Assalamu Alaykum!

This one's personal. Futhallah sits down for the third time with his own mentor, Amen Elbaba, and traces the FaceTime call that changed his career, the one that came right after a Salesforce rejection left him questioning everything. From there, the two dig into what mentorship actually means, starting with its roots in Islam: the Prophet Muhammad's relationship with Jibril, the hadith "Ad-dīn an-nāsīḥa" (religion is sincere advice), and how Imam Abu Hanifa credited two years with Ja'far as-Sadiq for shaping his entire legacy.

From there, the conversation gets practical. They talk about how to actually find a mentor today, how to set boundaries so the relationship doesn't turn one sided, why mentees have to put in the work instead of just showing up to vent, and how to handle a mentee (or a mentor) who overstays their welcome.

They close on the question everyone eventually asks: is it ever worth paying for mentorship? Amen and Futhallah break down the due diligence, the opportunity cost math, and why the real return isn't the money, it's the years you skip having to learn the hard way.

00:54 Why Mentorship Matters

03:24 Mentorship in Islam

06:18 Finding Mentors Today

11:46 Setting Clear Boundaries

13:46 Mentee Effort and Execution

17:33 Handling Overreach Respectfully

21:16 When to Pay for Mentorship

30:56 Parting Advice and Pay It Forward

33:40 Closing and Thanks

Deen and Deals on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0TmLGVfHqu3uG8TZyNtPcT

Deen and Deals on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deen-deals/id1847344968

Mohammed Kiswani on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohammedkiswani/

Futhallah Hamed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/futhallah-hamed/

Amen Elbaba on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amenelbaba/

Assalamu Alaykum!

Amen Elbaba is back for round two, and this time he's bringing a hot take that reframes the entire sales career: it's not really a profession, it's a lifestyle. He and Mohammed dig into the soft skills that actually separate top sellers, persistence, curiosity, and above all, active listening, and why those same skills end up showing up in your friendships, your marriage, and how you raise your kids. Amen breaks down what active listening really looks like on a discovery call (hint: it starts with repeating back what you heard before you assume you understood it), and why he treats every intro call as a high stakes call. They also get into the code switching sales guys do without realizing it, why "there are no rules" in sales as long as you're not disrespectful, and Amen's take on whether great sellers are born or made through his work at TechSteps, where he helps people break into tech sales. Mohammed and Amen also tease a new project they're building together for the Muslim tech sales community, so keep an eye out for that announcement soon.

Timestamps:
00:00 Welcome Back Intro
01:25 Traits Of Top Sellers
03:03 Skills Beyond Work
06:00 Sales Guy Stereotype
08:25 Speak Their Language
11:13 Active Listening Deep Dive
13:21 Discovery Call Strategy
16:57 Can Anyone Learn Sales
21:36 Sales Has No Rules
24:26 Proactive Seller Mindset
26:44 How To Break In
28:33 Collab Sneak Peek Outro

Where to Follow

Deen and Deals:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0TmLGVfHqu3uG8TZyNtPcT
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deen-deals/id1847344968

Hosts:
Mohammed Kiswani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohammedkiswani/
Futhallah Hamed: https://www.linkedin.com/in/futhallah-hamed/

Guest, Amen Elbaba:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amenelbaba/

Assalamu Alaykum!

This week we're joined by Yusuf Cattaneo, a solutions architect who grew up in Northern Virginia, was homeschooled, and studied at Ta'limul Quran at ADAMS before eventually landing in Raleigh, North Carolina (yes, we get into the NoVA vs Raleigh debate early on). Yusuf's path wasn't a straight line into tech. He started in finance as a business analyst at The Carlyle Group before making the jump into pre-sales, leaning hard on self-learning and curiosity to make it happen.

What makes this conversation different is how Yusuf ties his faith directly into how he shows up in sales. He talks openly about setting boundaries around things like alcohol in client-facing environments, and how being upfront about those boundaries actually builds trust rather than costing him deals. He gets into what it really means to connect with a prospect through vulnerability instead of a script.

A big chunk of this episode is about discovery, real discovery, not the surface-level checklist kind. Yusuf breaks down how he coaches reps to listen, to meet people where they are, and to peel back the layers of what a prospect is actually saying instead of jumping straight to a pitch. He draws a direct line from this to the way the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) engaged with people: with attention, empathy, and an intent to build trust first. He recommends studying the seerah, including a series by AbdurRahman Murphy, as a resource for developing that kind of emotional intelligence, and talks about why intrapersonal awareness has to come before interpersonal skill.

We close things out talking about why buyers actually say yes, choosing companies based on fit rather than logo, building skills at smaller companies, the AE versus SA career track, and where the SA role is headed as agents start to reshape the profession. Yusuf leaves us with a challenge: stay curious, get clear on your intention, and don't lose sight of your hereafter while you're building your career.

