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This paper aims to examine the distributional differences of Islamic bank financing responses to financing rate across bank-specific characteristics in dual banking system. The study also aims to provide understanding of how efficiently Islamic banks perform their roles as suppliers of capital for businesses and entrepreneurs.

The study uses panel regression methodology covering all Islamic banks in Malaysia. The study estimates the benchmark model for Islamic bank financing with respect to bank characteristics and monetary policy.

The evidence suggests that bank-specific characteristics are important in determining Islamic financing behaviour. The Islamic financing behaviour is consistent with conventional lending behaviour that the Islamic bank financing operates depending on the level of bank size, liquidity and capital. There is no significant difference between Islamic bank financing and conventional bank lending behaviour with respect to changes in monetary policy.

Many problems and challenges relating to Islamic financing instruments, financial markets and regulations must be addressed and resolved. In practice, it would be a good idea if Islamic banks move away from developing debt-based instruments and concentrate more efforts to develop profit and loss sharing instruments.

This paper aims to provide an economic rationale for Islamic finance.

Its methodology is simple. It starts with listing the contributions to economic analysis relevant to the required rationale in the theories of banking, finance, price, money and macroeconomics, to identify the main rationale for Islamic finance. A concise description of the author’s model for an Islamic economic system, within which Islamic finance can be operational, is provided.

The paper finds distinct advantages of Islamic finance, when properly applied within the author’s model. Islamic finance can therefore be a candidate as a reform agenda for conventional finance. It opens the door for significant monetary reform in currently prevalent economic systems.

The first limitation of the paper is that the distinct benefits of Islamic finance are all of macroeconomic types which are external to Islamic banking and finance institutions. They are therefore not expected to motivate such institutions to apply Islamic finance to the letter, without regulators interference to ensure strict application. The second limitation is the necessity to set up enabling institutional and regulatory arrangements for Islamic finance.

The results are unique as they challenge the received doctrine and provide non-religious rationale for Islamic finance.

This paper aims to highlight resolution of Islamic finance dispute by common law-oriented courts in Nigeria with respect to Sharīʿah non-compliance and legal risks thereof, as well as the lesson to learn from Malaysia in that regard. This is with view to ensuring Sharīʿah compliance and legal safety of Islamic finance practice as prerequisites for sustainability of the Nigerian Islamic finance industry.

A qualitative method was used; interviews were conducted with different categories of experts and primary data collected in relation to Sharīʿah non-compliance and legal risks in adjudicating Islamic finance dispute by civil courts and the role of expert advice as basis for court referral to Financial Regulation Advisory Council of Experts. A doctrinal approach was adopted to analyse relevant legislative provisions and content analysis of secondary data relevant to applicable provisions in matters of finance before civil courts.

The paper discovers an indispensable role of conventional financial regulations in sustaining Islamic finance industry. Appropriate laws for Islamic finance under the conventional framework foster legal safety and Sharīʿah compliance of Islamic finance activities in related cases handled by courts. Nigeria civil courts can aid sustainability of Islamic finance when so equipped and enabled by laws that address apparent Sharīʿah non-compliance and legal risks in judicial dispute resolution. Inadequate legal provisions for dispute resolution breeds Sharīʿah non-compliance and legal risks in Islamic finance, undermine its prospects and stand inimical to its sustainability.

This research is limited by its focus on Sharīʿah non-compliance and legal risks alone, which emanate mainly from judicial resolution of Islamic finance dispute by Nigerian civil courts.

This research seeks to motivate a determined and deliberate regulatory action and change in approach towards addressing apparent risks associated with Islamic finance while resolving disputes therein by civil courts. It has implications on common law jurisdictions generally that adopt similar approach as Nigeria's while introducing Islamic finance into their conventional finance framework.

Dispute resolution and other regulatory functions of civil courts are important to Islamic finance though apparently overlooked while introducing Islamic finance in Nigeria as in other emerging jurisdictions. This research ascertains the role of the civil courts as indispensable for Islamic Financial Institution (IFIs) operations and demonstrates that such courts are needed for the development and sustainability of Islamic finance industry. The research demonstrates the end-to-end requirement of Sharīʿah compliance of Islamic financial transactions as absolute and needs be ensured and guarded at dispute resolution level by properly equipped courts.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a model of the Islamic sovereign wealth funds (ISWFs) based on Islamic finance principles to modify the precarious image of SWFs from Muslim countries. The Shariah laws are the cardinal direction for this study.

The authors applied a qualitative research technique that consists of three approaches: exploratory case study approach to critically examine and rank the existing status of SWFs; descriptive analysis; and content analysis to present a model of ISWFs in comparison of conventional SWFs.

The authors propose a model of the “Islamic Sovereign Wealth Funds” based on four key pillars: the major Shariah principles; the Islamic corporate governance framework; the Islamic transparency and disclosure framework; and the Islamic corporate social responsibility framework. Furthermore, the authors argue that the potential effect of the ISWFs on Islamic finance and economy will be positive.

The model is an initial work and idea to convert SWFs from Muslim countries into ISWFs, which required an in-depth policy review by governments.

The findings of the paper are useful for policymakers and governments of the Muslim countries to overcome the issues and criticism on SWFs by converting them in ISWFs.

