Dr. Abdulbari Mashal
Dr. Abdulbari Mashal is the executive member of UIF Corporation's Shariah Supervisory Board, the scholar responsible for coordinating the board's ongoing Shariah audit work rather than a chairman role. He holds a Ph.D. in Islamic Economics from the Shariah College at Al-Imam Islamic University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and has more than 25 years of experience in Shariah audit and Islamic financial advisory.
Background
Dr. Mashal is the founder and chairman of Raqaba, a Shariah audit and Islamic financial advisory firm established in 2007 that now operates as a network of independent firms across Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and North America. He is a member of the Fiqh Council of North America and has served on AAOIFI's Governance and Ethics Board since 2015, after serving on AAOIFI's Shariah Committees from 2007 to 2010. He is also an expert at the International Islamic Fiqh Academy in Jeddah and, beyond UIF, chairs or sits on Shariah Supervisory Boards for a number of other Islamic banks and financial institutions, including joining Azzad Asset Management's Shariah advisory board.
Role in US halal home financing
As noted in our fatwas and financing models guide, UIF Corporation — the University Bank subsidiary offering Murabaha and Ijara-style products — retains a standing Shariah Supervisory Board rather than relying on a single one-time fatwa. Per UIF's own Sharia compliance disclosures, that board is chaired by Sheikh Nizam Yaqubi, with Dr. Mashal as executive member and Mufti Abdullah Nana among its scholars. Dr. Mashal's specific background in Shariah audit — verifying that a financial institution's day-to-day operations actually match what its board approved on paper, not just reviewing contract templates — is a distinct and less visible part of how a standing board like UIF's stays accountable over time.
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