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro
01:10 Raleigh vs NoVA Banter
02:18 Yusuf Background and Homeschooling
05:00 Podcasts and Presales Mindset
07:13 Faith Lessons for Sales EQ
11:49 Boundaries and Human Connection
14:50 Career Path Into Presales
18:03 Discovery and Future State Selling
27:44 Learning Good Discovery Skills
30:21 Meet Them Where They Are
33:40 Curiosity Over Intimidation
35:30 Asking Smart Naive Questions
36:57 Prophetic Discovery Resources
37:59 Learning The Seerah For Sales
39:46 Intrapersonal Before Interpersonal
43:30 Why Buyers Say Yes
46:39 North Star Outcomes Not Features
47:58 Choosing Companies And Fit
49:19 Small Company Skill Building
53:28 AE Versus SA Career Path
54:45 Roles Merging With Agents
56:08 Closing Advice And Where To Connect

Where to Follow:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0TmLGVfHqu3uG8TZyNtPcT
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deen-deals/id1847344968
Mohammed's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohammedkiswani/
Futhallah's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/futhallah-hamed/
Yusuf's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yusufcattaneo/

Assalamu Alaykum!This episode is one for anyone who's ever felt stuck between the life they're expected to live and the one they actually want. Nashmia Burney is Director of Forward Deployed Engineering and Pre-Sales Operations at Quickbase, but her path there started nowhere near tech. She grew up moving between the US and Karachi, and at 17, with no lawyer able to help her family, she researched her own immigration case, walked into a US Embassy with a binder of paperwork, and got the officer to admit she was right.From there, Nashmia takes us through her unlikely jump from finance into tech, what it actually means to be a Forward Deployed Engineer (and why it's not just an SC rebrand), and how she's navigated being one of the only Muslim women in the room throughout her career. She and Futhallah get into faith, imposter syndrome, boundaries around things like drinking at work events, and why she believes clarity comes after you move, not before.This one is honest, personal, and full of the kind of advice you don't hear enough of in sales. Give it a listen.Timestamps:2:35 Feel, Think, Heal platform & podcast firsts4:08 Career journey: finance → project management → ATM company → Quickbase6:12 Meeting Quickbase's SC team at a community summit7:55 Immigration story: moving from Karachi to the US10:38 Researching the Child Citizenship Act of 200012:30 Senior officer confirms she's right — passport approved13:42 Receiving the passport, dropping in sajdah15:01 Reflects on her story & advice for job seekers18:50 Eldest daughter of a South Asian family — innate leadership qualities21:55 Role model: Hazrat Khadija (RA)23:14 "The best is yet to come" — arrival is on the Day of Judgment24:34 What is Forward Deployed Engineering?26:50 FDE vs SE: proving value in production vs demo environments29:16 Palantir started the FDE model 10 years ago30:52 Compensation & commission for FDEs33:36 Will the traditional SC role still exist?35:50 Future: agents will own much of the assembly work38:00 RFX team of 2 influencing $7M+ revenue with AI tools39:17 Skills for the AI boom: intellect & adaptability over knowledge41:00 AI may reduce work hours — historical perspective42:29 Experience as a Muslim woman leading technical teams45:30 Building relationships without drinking — halal alternatives47:30 Rumi quote: "Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world..."48:15 Advice: go inward before outward, don't wait to feel qualified50:22 Handling social events that conflict with religious beliefs53:00 Islam is a religion of moderation — networking in halal ways55:44 Advice to your younger self / someone feeling stuck57:18 "I didn't have to choose between being taken seriously and being myself"59:10 "The biggest jail is made up of your identity"61:00 Faith is built of movement — move first, clarity comes after62:34 Ties it to the Prophet ﷺ and "Iqra"63:36 What's next for Nashmia?Where to FollowDeen and Deals:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0TmLGVfHqu3uG8TZyNtPcTApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deen-deals/id1847344968Hosts:Mohammed Kiswani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohammedkiswani/Futhallah Hamed: https://www.linkedin.com/in/futhallah-hamed/Guest, Nashmia Burney:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nashmia.speaks/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nashmia-burney-96379a112/

Assalamu Alaykum! This week we sit down with Saad Ghafoor, a man who was voted the #1 SDR in Europe out of a thousand competitors, and who's now closing deals as an Account Executive at Clearpay (Afterpay's UK arm, part of Block, an S&P 500 company). Saad walks us through the two-year climb that got him there, but the real story isn't the award. It's what happened right after he hit his number. Instead of feeling triumphant, he felt hollow, and it took a trip to Mecca for umrah to show him why. From there, Saad breaks down the four Fs (family, fitness, faith, and finance) and how rebuilding his life around non-negotiables actually made him a better seller, not a worse one. We also get into his cold calling framework, the "do you know how" technique he teaches SDRs, why your internal brand matters more than your metrics, and his advice on finding mentors before you're ready to ask for help. This one's part sales masterclass, part reminder that burnout isn't a badge of honor.

