Qardus Unsecured Business Finance
Islamic Business Financing in Northern Ireland
Sharia-compliant unsecured working-capital finance for UK SMEs from GBP 25,000 to GBP 200,000 over 6 to 36 months, from Qardus, which describes itself as the UK's first ethical Sharia-compliant business financing platform. Instead of interest, the SME pays a pre-agreed arrangement fee and a fixed profit rate set in advance. Applications are online with an in-house soft-search review that does not affect the credit score, a funding offer within 48 hours if approved, and money typically in the account within 2 working days of signing. Eligibility: UK-registered limited company or partnership, minimum 3 years of trading (no start-ups), stable cash flows, no outstanding CCJs, and operation in a Sharia-compliant sector. Funded by high-net-worth and sophisticated investors through Qardus's marketplace; Qardus reports GBP 5.1 million capital deployed and a 40% repeat-client rate with strength in healthcare and pharmacy SMEs (crawled qardus.com, 2026-08-06).
Qardus is the default answer for an established halal-sector SME that wants unsecured working capital without interest: the eligibility rules are clear, the process is genuinely fast, and the Sharia governance (Mufti Faraz Adam, Amanah Advisors, downloadable certificate) is better documented than most UK alternative lenders. The two things to press them on before signing are the all-in cost - nothing is published, so compare the quoted profit rate plus arrangement fee against conventional quotes - and the contract mechanics, which the site does not spell out.
Pros
- Genuine Sharia governance: named lead scholar (Mufti Faraz Adam, Amanah Advisors) and downloadable certificate
- Fast: 48-hour decisions and 2-day funding
- No security required at this tier
- Strong repeat usage (40% repeat clients) and testimonials from pharmacy and healthcare SMEs
Cons
- Cost is opaque: no published profit-rate range or representative example
- 3 years trading minimum shuts out start-ups
- The financing agreements are not FCA-regulated products
- Underlying Islamic contract not named on the product pages
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Product Details
Structure
murabaha
Min Amount
GBP 25,000
Max Amount
GBP 200,000
Qardus in Northern Ireland
Qardus's Unsecured Business Finance is available for businesses in Northern Ireland, using a murabaha structure. Financing amounts range from GBP 25,000 to GBP 200,000. UK Islamic business finance operates through online applications and relationship desks rather than branch networks. Qardus operates across the UK, so Northern Ireland residents have full access to this product.
Our Take on Qardus
Qardus occupies a genuinely underserved niche: interest-free growth capital for established halal-sector UK SMEs that are too small for Islamic bank corporate desks and unwilling to take conventional loans. The Sharia governance is real and named - Mufti Faraz Adam's Amanah Advisors board with a published certificate - and the operational promises (48-hour decisions, soft search, 2-day funding) match what modern SME lenders offer. Two structural cautions frame any recommendation. Pricing is entirely quote-based: no profit-rate ranges or representative examples are published, so borrowers must compare quotes carefully. And the platform sits outside FCA regulation - Qardus says so plainly - which matters more to its investors than its borrowers, but signals that the whole arrangement lives on contractual rather than regulatory protections. For 3+ year old SMEs in halal sectors, it is the most credible dedicated Sharia-compliant financing route in the UK market.
How Qardus Works
Financing Structure
Interest-free SME financing priced as a pre-agreed arrangement fee plus a fixed profit rate set in advance, with repayment over the agreed term - economically similar to a fixed-rate loan but structured through Sharia-compliant contracts on both marketplace sides. Qardus does not name the contract type on its product pages; the structure shape matches commodity murabaha (deferred cost-plus sale), the standard instrument for UK Islamic SME finance.
In-Depth Analysis
Qardus was founded to close the funding gap for small businesses whose owners will not take interest-based loans - the platform's framing is that traditional banking forces SMEs to choose between growth and their values. It operates a two-sided marketplace: UK SMEs seeking finance on one side, high-net-worth and self-certified sophisticated investors providing Sharia-compliant financing on the other, with Qardus reporting GBP 5.1 million deployed, a 40% repeat-client rate and 4/5 measured client satisfaction as of the crawl date.
The borrower products are two tiers. Unsecured finance runs GBP 25,000 to GBP 200,000 over 6 to 36 months for working capital. Secured finance runs GBP 150,000 to GBP 500,000 for up to five years against existing business assets, with asset financing of longer duration planned. In place of interest, the SME pays a one-off pre-agreed arrangement fee plus a profit rate that is fixed in advance - Qardus markets 'fixed finance rates' and 'no hidden fees and no interest'. No rate ranges are published; an online business finance calculator provides indicative repayment estimates.
