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1 – 10 of over 10000Islamic social finance assists in achieving social good and economic justice in societies by closing the gap between rich and poor in a Shariah compliant framework. COVID-19…
Abstract
Islamic social finance assists in achieving social good and economic justice in societies by closing the gap between rich and poor in a Shariah compliant framework. COVID-19 pandemic has created the opportunity to experience the untapped potential of Islamic social finance in many of the countries. This chapter sheds light on the use of Islamic social finance in Iran in the midst of the pandemic with the objective of sharing some Shariah compliant financial solutions for reducing undesirable consequences of the COVID-19. Iran is a country that has a unique Islamic financial system. Currently, it is the country where constitutionally and statutorily practices only shariah-compliant financing activities. This chapter reveals that tradability of justice shares, introduction of Shariah-compliant crowdfunding platforms, provision of Islamic microfinance vehicles in the form of Al-Qard Al-Hassan loans, payment facilities to factories damaged by COVID-19, low-profit rate Murabaha facilities for housing sector are some Shariah-compliant social finance products which were provided in Iran in the midst of the pandemic to provide financial solutions to fulfil the need of the society in a convenient and effective manner.
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Khadar Ahmed Dirie, Md. Mahmudul Alam and Selamah Maamor
The sustainable development goals (SDGs) devised by the United Nations (UN) call on countries – whether rich or poor – to solve global issues, improve lives and save the planet…
Abstract
Purpose
The sustainable development goals (SDGs) devised by the United Nations (UN) call on countries – whether rich or poor – to solve global issues, improve lives and save the planet for future generations. However, the UN predicts that between $5 and $7tn will need to be spent annually between now and 2030 to accomplish these goals, posing a major financial hurdle. Islamic social finance, if used ethically, seeks to realise SDGs through fairness, justice and equity. Thus, this study aims to determine how Islamic social finance instruments such as Zakat, Waqf, Sadaqat and Qard-hasan contribute to realising SDGs.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used a preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses-based systematic literature review. Scopus and Google Scholar were chosen for the qualitative and meta-analysis of studies. The topic was reviewed in 178 academic papers from 2000 to 2022. The required articles were analysed after careful review.
Findings
Islamic social financing mechanisms have the capacity to solve many social issues and create better welfare conditions by ensuring economic, social and environmental sustainability in line with the SDGs. Indonesia and Malaysia lead Islamic social finance research, the survey found. The review revealed that Islamic social funding can achieve 11 out of 17 SDGs. Islamic commercial finance can be used for the remaining goals. The paper highlights Islamic social funding research limitations and opportunities.
Research limitations/implications
The review study shows that Islamic social finance can fill the SDG funding gap, especially considering the post-pandemic financial crisis that has increased global income inequality and social disparities.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this article is the first of its kind to review the potential of Islamic social financing instruments to help achieve the SDGs.
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Muhammad Rabiu Danlami, Muhamad Abduh and Lutfi Abdul Razak
Islamic banks, despite being Shariah-compliant, have long been criticized for mimicking conventional banks in terms of their products and processes (Khan, 2010; Kuran, 1996)…
Abstract
Purpose
Islamic banks, despite being Shariah-compliant, have long been criticized for mimicking conventional banks in terms of their products and processes (Khan, 2010; Kuran, 1996). However, several Islamic banks do engage in philanthropy (zakat and charity) and risk-sharing financing (mudarabah and musharakah) instruments that better meet their raison d'etre, the fulfillment of Maqasid al-Shariah (Jatmiko et al., 2023). These contracts, however, are more susceptible to moral hazard and adverse selection problems than traditional debt-based finance (Azmat et al., 2015) and may impair Islamic bank stability. This paper explores the relationship between social finance and the stability of Islamic banks, and whether institutional quality moderates this relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
Using hand-collected annual data on social finance from 12 Islamic banks in four countries: Bangladesh, Bahrain, Indonesia and Malaysia, between 2006 and 2019, the authors employ the feasible generalized least squares and the panel-corrected standard errors methods for the analysis. The Stata version 16 software was used to analyze the data for the study.
Findings
The results indicate that mudarabah and musharakah financing raises the stability of Islamic banks. The authors also found that mudarabah and musharakah expose Islamic banks to more risk-taking behavior amidst the conditioning effect of institutional quality. On the other hand, charity induces the stability of Islamic banks, while zakat increases the risk-taking behavior of the banks. Further, when the quality of institutions was used as a moderator, both zakat and charity induced the stability of Islamic banks. The results were robust when liquidity risk was used and partially robust when portfolio risks were employed as measures of stability.
Research limitations/implications
One concern regarding the application of Islamic social finance is that it might be a risky strategy for Islamic banks. In terms of research implications, the available evidence suggests that the use of Islamic social finance instruments is not detrimental to the stability of Islamic banks. Hence, regulators and policymakers should not penalize Islamic banks for using Islamic social finance instruments that help provide financial solutions to the underserved and unserved. In terms of research limitations, the study could not include other relevant Islamic social finance instruments such as waqf and qard al-hassan. Furthermore, data availability restricts the analysis to only 12 Islamic banks in fourcountries. As more Islamic banks in different countries venture into Islamic social finance, and the quantity and quality of information improve, future studies could explore the issue further.
