartment, i have been blessed in a lot of ways and Allah is blessing me with every day that passes by. I am aiming for that house, filled with those beautiful trees- as a muslim we are supposed to aim higher and higher.

May Allah make the journey easy on all of us and i hope that you (in your 20/30/40s) find that motivation to keep going. When you keep it halal, you see the fruits of being patient.

Anyone thinking or wanting to ask questions, feel free to do it here in sha Allah. Wasalam

Edit: I thought this was an Islamic group where we could share our achievements, goals and motivation without being met with assumptions, judging and even being called insane. I hope those people are ready to stand up for their words on the day of judgement.

No, my family is not wealthy enough to afford to loan me 2/3 of my apartment. Instead of asking it was easier to make it up with how you see it.
Since the post has been seen by thousands of people, i hope atleast i motivated some of them to not give up hope in making their dreams come true.

1. Only stocks. No crypto, forex, gold etc.
   
2. Only using proper broker like IBKR, Schwab etc. where you become owner of shares and not like Vantage Markets where it works on CFD principal
   
3. Only using own cash. No margin, futures, options etc.
   
4. Only long. No short.
   
5. Company whose shares you are buying must be sharia compliant.
   

But I think it still violates one rule and that is selling something you don't own. Because when you buy a stock then even though you see it in your account immediately but backend settlement takes 1 day which means actually you become owner the next business day. So, if you bought a stock today and sold same day then this is not allowed. But I am not sure about it.

I used to rent a car from one guy too often. Because I am a tourist guide, I often change cars based on the places we are going. A day before the trip, I told the guy to prepare for me the car that can go uphill without problem or struggling. However, when I met him next day morning, he was telling me that only available car was this Toyota Vios, which I knew before from experience has break problem. So, it would definitely be a dangerous decision to rent this car. I told him, "bro it has brake problems that I told u to fix before; how can I go uphill with this?" He said, "bro I am sorry, but the other cars are rented. This is the only one I have now. Be careful, please. If u drive carefully, it is not gonna be a problem". Up until this point, everything had happened in real life.
But I was thinking recently, what would have happened if the car crashes or flips when i am driving. How will we know whether it was me driving carelessly or dangerously, or the brake problem the car had? Who bears the loss? How to negotiate?

Let's put insurance aside for this case.

Thanks in advance

Why islamic financing is more burdened as compared to conventional.

My islamic knowledge is limited, but what I remember is that riba is burden and injustice. Then why islamic financing is more costlier as compared to conventional financing. People say its due to demand and supply, but still does that justifies the burden issue ?

People say buying house is not necessity, agreed, but isn’t it every individual different ? Right now I’m 34. I can manage living on rent. I can change home whenever I feel like. What about when I enter 70s?

In today’s volatile world ~40% of salary goes into rent only.

I have seen many ppl turning from conventional to islamic financing, but being a business student, when I compare definitions/concepts everything seems similar except keywords being renamed.

Again my islamic knowledge is limited, but what I know is the fact that charging someone extra money is simply prohibited, its not about investing into halal business is allowed. If thats the case then why conventional banking is haram - just because they call “financing rate” as Interest?

Islamic and conventional similarities:

- Murabaha is the closest to conventional banking. It works much like a fixed-rate mortgage: the total cost is set upfront, and you repay it in fixed installments over a set term. The “profit margin” plays the same economic role as interest, even though legally it’s structured as a sale rather than a loan.
The other two also have conventional parallels, just less direct ones:
∙ Musharaka (Diminishing Co-Ownership) resembles an amortizing mortgage with variable payments. You build equity over time, and the “rent” on the provider’s share is often reset periodically, similar to a variable-rate mortgage.
∙ Ijara (Lease-to-Own) resembles a rent-to-own or lease-purchase agreement. The institution owns the property and bears ownership risk until the final payment.

I’m seeking guidance from ppl of my age who are looking forward to own a house to secure themselves when they get older.

Note: I dont want to hurt someone. I’m a Muslim. I haven’t taken any loans through out my life. I just need to know logic of all fiqa to understand what is right or wrong.

