HalalRates' Muftis issue a halal-status ruling on a product only when both the provider and the product itself satisfy them. Either side failing means the product either stays at Tier 3 (listed for comparison only) or earns a "failed review" notice with the reason published.
Our Muftis draw on the following sources. This list is not exhaustive: where direct contract review and richer documentation are accessible, those go into the file too.
Publicly available information
Provider disclosures, regulatory filings, prospectuses, and marketing materials. The first pass on any new provider.
Existing fatawa
Published rulings from other recognized Muftis and Shariah boards on the same product or structure. We do not duplicate work already done by qualified scholars; we cite it.
Verified independent Shariah advisory board
The provider's own Shariah board, when one exists: the named scholars, their published methodology, and the breadth of products it covers.
AAOIFI certification
When the provider holds AAOIFI certification, the specific Sharia Standard, the scope of certification, and the issuing body. AAOIFI alignment is a strong but not sufficient signal on its own.