Testimonials
In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise is due to God.
All peace and blessings upon His final Prophet Muhammad, his family, his companions, and all those who follow his way.
SCHOLARS & COMMUNITY LEADERS
“We live in a society with interest… prevalent in everything that we do. People will gladly give you a loan, if they could get some interest, but here is an organization [Iana Financial] that has no interest – literally, no interest – and no interest in charging interest. And it’s a fantastic idea. I love them. I love the concept and may Allah ﷻ bless them. I want you to support them in any way that you can. You can not imagine the number of people who benefit. It’s a very novel idea, it’s a great idea! I support them one hundred percent, and may Allah… make them successful, and please, please, please, help them in anyway you can.”
~ Imam Siraj Wahhaj (from a video recorded in Fort McMurray, AB, 2015)
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“Greed, greed and more greed; this is our modern world. In these days of ‘self-love’ beyond everything else, you can find brothers and sisters dedicated to give back, to help, to alleviate. Iana is that organization, ready to trample on greed and gluttony. Your help is most needed. Iana is a project that we all should support, giving back a few dollars is a way of getting much more. Why not let your monies be a source of constant goodness for you? When you support Iana, you support the ummah.
“In times that we live in, what a shining example can an organization like Iana be. While banks lacerate the human, Iana gives a goodly loan to let people stand back on their feet without having to worry to pay back triple of what they borrowed. What a sound investment for the Hereafter!
“Just imagine, you donate $5000 dollars, a struggling student receives it. That student gets educated, stands on their feet, pays back… And, the beauty is, your money is given to another and another. How will this look on the Day of Judgment? Most handsome.
“All my love and support for Iana. What a beautiful endeavour.”
~ Ziaullah Khan, Director of the Centre for Islamic Development
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“Iana Financial is a genuine, much-needed initiative that offers sound and ethical financial solutions to the Muslim community and society at large. Iana Financial is serious about making a difference; that’s why I offered my time and services during the development of Iana, and that’s why I continue to advise and consult the management of Iana Financial on their path forward. I support this initiative and encourage you to support it as well with prayers, donations, and time. Together, with God’s help, we can make this initiative a success.”
~ Dr. Monzer Kahf, Professor of Islamic Finance & Economics, Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies
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“Iana Financial is a sincere, courageous, and proactive initiative that offers a concrete way to help those in need. To me, Iana is a crucial means to reviving the all-but-forgotten meaning of community.”
~ Sheikh Tamir Ali, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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“Students from our community have few choices when it comes to financing their education… Let us make no mistake here – what is at stake is not just interest relief for some students, but rather the bottom-up redevelopment of our community on a more sophisticated, educated and ethical foundation. Thus, I ask you to join with me in congratulating the founders of Iana for this wonderful initiative and helping do whatever it takes to ensure its growth and success across Canada.”
~ Jawad Qureshy, CFP
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“I realized how important Iana was when I heard a student tell me about how he had lost his imān (faith). His graduate education – he was enrolling in a highly-reputed professional faculty – was going to cost him more than he and his parents could afford, and he turned to a bank loan. ‘When I signed the contract, I felt the imān get taken out of my heart,’ he said to me.
“We desire success for ourselves, our loved ones, and our communities, and we see education as a means to that success. For too long, we have failed to provide an avenue for students to undertake their education without compromising their morality and afterlife. Iana is fulfilling a community obligation by helping Muslims both locally and internationally pay for their studies and stay out of sinful dealings – and that is true success. May Allah continue to bless this effort and all those who help it in any way.”
~ Sheikh Zacharia al-Khatib
LOAN RECIPIENTS
“Living in a world that seems to be driven by interest, Iana is a refreshing organization that is aiding Muslims by providing them interest-free loans. Trying to stay away from interest-bearing loans myself, I was referred to Iana by a friend and am very relieved that such an organization exists. It is very important for us, as Muslims, to support organizations such as Iana, as they are not only helping benefit us in this dunya (worldly life), but insha’Allah in the akhira (hereafter) as well.”
~ Loan Recipient #1, Dentistry student (Loan: $12,000; issued: 2008, repaid: 2013)
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“Everyone should definitely support Iana in every way possible… especially by saving money with Iana. One would be helping out the needy and earning rewards and duaas in return.”
~ KK, Post-secondary student, Toronto, ON (Loan: $15,000; repaid: 2021)
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“Iana Financial has been instrumental in allowing me to keep my personal values and beliefs while attaining my education. Before Iana, it was difficult to find ways to finance my education as I would have to find a way to pay back student loans before accumulating interest. Thanks to opportunities like this I am able to pursue my goals without compromising my beliefs.”
~ Loan Recipient #2, Education Student (Loan repaid)
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“Iana has been an incredible mercy to me. I had been trying to pursue my studies for months, but was not in a financial position to pay out of pocket. It was truly a godsend that I could take an interest-free loan and agree on a payment schedule that worked for me. In my dealings with Iana, I have admired their spirit of generosity, but also their sense of accountability. It is clear to me that they hold themselves to the highest standards. I hope to be able to contribute to the organization in the future, as their work is unique and sorely needed. May Allah Most High reward them with immense good for their efforts. Ameen.
~ Loan Recipient #37, Classical Arabic student, Shari’ah Program (Loan issued: Sept. 2015, repaid: Nov. 2016)
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“I have been blessed to come across Iana, a unique organization that offers interest free loans. I was in serious need of this support and was actively searching for it, not sure if such an initiative existed. I was even more blessed with the tremendous support from the brothers and sisters volunteering for this organization. Explaining my situation and why I needed the money to complete my studies as an international pharmacist here in Canada, the team was compassionate but also professional. After completion of the application process including all the needed supporting documents and an interview, I signed a contract and was granted $11,000. Alhamdulillah, I finished my studies, became licensed as a pharmacist, started working, and was committed to pay back my debt and return the favour. I paid back the loan sooner than planned and proceeded to donate to Iana to help other brothers and sisters who may be going through the same situation I went through – especially people committed to living interest-free, to please Allah ﷻ.
“I believe people should support Iana as a way to invest in the ummah, to empower current and future generations to be proactive and productive for themselves, their families, the ummah, and society at large. I’m continuing to support Iana with whatever small means I can, because I believe this is a form of sadaqah jariyah (continuous charity) insha’Allah. I encourage you to support Iana and to encourage everyone to also apply and to support. Let’s share the barakah (blessings) insha’Allah! Jazakum Allah kheir, may Allah reward you with goodness.”
~ Loan Recipient #26, International pharmacist receiving accreditation in Nova Scotia, Canada (Loan: $11,000; issued: May 2014, repaid: Feb. 2016)
