By Nabeela Raza (Founder and CEO of Teach Me Islam app)

Thank you MWNUK for reaching out to me, you’re doing incredible work and I absolutely love it. Being an advocate for Muslim women and the wider Muslim community is a huge passion of mine.

My journey started with my Masters degree in Islamic Theology and Jurisprudence (also known as an Almiyyah degree). This allowed me to gauge a new interest and passion and to continue the chain of knowledge into the community. I believed the best way to achieve this was to teach–so I became a qualified teacher and worked in schools for six years, alongside private Islamic education tutoring on the side. Once people in my community found out I completed my degree, they were very eager to learn. I was born and raised in East London which has many facilities to learn Islamic knowledge – I didn’t think there would be a need or a niche. However, to my surprise, there was a huge demand which is strange considering there are plenty of mosques and even the largest one in Europe!

I began to question what was missing since we had the resources but people were still so eager for something different. The answer was quite simple–it was qualitative teaching. A high standard of Islamic education taught in a holistic approach that allows understanding and connection to the content. What I found was the existing services were traditional and classes were very large making it impossible for teachers to manage so many curious minds. Flexibility and feasibility were also crucial factors. It’s difficult for most people to travel far in order to access Islamic education, even before the Covid pandemic. In terms of feasibility, I found that a student of any age is happy to pay for this service as long as progress and results were being achieved. This is where my passion stems from; valuable experiences in the education sector having been a teacher ultimately leading me to a senior role. Serving as a senior deputy head meant I was building syllabuses and curriculums, making them a fun experience and a positive one. I quickly realised the more we enjoy something, the more we want to invest time in it. Unfortunately, some people have had negative experiences with Islamic education, sometimes because their teacher is from a different country so there hasn’t been a verification process to safeguard children.

My mission was to come out with a new service which is fun, easily accessible and transparent. In a world of technology with everything becoming automated, I was able to latch onto this and thought why not create an Islamic education platform, this is how Teach Me Islam was born. Please my Q&A with MWNUK below to find out more about my journey!

Some of your earlier work experiences involved working in the education sector or in a school as a teacher, was this the traditional career route you grew up to pursue or encouraged to take by family?

I love this question - fun fact, as a little girl in nursery without even realising, I had a profound love for teaching. I used to role play at home with imaginary students. I've always loved being a teacher. I saw how teachers were in school, the way they had control over a class, and how engaging they were. I also had a lot of love for my teachers, I looked forward to seeing them and I had my favourite teachers.

It would seem typical from a young age but finishing my degree I actually didn't want to pursue teaching. For the degree I completed, it was a typical career path that a lot of like-minded graduates (like myself) went down as it's the easiest option because of our qualification and the training we gain. It was an open door I initially wanted to go into, yet I always knew I wanted to do something of my own one day and to have a business. However, I didn't know what it would be, but I knew that I wanted to give back to the community.

I initially wanted to pursue counselling. That was my ‘forte’ as I felt it was very community driven. Nevertheless, there were requirements needed for a counselling career which I did not have as a graduate, so I thought the easiest way to meet these requirements was to go into teaching. I went into teaching with a ‘game plan’ which would end with me going into counselling but by the end I had enough experience and expertise under my belt to start my own business.

Why did you decide to transition into business - what motivated you and how did you find this being a (visible) Muslim woman in a male-dominated field?

My sector was education / teaching which is a completely different ballgame to business, technology and the corporate world. I chose technology since I had a problem that I wanted to solve and the problems for me were students of all ages feeling disengaged when they were studying Islam. This affected me because after studying my degree, I was able to have an insight into the real beauty of the religion and the education sector. So, I wanted to find a way to portray that to society. Not just to the young ages, but to everyone in wider society.

