Transition To A Riba Free Economy

Elimination of Riba has been a major issue in Pakistan occupying the attention of policy makers, bankers, legal experts and Islamic scholars for the last several decades. Apart from the efforts undertaken by the government to introduce non-interest modes of financing, the debate received fresh impetus after the judgment of the Federal Shariat Court in 1991 which was further reinforced by the judgement of the Supreme Court in December 1999. The present work is the outcome of the submissions that the author made before the Supreme Court when he was invited by the Court as amicus curiae.Having expounded the basic principles of Islamic finance, the book traces the main challenges in various spheres of financial transactions and argues that a smooth transition to the new system is feasible. However, it cautions that in view of the pervasiveness of Riba in modern economies and in numerous laws, merely striking down certain impugned provisions of law may not be the most desirable course. Rather, the government will have to expend a comprehensive effort through a legislative initiative to provide for an alternative system. The book also reviews the constitutional provisions relating to government's finances and identifies areas of concern that have implications for efficient fiscal management as well as for effective elimination of Riba.

Iran has received much attention from a geopolitical and regional standpoint, but its economic challenges have not attracted a similar degree of interest. With a population of 69 million, considerable hydrocarbon resources, a dynamic and entrepreneurial middle class, and a relatively well-educated labor force, Iran's economic potential is considerable. This volume takes stock of critical developments in the Iranian economy in recent years. The study reviews the key issues and policy responses, highlights the nature of the challenges ahead, and draws implications for the next phase of reforms. The authors conclude that major challenges remain, although significant advances have been made in recent years in opening up the economy to international trade and foreign direct investment, encouraging the private sector, removing exchange restrictions, reforming the tax system, and enhancing macroeconomic management.

With Islamic banking gradually becoming a more influential factor in the West, an analysis of the concept of riba– a definition of which is not given in the Qur’an – is long overdue. This text presents readers with various interpretations of this Islamic economic concept – generally perceived as ‘interest’. Thomas provides a framework for understanding ribaby examining: linguistics classical judicial analysis the historical context modern economics. Including contributions from prominent international scholars, the book fills a gap in the existing literature and will be welcomed by academics and professionals with an interest in Islamic studies, economics and legal history.

Interest has always been a part of humans' daily economic life, and the concept of interest has attracted intense attention from economists, philosophers, religious scholars and lawmakers. This book analyses the issue of prohibition of interest through the lens of conventional economics and then makes a comparison with the position of Islamic economists. It evaluates the theory of interest presented by Böhm-Bawerk, which is the most respected and applicable theory at present. It provides an in-depth analysis of the current literature, and it is the first book to scrutinize the interpretation of Islamic economists on the concepts of time preference and interest rate control. This book will be of interest to academics and students of economics and Islamic economics.

General equilibrium macroeconomic models are considered essential for evaluating the impact of monetary and fiscal policies in an economy. This aspect has not received, until now, significant attention. This present work, by Dr. Muhammad Anwar, develops general equilibrium models of income determination suitable for interest-free economies. It can be used to understand several implications of making a transition from the conventional financial system to an interest-free financial system. There are numerous Muslim countries seeking to adopt the new interest-free system. These countries may find it usefrrl to utilize the insights gained from such study to facilitate the establishment of an Islamic interest-free financial system. The economic model offered in this book also shows clearly and scientifically that ifthe interest-based financial system is replaced by the interestfree financial system, then the real rates of return for savers and investors in the economy will be preserved during inflationary and deflationary periods. On the other hand, financial repression results when savers are badly hurt during inflationary periods in an interest-bearing economy. This study demonstrates that the inflation-ridden developing countries would be definiæly better offif they adopt the inærest-free financial system in place of the prevalent interest-bearing sysæm. This pioneering work is a new addition to the library of Islamic Economics and an important aid to economic planners and students of Islamic Economics.

This is the most recent and up-to-date study on the state of affairs in the Muslim world at a time when Muslims, like others, are confronted with the challenges posed by a rapidly changing new world order. Some 15 countries and regions are covered in this scholarly collection. The contributors are well-informed academics and experts from 10 leading universities and institutes.

This book addresses the theory, practices, challenges, key issues and potential future policies concerning investment and wealth management in connection with Islamic finance. There is a noted scarcity of literature on Islamic approaches towards wealth management from a jurisprudential perspective, and so this book aims to address this lacuna in available literature. It demonstrates strategies for wealth management in keeping with the Qur’an and Sunn’ah, posing questions relating to interest and investment, and proposing financial models for benefiting the poorer segments of society while simultaneously satisfying economic necessities in keeping with Islamic law. Given its breadth of scope, combining perspectives from scholars and practitioners with extensive experience in the banking and finance sector from different Islamic settings including Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Brunei and Indonesia, this edited volume will benefit practitioners, researchers, and graduate students studying finance, economics and business management in an Islamic context.