Critical Issues On Islamic Banking And Financial Markets

To the layman who wishes to understand modern Islamic financial transactions, this book will prove friendly and helpful. It provides the underlying principles of Shariah financial instruments and presented them in actual and practical form. Since 1983, Malaysia has been making significant inroads into the Islamic financials landscape. Today Islamic financial transactions have made their presence felt in almost all financial institutions including banks, unit trusts, insurance, discount houses, fund management, factoring, pawn broking and project financing. And with more than USD200 billion Islamic funds available in global finance today, it is logical that the business of Islamic banking, insurance and fund management is fast expanding and encroaching into non-traditional financing. As the Holy Quran enjoins profit creation via trading and commercial transactions (al-bay’) while forbidding profit earned from loans (riba), increasing Islamic consciousness among the Muslims today has opened up new business opportunities in Islamic finance, financial planning and wealth management. The Shariah not only condone interest as riba, but prohibits elements of gambling (maisir) in financial transactions. Ambiguities (gharar) in contractual agreements must be avoided at all cost while companies seeking Islamic capital must not engage with prohibited goods such as alcoholic beverages, pork and pornographic material. But current practices although unintentionally seem to out focus the real Quranic agenda for wealth creation and management. The Quranic alternative to riba is trade and commerce (al-bay’). The essence of trade and commerce is profit creation that implicates risk-taking (ghorm) and value-addition (kasb). Doing so promotes fairness and equitable transactions (‘adl) and thus putting ethics and morality (akhlak) into the limelight of corporate business today. This book has attempted to venture into several issues of Islamic finance that incorporates the Quranic conception of trading and commerce (al-bay’). Profit created from financial instruments devoid of risk-taking (ghorm) and value addition (kasb) does not fit into the Quran’s outlook of al-bay’. It critically examines current Islamic financial products offered by banks, mutual funds and insurance companies and help guide prospective customers to understand the underlying Shariah principles on which these products are structured. Products ranging from bank deposits/assets and capital market instruments are discussed based on prevailing practical experience in Malaysia as well as other Muslim countries. Divergent Shariah opinions on sale-buyback (bay’ al-’inah) and debt trading (bay’al-dayn) are discussed with good intentions to harmonize global Islamic financial transactions. Of most significant is the push for equity financing (musyarakah/mudarabah) in the banking business with proper application of salam and istisna’ contract as well. Widespread use of murabahah and al-bai-bithaman ajil (credit sale) contracts in Islamic finance is a worrying trend. This book tries to explore the place of Islamic financial contracts in modern financial markets, whether Islamic financial instruments actually reflect true label. Implication of trading (al-bay’) is expected to invite venture capital application in Islamic banking and rationalizes universal banking model for Islamic banks. This book serves to guide banking customers, practitioners and investors over the range of Shariah products available in Malaysia’s financial market and help impress how these products can impact their earnings and business.

The phenomenal worldwide development over the past decade of Islamic banking and finance is drawing much attention to South East Asia, which, on the platform of its own economic growth success, is also proving to be the gateway for Middle Eastern petrodollar investments into the two great emerging markets of India and China. This book provides a timely examination of the issues confronting this US$300-US$500 billion market growing at 15 per cent - 20 per cent per annum, with reviews of the different financial markets, be they capital (sukuk), retail or wealth management.It further includes reviews from the various jurisdictions including Malaysia (the front-runner), Singapore (the regional financial hub), Brunei (an offshore Islamic market player) and the sleeping giant, Indonesia, as well as newly emerging participants such as Japan and the United States. Contributors, all well-known leading practitioners in their fields, range from lawyers, accountants, bankers and educators to policy advisors, and come from institutions like CIMB, Kuwait Finance House, OCBC Bank and PricewaterhouseCoopers, among others.This book, the first of its kind, will be of great benefit to those seeking to better understand current developments and issues affecting Islamic banking in South East Asia, from both global and regional perspectives.

This book explores contemporary issues and trends facing Islamic banks, businesses and economies as presented at the International Conference of Islamic Economics, Banking and Finance. The authors leverage current empirical research and statistics to provide unique and fresh perspectives on the changing world of Islamic finance. They focus specifically on to the implementation of Islamic financial instruments and services in global capital markets and how their success can be evaluated. Chapters feature case studies from all over the world including examples from Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina and the United Kingdom, to name a few. The breadth and immediacy of the research presented by the authors will appeal to practitioners and scholars alike. The global outlook and rich data-based approach adopted in this book guarantee that it is a timely and valuable addition to the field of Islamic finance.