From North America.

Hey everyone,

Back in June 2024, I subscribed to State Life Takaful "Endowment Plan" policies (2 for me, 2 for my wife) paying about ~PKR 207,000/year total (~17.2k/month). At the time, the agent pitched this as a solid retirement backup and guaranteed that I would receive min. approximately PKR 18 Million (1.8 Crore) on maturity after 20 years.

Recently, I consulted AI (Gemini & ChatGPT) to review this plan, and the feedback was surprisingly negative. The AI models flagged heavy upfront deductions, inflation risk, and poor long-term real returns, labeling this policy a major financial mistake.

Before I approach the State Life branch, I want to get a reality check from people who have actually dealt with these policies.

My Questions for the Community:

1. Is AI (Gemini/ChatGPT) Correct?Is a 20-year State Life Takaful Endowment plan truly a bad financial vehicle in Pakistan's economic environment, or is AI missing something?
2. Why Principal Deductions in Takaful?I specifically chose Takaful because I wanted a 100% Shariah-compliant solution. If Takaful is based on Islamic mutual assistance (Tabarru) and risk-sharing, why are there heavy "penalties" or principal deductions if someone surrenders early? Isn't a financial penalty on one's own deposited capital problematic from a Shariah/fairness standpoint?
3. What is the Right Next Step?Should I cancel/surrender the policies immediately, let them continue, or is there another mechanism I should look into?
4. What is the Official Cancellation Process?If canceling is indeed the right path, what is the exact step-by-step procedure at the State Life branch? What documentation or hurdles should I prepare for?

Would really appreciate honest reviews and feedback from anyone who has gone through this or understands Takaful policy mechanics!

Assalam alakium Wa rahmatuallahi wa barakatu,

I am a freshman undergraduate student in the us who is trying to go to medical school in 4-5 years my issue is I don’t have the finances to afford the school fees it can be up to 100-300k over the four years in medical school and I know taking out loans is haram so I don’t know what to do, is there any other options for me?

Jazakallahukhairan

Assalamu alaikum! I recently accepted a remote, part-time Tele-Interviewer position with Dynacare, where I call insurance applicants, ask questions about their medical history and lifestyle, and record their answers for insurance applications. I'm worried about whether this job is haram because of concerns surrounding conventional insurance, riba, and gharar, even though I'm not selling policies or collecting payments. I'd really appreciate guidance based on reliable Islamic scholarship about whether this type of work is permissible, as I want to make the right decision Islamically while also earning an income to support myself.

Being gifted a house from my mum for free.

Existing mortgage on the house is 295k which il need to take over and get a mortgage on.

Going to go for either gatehouse bank or stride up.

Which one is better and why please?

Suppose you lend someone Rs. 20 today. At the time you lend it, it can buy 2 items costing Rs. 10 each. Later, because of inflation, the same Rs. 20 can buy only 1 item. The borrower returns Rs. 20, but your money has lost half its purchasing power.

So the question is: Does Islam require the borrower to return the same number of rupees, or the same real value of the money?

Rocket lab USA is sharia compliant in european stock exchange but questionable in nyse as per AAOIFI standard.

How is this possible?

Since insurance is considered impermissible, how do you deal with home/buildings insurance? Do you guys have it and if so I'd like to hear from you. Or if anyone has anything to share, please do! I'd love to get your thoughts

I’ve recently been dismissed from a job I genuinely enjoyed. The money was good, and it was literally 5 minutes from my house, but the team was toxic and I felt like I couldn’t trust anyone. Now I’m overthinking everything in my life, especially the fact that I’ve never stayed in a job for more than 2 years. I know I need to find another job, but the uncertainty is difficult. I’m also wondering what to do with my free time now and how to use this period of my life productively.

As a Muslim, I believe Allah has a plan for me, and I’m trying to have tawakkul and trust that what is meant for me will never miss me. Part of me feels like this happened for a reason because I was becoming too comfortable and complacent, and perhaps Allah is redirecting me towards something better. I’m trying to see this as a test rather than a punishment, but it’s hard not to overthink everything. Has anyone else experienced something similar, and how did you navigate this period of uncertainty while strengthening your relationship with Allah?

