When we strengthen our people, we strengthen the Ummah.
The Society of Muslim People Professionals unites HR and people practitioners across disciplines and across the world, equipping them with the knowledge, community, and standards to elevate workplaces and organizations.
A Better Ummah.
The Society of Muslim People Professionals is a global home for Muslim HR and people practitioners. Across disciplines and across the world, we equip our members to lead with Ihsan.
Our work reaches the practitioners themselves, the organizations they serve, and the people those organizations employ.
By strengthening the people function, we help build workplaces of dignity and justice, and we strengthen the institutions of the Ummah.
By equipping our people to Lead with Ihsan.
We give Muslim HR and people professionals the tools, knowledge, and community to lead through the real challenges of today’s workplace. Here’s how we make an impact:
Standards & Development
Elevating Muslim HR leaders through training and professional development.
Faith & Advocacy
Championing faith-inclusive, fair, and just workplace practices.
Insights & Toolkits
Practical, faith-specific HR guidance you won’t find anywhere else.
Our mission is to develop the people who develop the Ummah.
We Help Organizations Thrive.
SMPP goes beyond equipping individuals. We partner with organizations to help them thrive.
Our business solutions help organizations:
- Build faith-inclusive, dignified workplace cultures.
- Attract, retain, and grow Muslim talent through values-aligned people strategies.
- Post roles and reach talent through the SMPP job board.
- Benchmark pay with compensation and benefits survey data.
- Access advisors, policy templates, and scalable training for HR teams and people managers.
Whether you are a small business or a global enterprise, our solutions help you build a workplace where people and organizations succeed together.
Because Better Workplaces Build Better Lives.
A working professional spends more time at work than any activity besides sleeping. In many ways, our workplaces define our lives, which is why work must have a net positive effect on people, communities, and society at large.
By strengthening people practitioners, SMPP creates a ripple effect that reaches workers, their families, and communities across the Ummah.
When people feel valued and supported, they carry that home, building stronger families, healthier relationships, and thriving communities. From everyday decisions to defining moments at work, better workplaces build better lives.
And It All Starts With You.
At SMPP, we know that better workplaces take all of us.
Whether you’re an HR professional, a business leader, or someone who cares about work that reflects our values, your involvement matters.
Together, we can elevate the profession, strengthen our people, and build workplaces worthy of the Ummah.
Because when we strengthen our people, we strengthen the Ummah.
Join us in shaping a world of work rooted in Ihsan.
Already a member? Explore member benefits here.
Where faith and the people profession meet.
SMPP exists to develop HR capacity across the Ummah, and to give Muslim practitioners a professional home that understands both their craft and their convictions.
Our story
Muslims are amazing, and when we come together to build, our organizations and places of employment should reflect our faith and our potential, not be void of it. The Society of Muslim People Professionals unites HR and people practitioners across disciplines and across the world to equip them with the knowledge, community, and standards to elevate workplaces and organizations. When we strengthen our people, we strengthen our institutions, and we strengthen the Ummah.
Mission
To develop the people-and-HR profession around the world, equipping Muslim practitioners with the knowledge, community, and standards to elevate the Ummah.
Vision
A world where every Muslim people-professional is equipped to lead, and where workplaces everywhere reflect dignity, justice, and ihsan.
Guided by principle
- Ihsan إحسان
Excellence and beauty in everything we do. - Amanah أمانة
Trust and stewardship of people and profession. - ‘Ilm علم
Knowledge as the engine of capability. - Ukhuwwah أخوة
Community and mutual support across the Ummah. - ‘Adl عدل
Justice and fairness in the workplace and beyond.
Our goals
Deliver training, resources, and professional development for Muslim HR professionals globally.
Create a trusted network spanning regions, sectors, and career stages.
Advocate for faith-inclusive, ethical, and just people practices.
Model a professional standard for people practitioners rooted in Islamic values.
A home for every people-professional
SMPP welcomes HR generalists and specialists, talent and people leaders, consultants and educators, students entering the field, and allied professionals who share our values, wherever in the world they practice.
Religious accommodation
Prayer breaks, Jummah, Ramadan scheduling, Eid leave, and modesty considerations, handled with competence, not guesswork.
Values at work
Making value-aligned decisions across the people function, from hiring and pay to policy and culture, guided by fairness, integrity, and conscience.
Dignity & justice
Countering Islamophobia and championing workplaces where every person is treated with ‘adl and respect.
Purpose & engagement
Research shows faith deepens engagement, purpose, and commitment at work. In Islam there is no split between deen and dunya, only deen. We end that bifurcation, here and now.
The Amanah we carry.
At the heart of our story is a single conviction: what we have been given is a trust. Our work is an amanah, our people are an amanah, and our institutions are an amanah. To honour that trust, in full, is why SMPP exists.
How we began
SMPP was born from two conversations at gatherings for Muslims. A clear theme kept recurring: Islamic institutions and faith-aligned organizations need strong people practices and skilled people practitioners, yet no place or institution was committed to that mission.
The founding members set an intention to fill this gap, for the Ummah and for the sake of Allah (swt). Over a few short months, what began as a conversation became SMPP.
The founding members.
Nabeela Elsayed
Nabeela Elsayed has over twenty years of leadership across operations, HR, and strategy at Walmart, IKEA, and Starbucks. Her most recent role was Chief Operations Officer at Walmart Canada, where she was responsible for over 100,000 associates. She has been recognized among the Top 50 Executives by the Globe and Mail, the Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada by WXN, and the Top 100 Global HR Leaders. Nabeela sits on several boards, including Canadian Innovation Leaders Against Racism and the Miracle Foundation. She is a certified executive coach, a Marshall Goldsmith 100 Coach, and a Faculty Member of Competent Boards. She holds a bachelor’s in marketing and supply chain management from Indiana University and a master’s in industrial and organizational behaviour from the University of Texas.
