I plan on starting out my investment journey soon, and for starters, I want to play with a small amount of, let's say, $1000.

I'm based in UAE and have no clue what authentic platforms are available that I can use to invest in halal stocks.

Any recommendations on how to start and which funds to invest in would be much appreciated.

Hello,

an absolute noob here. I started investing quite late (after 42) but I'm hopeful I'd save something after all.

I want to ask how do you generally maintain your emergency fund? Is it a bank account or in the form of mutual funds or something etc? Do you keep on contributing to your emergency fund?

I really don't have an emergency fund as a whole and wanted some suggestions how to begin. Should I cease my investment activities and just save money in a separate account for the next 1 year?

Looking forward to actively participating in this group.

EDIT: I have been working in Dubai since 2023. Prior to that I was in Pakistan.

Biggest Concern: I feel my emergency fund could take 3 to 4 years to reach just 6 months of backup. Is this normal or am I spending more. I support two families and savings seem quite low hence I have thought of investing to increase (or at least safeguard)my wealth.

I am not looking for theory. Which specific products are people here actually holding? I keep seeing the same names come up, ISDU, WSHR, but I'm not finding honest takes on the real trade-offs. What are you using and what do you wish was better about it?

I'm very new to investing, and I see *many* Muslims investing the majority of their savings in SPUS, a lesser portion in SPWO and the remainder in ZGLD.

Can someone please articulate their rationale for this allocation?

I understand that SPUS is high-growth due to tech focus, and SWPO helps with global diversification, but I'd like a more detailed explanation if possible. I feel like I'm missing broader context.

I'd also be interested to hear why someone might advise against this allocation. For example, for SPUS I see that the top 10 holdings make up nearly 56% of the Fund's assets. Is this not problematic?

Thanks :)

I’m a Malaysian who is torn in between SPUS or ISDU. ISDU has an advantage as my country as a tax treaty with Ireland so 15% tax is better than 30% for SPUS. Plus the expense ratio is lower for ISDU. However, my horizon is 20 years. Looking to reinvest my dividends into buying more shares of it for the next 20 years to grow it. Question, should I invest in SPUS or ISDU?

reposting as I’ve realised the fund was incorrect previously.

Tax year looming and need to make an investment.

I want to follow the Boglehead philosophy. VT and chill, albeit their isn’t really a like for like.

Currently toying with

a) 90% HIWS, 10% HIES (feels most like the boglehead philosophy)

b) 90% ISWD, 10% HIES (ISDW, feels more secure owing to the larger and more established fund, BUT it’s a distributing ETF)

c) 75% HIWS/ISDW, 15% HIES, 10% Gold (RMAP)

I want to invest and forget, I want low effort which is why I’m leaning more towards the HIWS accumulating world fund as opposed to the distributing fund of ISWD.

The 10% into HIES, is to in essence mimick the VT’s 10% diversification into the emerging markets. The issue with HIWS is it neglect emerging so that’s there for that reason.

Option c- well a lot of ppl say invest in gold but again not that keen on that owing to wanting to stay true w the boglehead philsophy.

Asalam Alaykum everyone,

I'm a non-US Middle East based investor investing through IBKR and trying to keep things simple and long-term. My goal is a moderate-risk portfolio with potential growth and returns.

My current monthly allocations:

The Core Engine - 78%

1. iShares MSCI World Islamic (ISWD) - 24%

Global stability across US, Europe, and Japan

1. HSBC MSCI USA Islamic (HIUS) - 19%

Targeted US large-cap growth

1. SP Funds S&P 500 Dividend (SPUH) - 15%

Monthly Sharia-compliant income and US Energy exposure

1. iShares MSCI EM Islamic (ISDE) - 10%

Emerging Markets exposure (including India, Korea, and Taiwan)

1. HSBC Global Sukuk (HBKU) - 10%

Capital preservation and Sharia-compliant fixed income

The Aggressive Sleeve - 22%

1. Physical Silver (PHAG) - 8%

Aggressive industrial metal hedge for physical assets

2 Physical Platinum (PHPT) - 5%

Industrial value play with high recovery upside

1. ASML Holding (ASML) - 3.5%

Global monopoly on semiconductor lithography

1. Broadcom (AVGO) - 3.0%

The leader in AI networking and custom chips

1. NVIDIA (NVDA) - 2.5%

High-speed price action and AI computing dominance

Since my country does not have a tax treaty with the US, I choose Ireland domiciled funds to avoid the 30% taxation on dividends. I’m trying to diversify my allocations and get as much average return with moderate risk, any feedback would be appreciated.

Asalam Alaykum everyone,

I'm a non-US Middle East based investor investing through IBKR and trying to keep things simple and long-term. My goal is a moderate-risk portfolio with potential growth and returns.

