Halal Money Matters

On this episode of Halal Money Matters, Monem Salam sits down with engineer and Harvard MBA candidate Malek Sarhan to unpack how he helped open access to a truly halal 401(k) inside a giant like General Motors, without walking away from his company match. From discovering that none of the 27 funds in his plan were Sharia-compliant to working through GM’s MENA employee resource group and a supportive executive to unlock halal options through the brokerage window, Malek shares practical steps, lessons, and encouragement for anyone trying to advocate for Islamic retirement choices at their own workplace.

American Muslims are younger, highly diverse, and collectively spend an estimated 170 billion dollars a year, with especially strong emphasis on education, real estate, and charitable giving. In this episode, Monem Salam talks with Rafi-uddin Shikoh of DinarStandard about new data on how many Muslims live in the US and Canada, where they are concentrated, how much they earn and spend, and what the numbers reveal about housing, retirement, and the growing gap in financial habits across generations.

Halal Money Matters hosts Monem Salam and guest Ibrahim Khan of Islamic Finance Guru take a deep dive into the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement and its impact on Muslim investors, portfolio construction, and ethics. They break down how boycotts, divestment, and government sanctions each work, what makes a boycott effective, where Islamic compliance ends and broader ethics begin, and how to avoid unprincipled or self‑defeating divestment decisions.

Is your portfolio too focused on the US? In this episode, Saturna Capital Portfolio Manager Dan Kim joins Halal Money Matters to reveal why international investing deserves more attention. From overlooked global opportunities and discounted valuations to emerging growth in AI, Japan, and Latin America, Dan explains how an international allocation could be the key to smarter diversification in today’s market.

Special guest Owaiz Dadabhoy and host Monem Salam discuss the importance of endowments for nonprofit organizations, emphasizing their role in providing financial stability and sustainability. They discuss the benefits of endowments, including long-term financial security and the ability to support operations and scholarships. They explore starting with a quasi-endowment and gradually transitioning to a true endowment, emphasizing the importance of clear goals, governance, and community engagement.

Our guest Melanie Elturk is the co-founder and CEO of Haute Hijab, the leading hijab brand in the United States, dedicated to empowering Muslim women through fashion, leadership, and community engagement. She joins host Monem Salam to discuss her journey from a law career to fashion entrepreneurship, emphasizing the challenges and growth of the modest fashion industry.

Our guest David Skade is a Financial Crime Executive and has over 20 years experience in risk management and financial crime prevention. He joins host Monem Salam to discuss the complexities of online scams, focusing on anti-money laundering (AML) regulations, affinity marketing, and how scammers play on sentiment and greed to exploit consumers.

Our guest Jon Potts has over 40 years in the precious metals industry. He discusses the historical and current significance of gold as an investment.

Special guest Amjad Quadri presents a 10-step guide to help you organize your finances—the halal way. Although every situation is different, this guide offers some great guideposts to help determine what the right order of financial operations is for you.

In this special episode of Halal Money Matters, we feature a webinar replay on new tariff policies and their effects on your investments. Saturna Capital's Director and Portfolio Manager Monem Salam and Director of Research and Portfolio Manager Dan Kim lead us through a very informative episode.

Monem Salam and guest Hud Williams unpack traditional and Roth IRAs, exploring contribution limits, tax advantages, and withdrawal rules. They discuss how to align retirement planning with Islamic finance principles, common tax-time strategies, and creative ideas like “Hajj 59” to make saving for the future more meaningful.

Amana Funds co-founder and trustee Dr. M. Yaqub Mirza joins Halal Money Matters to recount the humble beginnings of Amana Funds and the history of its rise to #1 in faith-based investing.

Saturna's Owaiz Dadabhoy, Senior Vice President, National Sales & Institutional Retirement Plans, joins Halal Money Matters to discuss his insights on financial planning for Islamic charities and endowments.

Saturna's Vice President of Investment Advisory Services Haitham Al-Sayed joins Halal Money Matters to discuss seven rules for saving money.

Saturna's HR Manager Kerry Read joins Halal Money Matters to prepare you for all the paperwork in a new job.

Kirk Larson from the Social Security Administration joins Halal Money Matters to discuss Social Security retirement and disability benefits.

Saturna Chief Investment Officer Scott Klimo joins Halal Money Matters to discuss crisis and opportunity in the face of upcoming elections.

Shaykh Suhail Mulla joins Halal Money Matters to discuss the blessings and challenges of blended families.

Dr. Omar Fisher joins Halal Money Matters to discuss the key differences between takaful and conventional insurance.

Insurance specialist Jeremy Loween joins Halal Money Matters to help demystify the process of applying for and supplementing Medicare benefits.

Saturna Capital's Levi Zurbrugg joins Halal Money Matters to discuss the implications of de-dollarization and emerging markets.

