Edinburgh Companion To Shari Ah Governance In Islamic Finance

Written by a group of prominent shari'ah scholars, academics and practitioners in the field of Islamic finance, this book contains 17 in-depth case studies of shari'ah governance practices and experiences as well as critical analysis of these practices. It serves as a standalone comprehensive reference work on shari'ah governance, containing an overview of its Islamic legal foundations, its evolution and development over the years, current practices and debates on shari'ah governance standards and future prospects for shari'ah governance in the global Islamic finance market.

An in-depth and insightful study of Shari'ah governance from a theoretical and practical perspective

A practical guide for robust sharī'ah governance of the Islamic banking industry Debate in the market on the extent of sharī'ah compliance of Islamic banks, their products, and activities has piqued stakeholders' interest. In Foundations of Sharī'ah Governance of Islamic Banks, Karim Ginena and Azhar Hamid explore the depths of sharī'ah governance to unravel its mysterious dimensions, and equip academics and practitioners with a solid understanding of the subject, which has become a serious challenge and thus deserves dedicated attention. The authors make a strong case for the need to contain the sharī'ah risk that Islamic banks experience, and present a compelling argument for how this should be done. Ginena and Hamid propose a robust sharī'ah governance model that comprehensively tackles thisrisk, and helps improve the extent of sharī'ah compliance of market players. The authors detail the internal, external, and institutional arrangements needed to promote responsible sharī'ah governance, and critically analyze current laws, regulations, and industry practices on the topic. The chapters of the book do the following: Examine the roots, characteristics and objectives of sharī'ah and its relation to financial dealings; Probe the role of regulators in sharī'ah governance, explore the different approaches adopted by banking supervisors, and provide examples of relevant legal and regulatory measures; Explain to bank directors and management the fiduciary duty they assume with respect to sharī'ah compliance, and detail how they could discharge this responsibility in line with best practices; Elaborate on the purpose of the Sharī'ah Supervisory Board (SSB), its responsibilities, competence criteria, internal regulations, and key governance guidelines; additionally, they explore different SSB models; Describe the internal sharī'ah control system including its six components, and examine the internal sharī'ah audit function as well as different stages of conducting a sharī'ah audit; Clarify the role of a sharī'ah auditor, with guidance on reporting lines, scope of duties, authority, and practical ways on fulfilling tasks, such as a sample sharī'ah risk assessment grid and audit checklists; Discuss the newly emerging external sharī'ah advisory firms that are expected to play a key role in the coming years and the services they provide. Through an effective treatment of each of these elements, and the way that they interact with one another, the book offers a fresh take on how robust sharī'ah governance of Islamic banks can be successfully accomplished. It is a comprehensive resource for academics, regulators, directors, lawyers, auditors, consultants, employees, and customers of Islamic banks interested in learning more about these challenges. This essential reading persuasively extends the discourse on the subject and addresses critical sharī'ah issues that have policy implications for decision makers in jurisdictions aiming to attract the fast-growing Islamic finance industry or increase their market share.

From Iran, where all banking is Shari'ah compliant, to Malaysia and the gulf, where Islamic financial institutions compete with conventional banks, Rodney Wilson examines how Islamic financial institutions are licensed and governed by common and civil law. Covering Islamic banks, takaful operators, fund management and Shari'ah-compliant securities, it examines how their assets and liabilities differ from their conventional counterparts and what the implications are for risk management.

Research in Corporate and Shari'ah Governance in the Muslim World: Theory and Practice aims to address a critical disciplinary gap between Islamic theory and the practice of the corporate sector in the Muslim World. Adopting a critical approach, the book sheds light on the impact of corporate governance on the economies of the Muslim world.

This book is one of few papers that highlight the importance of studying corporate governance for institutions offering Islamic financial services. The book is of value in describing governance in Islamic institutions and how there are many issues under the investigation process, especially issues related to the Shari'ah Supervisory board and its functionality. One of the objectives of this book is to discuss, and create greater awareness of, some of the crucial issues related to corporate governance in Islamic financial institutions. A second, but in fact more important, objective is to provide, in the light of this discussion, certain essential guidelines to improve corporate governance in these institutions and thereby enable them to not only maintain their momentum of growth and international acceptance but also safeguard the interests of all stakeholders.

The book is of value in describing governance in Islamic institutions and how there are many issues under the investigation process, especially issues related to the Shari'ah Supervisory board and its functionality. One of the objectives of this paper is to discuss, and create greater awareness of, some of the crucial issues related to corporate governance in Islamic financial institutions. A second, but in fact more important, objective is to provide, in the light of this discussion, certain essential guidelines to improve corporate governance in these institutions and thereby enable them to not only maintain their momentum of growth and international acceptance but also safeguard the interests of all stakeholders. The book gives particular attention to the mechanisms for corporate governance, including the Board of Directors, Senior Management, shareholders, depositors, and regulatory and supervisory authorities. It also focuses on the effective management of risks and, in particular, on creating a supporting environment through moral uplift, social, legal and institutional checks, greater transparency, internal controls, and Shari'a as well as external audit. The book also indicates briefly the shared institutions that are needed for effective corporate governance.

This paper reviews institutions offering Islamic financial services (IIFS) corporate governance challenges and suggests options to address them. It first points out the importance of corporate governance for IIFS, where it would require a distinct treatment from conventional corporate governance and highlights three cases of distress of IIFS. It then dwells on prevailing corporate governance arrangements addressing IIFS' needs to ensure the consistency of their operations with Islamic finance principles and the protection of the financial interests of a stakeholders' category, namely depositors holding unrestricted investment accounts. It raises the issues of independence, confidentiality, competence, consistency, and disclosure that may bear on pronouncements of consistency with Islamic finance principles. It also discusses the agency problem of depositors holding unrestricted investment accounts. The paper argues for a governance framework that combines internal and external arrangements and relies significantly on transparency and disclosure of market relevant information.