LinkedIn
You weren’t meant to do this alone.
And you don’t have to. Behind every confident people-practitioner is a suite of mentors and advisors, but finding that community has never been harder. SMPP is where you find yours.
A tier for every stage.
Student & Emerging
For students and early-career professionals, under two years in the field.
- Full community access
- Monthly Majlis roundtables
- Faith-specific resource library
- Mentorship matching (mentee)
- Member-only event pricing
Practitioner
For working HR and people professionals at any level.
- Full community access
- Member directory listing
- Professional development events
- Early access to guides & toolkits
- Voting rights in the society
Executive
For senior people and HR leaders shaping strategy at the top.
- Everything in Practitioner, plus:
- Executive roundtables & retreats
- A peer circle of senior leaders
- Early access to research & insights
- A hand in shaping the society
Business
For organizations committed to faith-inclusive, Ihsan-driven workplaces.
- Team memberships for your people function
- Access to the SMPP job board
- Compensation & benefits survey data
- Advisory & policy templates
- Training & workshops
- Employer visibility with the Ummah
Why membership matters.
Muslim people-professionals carry a dual mandate: to serve their organizations with excellence, and to navigate faith with integrity. No generic professional body is built for both.
SMPP is, giving you clarity, community, and support when the decisions matter most, so you can grow professionally without leaving your values at the door.
What every member gets.
Faith-specific guidance
Prayer, Ramadan, Eid, modesty, and accommodation, handled with competence, not guesswork.
Templates & toolkits
Ready-to-adapt policies and guides you will not find anywhere else.
A global community
Connect with Muslim people-professionals across disciplines and across the world.
Rafiq mentorship
Guidance one relationship at a time, built on ukhuwwah.
Events & the Majlis
The monthly Majlis and professional development, at member pricing.
Advocacy & voice
A collective voice for faith-inclusive, just, and dignified workplaces.
Built for where you are.
For students & emerging
Mentors and resources to launch your career with confidence.
For practitioners
Toolkits, community, and development to grow your craft.
For leaders
Insights and a network to lead the people function with Ihsan.
For organizations
Reduce risk and build faith-inclusive cultures with expert guidance.
Answers before you join.
Do I need to be Muslim to join?
The Practitioner and Emerging tiers are for Muslim HR and people professionals and students. The Allied tier welcomes supporters from any background who share our mission.
Do I need an HR certification?
No. If you work in, or are entering, the people profession, you are welcome, whatever your title or credentials.
What do I get right away?
Immediate access to the community, the faith-specific resource library, and the monthly Majlis roundtable.
How are dues used?
Dues fund our resources, events, mentorship, and advocacy on behalf of Muslim people-professionals worldwide.
Can my organization join?
Yes. Our Organizational membership is built for teams and employers, with team access, advisory, and training. Reach out and we will tailor it to you.
Strengthen your people. Strengthen the Ummah.
Join a global society of Muslim people-professionals, and lead your workplace with Ihsan.
Learn, connect, and grow together.
We launch with one recurring gathering and build from there, keeping every event meaningful rather than merely frequent.
Upcoming
The SMPP Majlis
A monthly virtual roundtable for members to connect, learn, and shape the society.
Professional Development Webinar
Quarterly deep-dive on an HR topic, from talent strategy to navigating accommodation.
The SMPP Global Summit
Our flagship global gathering, bringing the community together.
Become a speaker
We're glad to welcome volunteer experts across the Ummah. If you can teach, facilitate, or share hard-won experience, we want to hear from you.
Volunteer to speakCPD tracking
Members will be able to log professional development hours from SMPP events, creating a shared record of growth.
Planned for phase twoFaith-specific HR guidance, in one place.
Practical toolkits and thought leadership you won't find anywhere else. This is our strongest differentiator, and it's open to members and non-members alike.
Accommodating Ramadan at Work
A practical playbook for managers and HR teams, scheduling, wellbeing, and performance during the blessed month.
Prayer Space & Jummah Policy
Ready-to-adapt policy templates for prayer facilities and Friday prayer, suitable for employers of any size.
Eid Leave Guidance for Employers
How to handle Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha leave fairly and predictably, with sample language.
Hiring with Ihsan
An ethical recruitment guide, fairness, dignity, and value-aligned practice from job post to offer.
Navigating Modesty & Dress Policies
Balancing dress codes with religious dress and modesty, without discrimination or awkwardness.
The SMPP Insights Blog
Short, practical articles repurposing our events and guides.
A voice for the profession, and its people.
SMPP is more than a service provider. We speak up for faith-inclusive, ethical, and just workplaces, and we build the bonds that hold our community together.
Our advocacy priorities
Religious accommodation
Championing clear, humane standards for prayer, Ramadan, Eid, and religious dress across employers worldwide.
Anti-Islamophobia at work
Equipping organizations to recognize and counter workplace Islamophobia through policy and practice.
Representation in HR leadership
Growing the pipeline of Muslim professionals into senior people-and-culture roles.
The Rafiq mentorship program
We pair emerging professionals with seasoned mentors across the Ummah, one relationship at a time, built on ukhuwwah. Both tiers of membership can take part as mentor or mentee.
Join the programMember spotlights & chapters
As we grow, we'll spotlight members' stories and support regional chapters. Our focus is one strong global community, with local hubs to follow.
Start a chapterLet's build this together.
Questions, membership, speaking, partnerships, reach out and we'll get back to you.
Get in touch
- Emailinfo@smppglobal.org
- SocialLinkedIn · Instagram · X
- BasedDelaware, USA, serving the Ummah worldwide
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