IFG

211K subscribers, 647 videos, 11,617,834 views.

We started IFG in 2015 for one reason: to make our community better-off.

You’ve helped us get this far - Jazakallah khair!

We want to keep levelling up our content, please share your feedback below in the comments so we can serve you better!

We'd love to hear:
1. What type of content would you like to see more of?
2. How can we improve our execution of the videos we do make.
3. Who would you like to see us collab with?

12 hours ago | [YT] | 234

IFG

The Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم gave us this practical financial wisdom:

“No one ever ate a meal better than that which he earned with his own hands. And the Prophet of God, Dawud, used to eat from what he earned with his own hands.” (Bukhari)

Prophet Dawud (AS) wasn’t just a king and messenger.

He was a blacksmith.

A craftsman.

A man who earned his living with his own hands, forging armour from molten iron.

In Surah Saba, God says:

“We softened iron for him, [saying], 'Make full coats of mail, and measure the links well, and work righteousness. Indeed, I am All-Seeing of what you do.’” (34:10-11)

Despite having access to power, wealth, and status, Dawud (AS) chose to earn his income the halal way – through his own skillset, without depending on others or taking from the public treasury.

And that wasn’t just incidental.

It was intentional.

In a world that often glamorises passive income, rapid exits, or crypto overnight gains, this story reminds us that long-term halal hustle isn’t a failure – it’s prophetic.

Not every believer will be a king.

But every believer can be a craftsman in their own way – whether you code, consult, design, deliver, teach, or trade.

Sometimes the most powerful form of worship is not in the masjid, but in the place of work.

Not with a hammer like Prophet David, but using a keyboard, a mic or a mouse.

Not in a lofty dream, but in a 10,000-hour craft.

There is nothing weak about working hard.

There is nothing backwards about earning something slowly, carefully, and ethically.

And there is nothing noble about haram shortcuts – even if they’re dressed up with success and scale.

So whatever your field is, own it. Master it. And do it with ihsan.

Because halal hustle is not just a career strategy.

It’s dignity.

It’s sunnah.

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 187

IFG

Ibn Khaldun, a 14th-century scholar, emphasised that true wealth is not just material.

Khaldun’s concept of Asabiya, of how societies succeed when they invest in their people, values and systems, was central to his vision of sustainable economic growth.

Here’s how his insights apply today:

1. Education as the Foundation of Prosperity

Ibn Khaldun viewed education as a primary pillar for the advancement of society. In his work, he argued that the intellectual growth of individuals and groups forms the bedrock for economic and social development. He believed that knowledge, whether practical or theoretical, was integral to building strong and prosperous communities.
He saw education not only as a means to transmit skills but as a force that could shape the moral and intellectual foundation of society.


2. The Role of Skilled Individuals in Society

In Ibn Khaldun’s model, the division of labour was a key concept. He understood that each individual’s skills contributed to the wider fabric of society. The specialisation of work, ensuring that individuals are trained and equipped with specific skills for their roles, was essential for economic growth.
He knew that economic success depends on the cultivation of skilled professionals who contribute to society in meaningful ways.


3. Knowledge as Power and Cohesion

Ibn Khaldun believed that societies with a strong intellectual foundation were more likely to develop social cohesion and economic power. By investing in education and cultivating a shared intellectual heritage, people could strengthen their collective identity, which in turn facilitated more efficient governance and economic prosperity.
His concept of Asabiya (social cohesion) was partly built on the intellectual unity and the common purpose that education can foster.

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 108

IFG

"God does not choose the qualified. He qualifies the chosen."
I was reflecting on this wonderful quote from Iqbal Nasim.

In the millennia that this Earth has seen, by God's grace we just happen to find ourselves right here, right now, working on helping our community level up financially.

Here's the thing - we are not the most qualified team in Islamic finance. We're not the most experienced. We're definitely not the smartest. And we're probably not the most well-connected either.

But what we lack in those areas, we try to be scientifically honest about.

The idea is to address our weaknesses head on. We learn from our mistakes (and trust me, there have been many). We get back up when we fall.

Most folks in our community sit on the couch and commentate about what should be done, what could be done, what's wrong with Islamic finance today.

But by God's grace, we're on the pitch. Playing the game. Making mistakes. Scoring some goals. Getting knocked down. Getting back up.

Almost all of humanity passes through their time on Earth and leaves behind no trace. Just footprints in sand that the tide washes away.

We have a unique opportunity to do the exact opposite. To build something that lasts. To create systems that serve our community long after we're gone.

God does not choose the qualified. He qualifies the chosen.

Now it's up to us to step up and take that mantle. To be worthy of this opportunity. To serve with humility and purpose.

What legacy are you working to build?

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 293

IFG

I've invested in 200+ founders, and it's really hard to pick the ones who will survive. You can look at their CV and the pitch deck. The extent of a man's courage or cowardice isn't detectable in ordinary times. All is revealed when pressure is applied.

And as a founder, you are constantly operating in a pressure zone. Sometimes every day. Necessarily, only the problems that are the hardest to solve come to you. The ones others haven't been able to crack. The ones that have no obvious answer. That's the reality of the job.

Most people don't understand this. They think being a founder is about the big vision and the fundraising rounds. But really, it's about surviving.

