Frequently asked questions

Manzl is a directory of Muslim-owned businesses. Halal restaurants and grocers are part of it, but so are dentists, contractors, accountants, mechanics, salons, tutors and dozens of other categories. Search by what you need and where you are, and you get Muslim-owned options near you.

The name comes from manzil, meaning home destination. The idea is that your own community should be easy to find.

Manzl is run by the Shia Muslim Council of Southern California. Manzl itself serves all Muslims and lists businesses owned by Muslims of every background and school of thought. Who runs the directory does not affect who gets listed or how listings appear.

No. Anyone can search the directory. Plenty of people use it simply because they want a good electrician or a great sandwich.

We started in Southern California, because that is where our roots are. However, we will be covering US nationally as owners and community members submit listings. If your city looks thin, adding the businesses you already use is the fastest way to fix it.

Yes. Searching and browsing are free. Listing a business is also free, and a basic listing will stay free.

Not yet. The site works on a phone browser and you can add it to your home screen. If we build an app, we will announce it on our social channels.

That is the goal, and it is what we ask every submission to confirm. Owners ATTEST that their business is Muslim-owned when they add or claim a listing. Community members can also suggest businesses they know, and our team reviews each submission before it goes live.

What we cannot do is inspect ownership records. So we tell you where a listing came from. A listing the owner has claimed shows that the owner confirmed it. A listing suggested by the community and not yet claimed says so. We would rather show you the difference than pretend every entry has been through the same check.

Two steps. The person submitting the listing attests to Muslim ownership, and our team then reviews the submission before publishing. We check that the business is real and operating, that the contact details work, and that nothing in the public record contradicts what was submitted. We do not ask owners for proof of faith.

That means the directory rests partly on trust, the same trust the rest of community life runs on. When trust is misplaced, we rely on you to tell us. See "How do I report a problem with a listing?" below.

It means the owner claimed the listing and confirmed the details, including Muslim ownership. It is not a quality rating, a license check, a halal certification or a recommendation. It tells you the information came from the owner.

No. We are not a halal certifying body and we do not issue religious rulings. Some listings mention certification or slaughter practice because the owner provided it, and that information comes from the business, not from us.

If halal standards matter to you, and for most people they do, ask the business directly. Who supplies their meat, whether the poultry is hand slaughtered, and which authority certifies it. A business that cannot answer has told you something worth knowing.

Listings come from owners and from community submissions, and details go stale. Use the suggest an edit link on the listing, or email salaam@manzl.co, and we will fix it. Owners who claim their listing can update it themselves at any time.

Please do. Use Suggest a Business and give us the name, city and category. A phone number, website or Instagram handle helps us confirm it faster. You do not need to be the owner.

By what you searched for, how close the business is to you, and how complete the listing is. Nobody can pay to rank higher. If that ever changes, sponsored results will be labeled as sponsored.

Those are usually community suggestions where the owner has not claimed the listing yet. Photos, hours, services and descriptions come from owners. If you own the business, claiming the listing takes a few minutes and fills the gaps.

Use Add Your Business and fill in the form. You will need the business name, category, address or service area, and a way for customers to reach you. Our team reviews submissions before they publish, usually within a few business days.

Claim it. Open the listing, choose the option to claim it, and confirm your details. Once we can match you to the business, the listing is yours to edit.

Nothing. A basic listing is free.

Coming soon as we build up Manzl

Sponsorship and partnership conversations are welcome. Email salaam@manzl.co with what you have in mind and we will tell you honestly whether it makes sense yet.

Email salaam@manzl.co from an address connected to the business, or use the contact link on the listing, and tell us you want it taken down. We will remove it. You do not need to give a reason.

Yes. Most businesses in the directory serve everyone. Being listed says who owns the business, not who it is for.

No, and this is worth being blunt about. A listing tells you a business exists and that it is Muslim-owned. It is not a background check, a license check, an insurance check or an endorsement. Shared faith is a good reason to give someone your first call. It is not a reason to skip your homework.

Do the same checks you would do with anyone.

For contractors, plumbers, or electricians, look up the license at the Contractors State License Board. Confirm the license is active and that the name on it matches the name going on your contract. Ask for proof of general liability insurance and workers' compensation. Get at least two written bids. Ask for recent local references and actually call them.

Keep the money slow. In most states, a home improvement contractor cannot ask for a down payment of more than ten percent of the contract price or one thousand dollars, whichever is less. Pay by check or card rather than cash. Do not pay in full before the work is finished. Get a written contract with a scope, a schedule and a total price before anything starts.

For doctors, dentists, attorneys, accountants, agents and brokers, verify the license with the relevant state board. Every one of those professions has a public license lookup.

A few habits hold up well. Be careful with anyone who pressures you to decide today, who wants to move the conversation off the phone number or email you started with, or who asks for payment by wire, gift card, crypto or a payment app to a personal account. Confirm the business address exists. Read the contract before you sign it rather than after. If something feels off, slow down. Being part of the same community is not a substitute for a paper trail.

No. We do not charge for listings and we do not call or email asking for payment. Forward anything like that to salaam@manzl.co so we can warn other people.

Not at the moment.

On Google, and on Yelp if the business is active there. If you had a good experience, a review is one of the most useful things you can do for a small business, and it takes about three minutes.

Tell the business first if you can, and leave your review on Google. Most problems get resolved that way.

Write to us when it goes past an ordinary service complaint. The listing is inaccurate, the business is not Muslim-owned, the business appears to have closed, or something happened that other people in the community should be protected from. Email salaam@manzl.co.

Email salaam@manzl.co or use the report link on the listing. Tell us the business name and what is wrong. Reports about ownership, closures and inaccurate information are the ones we act on fastest.

We read every report. Depending on what it says, we may correct the listing, add a note to it, contact the owner, mark it unverified, or remove it. We do not tell the business who reported it.

Email salaam@manzl.co and be specific about what you saw and when. It helps to know in advance what we will and will not do with a report like that.

We look into anything factual. Alcohol or pork being served when the listing says otherwise, a business that is not actually Muslim-owned, deceptive claims, a certification the business does not hold, or conduct that puts customers at risk. Those affect whether our information is accurate, and accuracy is our job.

We do not issue religious rulings. Muslims differ, sincerely and often, on what is permitted, and those differences follow schools of thought, scholars and personal caution. Manzl is a directory, not a body of scholars, and we are not going to appoint ourselves judge of who is Muslim enough to be listed. When a religious question matters to you, the right people to ask are your marja, your imam or a certifying body, not a website.

Yes. We remove listings for fraud, harassment, unsafe or unlawful treatment of customers, misrepresenting Muslim ownership, and using Manzl to attack other businesses or members of the community. We do not remove listings over differences of religious opinion, and we do not remove them because one customer had a bad experience.

Email salaam@manzl.co. We are a small team and we read everything. Give us a few business days, and include the listing name or link if your message is about a specific business.