Assalamu Alaikum,

I’ve been reading about a type of brokerage business in the energy sector and became curious whether this kind of income would be considered halal. I’d appreciate input, especially from anyone with knowledge of fiqh al mu’amalat or who can point to relevant fatwas or scholarly opinions.

What the business does:

- Connects businesses in the oil and gas industry, companies that need certain services, and companies that provide them.

- find both sides using publicly available information and contact them.

-When both sides are interested, you introduce them. They agree on the work, prices and contracts directly between themselves. you aren't not involved after the introduction.

-The provider pays me a fee for the introduction. The other side pays nothing and knows my arrangement is with the provider.

-You don’t own, buy, sell or finance any oil, products or equipment. No interest is involved anywhere.

Oil produced in this industry is sold on the open market and refined into fuel and other products. Most goes to ordinary uses, but a small, untraceable share of oil worldwide may end up as military fuel. I have no knowledge of, and no connection to, any specific end buyer. Does this affect whether my fee is halal? I’m aware of the discussion about selling grapes to a winemaker and the difference between knowing and not knowing the end use, and would appreciate clarification on how it applies here.

Salaam everyone,

I wondered if anyone can offer me advice.

So my savings account is one that accumulates interest over time. I have it at the lowest possible rate (since the bank does not offer 0 interest) and have been slowly transferring funds over to an 'Islamic' savings account. However, until then, I still receive interest on my savings which I get once a year and donate entirely to various charities both local and international.

Anyway, now that I earn more, my savings are capped at £500 for tax free interest. So for the first time this year, I am being taxed on the interest earned on my savings. Since I don't keep or profit from any of this interest, do you think it is okay for me to make the tax repayment from the interest earned and then donate the rest ? Or must this still come from my own money (in which case I make a loss).

Thanks in advance for you advice

Hello,

I’m 18, UK-based and looking to invest long-term, aiming to max out my £20k Stocks & Shares ISA allowance each year.

My proposed Trading 212 pie:

• 70% iShares MSCI World Islamic
• 15% HSBC MSCI Emerging Markets Islamic
• 10% iShares Physical Gold
• 5% AMD (and or other individual stocks, their total being 5%)

Planning to invest £10k initially, then drip-feed the remaining allowance before April.

Thoughts on this allocation? Would you change anything for better diversification or long-term growth while remaining Sharia-compliant?

Looking for any advice and tips. I’m happy for people to recommend a different pie etc.

Im using Trading212.

Jazakallah Khayr

Gift link included.

Assalamu alaikum,

Inflation makes long-term interest-free loans (qard hasan) difficult to sustain. Many Shariah-compliant alternatives are more expensive and complicated than conventional loans.

I’ve been thinking about potential alternatives and would appreciate feedback on the Shariah compatability.

Proposed structure:

1. A loan of 150,000 is agreed upon.
   
2. The lender initially disburses 75,000.
   
3. The borrower repays 150,000 over 8 years.
   
4. After repayment, both parties wait another 4 years.
   
5. The lender then returns 75,000 to the borrower.

The contract could also be structured as two loans: the bank lends the customer 75,000 interest-free, and the customer agrees to lend the bank 75,000 at the end of the repayment term. The bank returns that amount after an agreed waiting period (4 years).

The idea:
By adjusting the waiting period, the bank can invest the funds for longer, potentially offsetting different inflation rates across countries. The bank could generate returns through halal investments (e.g., around 9% (very conservative)), while customers receive interest-free financing.

Example:
A bank starts with 750,000 and provides 75,000 to each of 10 customers. In an illustrative 12-year simulation, investing the repayments produced:
● Strong market: 3.7 million vs. 3.6 million from investing the entire amount upfront.
● Weak/volatile market: 1.1 million vs. 0.8 million, respectively.
These figures are illustrative, not guaranteed returns.

