The COVID-19 health crisis has affected us all in profound ways.
While public health will always be the foremost concern, this global pandemic has also led to the IMF declaring the onset of a global recession. In such trying times, it is heartening to see founders and businesses in Muslim communities across different parts of the world rallying to help their respective networks deal with the ongoing crisis. Below are a few such examples.
For the purpose of this list, we’ve taken businesses that either serve a Muslim community or has a Muslim co-founder in its ranks.
We want to grow this list, so let us know in the comments if there are other such examples from you or your network.
Eat Mubarak
Eat Mubarak is a Pakistan-based online food discovery platform. To help eateries cope with the fall in demand due to social distancing measures, they have waived off all commissions from restaurants. They have also created a database of employees in the hospitality industry who have been laid off, to whom they aim to provide ration boxes.
Islam Channel
Islam Channel is a UK-based, free-to-air, English language, Islamic-focused television channel. It has been keeping the local Muslim community abreast of the latest developments and guidance regarding the CO-VID 19 crisis by producing relevant programming for its audience.
It is also offering free advertising for struggling businesses.
Scoodle
Scoodle is a UK-based online platform which connects tutors to students. Earlier in the year it disclosed $760,000 in pre-seed funding, with backers including Twitter co-founder Biz Stone and IFG ventures.
With schools in the UK closed, students have been thrust into adopting to online learning. Scoodle has responded by facilitating tutors to shift their lessons online and allowing students to ask questions on their platform with no extra charge. If you want to try out the app, you can download it here.
Botsify
Based out of Karachi, Botsify is an AI and ML conversational agent builder platform i.e. they build chatbots for businesses. To prevent spread of misinformation and provide accurate info regarding the pandemic, they collaborated with the government to create a FB messenger chatbot that address questions regarding CO-VID 19 in both English and the local language.
IslamicFinanceGuru (IFG)
The world owes a debt to public health professionals for their role in helping us fight this global pandemic. We decided to offer a small token of our appreciation to the brave NHS workers by offering to provide them with an Islamic will on a pay-what-you-like basis from 20-27 March. If you’re interested in getting a Islamic will for just £98, you can learn more here.
ReliveNow
ReliveNow is an online counselling platform that connects individuals to qualified mental health professionals. Their online sessions are anonymous, affordable, and convenient. In light of the increase in stress levels as a result of the global crisis, they are offering free 15-minute counselling sessions, where you will be connected with a mental health professional.
MedAngle
MedAngle is an online e-learning platform built to help students with medical school. They are offering up to 6 weeks of free premium access to the MedAngle platform for all medical students.
UpEffect
UpEffect is a crowdfunding platform that helps entrepreneurs raise funds for transformative solutions geared towards solving global issues. UpEffect is waiving its platform fee for all campaigns combatting COVID-19 and its effects.
SearchSmartly
SearchSmartly is a property matchmaking platform which uses technology to help tenants find the right place to call home in London. In addition to offering customers the option to view property on video instead of in-person, they have also offered a free concierge relocation service for any key workers needing to move within Greater London in this time of need.
SWVL
SWVL offers a premium alternative to public transportation by offering affordable, quality, convenient, and reliable everyday bus rides. From offering free rides to essential workers in Egypt and Kenya, to distributing 3,000+ ration packs to thousands of daily wage workers across Pakistan, SWVL is using its transport network to help.
Rizq
Rizq is a social enterprise set up in 2017 with the aim of combatting global hunger. They have partnered with logistics businesses including Swvl, Cheetay and Bykea to form a network of door-to-door ration delivery for those households who have been affected the most by the health crisis. Their initial plan is to provide monthly food supplies to 10,000 affected families in Phase 1 for a period of 3 months. You can donate to their campaign here.
Miraj Stories
Miraj Stories is a vibrant multi-media library of audiobooks, animations, interactive books and games for children 4 to 9.
They currently have opened up over half of their multimedia content (games, interactive books, animations, audiobooks) in the Miraj Stories. They have also dropped their subscription cost by 50%.
Bykea
Bykea is an on-demand ride-hailing and parcel delivery service. In addition to partnering with Rizq, they have announced a PKR 7m relief fund for the gig economy workers for their loss of income as a result of the lockdown. The fund is made possible by donations from their investors and by their employees who have taken a wage cut to facilitate the gig workers in this time of need.
Sehat Kahani
Based out of Pakistan, Sehat Kahani aims to provide affordable healthcare access to the masses through telemedicine. It is offering free-of-cost tele-consultation for the next three months during the CO-VID 19 outbreak.
ABC for Moms
ABC for Moms (After-Birth Care for Moms) offers after-birth care advice and a range of different services for new mothers. It has also started to offer free tele-consultation on its website.
Queno
Queno is an online learning platform for schools. With many schools forced to shut down due to social distancing measures, Queno has decided to waive off its up-front installation fees (upto £500) for schools in order to help teachers and students adapt to online learning.
Liber Health
Liber Health is a health data exchange and patient identification platform powered by blockchain. To help fight a deadly virus which spreads through contact, it has introduced the world’s first secure and contactless IRIS identification solution, which enables healthcare professionals to protect themselves and their patients.
BreadFast
Cairo-based Breadfast, which delivers fresh breakfast and other household products, announced that they will waive off delivery charges to encourage customers to use their platform and stay home.
Modanisa
Headquartered in Istanbul, Modanisa is an online modest fashion clothing brand. To encourage people to stay home, they have waived off delivery charges.
Zileej Toys
Zileej Toys creates meaningful toys and games for Muslim families. They created downloadable Thank-You cards for young children to colour in and post to front-line medical workers.
Quit Genius
Quit Genius is a high-intensity digital behavior change program that helps people kick addictive behaviors for good.
It is only open for employers to sign up to and offer as a perk to their employees. Quit Genius have made their offering free for employers to sign up to during March and April 2020.
LaunchGood
LaunchGood is a global crowdfunding platform, designed to support Muslims who are launching social enterprises all across the world by helping them raise funds for their campaigns. To help those affected by the crisis, they have launched a campaign to collect funds to provide food and other essentials to the most vulnerable people within the UK.
Ethis
Ethis is an ethical property crowdfunding investment platform located in Indonesia. They recently a published a brief guide to help people get answers to FAQs regarding property crowd-investing during the current economic uncertainty.
Lamsa
Lamsa is an online Arabic edu-tainment app for young children. With schools closing around the world, they have provided free access to their stories, games, and videos until 30th April to help parents facilitate distance learning.
Wahed Invest
Wahed Invest is an online halal investment firm. To help answer questions people have regarding the global economic uncertainty and investments, they are hosting a webinar on 2nd April. You can register for the webinar here.
SmartChoice.pk
SmartChoice.pk is a financial products comparison platform based in Pakistan. They have included coverage from CO-VID 19 in their health insurance plans. You can read more about IFG’s position on the permissibility of insurance here.
Do you know of any more? Let us know in the comments!
Classtutor
Classtutor is a tutoring platform set up specifically in response to Covid-19 aiming to provide really affordable tutoring to people whose education would otherwise suffer.
Golden Touch Academy
Golden Touch Academy regularly hold Money Mastery workshops and have launched a free “Life Mastery” program for teen on their Youtube channel designed to upskill teenagers on Islam, personal development, financial education, softskills and positive mindsets.
VIA: Islamic Finance Guru (https://www.islamicfinanceguru.com/general/how-muslim-businesses-are-helping-out-during-the-pandemic/)