Unfortunately, the media hasn't got our best interests at heart at all times, or the best narrative. I asked myself, how do I stop this negative ideology from becoming a bigger problem for the community, and how can we transform the traditional teaching taking place in existing Islamic education services? I started Teach Me Islam four years ago and during that time apps were starting to take off. Everything had an app, whether it was food, clothes, transport - everything was now available via an app. The idea of technology came through the times I was living in, and seeing what was trending. So, technology was coming to the forefront of every sector and I wanted to bring it to the Islamic education sector.

As we launched, it was around four months within our first quarter when the Covid pandemic hit. Interestingly, the business was initially London-based, and it was an in-person experience. We would find teachers within your area, you would book them and they would go to your home and complete the session. Once Covid hit we couldn’t offer in-person services so we were able to quickly pivot the business model and transform it into an online and e-learning platform. We’ve not looked back since, and it's been fantastic for students, teachers, and for business initiatives. It's helped us scale-up rapidly - quicker than we thought!

Did you have any concerns, fears or worries about leaving the teaching industry?

As a graduate who was beginning to pave her career path, the thought of a ‘hijabi’ going into a predominantly corporate, male dominated world was very scary and a big decision that I did not make lightly. The reason I was able to take that jump was my passion and the support system I had around me. I was very lucky as my business partner (who’s also my older brother) is a serial entrepreneur who works in the manufacturing and technology fields. Across all of his businesses, he has technology running through. He had the right networks for me so I was able to network and connect with them through events. I would meet with them and have conversations to see if I have an idea that is promising or worthwhile and the response, support and feedback from the experts within the industry was valuable. My CTO (who I met via networking) is the one who helped build the Teach Me Islam app, develop the coding and have it achieve the goals and targets we wanted. It was scary as it would be for anybody, and for me more than one because it’s not just jumping from teaching to business or technology, it was also because of how I look. When raising my first seed capital or raising investments, I had to put myself in front of an array of investors who were majority non-Muslim. However, it’s important to remember that they buy into the founder and the goals, and the problems you’re trying to solve. They’re looking for authenticity and confidence. Alhamdulillah I have got to where I am now and I am confident in trying to help others or even support others.

A very common question I receive is from young girls, specifically Muslim girls that look like me and have the same passion and ambition, ‘how did you do it?’ ‘was it scary?’ ‘did you face Islamophobia or ill-treatment?’ Well the answer is yes it was very scary but I had my parents’ prayers. I also had the backing and support of my team and my brother. Most importantly for me, I had my passion that drove me because you have to want it hard enough for it to be worth it. For me it’s always been a dream to give back and even if I support one person by changing their outlook on life or help them get closer to the religion (for the right reasons) then for me I’m happy with that.

What is Teach Me Islam and what motivated you to set up the business?

The ‘Teach Me Islam' app is currently getting an upgrade- we are rebuilding the app however the full system and the application is still working through our website so I recommend all visitors to check out our website. It’s very easy - we have a team who are happy to answer any questions or queries over email but also phone call!

Teach Me Islam is used as a ‘middle joining platform’ almost like an agency where we connect. We have a pool of our very own UK-based highly-qualified Islamic scholars who are British educated, very experienced and passionate individuals both male & female who allow our students to grow through the Islamic programmes we have. I built the curriculums for the programmes that we have at Teach Me Islam alongside my acquaintances to ensure we have the most authentic curriculum but also a curriculum that focuses on nurturing students regardless of age so they can see their progress within their own lifestyles. Ultimately, they’re practicing what they’re learning rather than just learning theoretically then ‘putting the book away when lesson is over’. Teach Me Islam helps you connect and we take care of all your concerns as a parent or as a student. The verification stage of ensuring a teacher is qualified correctly, DBS checked with a clear record and teaching the most Sahih (which is the most authentic resources) is our responsibility. The other issue we have nowadays with technology is the amount of unverified information that’s also available which is leading a minority towards the negative ideologies.

