Muslim Money Talk

In this  episode of Muslim Money Talk, Areeb Siddiqui speaks with Khizar Muhammad, a Shariah scholar and Islamic finance professional, about the often-overlooked intersection of money and marriage in Muslim communities. They explore topics such as mahr (dowry), prenups, financial expectations, marital communication, and societal shifts that are reshaping how Muslim couples approach marriage today.

This podcast is hosted by Areeb Siddiqui, the founder and CEO of Kestrl, the app that helps people to grow their wealth without compromise

Find out more about our app here: https://kestrl.io/

And how we help banks here: https://business.kestrl.io/

Show Notes: 

00:00 - Trailer 

02:40 - Eid weddings & reflections on the marriage industry

04:13 -  Khizar’s public speaking nerves and nikah khutbah advice

05:34  - Core purpose of marriage in Islam

07:21 - Decline in societal trust and rise of adversarial prenups

10:47 -Khizar's Personal Journey to Islamic Studies

18:34 - Communication Issues in Marital Finances

29:28 - Understanding Mahar as a Gift, Not Failsafe

39:25 - Prenups and Marriage Contract Conditions

46:30 - Financial Rights and Responsibilities in Islam

53:10 - Lessons from Afghanistan and Beyond

01:07:25 - Closing Thoughts and Farewells

In this episode of Muslim Money Talk, Omar Khaliel, co-founder of the Riba Free Foundation and Muslim CEOs Collective, discusses the urgent need for ethical, long-term Muslim leadership rooted in Islamic principles. He and host Areeb Siddiqui explore wealth stewardship, the importance of servant-led leadership, and how Muslim CEOs can build generational impact by fostering a values-driven, collaborative ecosystem.

This podcast is hosted by Areeb Siddiqui, the founder and CEO of Kestrl, the app that helps people to grow their wealth without compromise

Find out more about our app here: https://kestrl.io/

And how we help banks here: https://business.kestrl.io/

Show Notes: 

00:00 - Opening

04:43 – Circular economy & wealth flow in the Muslim community

07:08 – Leadership, governance & building 100-year organizations

12:56 – How Muslim CEOs dinners foster real impact

21:33 – What is servant-led leadership in Islam?

27:16 – Qur’anic leadership lessons: Talut, Khalid ibn Walid, Abu Dhar

45:10 – Vision for the next decade of Muslim leadership

51:22 – The untapped potential of masjids, charities & investors

54:10 – Why Muslim startups struggle with funding

58:29 – Final thoughts & call to action

In this episode of Muslim Money Talk, co-founders Areeb Siddiqui and Daeng Termizi dive deep into the journey of building Kestrl, a Muslim fintech startup, from meeting during their MBAs at Cambridge to launching a full-fledged digital Islamic bank. They also explore the philosophy behind Islamic economics, Malaysia’s unique position in Islamic finance, and reflect on the spiritual and economic motivations driving their mission.

This podcast is hosted by Areeb Siddiqui, the founder and CEO of Kestrl, the app that helps people to grow their wealth without compromise

Find out more about our app here: https://kestrl.io/

And how we help banks here: https://business.kestrl.io/

Show Notes:

00:00 - Opening trailer

02:38 - Intro

04:08 - Childhood in Malaysia and education

08:45 - Malaysia as a hub of Islamic Banking

11:36- Doing the MBA at Cambridge

14:18 - First meeting and the idea for Kestrl

21:33 - Monzo for Muslims?

23:45 - 1st funding round and feedback

26:06 - Daeng's side hustles to survive

30:36 - Finding the right co-founder/CTO

35:17 - Hiring the in-house tech team

40:53 - Going B2B SaaS

42:28 - Launching the Kestrl digital bank

43:37 - Should Muslims move to Malaysia?

48:11 - Malays having different rights

56:46 - What is the Ideal Islamic Economy?

Today we’re joined by Mohammed Shoaib, Head of Sales and Marketing at Muslim Kids TV, to discuss the urgent need for high-quality, values-aligned Muslim children’s media. 

They explore Shoaib’s personal journey through faith, fatherhood, and media, diving into how Islamic content creation can combat harmful mainstream narratives and influence the next generation positively.