Eligibility is strict and published: UK-registered limited companies or partnerships, minimum three years of trading history (start-ups explicitly ineligible), demonstrable stable cash flows, no outstanding county court judgments, and operation in a Sharia-compliant sector - gambling, pork production and alcohol are named exclusions. The process is streamlined: an online application in minutes, an in-house review using a soft search that does not mark the credit file, a funding offer within 48 hours where approved, and funds typically within two working days of signing.
Sharia governance is the platform's differentiator. Every applicant business is screened for Sharia compliance, Sharia-compliant structures are used on both sides of the marketplace, and the whole platform operates under independent oversight from a dedicated board led by Mufti Faraz Adam of Amanah Advisors - one of the most active Sharia advisory practices in Western Islamic fintech. An official Sharia compliance certificate is downloadable from the site (the hosted certificate covers the Qardus Fixed Income Product via Amanah). What the pages do not do is name the underlying contract for the SME financing; the fee-plus-fixed-profit shape is consistent with commodity murabaha, the market-standard structure for this product type, but Qardus does not say so explicitly on the crawled pages.
The regulatory position is disclosed with unusual bluntness in Qardus's own footer: the financing agreements do not constitute designated investments under UK financial services regulation, Qardus is not authorised or regulated by the FCA, and investors have no FSCS or Financial Ombudsman rights. For borrowers this is less material - business-to-business lending to companies is generally outside the FCA perimeter anyway - but it frames the platform as a contractual, relationship-driven financier rather than a regulated institution (crawled qardus.com, 2026-08-06).
Shariah Compliance Details
- Independent Sharia board led by Mufti Faraz Adam (Amanah Advisors)
- downloadable Sharia compliance certificate
- borrower sector screening excluding gambling, pork, alcohol and similar
- Sharia-compliant structures on both funding sides. Not FCA-authorised - disclosed prominently by Qardus itself. Contract type and profit-rate ranges not published (verified 2026-08-06).
How Qardus Compares
Against Nester (the FCA-authorised Commodity Murabaha property platform), Qardus serves general SME working capital where Nester only finances property, and Qardus reaches smaller tickets (GBP 25,000 versus Nester's GBP 200,000 minimum); Nester counters with FCA authorisation and published rate floors. Against conventional SME fintechs (Iwoca, Funding Circle), Qardus trades published pricing for Sharia certainty. Against Islamic banks (Al Rayan's business banking), Qardus is faster and lighter but unregulated and pricing-opaque.
Bottom Line
The most credible dedicated Sharia-compliant SME financier in the UK for established halal-sector businesses - go in with eyes open on quote-based pricing and the absence of FCA protections, and benchmark every quote against conventional alternatives before signing.
Read full Qardus reviewShariah Compliance & Oversight
Qardus operates under independent Sharia oversight from a dedicated board led by Mufti Faraz Adam of Amanah Advisors, with an official Sharia compliance certificate downloadable from the site (a certificate for the Qardus Fixed Income Product signed off via Amanah is hosted on the site's CDN). All businesses applying for funding are screened for Sharia compliance (crawled qardus.com, 2026-08-06).
2026-08-06
Why It's Halal
Financing is interest-free by construction: the platform charges a pre-agreed arrangement fee and a profit rate fixed in advance rather than interest, businesses are screened for Sharia-compliant activity (gambling, pork, alcohol and similar sectors excluded), and Sharia-compliant structures are used on both sides of the marketplace. Oversight comes from a dedicated Sharia board led by Mufti Faraz Adam of Amanah Advisors, with a downloadable Sharia compliance certificate on the site. Honest caveats: the product pages do not name the underlying contract (industry practice for this product shape is commodity murabaha, but Qardus does not say so on the crawled pages) and no live APR-equivalent pricing is published - the cost is quoted per deal; note also that the financing agreements sit outside FCA regulation (crawled qardus.com, 2026-08-06).
Regional Availability
Qardus serves all of the UK
✓ Available nationwide including Northern Ireland
Apply Now: Qardus
Visit Qardus's website to get current terms, check eligibility for Northern Ireland, and get started today.
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NationwideFrequently Asked Questions
What is Qardus Unsecured Business Finance?
Why is Qardus Unsecured Business Finance considered halal?
Is Qardus Unsecured Business Finance available in Northern Ireland?
What Shariah oversight does Qardus have?
What financing structure does Qardus Unsecured Business Finance use?
How do I apply for Qardus Unsecured Business Finance in Northern Ireland?
What halal home finance reaches Northern Ireland?
Can NI residents use Islamic banks and pensions?
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Important: HalalWallet provides educational information and comparisons to help you explore halal financial options. We do not provide financial, legal, or religious advice. Product structures and Shariah compliance oversight vary by provider. Always verify halal compliance directly with providers and consult with qualified Islamic finance advisors or scholars for guidance on specific products and your individual circumstances.