The Imam concludes his final remarks. You emerge from the musallah, beckoned by the dizzying aroma of something roasted and threaded with sugar.
At last, you find yourself before the coffee cart of a young Muslim you once witnessed counting back the tiled steps to their classroom.
The cart, it turns out, is the least of what our Al-Huda School alumni have built.
Amar Chai & Coffee is the product of Al-Huda School alumnus and Dar-us-Salaam Hifzh graduate Adnan Zaber, together with Abdul Basit Razack and Farhan Nadeem. “Amar,” meaning ‘my’ in Bangla, is as much an invitation as it is a name.
“We want [Amar Chai & Coffee] to become an experience, a social space where Muslims can gather in beneficial environments, enjoy something well-made, and spend time together in a halal setting,” said Class of 2011 Al-Huda School alumnus, Adnan Zaber.
Coffee was born in Muslim hands; harvested in Ethiopia, cultivated in Yemen, hauled westward, and never truly lost to the community that first brewed it. Amar Chai & Coffee’s gulab jamun syrup, pistachio blends, and ube latte are proof that it still belongs to them.
Each ingredient is verified halal, not as a formality, but rather an act of Ibadah. It is in that spirit that Adnan remains committed to interestfree financing, cultivating a strong, Allahcentered business model.
“One of the things that has helped me most is the support of the Muslim community. Especially masajid and Muslim organizations that create space for younger Muslim-owned businesses to show up and grow.”
— Diyanah Musabbir,
Class of 2021 Al-Huda School alumna
Yana’s Treats, a bakery and dessert business that recently expanded into coffee, has earned a loyal customer base in the same Muslim spaces that launched Amar Chai & Coffee.
Like Adnan, Diyanah describes a steady consciousness of Allah, one she allows herself to succumb to. When a little Muslim lingers at the foot of her bubblegum-pink cart, wide-eyed and empty-pocketed, she doesn’t pause to calculate lost revenue.
“Before I started [Yana’s Treats], I made du’a for Allah to open a path if this was good for me,” she says, “looking back a year later, seeing what it has become feels like an answered du’a.”
Mohammad Jaffar and Al-Huda School alumna Rahaf Alhabashi, founders of mobile coffee, matcha, and mocktail bar Finjani, echo Diyanah’s dependence on du’a. “If I didn’t mention du’a first, I would be leaving out the biggest part of the story [of Finjani],” said Mohammad.
Finjani, loosely translated to “my cup of coffee,” is an ode to an enduring gesture in Islamic hospitality. It is the warm welcome of karak chai, Turkish coffee, Rooh Afza, and cardamom, greeting one guest with the traditions of another.
“Once we establish a product or quality level we believe in, we try to keep it there. Even if a lower-quality option might reduce costs, we prefer to stay with the version we would want for ourselves.” Mohammad said, emphasizing the couple’s refusal to betray the Sunnah of Ihsan (excellence).
Not unlike Adnan and Diyanah, Mohammed credits family and community support with the success of Finjani. “Supporting a Muslim business,” he says, “means supporting a Muslim family
Amar’s Chai & Coffee, Yana’s Treats, and Finjani demonstrate that an Islamic education is not divorced from professional pursuits. Rather, it molds business owners who give back, build community, and keep Allah at the center of it all.
To future entrepreneurs, Diyanah Musabbir reiterates the advice of all three alumni. “Just start. Say bismillah, keep returning to Allah, and don’t wait for everything to feel perfectly lined up. Keep your intentions pure, give back when you can, and don’t let the money become the point.
By the mercy of Allah, the Muslim community will hold you up— let it.
