Activating Social Impact Through Waqf Solutions

Islamic social finance tools have been instrumental in the alleviation of poverty and socio-economic development for centuries. It was time that formal Islamic finance goes back to its core ideals, extending its impact over the entire landscape of economic development. The recent global drive towards a more equitable existence is acting as catalyst for the resurgence of formal Islamic social finance such as waqf. It is hoped that this could significantly contributes towards unified approach to global equality and achieve a better world. Although a significant number of waqf institutions exist globally, the success of these institutions relies on efficient governance, regulation, supervision mechanisms and effective management. Since most countries and regions do not have enabling waqf regulations or monitoring processes, the value and output of Awqaf assets are mostly on the decline. The potential, however, is enormous. Thus, this book focuses on the application of these concepts and some possible roles that waqf may play in the socio-economic development of the Muslim societies.

Although a significant number of waqf institutions exist globally, the success of these institutions relies on efficient governance, regulation, supervision mechanisms and effective management. Since most countries and regions do not have enabling waqf regulations or monitoring processes, the value and output of Awqaf assets are mostly on the decline. The potential, however, is enormous. Thus, this book focuses on the application of these concepts and some possible roles that waqf may play in the socio-economic development of the Muslim societies.

Waqf, as an important Islamic institution that underlies economic development, has been effectively utilized since the early Madinah period to inspire economic growth and expansion. The benefits it provided encompassed economic, commerce, education, health, social and spiritual dimensions.This book focuses on the application of these concepts and some possible roles that waqf may play in the socio-economic development of the Muslim societies.

EBES conferences have been an intellectual hub for academic discussion in economics, finance, and business fields and provide network opportunities for participants to make long-lasting academic cooperation. This is the 26th volume of the Eurasian Studies in Business and Economics (EBES’s official proceeding series), which includes selected papers from the 39th EBES Conference which took place in 2022 in Rome. The conference was organized with the support of the Istanbul Economic Research Association in hybrid mode with both online and in-person presentations at the Faculty of Economics, Sapienza University of Rome in Rome, Italy. At the conference, 205 papers by 436 colleagues from 49 countries were presented. Both theoretical and empirical papers in this volume cover diverse areas of business, economics, and finance from many different regions.

Islamic microfinance is one of the most important sectors of Islamic social finance, which plays a very important role in curbing poverty and improving the standard of living, per capita income, employment level as well as achieving Maqasid al-Shariah, profitability and sustainability. This role of Islamic microfinance has become more crucial in the pandemic period. It has been clearly witnessed in developing countries such as Pakistan and Bangladesh, how Islamic microfinance institutions helped deprived and affected communities during the pandemic. Another important development during the pandemic was the introduction of blended models of Islamic microfinance such as waqf-based Islamic microfinance, a zakat-based model and the combination of Islamic commercial and social finance. Islamic microfinance institutions also aim to harness the power of digitalization and fintech, but they need to consider the necessary success factors to realize and gain the real benefits of technology. There are some major challenges related to regulations, management issues, lack of skilled human resources, a wide digital divide and low level of financial literacy in developing countries. These challenges need to be addressed to ensure stability, steady growth and sustainability in the sector. This book is a compendium on Islamic microfinance, including case studies from seven jurisdictions and prospects for the sector. The book will be a major contribution to the literature of Islamic economics and finance and a guide of equal importance for students, academics, institutions, regulators, fintechs, policy makers and the general public.

This book provides an authoritative and comprehensive overview of Waqf (endowment), addressing specific issues, models, solutions, structures and practices. As Islamic finance has gained in significance, so too has the institution of Waqf, working towards creating an enterprising and an entrepreneurial community across the globe, in order to meet the underlying objectives of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) by targeting the low-income group in particular. The book analyses the historical context of Waqf as well as its revival in the digital era. It addresses the laws and policies affecting the management of Waqf, such as Maqasid al-Shari’ah, law and policies, law and fiscal reform, regulations applied within Muslim countries, judicial procedures and dispute resolutions and covers the core issues concerning the formalities of Waqf, its management and corporate governance questions. The book includes a series of specialised chapters focusing on the products and services of Waqf, covering product innovation, product development, and then assesses the risk factors in Waqf and Waqf Takaful. Finally, it focuses on the challenges of Waqf and offers recommendations for the way forward. A timely and practical guide, comprising a literature review and future research directions, as well as a number of international case studies, this will be a key reference for academics, students, researchers, practitioners and policy makers.

Islamic Finance in Africa discusses the progress, issues and innovations in African Islamic financial markets. It provides a comprehensive overview of Islamic finance in Africa by exploring legal, regulatory and governance challenges while balancing the issues and innovations found in both Islamic commercial and social finance.

Microfinance has emerged as a growing field as more businesses discover the benefits and opportunities it provides. To ensure that microfinance is utilized appropriately, further study on the best practices and difficulties is required. The Research Anthology on Microfinance Services and Roles in Social Progress considers the ways in which microfinance can be utilized to achieve social progress as well as the challenges and opportunities of this area. Covering key topics such as income, small businesses, entrepreneurship, and credit, this major reference work is ideal for industry professionals, government officials, computer scientists, entrepreneurs, business owners, managers, policymakers, researchers, scholars, practitioners, instructors, and students.