How Muslim-led brands prove faith and commerce can coexist

As faith and modernity continue to intertwine, brands catering to Muslim consumers are reshaping how spirituality coexists with other aspects of life.

Wardah, a halal-certified beauty brand, and Muslim Pro, a digital platform serving Muslim needs, are at the forefront of this transformation. Both brands seamlessly integrate faith-driven values into their messaging while balancing religious identity with contemporary consumer engagement. When discussing Islam, beauty and technology may not be the first things that come to mind, yet these brands have struck a balance, ensuring their marketing resonates without compromising authenticity.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE spoke with Iskandar Siva, group general manager for creative content and digital production at ParagonCorp (Wardah's parent company), and Nafees Khundker, CEO of Bitsmedia (Muslim Pro's developer), to explore how the companies navigate this unique intersection.

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Finding balance in faith-conscious branding

Wardah has established itself as a market leader in Indonesia's halal beauty industry by offering products that cater to Muslim women seeking ethical and faith-compliant cosmetics. Beyond just makeup, Wardah promotes a lifestyle - one that blends spirituality with self-expression. It has also inspired other brands to follow suit, demonstrating the economic potential of faith-conscious branding.

When asked how Wardah balances traditional spiritual values with the modern Muslim lifestyle, Siva explained that the brand promotes beauty as more than just appearance - it is a reflection of how we honour ourselves through self-care, gratitude, and kindness.

"At first glance, makeup and spirituality might seem like two separate worlds, but in reality, they can beautifully coexist," he said.

"For women balancing multiple roles, self-care is essential. From maintaining a healthy lifestyle to choosing halal beauty products, taking care of oneself is a meaningful act of gratitude and worship," added Siva. 

Wardah's approach to halal beauty goes beyond compliance - it aligns with ethical beauty principles, ensuring products are pure, wudhu-friendly, and free from harmful ingredients. The brand aims to promote modern self-expression without compromising faith.

"The key is balance - staying modern while remaining mindful. Just as faith encourages us to present our best selves through good character and actions, makeup can be a means of self-care that complements our journey, not contradicts it," Siva said.

Meanwhile, the Muslim Pro app has become a digital companion for Muslims worldwide. With over 170 million downloads globally and more than 5 million monthly active users in Indonesia alone, the app serves as a comprehensive hub for prayer times, Quran recitations, and now, a growing suite of social features.

Similarly, Muslim Pro seeks to bridge traditional faith practices with the realities of the digital age. While religious observance has historically been a physical and community-driven experience, the widespread adoption of smartphones - especially in markets such as Indonesia - has transformed how Muslims engage with their faith, Khundker said.

By integrating faith-based services into everyday smartphone use, Muslim Pro aims to support users as they navigate this shift, ensuring technology complements rather than replaces traditional religious experiences.

"Our vision is to be the digital home for all things Muslim. We don't want to be just an app to give you prayer times. We want to guide Muslims all over the world in their journey of faith," Khundker explained.

Respecting tradition while addressing the present

While acknowledging that digital tools can enhance accessibility and convenience, Muslim Pro also recognises that many users still value in-person practices such as mosque prayers and communal discussions. As such, the platform ensures its offerings support rather than replace these traditions.

For example, Muslim Pro has launched the Umrah Pro community feature to encourage users to share their faith-based experiences. The feature has garnered over 79,000 posts, reflecting a strong desire to connect among users, even in an era of technological comfort.

As Khundker puts it: "The social element is very strong. People want to connect, and everyone has a common purpose. The whole thing is based on a common faith." Through Umrah Pro, users can connect with others who understand their experiences - whether it's discussing prayers, sharing iftar moments, requesting duas, or simply talking about life.

Another feature gaining traction is the journaling tool, which saw 59,000 entries in its first week, driving user engagement. Muslim Pro has introduced an Umrah giveaway through the "40 days of deen" campaign, challenging Indonesian users who consistently use the journaling feature to win Umrah packages.

Muslim Pro has also ventured into live-streamed events, an initiative that started just before Ramadan. These sessions bring together scholars to discuss various aspects of Islam, with a growing number of users from around the world tuning in to participate.

