Sufyan Gulam Ismail | |
---|---|
Born | Gujarat, India | 2 September 1975
Nationality | British |
Citizenship | British |
Alma mater | University of Manchester |
Occupation(s) | Philanthropist and entrepreneur |
Known for | Retiring at 39 to tackle Islamophobia |
Website | www |
Sufyan Gulam Ismail is a British entrepreneur and philanthropist, [1] [2] ranked amongst the 500 most influential Muslims in the World on five occasions. A graduate of the University of Manchester, he started his career with Deloitte. In 2001, he set up 1st Ethical, the UK's first FSA authorised, Shariah-compliant, financial services firm, [3] which he later converted into a charity. In 2007, he founded OneE Group, [4] a specialist wealth management and consultancy operation. Sufyan retired formally from full-time business activity in 2014 to tackle Islamophobia. Sufyan's businesses have donated over £5m to alleviating poverty, community empowerment and humanitarian relief.
Ismail studied Economics and Corporate Finance at the University of Manchester [5] and then commenced his professional training with Deloitte. [2] During his final exams his father died in a car accident. [6] He also holds the Advanced financial planning qualification (AFPC).
In 2001, he set up 1st Ethical, the UK's first FSA authorized financial services company aimed at the Muslim community. [3] [7] The company specialized in regulated investments and pensions advice with a strong focus on property investment. By 2003, the firm had become a national brand and was awarded UK's fastest growing company. In 2006, with margins falling in financial services Sufyan converted 1st ethical into a charity for education and humanitarian relief. [8]
In 2006, Sufyan founded OneE Group, [2] [4] [9] [10] a specialist wealth advisory service which aims to give clients tax breaks through R&D investment and other UK tax reliefs. [11] The company's growth resulted in it being ranked 57th in the Sunday Times Fast Track listing in 2011 and 53rd in the Sunday Times Profit Track Listing in 2012. [12] The company operates out of offices in Greater Manchester, London and Cyprus today employing approximately 80 staff.
Sufyan is a keen proponent of non-interest based finance and has written extensively on Islamic financing models. He also runs a Private Equity business, [13] which invests in numerous start up businesses by young Muslims. [14]
In 2003, Sufyan set up 1st Ethical Charitable Trust with a view to alleviating poverty and supporting empowerment of underprivileged communities. To date, the Trust and himself personally have donated over £5million to humanitarian causes. The countries benefiting from the Trust include Zambia, Malawi, Philippines and India.
In 2014, Sufyan founded MEND (Muslim Engagement and Development), a specialist initiative geared towards tackling Islamophobia by advocacy work with the media and Westminster. [15] MEND's work involved improving the media and political literacy of grass roots British Muslims. In 2016, Ismail stepped down from CEO of MEND.
In 2014, MEND's work was recognised by the World Economic Forum. [16] MEND is a partner with the electoral commission and a representative body for British Muslims with IPSO.
Sufyan has authored several papers on elements of Islamic Finance ranging from the prohibition of interest in Islamic Law, [13] Islamic inheritance laws and UK wills, [17] Zakat [18] and Insurance in Islam. [19] In 2008, Sufyan part-authored a University Textbook on Islamic finance which was published. [20]
Over the years, Sufyan and his firms have won numerous awards including following awards;
Sufyan lives in Greater Manchester and is married, with three children. [6]
The Five Pillars of Islam are fundamental practices in Islam, considered to be obligatory acts of worship for all Muslims. They are summarized in the hadith of Gabriel. The Sunni and Shia agree on the basic details of the performance and practice of these acts, but the Shia do not refer to them by the same name. They are: Muslim creed, prayer, charity to the poor, fasting in the month of Ramadan, and the pilgrimage to Mecca for those who are able.
Zakāh is a form of almsgiving, often collected by the Muslim Ummah. It is considered in Islam as a religious obligation, and by Quranic ranking, is next after prayer (salat) in importance. Eight heads of zakat are mentioned in the Quran.
Islamic banking, Islamic finance, or Sharia-compliant finance is banking or financing activity that complies with Sharia and its practical application through the development of Islamic economics. Some of the modes of Islamic finance include mudarabah, wadiah (safekeeping), musharaka, murabahah (cost-plus), and ijara (leasing).
Islamic economics refers to the knowledge of economics or economic activities and processes in terms of Islamic principles and teachings. Islam has a set of special moral norms and values about individual and social economic behavior. Therefore, it has its own economic system, which is based on its philosophical views and is compatible with the Islamic organization of other aspects of human behavior: social and political systems.
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Gulam Kaderbhoy Noon, Baron Noon, was a British businessman originally from Mumbai, India. Known as the "Curry King", Noon operated a number of food product companies in Southall, London. He was a member of the Dawoodi Bohra Ismaili Shia community.
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Didsbury Mosque is on Burton Road in West Didsbury, Manchester, England. The building was originally Albert Park Methodist Chapel, which opened in 1883, but closed in 1962 and was later converted into a mosque. It has an attendance of around 1,000 people. The mosque Sheikh is Mustafa Abdullah Graf.
The Holy Land Foundation (HLF) was the largest Islamic charity in the United States. Headquartered in Richardson, Texas, and run by Palestinian-Americans, it was originally known as Occupied Land Fund. The organization's mission was to "find and implement practical solutions for human suffering through humanitarian programs that impact the lives of the disadvantaged, disinherited, and displaced peoples suffering from man-made and natural disasters."
The Muslim Charities Forum (MCF) is an umbrella organisation for UK based Muslim-led charities whose primary goal is to provide humanitarian aid and assistance to the poorest and most vulnerable people around the world. It is also an associate member of British Overseas NGOs for Development (Bond), the UK membership body for non-government organisations and a member of National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), an organisation with 11,000 members that champions the voluntary sector and volunteering.
DueDil is a company intelligence platform covering the SME economy. In August 2021 DueDil merged with Artesian Solutions and subsequently rebranded as FullCircl.
Ibrahim Mogra is an imam from Leicester and former Assistant Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain.
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Muslim Engagement and Development (MEND) is a UK NGO. It focuses on media monitoring, advocacy in Westminster and improving the media/political literacy of British Muslims. The aim of the organisation is to tackle Islamophobia and to encourage political, civic and social engagement within British Muslim communities.
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