This podcast is hosted by Areeb Siddiqui, the founder and CEO of Kestrl, the app that helps people to grow their wealth without compromise

Find out more about our app here: https://kestrl.io/

And how we help banks here: https://business.kestrl.io/

Show Notes:

00:00 - Opening trailer

02:38 - Intro

03:40 - Early Education & Career In Charity

08:08 - Joining And Rebranding Islam Channel 

11:18 - Starting the Dadhood podcast 

12:12 - The Truth About Working In Muslim Organisations 

17:28 - Becoming A Man: Early Marriage & Fatherhood 

21:50 - Marrying A Revert

24:12 - Early fatherhood Baraqa & Financial Struggles 

31:14 - Growing Up Without A Father 

34:33 - Problems with Mainstream Children's Media

39:45 - Subtle Zionist Messaging 

42:05 - The Problem With Aladdin, Zootropolis and more…

45:07 - Muslim Kids TV: Creating Quality Alternatives

53:31 - Is There A Production Quality Gap?

55:49 - Military Brainwashing in the US 

00:59:18 - Pitching New Ideas

01:02:18 - The Future Of Muslim Kids TV

In this episode of Muslim Money Talk, Areeb Siddiqui speaks with Sultan Choudhury OBE about the challenges and evolution of Islamic banking in the UK and beyond. 

They discuss misconceptions around Islamic finance, pricing challenges, the need for stakeholder alignment, and how scale and innovation can push the industry forward.

This podcast is hosted by Areeb Siddiqui, the founder and CEO of Kestrl, the app that helps people to grow their wealth without compromise

Find out more about our app here: https://kestrl.io/

And how we help banks here: https://business.kestrl.io/

Show Notes:

00:00 - Opening trailer

02:08 - Intro and becoming a shareholder in Kestrl

05:39 - Early advice to Kestrl

06:23 - Early education and sales experience  

11:00 - Studying economics and discovering Islamic Finance

15:21 - Early career and thoughts of Deloitte

19:20 - Remembering parents and their influences in entrepreneurship 

22:26 - Working at Charles Schwab and learning Californian Tech Culture 

26:08 - Building Islamic Bank of Britain

28:38 - Challenges in scaling Islamic finance in the UK  

32:55 - Early Products & Launching Islamic Mortgages 

35:40 - Adopting the cloud and new tech

38:14 - Why do Islamic Banks have bad User Experiences?

41:29 - Why are Islamic Mortgages more expensive?

49:08 - Why don’t Islamic Banks want more deposits?

51:10 - Why do returns track the BoE interest rate?

55:36 - So is this interest by another name?

56:53 - Dealing with conflicting Fatwas

59:15 - Dealing with poor UX first 
  
1:01:47 - Why Are Islamic Banks Run By Non-Muslims?

1:05:55 - Do We Need A New Islamic Bank?

In this heartfelt episode of Muslim Money Talk, host Areeb Siddiqui sits down with his father and Kestrl’s CFO, Ayaz Siddiqui, for an emotional and wide-ranging conversation about immigration, financial sacrifice, growing up in post-colonial societies, surviving personal loss, and the evolution of Islamic finance in the UK. 

From humble beginnings in Pakistan to executive roles in global banks, Ayaz reflects on how faith, resilience, and mentorship shaped his journey — and why he ultimately chose to back his son’s fintech startup.

This podcast is hosted by Areeb Siddiqui, the founder and CEO of Kestrl, the app that helps people to grow their wealth without compromise

Find out more about our app here: https://kestrl.io/

And how we help banks here: https://business.kestrl.io/

Show Notes:

00:00 - Opening
04:35 - Childhood in Pakistan and Military Life

12:11 - Zambia Years and Moving to England

22:13 - Life-Changing Loss at Age 18

35:11 - Breaking into London's Financial World

52:30 - 9/11 and Muslim Identity Crisis

1:10:09 - Mentorship and Career Evolution

1:22:32 - The Birth of Kestrel Financial

1:35:56 - Islamic Finance: Progress and Disappointments

Meet Ibrahim, a Palestinian born med school drop out who went on to build one of the UK’s largest crypto empires in both mining and trading.

Ibrahim shares his journey with us, why and how Muslims should be investing into crypto, as well as what Muslims should be focussing their skillsets on today.

This podcast is hosted by Areeb Siddiqui, the founder and CEO of Kestrl, the app that helps people to grow their wealth without compromise 

Find out more about our app here: https://kestrl.io/

And how we help banks here: https://business.kestrl.io/

Show Notes: 

00:00 - Opening 

02:15 - Entering venture capital

03:54 - Dubai vs Riyadh for muslim entrepreneurs
 
05:29 - From medicine to bitcoin trading

07:10 - Can money still be made in cryptocurrencies?

08:22- Turning 2k into 12k through arbitrage trading 

09:47- Definition: What exactly is cryptocurrency?

12:01- Similarities between Qu’ran memorisation and the blockchain

13:52- Why the early passion for bitcoin?

16:03- Launching the UK’s first bitcoin mining company 

17:20- Having God level accountability

17:52- Early money/success impact to ego?

19:06- Definition: What is crypto mining?

