RELIGIOUS BIO:
Shaykh Umer Khan graduated as an Islamic scholar with an ʻālim degree from Al-Salam Institute, authorized by Dar al-ʻUlūm Nadwat al-ʻUlamā', Lucknow, India. He also completed a traditional Dars-e-Niẓāmī dawrah of the six canonical books of ḥadīth. Shaykh Umer completed his iftā' (License to Give Islamic Legal Verdicts) from Darulifta Birmingham, granting him the traditional title of 'mufti'. He was also authorized by Shaykh Mohammad Akram Nadwi to give fatwā. He has a Master's in Finance (from Wharton, UPenn) and another Master's in Islamic Finance and he holds several professional certifications and qualifications in Islamic Finance. Shaykh Umer teaches the Islamic sciences at seminaries (Institute of Knowledge and Al-Salam Institute), researches and writes fatwās (legal verdicts) for various institutions, and serves as a sharīʻah advisor to a number of companies. He is also an executive member of the Fiqh Council of North America.
FINANCE CERTIFICATIONS:
Shaykh Umer holds the following professional certifications and qualifications in Islamic Finance:
- Certified Shar'iah Advisor and Auditor (AAOIFI)
- Islamic Finance Qualification (Chartered Institute of Securities and Investment)
- Certified Islamic Finance Executive (Ethica Institute)
- Certified Islamic Banker (AIMS)
- Certified Takaful Professional (AIMS)
- Certified Islamic Finance Expert (AIMS)
- Certified Shariah Standards Specialist (TAIF Digital Learning)
- Diploma in Islamic Fintech (TAIF Digital Learning)
SHARĪʻAH ADVISORY:
Shaykh Umer serves as a Sharī‘ah Advisor to organizations across several sectors:
Investment and Wealth Management
- ShariaPortfolio: wealth management and stock market investing
- Zoya Finance: stock screening and purification
- Aghaz Invest: ḥalāl robo-advisor
- Halal Investors: stock analysis and research
- NoorQuest: private equity
Real Estate and Home Financing
- Neeyah: home financing
- Cordoba Funds: residential and commercial real estate
- Linked Capital Group: commercial real estate
FinTech and Emerging Tech
- Souq Capital: inventory financing
- EthicalEdge Digital Fund: cryptocurrency and digital assets
- Tarteel: AI-based Qur’ān application
Social Impact and Philanthropy
- A Continuous Charity: interest-free student loans
- Friday Apricot Zakat Fund: impact-based zakāh fund