The main goal of Teach Me Islam is to be a connecting point which takes care of all your concerns or worries when it comes to Islamic education. You can wholeheartedly trust us and allow us to help you become a mentor, a teacher and to be a sister or brother. We have customers who say they’ve tried other institutes and methods but whether its themselves or their children, they’ve never really connected to their programme or learnings or even their teachers. We say our teachers are not just teachers, they are mentors and they are a support system and safe place to ask all your questions. You’ve got peace of mind knowing you’re taught the correct way but also in the most fun, exciting way possible! We aim to create a positive experience inshaAllah that helps you not only get closer to Islam but also a new, profound love for it too.

We teach Islam as it’s a Sadqa Jariya - be it one verse, one Dua, one learning, we encourage our students to teach it on. Part of the homework would always be active reflection. Younger ages who don’t understand the concept of reflection are encouraged to share their learnings with somebody else, even if it’s a verse from a Surah. Parents always give that confidence and positive reaction where the child feels like they’ve accomplished something big - and it is. Everything is big, it’s a misconception that you’ve got to become a fully qualified Scholar to be able to teach on or share what you’ve learnt. No, from my perspective and everybody at Teach Me Islam we believe that as long as you’re learning from the right source and you know the reference and correct teachings, be it a verse or a prayer you can definitely teach it on because if that person acts upon it you get the reward, and that chain is ongoing until the end of time.

How was the process of setting up Teach Me Islam?

I did thorough research from before connecting with my current CTO and CFO who are individuals who have been in their industries for decades. Before I met them, I wanted to be sure of certain things and do as much as I possibly can in my capacity before going to others. Before going to my brother with the idea I built, I researched and educated myself, did courses and joined online webinars. Use the facilities that are out there and I recommend that to anyone depending on what your passion is and what kind of field you want to go into, especially with technology.

I built a draft of a business plan which was new for me because I didn’t know how to build a business model but through videos and online platforms, I was able to gauge that. I had a clear idea of what I wanted, the process of ‘how’- I had a vision but it was about coding and the procedural part of technology I had no idea and that’s something you can’t teach yourself unfortunately. That when I needed to connect with the right people who knew the field better. I remember the very first day as part of my business plan, I crated a slideshow showing the pages of how I wanted an app to look and the features I wanted it to have. I had a good idea but I just needed the right person to bring that idea to life and I’m very grateful I did.

Thorough research is very important. Take every opportunity you can, put yourself out there and join groups on social media pages like Facebook and LinkedIn. You can also find free courses such as weekend webinars. There’s a lot of resources out there and I am seeing it more now than then. There are short courses on online platforms such as Wowcher and Groupon. For coding or whatever it may be, I would recommend doing it yourself, even if you are the founder or CEO of your business. I still learn every field within my business as much as I can before having someone recruited for that role. I’d recommend that to anyone to help you build a platform that’s substantial and will help you long term with cost.

Did you face any hurdles or barriers whilst setting up Teach Me Islam as a Muslim woman?

The reason I wanted to create something was because if I felt as though the services that were available for Islamic education had solved the problems that I saw existing in society, I wouldn’t have to create something because I would know there are trusted platforms out there that are doing it right. It was so male-dominated, even though I was a qualified teacher who taught in institutes, mosques, classrooms in different sectors. I’ve been very lucky to have done that and to have those opportunities across the board. Unfortunately, every time a female would come forward with an idea or a suggestion for the betterment of the Islamic education system or to enhance the education journey for students, it was always dismissed and that’s as far as it got. It was never taken seriously, it never moved forward and it was never rolled out or even delivered. That was mainly down to the possibility of it being male-dominated but also because we’ve got a system that’s ‘worked’ and continues to work so we’re not going to change it, we’re happy where we are. That room for evolving as the times are moving on was not there. That ignited something in me. I know there are incredible female scholars out there that are going to be doing the same thing.