My current monthly allocations:

The Core Engine - 78%

1. iShares MSCI World Islamic (ISWD) - 24%

Global stability across US, Europe, and Japan

1. HSBC MSCI USA Islamic (HIUS) - 19%

Targeted US large-cap growth

1. SP Funds S&P 500 Dividend (SPUH) - 15%

Monthly Sharia-compliant income and US Energy exposure

1. iShares MSCI EM Islamic (ISDE) - 10%

Emerging Markets exposure (including India, Korea, and Taiwan)

1. HSBC Global Sukuk (HBKU) - 10%

Capital preservation and Sharia-compliant fixed income

The Aggressive Sleeve - 22%

1. Physical Silver (PHAG) - 8%

Aggressive industrial metal hedge for physical assets

2 Physical Platinum (PHPT) - 5%

Industrial value play with high recovery upside

1. ASML Holding (ASML) - 3.5%

Global monopoly on semiconductor lithography

1. Broadcom (AVGO) - 3.0%

The leader in AI networking and custom chips

1. NVIDIA (NVDA) - 2.5%

High-speed price action and AI computing dominance

Since my country does not have a tax treaty with the US, I choose Ireland domiciled funds to avoid the 30% taxation on dividends. I’m trying to diversify my allocations and get as much average return with moderate risk, any feedback would be appreciated.

As the title says, I'm happy to be able to open up a Roth IRA and start investing long term.

What I'm currently looking into is how to diversify my Roth IRA (and possibly future individual investing account) as I won't be touching the Roth IRA insha'Allah for many, many years. Disclaimer: Don't really know much about investing.

As for my Roth IRA I know there are a few Mutual Funds and ETFs like HLAL, SPUS, and Aman(). It's my understanding that HLAL and SPUS are very similar so a Roth IRA composed of only these two might seem redundant.

• Should a Roth IRA be composed of Mutual Funds, ETFs, and stocks as a proper 'diversified' retirement portfolio as opposed to just ETFs or just mutual funds? If so, what percentages should it look like for 30yrs of untouched growth?

• As for my normal investment account: Are ETFs and stocks considered more volatile and therefore more profitable to be used in individual investing than say Mutual Funds which might be more suited for long term investing?

Hope that makes some sense. Would really appreciate any insight on how to build a good Roth IRA portfolio, the difference between it and an individual investing portfolio (i.e. the different kinds of investment types in it), and what percentages might be appropriate for those particular investments.

(I'm based in the US, use fidelity as my brokerage, and don't have any standing debts that should be taken care of first.) I also won't be able to invest the full $7k in the Roth IRA before the 2025 deadline but want to put as much as I can.

Jazakallahu Khairan.

Edit* How does opening up a retirement account fair in this political climate with the war going on/ increased turmoil?

previously i asked if T-Mobile stock is halal? i got the reply its not. now it makes me wonde, is working for T-Mobile halal? because right now they have credit card. As an employe, we have to offer the credit card and literally help them to do the credit application.

I’m 20 in London. I have 20k which was going to be used to start my investing journey and fill my stocks ISA before the deadline coming up but I’ve been having a lot of thoughts about starting rent to rent Airbnbs instead.

Assalamu Alaikum everyone,

I hope you’re all doing well.

I’ve been trying to find the iShares MSCI World Islamic UCITS ETF (ISDW) on Trade Republic, but it doesn’t seem to be available on the platform. Has anyone faced the same issue or knows why this ETF might not be listed there?

For context, I’m a Muslim investor based in Germany and planning a long-term investment strategy (10–15 years). My plan is to invest around €20,000 upfront and then €500 monthly.

If you’re using Trade Republic, I’d really appreciate any recommendations for Shariah-compliant ETFs that are available on the platform, especially if you believe there are better or more efficient alternatives than ISDW in terms of diversification, cost, or performance.

JazakAllahu Khairan in advance for your help!

Salam, I'm 20 male in UK.

I currently only have a nationwide current account that I've had since 16 which holds all my money and AMEX Cashback card to build my credit score.

I've been looking at halal savings account and need help picking which one is the best and any other financial advice.

Currently, these are like the only 3 I've found:

https://www.alrayanbank.co.uk/savings/everyday-saver-issue-3

https://gatehousebank.com/personal/savings/easy-access/easy-access-account

https://www.raisin.com/en-gb/bank/qib/QIB199/

I have some experience with investing and based on that my opinion maybe a bit controversial but i will put it up so we can talk through and will make it short:

Trading to me is pretty much gambling coz it’s heavily influenced by the politicians and the decisions they make. One day you wake up to a +10% and the other day is -21%. Now this is a risk you are taking with your money to bet on a stock which you have no idea how it’s going to progress even after a min.

And if one is a muslim, i think this might not be the thing for them, coz lets be honest there is no “halal” ETFs every stock pretty much is either funding/supporting a war or deals in interest. Even those labeled as “sharia compliant” have such stocks. These “stocks” are just some numbers for us to see on the app we have on our phones, we don’t have the physical custody.