00:30 Saad's Career Snapshot
01:37 Two Keys to Rapid Success
03:13 Winning Top SDR Award
05:46 Reflection and Prayer Balance
08:22 Four Fs Turning Point
13:52 Awe Outside Work
16:28 Selling Like Yourself
19:39 Cold Calling Framework
21:46 Create The Gap
22:58 Startups Need Urgency
24:17 Do You Know How
26:08 Human Discovery Calls
26:58 Honest Upfront Contract
28:36 Disqualify To Win
31:06 AE Outbound Pipeline
33:15 Career Advice Takeaways
38:51 Coaching And Closing

Where to Follow:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0TmLGVfHqu3uG8TZyNtPcT
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deen-deals/id1847344968
Mohammed's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohammedkiswani/
Futhallah's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/futhallah-hamed/

Guest:
Saad Ghafoor's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saad-ghafoor-8674891a0/

Assalamu Alaykum!

Yusuf Imran joins the Deen and Deals podcast for Muslims in tech sales to share his journey from immigrating to Queens as a child to a 20-year sales career that produced two seven-figure W-2 years. He opens up about early struggles, dark periods in his life, and the cold-calling mortgage job that accidentally led him into sales. Yusuf breaks down his path through Mimeo (including building and leading their first EMEA sales team in England), Salesforce, and Google, and explains why it took him seventeen years to hit seven figures, and what he'd do differently if he were starting today. He shares his framework for choosing "must-have" products over "nice-to-have" ones, why sales is becoming less about persuasion and more about social coordination, and how emotional steadiness separates the top performers from everyone else. The conversation also covers his failed hot sauce company, his early days building AI vision tools at Google, and his leap into entrepreneurship as Founder and CEO of Mangosteen Studio, where he's bootstrapping free AI tools for AEs, including crushquota.ai, greenfield.tools, and Territory.News.

00:00 Seven Figures Lessons00:42 Podcast Welcome02:52 Queens Origin Story05:05 First Sales Break09:11 Mimeo Growth Years10:55 IC Versus Management14:39 Rebuilding After England21:01 Customer Relationships Matter22:19 Big Logos Or Startups25:19 Sales As Coordination31:03 Must Have Versus Nice39:36 Job Search Like Selling42:31 Emotional Mastery In Sales44:24 Articulation In AI Era46:51 Genuine Impact Mindset49:25 Seven Figure Deal Breakdown51:22 Becoming Undeniable53:58 Executive Meetings Preparation58:02 AE to Founder Leap01:01:40 AI Inspiration and Building01:08:05 Mangosteen Studio Vision01:11:40 AI Native Seller Tools01:13:09 CrushQuota Prompt Library01:15:15 Greenfield Complex Sales Skills01:20:44 Territory News Signals01:25:45 Care and Closing Thoughts

Where to Follow

Follow Deen & Deals:Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0TmLGVfHqu3uG8TZyNtPcTListen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deen-deals/id1847344968

Where to find Mohammed:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohammedkiswani/

Where to find Futhallah:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/futhallah-hamed/

Where to find Yusuf:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yousufimran/Website: https://yousufimran.com/Mangosteen Studio: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mangosteenstudio/

Assalamu Alaykum—Futhallah interviews Ibraheem Alani on the Deen and Deals podcast for Muslims in tech sales about his shift from a cybersecurity degree into entrepreneurship. Ibraheem shares early job-hopping, multiple failed business attempts, and how he learned sales with no background, emphasizing confident pricing and focusing on process over outcomes. He explains building a LinkedIn outreach agency with a simple promise of “10 qualified meetings,” scaling by hiring and training a sales team, and eventually getting acquired, plus why he sells businesses to focus on one scalable vehicle rather than juggling many. The conversation covers tawakkul, the trade-offs of entrepreneurship, integrity in refunds and client service, and redefining success as inner peace and kindness rather than money. Ibraheem also introduces Saava, an intent-based lead tool with a free trial.01:26 Why Entrepreneurship Early02:48 From Cybersecurity to Hustles05:39 First Agency Wins and Churn07:33 Learning Sales Confidence09:40 Scaling and Selling Companies11:29 LinkedIn Outreach Playbook14:04 Employee vs Founder Mindset17:51 Tawakkul and Loving Process20:15 Why Sell a Cashflow Business21:22 Focus Beats Multiple Companies23:25 Faith Obligations and Time25:24 Redefining Success and Peace27:52 Selling Without Commission Breath28:50 Saava Intent Lead Engine30:48 Setup Trial and Free Leads31:34 Why Not Just Use ChatGPT32:57 Integrity Refunds and Fairness35:40 Build Self Trust Through Commitments38:59 Where to Follow and Final WrapFollow Deen & Deals:Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0TmLGVfHqu3uG8TZyNtPcTListen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deen-deals/id1847344968Where to find Mohammed:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohammedkiswani/Where to find Futhallah:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/futhallah-hamed/Where to find Ibraheem Alani:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ibraheem-kamal-al-ani-86927736b/https://www.saava.io/