This paper contributes to the literature related to Islamic finance and sovereign wealth fund by presenting a first model of ISWFs for Muslim countries.

The purpose of this paper is to elucidate the concept of ḍamān al-milkiyyah (ownership risk) and to assess its application in contemporary Islamic financial products and services.

The methodology adopted is that of descriptive research.

From an Islamic law of contract perspective, the concept of ḍamān al-milkiyyah is central to legitimate profit-making transactions and hence must be adhered to in practical applications of Islamic finance.

This study should help motivate further investigation into the position of ḍamān al-milkiyyah among different parties in existing Islamic financial products and services.

Policymakers and regulators should ensure that Islamic financial products and services are structured in a way that does not allow parties to profit without adequately bearing the liability for potential loss.

The condition of ḍamān al-milkiyyah as a source of legitimate profit reflects the idea that the role of finance in Islam is to promote and ensure social benefits.

This paper emphasizes the importance of ḍamān al-milkiyyah as a fundamental condition for profit in Islamic financial transactions.

The purpose of this paper is to comprehensively discuss the issue of risk vis-à-vis the perpetuity restriction principle inherent in waqf (Islamic endowment). Specifically, it attempts to consolidate the axioms in both conventional and Islamic finance, such as the risk-return trade-off and al-ghunm bi al-ghurm (liability accompanies gain), with the perpetual nature of waqf. Overall, this paper attempts to find a resolution to the dilemma of perpetuity restriction inherent in cash waqf against the natural occurrence of the risk.

This paper is based on the secondary research methodology; past literature encompassing journal articles, books, relevant financial axioms, fatwas (Islamic rulings) and state enactments is critically reviewed to present its case. In regard to state enactments, only Malaysian state enactments have been used, thus restricting the study to the Malaysian case only.

This study contends that the dilemma of the perpetuity restriction and the natural occurrence of risk can be resolved through the integration of waqf risk management, especially concerning cash waqf, with the Islamic spiritual approach. By implementing standard operating procedures that inculcate awareness on waqf risk management and Islamic spirituality in waqf stakeholders (wāqif (donor), trustee and beneficiaries), the stakeholders may accept the reality of risk that is inevitable even after all efforts have been exhausted. In other words, the violation of perpetuity is exonerated given that mental faculties aligned with revealed texts have been exhaustively used beforehand.

Findings from this study may broaden the choice of investment avenues for waqf trustees while adhering to the perpetual restriction of waqf. More importantly, waqf trustees will not be forced to invest in interest-bearing securities or be involved in any usurious transactions just to obtain guaranteed returns and preserve the corpus of waqf.

This study offers a unique perspective on cash waqf risk management by re-analyzing the axioms and concepts of finance and waqf while observing the welfare of the beneficiaries.

This study examines the impact of hedging on firm value of Sharīʿah compliant firms (SCFs) in a non-linear framework.

This study employs the system-GMM for dynamic panel data to examine the influence of derivatives usage on firm value (Tobin's Q, ROA and ROE). The sample comprised of 59 non-financial SCFs engaged in derivatives from 2000 to 2017 (18 years). The Sasabuchi-Lind-Mehlum (SLM) test for U-shaped is performed to confirm the existence of the non-linear relationship.

This study concludes that hedging significantly contributes to firm value of SCFs based on the non-linear framework. This study suggests that, first, the non-linear relationship occurs due to the different degree of derivatives usage and risk. Second, firms practice selective hedging to maintain the upside potential of firm value.

This study has important implications. First, the importance of risk management via derivatives to increase firm value, second, the evidence of selective hedging from the non-linear relationship between derivatives and firm value and third, the need for quality reporting on derivatives engagement by firms in line with the required accounting standard on derivatives.

This study fills the gap in the literature in relation to the risk management strategies of SCFs in three aspects. First, re-examines the relationship using recent data. Second, examines the relationship in the non-linear framework as the limited studies found in the literature on Malaysian firms are only based on linear relationship. Third, determines whether hedging undertaken by firms is optimal as this can only be addressed using the non-linear framework. This study is robust to the various definitions of firm value (Tobin's Q, ROA and ROE) and non-linear methodologies.

This paper aims to investigate empirically whether Sukuk financing is boosting the economic growth in Southeast Asia within the framework of the endogenous growth model.

This paper applied dynamic panel one-step system generalized method of moments as an optimal estimation approach to investigate the impact of Sukuk financing on economic growth in Southeast Asia spanning from 2013Q4–2019Q3. Sukuk financing was proxied by the total issued Sukuk holdings, while economic growth was proxied by gross domestic product. The sample covered all full-fledged Islamic financial institutions in the most developed Sukuk financial markets countries in Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei).

The findings demonstrated that Sukuk financing is boosting economic growth in Southeast Asia, which reflects the significant role of the Islamic financial markets of Sukuk as a vital contributor to economic growth.

This paper would fill the literature by investigating the link between Sukuk financing and economic growth in Southeast Asia within the framework of the endogenous growth model, as the outcome of this paper serves as a guide for financial researchers, decision-makers and policymakers to improve the Sukuk market globally as an alternative financing source for the best contribution to economic growth.

This paper is the first that investigates empirically the link between Sukuk financing and economic growth in Southeast Asia with a new theoretical context of the endogenous growth model to gain robust information about this link.