Think about Airbnb. Everyone forgets they were selling cereal boxes to stay afloat. Living on credit cards. Most people would have quit. But Brian Chesky and his co-founders just kept grinding. Today, they've disrupted an entire industry.

That's the inner animal I'm talking about. The one that doesn't shy away from the fight.

Long after others would have quit, they are hanging in there grimly. Still pushing forward. Still finding a way.

So now what we look for at Cur8 when investing in founders is a track record of resilience and grit. Achievement of something that took years of work.

The specifics don't matter as much as the pattern.

It's no guarantee of success, but at least we know they won't crumble at the first hurdle.

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 55

IFG

Nobody realises that the US and Saudi went head to head and the US won. By a mile.

When US private equity firm Clearlake bought a stake in Chelsea, they spotted a loophole.

UEFA's amortisation rules let you spread transfer fees over contract length. Meaning if you sign someone on an 8-year contract instead of the usual 4, you've just halved your annual cost on paper.

This sounds useless. But in elite football, the only constraint to buying players is either capital or regulation. The Financial Fair Play rules mean that you can only spend money on transfers in line with your income.

So when Chelsea spread a player's fee across 8 years instead of 4, that means they can spend double the amount (because capital is not the constraint for them, just the Financial Fair Play limit).

It's also smart because they assembled a massive squad of talented young players with these rules knowing the rules would get shut down. This means that when these players get sold in the future, it adds more money to the pot which they can use for more spending.

It's accounting leverage.

Most people laughed at Chelsea's new owners as 8-year contracts were unheard of in football. But those folks have gone quiet now. And UEFA have indeed closed the loophole.

Had PIF and Saudi clocked on to this earlier with their Newcastle team, things might have looked very different for them.

- Mohsin

4 weeks ago | [YT] | 39

IFG

💡 How I Quit My Job and Built a $190M Business

In 2015, I left a six-figure law job to start IFG. Today, alongside IFG, I run Cur8 Capital, which now manages over $190m with a team of 43 across three global offices. In this video, I break down exactly how IFG and Cur8 make money, how our model evolved, and the point where we almost went out of business.

Watch here: https://youtu.be/Vo6RLToLM58

4 weeks ago | [YT] | 47

IFG

We have such a natural advantage with money as Muslims. No alcohol, no gambling, no expensive nights out.

And yet many of us are still struggling financially.

Not always because of low income, but because of the quiet money leaks we’ve normalised.

£30k cars on finance.
£50k to £100k weddings we can’t afford.
Lifestyle choices that drain us without adding real value.

If we plugged these leaks, our entire community’s financial footing would shift.

I cover these in my video 👇
https://youtu.be/2SKVma1mB18

1 month ago | [YT] | 179

IFG

The Premier League just sold UK rights for £6.7B.
Sounds massive. But here's what the headlines won't tell you:

On a per-season basis, it's worth LESS than the deal they signed in 2015.

Let me break down what's actually happening:

The 2015 deal: £5.1B for 3 years = £1.71B per season
The new deal: £6.7B for 4 years = £1.68B per season

Factor in 30% inflation since 2015, and this "record deal" is worth about one-third less in real terms.

Oh, and they're now showing 270 games per season vs 168 in 2015.

Per-game value? Down 50%.

The dirty secret nobody's discussing:

The Premier League - the most dominant sports property in the world - has peaked.

Not in popularity. Not in quality. In monetisation.

Sky and TNT aren't paying more because they're worried about losing it.
They're paying less because they know the Premier League has nowhere else to go.

Here's the uncomfortable truth for every "premium" business:

Once you've saturated your core market, your pricing power evaporates.

The broadcasters did the math:
• Stadiums are full (can't grow attendance)
• Domestic viewership is plateauing (everyone who'll watch is watching)
• Digital hasn't rescued TV economics (it's made them worse)

So they squeezed. And the Premier League had to take it.

The most instructive part is Amazon's behaviour.

They walked away completely. Didn't even bid.

Phase 1: Explosive growth, everyone's fighting for rights/access
Phase 2: Market saturation, pricing power shifts to buyers
Phase 3: "Record deals" that are actually declines in disguise

Tesla's at Phase 1 in EVs.
Netflix hit Phase 2 in streaming.
The Premier League is entering Phase 3 in sports rights.

The takeaway for operators: your premium positioning has an expiration date. The moment you run out of new customers to convert, your buyers will renegotiate from strength.

The move isn't to squeeze more from the same audience.

It's to open new revenue streams before you're forced to the negotiating table.

The Premier League's waiting for the US market to save them.

Are you waiting for someone to save you?

- Mohsin

1 month ago | [YT] | 85

IFG

The IPL was supposed to fail.

In 2008, they launched franchise cricket with a 6-week season. The purists hated it.

"It's not real cricket."
"Players won't take it seriously."
"Nobody will watch T20 franchise games."

Fast forward: it's the second richest sports league globally after the NFL. Players make more in 6 weeks than most international cricketers make in a year.

They didn't make cricket better. They put a modern twist on it.

Compressed timeline that fits today's lifestyle. City franchises instead of countries. Bollywood money. Player auctions are creating transfer drama. Evening games for working professionals.

Most businesses obsess over being 10% better than competitors. The IPL changed the entire game.

Tomorrow's businesses are not asking how to improve something. They're inventing new categories altogether.

- Mohsin

1 month ago | [YT] | 30