Assalamu alaykum! In this episode, we talk about why knowing our numbers is essential as Muslims in tech sales—whether we’re reps or leaders. We break down the outbound pipeline funnel (dials → conversations → meetings booked/held → opps created → closed-won) and how we can work backward from a revenue goal to figure out how many calls we actually need, especially when outbound is new and we don’t have strong historical data. We reflect on balancing research vs. volume (because not all dials are equal), running short experiments to set baselines, and avoiding analysis paralysis. We also discuss knowing our commission math and negotiation levers, using numbers for accountability and credibility in forecasting and interviews, and we share that we’ll release resources in our upcoming community. Enjoy!00:33 Why Knowing Numbers Matters02:36 Pipeline Math From Dials to Revenue05:55 Liberating Metrics Mindset08:20 Research vs Volume Balance10:38 Build Baselines With Experiments13:52 Know Your Commission Levers15:07 Accountability and Career Growth21:14 Using Numbers in Interviews22:40 Recap Community and Closing DuaFollow Deen & Deals:Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0TmLGVfHqu3uG8TZyNtPcTListen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deen-deals/id1847344968Where to find Mohammed:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohammedkiswani/Where to find Futhallah:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/futhallah-hamed/

Assalamu alaykum! This week it's just me and Futhallah getting real about accountability, in the gym, in sales, and in life. We're talking step goals, personal trainers, and why "potential" means nothing without action behind it. Futhallah gets vulnerable about his fitness journey and I break down the exact system that got me real results with my trainer. This one hits different if you've ever paid for a coach or a course and still didn't change. Let's get into it!Show Notes01:32 — The step goal mistake that's keeping you stuck03:42 — Why accountability is the one thing nobody wants to talk about04:39 — How a summer "lock in" with a gym buddy changes everything05:46 — The random guy who became my personal trainer and changed my body08:41 — The three layers of accountability and why most people fail at layer one13:46 — What commission checks and accountability have in common18:46 — Potential vs kinetic energy and why it matters for your goals22:13 — The closing thoughts that will make you rethink your excusesFollow Deen & Deals:Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0TmLGVfHqu3uG8TZyNtPcTListen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deen-deals/id1847344968Where to find Mohammed:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohammedkiswani/Where to find Futhallah:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/futhallah-hamed/

Assalamu alaykum! Yo, I just got back from 4 days at a sales inner game retreat with my former manager Alex Kremer, and I did not walk out the same seller I walked in as. I'm telling you, game changer. We get into speed to truth over speed to outcome, why being Mr. Nice Guy is quietly killing your deals, and how I disqualified a prospect in under a minute and handed her 29 minutes back. Plus the cold call tonality that turned 100 dials into a 34K deal. Press play, this one's raw and straight from my journal!Show Notes00:48 — Straight from my journal: what 4 days taught me01:57 — What is sales really? Speed to truth, not the close03:36 — The hidden emotional needs sabotaging your calls05:08 — 6 mistakes nice sellers make without even knowing it06:27 — Why I've been Mr. Nice Guy my whole career10:45 — The only 2 questions that actually matter in sales11:55 — The 7-step framework that works on any call14:30 — Using AI to systemize your learnings (and call audits)15:50 — 55% energy, 38% tone, 7% words (yes, really)16:57 — The cold call tonality that books meetings17:17 — 6 to 8 hours with a mentor I looked up to for years18:05 — 100 dials, one 34K deal, here's how19:18 — The exact cold call, line by line20:30 — Stop playing the waiting game with your pipeline21:23 — You're not a salesman, you're a corporate athlete22:46 — Stop drawing your own line25:20 — Kind vs nice: the difference that changes everything26:15 — How I disqualified a prospect in under a minute28:03 — The ROI you can't put a number on30:31 — Setting your niyyah: why am I really here?33:17 — Something big coming for Muslim tech sellersFollow Deen & Deals:Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0TmLGVfHqu3uG8TZyNtPcTListen on Apple: https://podcastxas.apple.com/us/podcast/deen-deals/id1847344968Where to find Mohammed:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohammedkiswani/Where to find Futhallah:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/futhallah-hamed/#DeenAndDeals #MuslimPodcast #SalesPodcast #MuslimProfessionals #TechSales #SaaSSales #InnerGame #Alluviance #AlexKremer #SalesMindset #ColdCalling #SalesTraining #SpeedToTruth #Tawakkul #MuslimEntrepreneur #SalesTips #SDR #AccountExecutive #SalesWithoutStrings #MuslimInSales