Patrick Drum, Saturna Capital Senior Investment Analyst and Portfolio Manager, joins us to talk about the features of sukuk fixed income and what makes it halal.

Former NFL player Husain Abdullah joins Halal Money Matters to talk about football and finances.

Shaykh Yaser Birjas joins Halal Money Matters to discuss the many nuances of the practice mahr, the Islamic bridal gift tradition.

Financial Coach and Podcaster Lisa Hashem joins Halal Money Matters to talk about the discussions couples should be having before they get married to ensure a successful financial future.

Attorney and family estate planner Antonio Glenn joins Halal Money Matters to discuss appointing the executor of your will, the roles and responsibilities of being an executor, and advice for setting up the plans for your final wishes.

Haitham Al-Sayed, Vice President of Investment Advisory Services at Saturna Captial, joins us to discuss the basics of financial planning.

Anwar Khan, co-founder and current president of Islamic Relief USA, tells us how he started the charity, talks about the mission of Islamic Relief USA, and takes a deep dive into the costs of delivering disaster aid worldwide.

Abdullah Syed joins the show to discuss strategies for coping with the rising cost of education while avoiding interest bearing loans, the two types of iqra, public versus private colleges, and much more.

Shazia Imam joins the show to discuss women and investing, the seven wealth languages, overcoming cultural conditioning, and much more.

Dr. Dawood Ashraf joins the show to discuss his research into the question of if and when the Islamic model of investing can outperform traditional investing.

Halal Money Matters welcomes Mustafa Umar, President of California Islamic University, for a conversation about the intentions and obligations of Zakat al-Fitr during Ramadan.

Saturna Capital Portfolio Manager Bryce Fegley joins the show to discuss all things inflation: why it exists, its history in the US economy, potential consequences, and why it's such a big deal at the moment.

It's common to set goals at the start of a new year, but what's driving those goals? What are they based on? "Chasing 100" author Adnan Jalali joins Halal Money Matters to discuss personal planning and maximizing potential by aligning those goals with personal values.

Join hosts Monem Salam and Christopher Patton as they discuss a range of year-end financial strategies including maxing out your tax-advantaged accounts, charitable giving, reviewing asset allocations, and more.

Digital asset manager Motasem Benothman joins Halal Money Matters for a beginner's guide to the past and present of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin.

Halal Money Matters welcomes Mohammed Faris, Founder and CEO of The Productive Muslim Company, to discuss the blessings of productivity and balance.

Dr. Ziyaad Mahomed joins Halal Money Matters to discuss the study of behavioral finance, the psychology behind financial decisions, and the future of the field.

Wealth planning attorney and author Yaser Ali joins the podcast to discuss estate planning, wealth transference, and inheritance according to Islamic values.

Rafi-uddin Shikoh of Dinar Standard joins the podcast to discuss the economic impacts of Ramadan, taking a close look at its effects on certain sectors as well as productivity in Muslim markets.

Saturna Capital regional managers Owaiz Dadabhoy, Amjad Quadri, Haitham Al-Sayed, and Sameer Sarmast join the podcast to trade stories about working in Islamic finance and share points of inspiration.

Special guest and Amana Mutual Funds Trust chairman M. Yaqub Mirza joins podcast hosts Christopher Patton and Monem Salam to discuss the early days of the Amana Funds and his book, Five Pillars of Prosperity.

Special guest Haitham Al-Sayed joins podcast hosts Christopher Patton and Monem Salam to discuss Haitham's personal journey from traditional finance to Islamic finance.

President of Linfield University and Amana Mutual Funds Trustee Dr. Miles Davis joins podcast hosts Christopher Patton and Monem to discuss entrepreneurship in Islam and the Black Lives Matter movement.

Amjad Quadri joins podcast hosts Christopher Patton and Monem to discuss halal mortgages in depth - everything from the home buying experience to the history of how halal mortgages got started in the US.

Imam Tahir Anwar joins the podcast to discuss his experiences with hajj, the uniqueness of hajj in 2020, and strategies to save for future years.

Join hosts Monem Salam and Christopher Patton with special guest, Owaiz Dadabhoy, Director of Islamic Investing, of Saturna Capital. In this episode, we discuss the importance of saving and investing for retirement, and how to do so in a halal way.

Monem and Christopher discuss what makes an investment halal, including the history of Islamic investing and various screening methodologies.

Our inaugural podcast episode - featuring hosts Monem Salam, Executive Vice President of Saturna Capital and Portfolio Manager of the Amana Income and Developing World Funds, and Christopher Patton, Videographer and Cultural Attaché of Saturna Capital. In this episode, Monem and Christopher discuss the reasons to invest and some of the hurdles people may face.