In terms of the tech world and investors, absolutely. I had to train so hard for pitching to investors because I had to be ready to be perceived in a certain way. I had to be ready to answer their questions so my team and mentors told me not to worry about their faces, they may look like they are unhappy with you or they can’t stand you but majority of the time that’s not the case, it’s just how they are! I felt the questions I was being asked during my pitch were very different and at points intimidating. I felt they were purposefully trying to get a reaction from me so they have something to blame on for not going ahead or for not allowing me to get the higher success I could get. So, I definitely felt it in the tech industry and that comes with being a female. I have many close friends I’ve met through this journey of business and it’s the same stories between us all - doesn’t matter what our skin colour or faith is, being a woman itself was a struggle. We’ve all had those looks, those questions, made to feel a certain way. We can’t feel a certain type of way just because we feel like it - we are made to feel like it so you have to grow thick skin. However, when you do still achieve it despite all these hurdles and you see people who still believe in you, it feels amazing. Alhamdulillah for all the pros and cons, it’s helped shape me to become the individual I am within the business.

Congratulations, you recently won the ‘Muslim Women Awards 2023 -Entrepreneur Award’, how does it feel to be recognised and awarded for all that you do in the field, particularly as a Muslim woman?

Alhamdulillah it was absolutely amazing to win the entrepreneur award - it’s my first award that had my name on it. I’m always forthcoming to push the business name, we’ve been very lucky to be highly recognised and to receive awards for Teach Me Islam which is great. I like to stay behind the scenes most of the time. This recognition meant the absolute world and I was not expecting it. The fact I made it as a finalist was an achievement for me and I was going to celebrate this. But to actually win, it gave me that boost which we all need when things get tough and you begin to self-doubt and questions your choice, but recognition like this boosts it. It felt like an answered prayer from Allah (swt), as if to say continue as you are. It was an absolute honour, I was just as surprised as everyone else. For me in my journey, this award is the highlight so far.

What have you learnt about yourself throughout your journey in tech/business and how has your faith helped you throughout each stage of your career?

I love this question. I could go on but for me the main thing I’ve learnt about myself is that I can do it if I put my mind to it - I am good enough and I am capable of making a positive change as long as my intentions are pure and correct. One of the very strong Hadiths mentions that ‘every action is according to the intention’ and I truly believe in that. I doubted myself a lot before doing Teach Me Islam, ‘can I, would I, should I, is it going to work, is it going to be successful' - all these questions I had were the mental barriers that were stopping me from going ahead but now I’ve pushed through and I believed in myself. Believing in myself and my own confidence within me was something that I’ve been able to really grow through this process of going from teaching to business.

It’s genuinely prayers, faith, and tawakkul - trust in Allah’s plan that ultimately, it’s down to Him, whatever He wishes will happen, whatever He plans will happen. It’s all around my faith, the whole reason I wanted to go into business wasn’t just a corporate motive or ambition, it was that but alongside it the bigger motivation was the fact that I was able to build something as Sadqa Jariya (ongoing reward) not only for myself but for everyone involved in it. Whether that’s the students the teachers or the parents or everyone else.

Where do you hope to see yourself in the next 10 years? What goals do you have for Teach Me Islam?

InshaAllah I hope and I pray that I can take Teach Me Islam international and be able to serve a wider community to make it the number one platform for Islamic education. I have other ambitions where I bring in other services that serve our community and are easily accessible for the Muslim community but also welcoming non-Muslims as we do with the Teach Me Islam. So, bringing more services to the platform is my ambition!

Why should Muslim women specifically use Teach Me Islam?

Number one reason is the easy accessibility factor and feature within Teach Me Islam, it’s what makes us unique. We build and fit around YOUR schedule and we make Islam a lifestyle. Islam is not just a subject or a topic so we are here to fit it around your schedule and to make accessible to you. We also take away the fear, concerns and worries by doing all the checks and bringing you something that is authentic and easy to learn and monitor your progress - so it’s all within your own control. Secondly, it’s not a course where you get a certificate to then put up on a shelf. We promise and we work our very best to nurture the content of your programme within your home, so you are investing in yourself and your family. Once you learn, you can teach on to your children, who can then teach it on to their children and so on, that chain of passing down knowledge will continue. So, you should visit our website or download the Teach Me Islam app to be able to educate, learn and progress yourself and to allow yourself to get closer to your faith and your creator with all the concerns taken care of for you.

