Muslim Body Launches Chamber of Tijarah to Unify Community Business Economy

HYDERABAD, September 27: In a strategic move aimed at addressing economic fragmentation and harnessing the collective financial potential of the Muslim community, the Chamber of Tijarah (COT) was formally launched during a virtual event on Sunday.

Highlighting the vast potential of a demographic group comprising approximately 25 crore individuals spanning trade, professions, and emerging entrepreneurship across the country, the 40 Under 40 Leaders Initiative, stated that the chamber seeks to consolidate these diverse economic strands under a single, structured national umbrella.

Delivering the Presidential Address, Sharia scholar and certified Islamic Finance advisor Mufti Yahya Moin, said “the community has no dearth of big businesses or successful Muslim entrepreneurs, but will certainly need a platform to help the future generations overcome the challenges of the current and the past”.

“It is our responsibility to open doors for the next generations and our work and contribution must be to open doors for their success, and their continuity, which can be achieved through institution building.” “Institution-building and collectiveness is the biggest strength a community can have, as individualism can only take one so far”, he stressed.

“The modern tool to transfer the collective benefit, business experience and intellectual inheritance to the younger generations is through building institutions like these”, he added. Citing the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), “the best of people are those who are most beneficial to others.”

Team building has been central to the Islamic concept of leadership, and the trait of Islam’s many prophets.

Outlining the vision and core objectives of the initiative, national business leader Yazdani emphasized the need for a verified, structured network offering actionable business insights.

“The initiative aims to assist enterprises with investment readiness, facilitate access to domain experts and mentors, and provide strategic pathways for market expansion,” Mr. Yazdani noted, reiterating that the objective extends beyond individual corporate success to creating a cohesive socio-economic framework.

In a guest address delivered on the occasion, Mr. Ashraf Mohamedy, Founder and Managing Director of IDAFA Investment, emphasized that Muslim organizations must place a stronger focus on ethics, bookkeeping, and financial literacy.

He noted that these core competencies are fundamental, as they address essential operational metrics such as sales, profit, and financial discovery.

Mr. Mohammadi further stressed that these measures are vital to preventing unethical practices such as window dressing – commonly referred to as financial manipulation – which organizations must diligently avoid to safeguard their corporate reputation. He concluded by remarking, “Reputation constitutes an intangible asset on a balance sheet and, in most instances, precedes the organization itself.”

The Chamber of Tijarah will provide deal history documentation, trust, verification and deal protection, knowledge training and workshops, webinars, skill development and leadership sessions along with SME advisory support, legal and compliance guidance, said Mohammaed Ovais.

 Under the proposed operational model, local COT chapters will function as district-level commercial hubs linked to a unified national ecosystem. This network structure is designed to convert localized trade relationships into cross-regional business opportunities, fostering knowledge sharing, strategic partnerships, and mentorship to drive sustainable growth.

According to the organizers, membership to the Chamber of Tijarah is now open to prospective members through a formal application process.