21:32- Is crypto a scam?

23:38- How to buy and sell crypto ?

25:10- Keeping your crypto investment safe

26:18 - Using stable coins to send money

27:36 - Decentralised financial services: Islamic insurance and regulations

29:38 - Revolutionising Islamic Finance?

30:39 - Mainstream vs Meme coins

32:45 - Bitcoin = Gold? Ethereum = Oil?

34:29 - Can it really be a currency?

35:30 - Will bitcoin hit $1m USD?

37:00 - Is bitcoin shariah compliant?

38:51 - Breaking for Maghreb prayers

39:28 - Backing muslim founders with Niyyah Capital

41:55 - How to increase your Rizq?

44:29 - What keeps Muslims poor?

46:28 - Wahi: Memorising Hadiths through an app

48:37 - Favorite stories about wealth in the Qu’ran

Meet Shahid Munir, founder of Minted and Minted Edge, as he shares his journey from a family-run corner shop to leading fintech ventures in gold investment and Islamic banking solutions. They dive deep into entrepreneurship, ethical finance, why Muslims love gold, and how to tackle being “debanked” in today’s world.

This podcast is hosted by Areeb Siddiqui, the founder and CEO of Kestrl, the app that helps people to grow their wealth without compromise 

Find out more about our app here: https://kestrl.io/

And how we help banks here: https://business.kestrl.io/

Show Notes: 

00:00 - Trailer/Introduction 

03:20 -  Childhood inspirations and origins 

06:43 -  Moving to Investment Banking 

09:21 - Industry experience before entrepreneurship

11:17- The Dark Side of Investment Banking 

13:53 -  Early interest in computing 

15:46 - Childhood attempts at entrepreneurship 

17:38 - Scaling first business in telephone systems 

26:00 - Minted: Making Gold Accessible 

32:07 - Why is Gold important to Muslims?

34:55 - Could a gold backed debit card work?

40:00 - Minted Edge: Protecting charities from Debanking

47:25 - Dubai vs UK for Entrepreneurs

50:31 - Making FX payments more efficient 

55:23 - The biggest financial problem for Muslims today

59:38 - Advice to Muslim founders

Meet Sagheer Malik, Chief Commercial Officer of Offa Finance, proving shariah compliant buy to let and bridge financing solutions.

He discusses the regulatory challenges surrounding UK Islamic Home Financing, along with the criticisms that have come his way from other practitioners! Sagheer also discusses the UK Muslim children’s adoption crisis and draws parallels between it and Islamic finance.


This podcast is hosted by Areeb Siddiqui, the founder and CEO of Kestrl, the app that helps people to grow their wealth without compromise 

Find out more about our app here: https://kestrl.io/

And how we help banks here: https://business.kestrl.io/

Show Notes: 



00:00 - Trailer 

02:31 – The UK’s child adoption crisis 

12:03 – Early career at Islamic Bank of Britain

16:37 - Being mentored by strong Muslims

17:39 - Being poor and Muslim 

19:50 - Remembering the late Azhar Khan

23:22- Launching the UK’s first Islamic Bank 

28:15- Mistakes made at the Bank 

32:56- Why the name Offa?

35:42- How Offa fixes UK Islamic Mortgages

41:10 - Why are 2 lawyers often needed?

43:10 - Are some companies more authentically shariah compliant?

50:10 - Confusion amongst the general public 

56:35 - Regulated vs. Unregulated Schemes: Stamp Duty, CGT and Variable Rents

1:07:50 - Offa’s future product offering as

1:11:48 - Should everyone buy property?

1:16:50 - The Story of Abdurrahman RA and charitable giving

In this episode of Muslim Money Talk, Dr. Hassan Daher, founder of Qardus, talks about building the UK’s first Sharia-compliant SME lending platform. They dive into the roots of Islamic finance, the fintech startup journey, and navigating the modern economy as a Muslim entrepreneur and investor.

This podcast is hosted by Areeb Siddiqui, the founder and CEO of Kestrl, the app that helps people to grow their wealth without compromise 

Find out more about our app here: https://kestrl.io/

And how we help banks here: https://business.kestrl.io/

Show Notes: 

00:00 - Opening

02:19 – Reflections on building a fintech startup and the 5-year journey

04:13 – Overview of Qardus and services offered

05:41 – Growing up in Lebanon, education, and family background

8:52 - Founding Qardus: UK's First Sharia-Compliant Lender

18:58 - The Two-Sided Marketplace Problem

31:29 - How Qardus Works Behind the Scenes

44:06 - Managing Startup Life and Avoiding Burnout

55:11 - Islamic Economics in a Trump Era

1:01:10 - Cryptocurrencies and Financial Literacy