Do you feel as though there is a lack of Muslim women who pursue a career in business and tech? If so, why do you think this is?

Now Alhmadulilah I’m pleased to say I see a lot more women coming into the industry which is fantastic however in the specific field of tech, business and education for a Muslim woman it is not common. There’s still lots of room for more representation from our community within that field. I believe the main reasons are the fact that women are subjected to certain fields over others. e.g. being homemakers or carers, or to pursue careers in fields such as teaching or nursing which is not an issue in of itself since we have a responsibility given to us by Allah and that’s a priority for us. However, even within Teach Me Islam I started out as an all-female platform, I had female employees, female Islamic scholars, I was only teaching and offering our services to adult sisters and to children. The reason for this was because there are many male-dominated platforms which are easily accessible for males. For a male teacher, if he walked into an institute and wanted a job but the very same post a female scholar with the same qualifications, expertise and experience went for it, I could say with a lot of certainty that the male will get the job over the female.

That’s down to a number of things, e.g. availability, other responsibilities, child care etc.. employers within these sectors see this as a downfall. The barriers vary, some are subjected to cultural mentality rather than religion because Islam does not limit a woman, she can pursue her passions as long as it’s within the laws of Shariah and she can still maintain her responsibilities at home. Secondly, it’s got to do with other physical factors. Financial support and having the right people supporting them to be able to really build and launch something that works in the long-term is something people don’t have access to - so having the right people or support to be able to start from 0, as mentioned it’s a big jump, especially going from employment to self-employment which is another topic itself. It’s not easy, I didn’t pay myself for a long period of time until the business was in a position where it was able to. It seems to be a mixture of both cultural barriers and some quite literally physical/financial reasons.

As the successful CEO of Teach Me Islam, what advice do you have for women who are currently wanting to switch careers or pursue a career similar to yours?

100% go for it!

As frightening and as daunting as it may feel or seem. You have got to ask yourself why do you want to do it, and if your reason is big enough, loud enough and substantial enough then you have to absolutely go for it and see what happens as opposed to wonder what if. So, my recommendation is to do it and to do your research and try not to jump into the deep end. If it’s between doing it and not doing it, pursue it!

What more needs to be done to encourage Muslim women to consider taking up a career in business or tech?

More representation. The more Muslim woman see other Muslim women making it and putting themselves out there and taking that leap of faith and hearing their stories, that’s a massive motivator to make it happen. When I first started, I wanted to do it because there were not many people that looked like me within the sector. I didn’t know many people who were Muslim women or ‘hijabis’ that pursued a passion that was a business in that same sense, so for me I was very lucky I was inspired by own family members.

I have four elder sisters and two brothers, so a big family Alhamdulillah. It was them, MashaAllah they’re very successful in their fields and roles and they look like me, speak like me and have the same background -I thought if they could chase what they wanted to, why can’t I? A lot of the time if you don’t have source of inspiration, if it’s not your family you look at the industry for people similar to you and that can push you. So InshaAllah more representation, more people stepping up will be the reason we will hopefully get more sisters taking that plunge for the better.

If I can inspire at least Muslim woman that would be a huge tick off my list for sure.

You can follow me and Teach Me Islam across our social medial channels:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nabeela-raza-92872a191/?originalSubdomain=uk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teachmeislamtpt/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@teachmeislam.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpEOF5boAbmGXXx_Ru-_-0g

For more information on Teach Me Islam, please visit our website: https://www.teachmeislamapp.com/

As mentioned, the Teach Me Islam app is undergoing updates, so for now please use the website to stay up to date.