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25 Jul 2025
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From Visionaries to Change-Makers: The History of Pfida

Pfida’s journey — built around people, transparency, and long-term value- a platform offering interest-free, debt-free financial solution.
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By Sumaiya A

From Visionaries to Change-Makers: The History of Pfida

At Pfida, we believe finance should be designed around people so that it is accessible, transparent, and purposeful. Since 2016, our mission has been to help individuals save, invest, and work towards homeownership through a distinctive, debt-free approach.

Our story is one of vision, perseverance, and a focus on creating meaningful solutions that meet the needs of our community.

The Vision That Started It All

Pfida was founded by Raza (CEO) and Sheikh Salman (Chief Legal Officer), who shared a clear ambition: to provide financial solutions that aligned with their principles and met a gap they observed in the market.

They recognised the difficulties many people, particularly in the UK’s Muslim community, faced when looking for ways to achieve homeownership without using conventional interest-based products. Motivated to create an alternative, Raza and Sheikh Salman worked to design a model that reflected their values and offered something different for those who wanted it.

With this vision, they launched Primary Finance, grounded in the belief that financial services can prioritise people and deliver long-term value. By 2019, the initiative had already supported its first customers on their journey to homeownership, demonstrating that the model was both viable and impactful. To date, we have helped over 150 families move into their homes.

From Primary Finance to Pfida

As the company grew, so did its vision. The founders saw the potential to expand beyond a single product and offer a wider range of services to support more people.

That’s when Pfida was born.

Pronounced faɪ-dah, the name is derived from Arabic and many other languages, meaning “benefit”. The silent ‘P’ reflects the central role of people in our mission, while the initials ‘PF’ pay tribute to our beginnings as Primary Finance, bridging our past and future.

This change signalled not just a rebrand, but an evolution into a modern, technology-driven platform offering a broader set of financial tools. We are proud to collaborate with Waafi Bank, a 100% virtual Islamic bank based in Malaysia, offering Shariah-compliant financial services and partnering with us to expand halal homeownership solutions in the UK.

We’ve also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Moduliv to explore further innovative opportunities together.

What Makes Pfida Distinct

At Pfida, our focus is on providing products that are clear, accessible, and designed to support individuals without relying on debt or interest.

We have developed solutions that reflect principles of transparency and shared participation. Today, these include home finance and savings accounts — designed to deliver value to customers while staying true to our founding principles.

People at the Centre

Our approach begins with understanding what people need and creating solutions that work for them. Trust and customer experience are at the heart of what we do, and we continue to evolve to meet the needs of our growing community.

Looking ahead, our aim is to reach more people and offer more opportunities for individuals to pursue their financial goals in a way that works for them. Technology and innovation will help us expand, but our focus remains unchanged: creating meaningful value for the people we serve.

More Than a Business — A Mission

Pfida’s journey from a small initiative in 2016 to a growing platform today reflects what’s possible with clarity of purpose and a focus on people.

We’ve shown that financial services can be designed differently, putting people at the centre and building long-term value.

Looking for a fresh approach? One that prioritises clarity, transparency, and purpose, have a look at our website to learn more.