Islamic finance is founded on principles that constitute the guidelines governing any Islamic economic or financial dealings. Innovative financial engineering today constitutes one of the most critical needs of Islamic financial institutions. It represents the forces that will drive Islamic finance toward continuous growth and efficiency. The structuring of new financing and Shariah-complaint instruments plays an important role in the enhancement of Islamic financial markets, and Islamic risk management practices, combining basic Shariah-complaint financial instruments within Shariah structures to precise identified needs. The financial engineering process in Islamic finance is a process that is very sensitive and complex. It requires multidisciplinary considerations, involving deep knowledge of finance, economy, Shariah law and commercial law. Divergence of opinions among different Shariah scholars and boards, as well as the absence or lack of effectiveness of a central regulatory body, is perceived as an obstacle to the growth of investment confidence in Islamic finance. Hence, innovation, along with greater uniformity, is essential to make Islamic finance an international financial system and to attract a greater number of customers. This book addresses the main issues of concern within Islamic banking, namely the development of conceptual framework, the viability of interest-free banking, and the assessment of its performance and future. In a world where conventional interest-based finance is the dominant framework, Islamic banking faces many challenges that must be addressed. This book discusses these issues and challenges and will be of great interest to both researchers and practitioners. It analyses the past experiences of Islamic banks worldwide, and provides an objective assessment of their successes and failures.

Explore Islamic finance at a deeper level Intermediate Islamic Finance: Theory and Practice fills the gap for students and professionals who are already familiar with the fundamentals of Islamic finance, but would like to gain an enhanced understanding of Islamic finance theories and practices. This comprehensive text provides you with coverage of global developments and describes the role of Islamic finance within the global finance community to guide you in your understanding of this important aspect of the international financial landscape. The book references advance concepts and specific problems in the practice of Islamic finance, provides suggested further readings for each chapter, offers details of advanced analysis, and presents key data in visual form via graphs, figures, and tables. Profound changes have taken place in the financial landscape over the past few decades, including major innovations in financial instruments and substantial changes in regulation. With global financial markets becoming increasingly important players in the industry, it is critical that today's financial professionals understand the essence and implications of key Islamic finance theories and practices. Build upon your fundamental understanding of Islamic finance Explore some areas of convergence and conflict between Islamic finance and conventional finance Strengthen the harmony between Islamic and conventional finance theories and their applications Prepare for a well-rounded career in finance by better understanding how Islamic finance principles apply Intermediate Islamic Finance: Theory and Practice is an essential text for graduate and post-graduate finance students, economists, researchers, bankers, financial regulators, policymakers, and members of the business community who want to develop a deeper understanding of Islamic finance theories and practices.

Islamic Finance has experienced rapid growth in recent years, showing significant innovation and sophistication, and producing a broad range of investment products which are not limited to the complete replication of conventional fixed-income instruments, derivatives and fund structures. Islamic Finance represents an elemental departure from traditional interest-based and speculative practices, relying instead on real economic transactions, such as trade, investment based on profit sharing, and other solidary ways of doing business, and aims to incorporate Islamic principles, such as social justice, ecology and kindness, to create investment products and financial markets which are both ethical and sustainable. Products created according to Islamic principles have shown a low correlation to other market segments and are relatively independent even from market turbulences like the subprime crisis. Therefore, they have become increasingly popular with secular Muslims and non-Muslim investors, as highly useful alternative investments for the diversification of portfolios. In Islamic Capital Markets: Products and Strategies, international experts on Islamic Finance and Sharia'a Law focus on the most imminent issues surrounding the evolution of Islamic capital markets and the development of Sharia'a-compliant products. The book is separated into four parts, covering: General concepts and legal issues, including Rahn concepts in Saudi Arabia, the Sharia'a process in product development and the integration of social responsibility in financial communities; Global Islamic capital market trends, such as the evolution of Takaful products and the past, present and future of Islamic derivatives; National and regional experiences, from the world's largest Islamic financial market, Malaysia, to Islamic finance in other countries, including Germany, France and the US; Learning from Islamic finance after the global financial crisis; analysis of the risks and strengths of Islamic capital markets compared to the conventional system, financial engineering from an Islamic perspective, Sharia'a-compliant equity investments and Islamic microfinance. Islamic Capital Markets: Products and Strategies is the complete investors' guide to Islamic finance.