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The purpose of this paper is to explore the distinctive decision‐making style of Alshura (participative approach) and its role in governance of Muslim states to provide insight of this pioneering democratic approach to decision making. The paper provides further knowledge of an issue that is not so known to many readers outside the Islamic world.

Review of literature of both Western and Muslim countries and exploration and interpretation of Quranic citation and practical life of the prophet of Islam.

Alshura is an essential decision making process initiated by Islam more than 14 centuries ago. It peruses a participative approach to decision making, depending on its practice on consultation in order that more appropriate decisions are made. This system is legislative, comprehensive, flexible, and gives people opportunities to create and develop necessary laws to satisfy the specific needs of a certain period of time.

The paper can be developed further through empirical research to provide a much more focused picture about the practicality of Alshura method.

Understanding the shuratic process to decision making is important to managers operating in Muslim countries. Muslims have a firm belief that Alshura is a more systematic approach to worldly matters that may bring about more fruitful implementation of decisions and results.

The research is important because it extends knowledge of traditional methods of decision making in an Arab/Muslim state.

This paper aims to provide an account of how Islam regulates the processes and interactions in areas of the economy and trade. It seeks to provide insights on business ethics and social responsibility from the perspective of the Islamic religion.

A survey of literature on the two issues business ethics and social responsibility is carried out. The various arguments advanced here rest on the teachings of the holy book of Islam (The Quran) and the teachings of the Prophet of Islam (Mohammed).

For Muslims, ethics in business may only be obtained if one has complete faith in God. From the perspective of the Quranic revelations, it is apparent that Islam has given the solution for ethical problems and the religion of Islam teaches about good morals and ethics in a business life.

The paper can be enhanced and extended further to examine the reality of business ethic conduct and social responsibility in Muslim countries.

The existence of irregularity in the spheres of honesty and transparency (i.e. information), and the existence of uncontrolled greed have led to the deterioration of morals in business dealings. The world has an opportunity to share information and learn.

The paper provides good information on the two issues of business ethics and social responsibility particularly from the view point of Islam. This is very important since the provided insights will add to the body of knowledge in those areas in business. The originality of the paper is based on the careful interpretation of some Quranic verses and the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed. It can be a good source of information for persons who have business dealings in Muslim countries.

This study aims to clarify current thinking about Islamic leadership by returning to the original texts of Islam, the Qur'an and the hadith. These are analysed to identify foundational Islamic leadership prototypes, concepts and ideas. In so doing, the article provides original analysis of the foundations of Islamic leadership, so as to inform current debates about leadership in Islamic regions and communities.

The study consists of content analysis of the Qur'an and the hadith, to identify key concepts within these texts, concerning the nature of leadership. The methodological aim is to develop characterisations of Islamic leadership prototypes that are recognisable to practising Muslims today. In order to ensure this, the content analyses have been presented to academic seminar groups and conferences and refined through subsequent discussions.

Islamic leadership does not rely for its legitimacy upon traditional authority, but rather on rational-legal systems based on unity of purpose, acknowledgement of the one God, and the foundational example of Prophet Muhammad, whose referent and charismatic authority lives on in discussions of the sunnah and the hadith. It is thus vital to refine external or “etic” characterisations of Islamic leadership with an appreciation of leadership prototypes in the Qur'an, the sunnah and hadith.

The scope of this study is limited by the subject matter, the investigation of leadership prototypes in the Qur'an and the hadith. This means that the consideration of historically more recent Islamic thinking about leadership has been left to subsequent study.

Implications for subsequent researchers are the need for critical clarity in discussions of “Islamic” or “Muslim” leadership. Another significant implication comes with the recognition of the overwhelming importance of the Prophet Muhammad's life and sayings in laying the parameters for the subsequent Muslim discussions of leadership.

This is the first use of content analysis to examine the foundational leadership prototypes and concepts embedded in the Qur'an and the hadith, and thus to analyse the Prophet Muhammad as a referent and charismatic leader, whose life set the parameters for the subsequent understanding of Islamic leadership.

To show the social role of money and how Omanis understand and work upon this social concept.

Sample surveys and diagrams for easy understanding of sampling results.

A strong sense of the social concept of money exists among Omanis. This is displayed by the wish to have interest‐free Islamic concept of money and savings.

Can be developed more elaborately by larger samples and more analytical methods.

A pilot project to study the response of Omanis to the Islamic social concept of money in Omani economy and social perspectives.

This is an original paper as it touches on a sample survey for data on strategic planning of future financial instruments to satisfy Omani Islamic needs in an interest‐free environment.