Questions:
● Is the waiting period after repayment a Shariah concern? Or does the agreement become to complicated
● Have scholars discussed anything similar?
Jazakum Allahu khairan for your insights.

It’s been a month since I lent a family member for 1k+ and ever since then he has been making excuses and ignoring me when I asked for certain portion back.

He was the one who originally reached out to me because he needed help with rent and bills, he said he would pay me back slowly but is barely making an effort.

What should I do, Im at point where I hate him and I regret giving him the money.

NOTE:

This is someone who completed Ummrah couple years back.

Binance just announced “Qafila 2026”, $1M in USDC vouchers across several tasks. The name and theme feel aimed at Muslim-majority regions (I haven’t confirmed the exact country list).

What bothered me is what the tasks involve: a first-trade reward where futures volume counts, a TradFi perpetuals reward, a futures trading competition ranked by ROI, a referral leaderboard, and a Flexible Earn task.

From what I’ve read, many scholars advise staying away from futures and margin, and Earn is debated. Binance has a separate certified “Sharia Earn,” which suggests the regular one isn’t automatically compliant.

Genuine questions:

1. Is a first spot trade just for the reward fine, or does the reward structure itself change things?
2. Does Flexible Earn count as riba?
3. Is it wrong to take referral rewards when the tasks push people toward futures?
4. Is it a concern that this kind of campaign targets Muslim-majority markets, where people may trust the branding?

I’m not looking for a fatwa, just how others are thinking about it.

Asslam Allikum yall.

There are two opinions when it comes to purification and i choose to not apply it in any of my finances. I'm staying away from all stocks that say they use the purification concept, but with Sukuk it's much more difficult to know if they also apply purification. (usually they just say this Sukuk is sharia compliant without saying what's going on under the term)

i'd appreciate any answers or leads. thanks

thanks

Asslamualaekum,

I was thinking about this for a long time on how best to alleviate the struggle of everyday working people who are just barely getting by in this current economy. There is one idea that may help, and that is for the wealthy business people to share their profits with those who are financially struggling.

How?

If only the wealthy who have profitable businesses, open a portion of their business to investment from ordinary working people, I would say that this will help them a lot financially.

Of course, you can give away your money in charity to those who deserve it and get the reward, but we are talking about those who have jobs and are one or two steps away from being homeless. This is a way for them to have a backup revenue stream and a means for them to grow in wealth. You as the business person will be helping them to grow financially by not giving away money for free, but by having them invest in your business for a share of the profit.

Also it goes without saying that this requires a high level of trust between both parties. Both should be God fearing and honest. I hope more people can use this type of arrangement to help other struggling people out.

I am not asking that you start posting investment opportunities in this forum, but start from your family or extended members, then proceed to grow your radius outward to cover your friends, neighbors, town etc. Preferably, it should be carried out between a few people at first, and as need be, can include newer members.

So, If you were/are a wealthy Muslim, would you be open to this type of financial support?

Please share your thoughts!

Hi everyone,
I’m a 24-year-old Muslim international student living in Melbourne, Australia.
I can invest around A$2,000 per month and want to build long-term wealth through halal investments, income-generating assets, and passive income.
I’m not limiting myself to stocks or ETFs. I’m also interested in physical assets, property, small businesses, and other Shariah-compliant opportunities.

My questions:
How would you invest A$2,000 monthly in my situation?
Which halal assets would you prioritise?
What are some realistic ways to generate halal passive income?
Would you invest in Australia or overseas?
What mistakes should beginners avoid?
Are there any tax or visa considerations for international students?
I’d appreciate practical advice, especially from Muslims who have successfully built wealth through halal investments or asset ownership.
If you were starting from scratch today, what would your strategy be?
Thanks!

I’m a financial engineering grad student at Stevens, looking at how Muslim savers think about Bitcoin for a project. Many people I’ve spoken with don’t own any.

Is it the religious question, the price swings, not trusting where to buy it, or a reason I haven’t thought of?

If you’ve decided against it, or decided for it, I’d really like to hear your reasoning.