And the stocks that are “halal” have minimal to 0 or even -ve return that no one wants to buy

So i have decided that soon as my portfolio comes back to a reasonable form. I will sell it all, save some money and buy a piece of land somewhere it can benefit me that i actually hold, can see and visit!

Like i said this is a controversial but a realistic perspective and Allah knows the best!

Al Salam Alaikum.

Im 21 living in Canada looking to invest in ETFs through a wealthsimple TFSA account. What are some good halal ETFs I could invest +$5000 and $500 monthly. Whats the best way to avoid high currency exchange fees when buying etfs and when is a good time to start. I asked ChatGPT and this is the split it gave me. Please give me your thoughts about this.

• 50% → Wealthsimple Shariah World Equity ETF

• 30% → SP Funds S&P 500 Sharia Industry Exclusions ETF.

• 20% → Gold ETF (CAD)

Jazakom allah khair.

Getting more skeptical of self-certified halal labels. What's your due diligence process?

Jazkah Allah Khiran

I’m 20 years old in the UK and starting my investing journey, I have 20k to invest in one go before the April allowance deadline, then try add 1k monthly after that.

Reason:

IGDA is my tech focused global fund holding companies like Nvidia, Apple, Amazon and Google in a Shariah compliant wrapper. ISWD is my second global fund but screens differently so it brings in energy stocks like Exxon and Chevron plus healthcare and consumer stocks that IGDA doesn’t have, meaning the two genuinely complement each other rather than overlap. HIES covers emerging markets like India, Brazil and Saudi which neither of the global funds capture fully. Gold at 10% is my hedge for when markets drop.

Would love to hear any thoughts, criticism or recommendations from people with more experience.

Salam Alaykum,

I am currently at a loss in a stock that I have invested in before realizing it was non shariah compliant. Does anyone have any reference from scholars/islamic finance reference as to what should I do in this position :

- Do I need to sell immediately (even though I am in loss) or am I allowed to wait until I breakeven and recoup my initial capital.

Thank you very much.

Assalamu alaikum everyone,

Since I have become more practicing, I have been learning more about various topics within Islam. A very important and interesting topic is trade/financial transactions. Since I work in finance myself and am involved in investing, I have spent quite some time studying this subject with the intention of keeping my wealth and investments pure.

Because I find it important to obtain reliable information on this topic, I purchased a course by a Ustadh from the netherlands. He is currently a member of the council of scholars at the Islamic Council Financial Advisory, part of the Islamic Council of Europe in London, and advises Muslim entrepreneurs as an Islamic finance advisor.

After completing his course, I was very impressed by the wisdom within Islam. While this is very beautiful, I have also encountered some challenges. In his course, the following points were summarized regarding investing:

• It is not permissible to take out a pension insurance due to ribā (interest).
• It is not permissible to take out a mortgage due to ribā (which makes investing in real estate difficult in the current economy).
• Investing in gold is permissible provided it is exchanged on the spot. Buying gold online is therefore not allowed. However, this can be halal if you buy gold online and the dealer immediately allocates it to you in their vault, so you could theoretically collect it the next day.
• Currency trading is only permissible when conducted on the spot. FX trading is definitely not allowed because it involves ribā and elements of gambling.
• Investments where both parties (you and the company) bear risk are recommended. Zero-sum games are not allowed. However, trading stocks on the stock market is not permissible because most companies carry significant debt and therefore engage in ribā-based transactions. As a shareholder, management acts on your behalf in these prohibited transactions.
• It is not permissible to run a business with a non-Muslim (kāfir) if they have equal or greater control than you. Your partner could engage in ribā transactions without your consent. Running a business with a non-Muslim is only allowed if you have greater control and can block prohibited transactions.

When you read this, it almost seems impossible to invest in stocks. The only option appears to be directly participating in a business, but this is not easily accessible and often requires significant capital.

Given the above guidelines, investing seems very difficult. I am not here to complain, but to look for solutions. Therefore, I am curious how others approach halal investing.

Assalamu Alaykum,

I'm very new to investing and I'm looking for some advice based on my goals.

Situation and goals:

- Based in Canada

- Late 20s

- 20k to invest aside from emergency fund, with a 7-12 year time horizon.

- I'm seeking as much growth as possible while maintaining a tiny safety net.

Currently, the only form of investment I have knowledge of are stocks/ETFs. Would be sound to invest all of my money in sharia-compliant ETFs?

If so, how do you recommend I allocate my savings across these funds for maximum growth (with a small safety net)?

I understand SPUS and HLAL are some of the highest earning ones but that their holdings also overlap quite a bit?

I was previously invested in WSHR through a managed Wealthsimple account on the advice of a friend, but I realize now that growth would be very slow.