Earlier this year, Muslim Pro held two major events, one in Jakarta featuring Habib Husein Ja'far and another in Bandung with Umi Pipik. The events attracted thousands of attendees and were promoted through the app, further reinforcing the digital-to-physical connection that Muslim Pro is fostering among its users.

"The whole idea was to bring in the community aspect, because sometimes users also want to see each other, talk to each other, go to physical events. Being a key market for us, we actually did physical events only in Indonesia," Khundker said.

All these efforts aim to boost engagement while respecting users' need for communal gatherings and discussions, aligning with the app's core purpose - spiritual development.

Meanwhile, for Wardah, Ramadan is also an opportunity to redefine beauty as an expression of kindness, generosity, and self-improvement. Through "Menangkan langkah kebaikan," the brand aims to deepen connections with faith and community, ensuring beauty goes beyond aesthetics.

In that campaign, Wardah is engaging audiences through a movie series, the Global Quran Movement spanning five countries, and a 30-day user-generated content campaign to stay connected throughout Ramadan. It also curates exclusive gifting sets, hosts podcasts, and enhances its presence at travel touchpoints with Wardah Gifting Stations in major airports.

While honouring the community aspect, Wardah brings the modern Muslim lifestyle into the mainstream, blending modesty, inclusivity, and ethics with global appeal - moving beyond its niche status.

"We're already seeing this shift unfold: modest fashion gracing runways, halal beauty gaining recognition, and major brands collaborating with faith-conscious designers and influencers. Social media and eCommerce have further accelerated this movement, making faith-aligned products more accessible and aspirational," Siva said.

During Ramadan, Wardah boosts its mainstream presence with multi-platform campaigns. Early on, demand spikes for skincare to combat fasting's effects, while makeup takes the spotlight closer to Eid as celebrations near.

Using social media and tech to deepen daily connections

While in-app features remain Muslim Pro's primary engagement tool, the company employs a multi-channel strategy to reach its audience. Social media, newsletters, and direct messages from company executives contribute to strong user engagement.

Beyond digital channels, influencer collaborations have been a key strategy. Muslim Pro has partnered with top Indonesian influencers to promote features such as the journaling initiative, shaping modern Islamic habits.

The platform operates on a dual revenue model - advertising and subscriptions. While ads are necessary to sustain operations, the company has introduced measures to minimise disruptions, especially during critical moments such as prayer and Quran readings.

During Ramadan, a new policy was implemented to cap interactive ads at three per day, a move that has received positive feedback from users. Additionally, once a user enters the Quran feature, ads are entirely removed to maintain an uninterrupted spiritual experience.

The app provides essential services such as mosque and halal restaurant locators, while also offering educational content through the Muslim Pro Academy. This includes over 1,000 hours of Islamic documentaries, interviews, and AI-powered learning modules. The AI-driven 'Ask Aiden' chatbot enables users to seek verified answers about Islam, drawing exclusively from the Quran and Hadith.

Muslim Pro has ventured into original content production, launching AI-generated Islamic series such as Mercy of the multiverse, which narrates the life of Prophet Muhammad. The latest season was released this Ramadan. The platform is also piloting Umrah booking services and exploring partnerships in Islamic finance to offer fintech solutions tailored for Muslim users.

Meanwhile, Wardah uses AI-driven tools such as Wardah colour intelligence AI try-on and AI-powered Wardah skinlab analyser to personalise beauty experiences for Muslim women. "With digitalisation, discovering halal beauty has never been easier. Wardah has built a digital halal beauty ecosystem that provides access to skincare insights, beauty tips, and faith-aligned content," Siva said.

Siva also sees that the immersive Islamic learning experience is transforming how Muslims connect with their faith, blending cutting-edge technology with timeless wisdom. By replacing conventional textbook learning with interactive storytelling, rich visuals, and immersive audio, it turns faith into a lived experience rather than an abstract concept, he said.

"Ramadan is about people connecting with each other, people helping each other out. So this is how you connect with people. You engage people. And slowly, I think this bridge that you're trying to say will actually come in," Khundker added.

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