Social implications
The available evidence suggests that the use of Islamic social finance instruments does not worsen the stability of Islamic banks. Given the dominance of sale- and lease-based contracts in Islamic financing (Aggarwal and Yousef, 2000; Šeho et al., 2020), these findings should encourage other Islamic banks to provide financial solutions using other Shariah-compliant contracts including those based on risk-sharing and philanthropy. This would be a better reflection of the Islamic banks’ value proposition as it helps boost social activities that have a high impact on the activities of small businesses, contributing to the real economy and promoting well-being in society.
Originality/value
Previous studies mainly relied on mudarabah, mushakarah and zakat separately as they relate to the performance of Islamic banks. This study explores the impact of social finance which includes charity and zakat to examine their impact on Islamic banks’ stability. Further, the authors use institutional quality as a moderating variable in the relationship between Islamic social finance instruments and the stability of Islamic banks.
Peer review
The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-06-2022-0441
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Bringing more impact seems to be a real issue for social initiatives and organizations requiring the adoption of new approaches. The paper aims to define an integrated approach…
Abstract
Purpose
Bringing more impact seems to be a real issue for social initiatives and organizations requiring the adoption of new approaches. The paper aims to define an integrated approach for building, maintaining and upgrading Islamic social finance and sustainable ecosystems.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper presents a conceptual framework based on case studies and literature review describing the methodology and the necessary steps to build sustainable ecosystems.
Findings
The paper shows the impact of building social finance ecosystems on tackling social issues. It emphasizes the idea that solving social issues is everybody’s business – from governments to businesses – and that those initiatives require sufficient Sharīʿah-compliant funding to achieve sustainability goals.
Research limitations/implications
The paper does not focus on the Islamic world experiences in building ecosystems serving social causes.
Practical implications
The paper gives an overview on how collaboration between the different social oriented organisations can enhance the social impact of the different initiatives. The aim is to ensure adequate financing to all the ecosystem components during the whole lifecycle.
Social implications
The suggested approach of building sustainable ecosystems can serve as a way to assess the existing social initiatives and practices to find relevant combinations targeting more impact.
Originality/value
In the social sphere, the idea of building ecosystems has been explored in different ways but never in a way that gathers all the components including finance providers, coordinators and the different types of initiatives. The paper adapts the ecosystem concept to the Islamic finance specificities.
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Laura Aibolovna Kuanova, Rimma Sagiyeva and Nasim Shah Shirazi
This paper aims to study the main trends of scientific research in Islamic finance’s social aspects to clarify place, role and functions, especially in the context of increasing…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to study the main trends of scientific research in Islamic finance’s social aspects to clarify place, role and functions, especially in the context of increasing social problems. To achieve this goal, this paper focuses on the social component of Islamic finance, analyzes publications on social Islamic finance in the Web of Science database, covering the period from 1979 to 2020, specify the geographical localization of research networks, determines the most cited authors and their scientific position.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors have applied several literature review techniques, a bibliometric citation and co-citation analysis, a co-authorship analysis and a review of the most cited papers. The analyzes’ results allow us to offer five future questions in Islamic social finance, zakat and waqf, which have not been investigated before and could influence Islamic social finance and Islamic finance research.
Findings
The authors also derive and summarize five leading future research questions.
Research limitations/implications
This is a limitation of using only the Web of Science Core Collection database as the premier resource and the most trusted citation index for the world’s scientific and scholarly research. Further study might expand the types of analyzed units, include more keywords and include other databases, such as Scopus.
Originality/value
This paper can be considered as an inspirational one to future researchers and policymakers in Islamic social finance.
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Luqyan Tamanni, Indra Indra, Yaser Taufik Syamlan and Anita Priantina
This paper aims to explore different forms and models of integration between Islamic commercial finance and social finance including the problem that arise as well as the solution…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore different forms and models of integration between Islamic commercial finance and social finance including the problem that arise as well as the solution of each of the models to promote inclusive economic growth. At the end of the paper, the authors have identified the strategy to execute and validate by the decision-makers.
Design/methodology/approach
This approach uses two methods which are Delphi and analytical network process (ANP). The authors conduct literature review and four rounds Delphi to construct the integration model, the problem and solution of each model, as well as the questionnaire of ANP. Moreover, using an ANP method, the authors conducted interviews with decision-makers in the areas of Islamic commercial finance as well as social finance, and analyzed the results to identify key models that would create inclusivity and quality of economic growth. To ensure credibility of the results, the authors selected the respondents based on their experience in the fields, as well as their unique perspectives that will complement the group as a whole.
Findings
After conducting the four rounds Delphi, the authors found five types of Islamic social and commercial integration which are the ownership, institutional, operational, bottom line and mandatory integration. Based on the analysis of the ANP result, the authors argue that all integration can help the country in attaining with the support of government in terms of making the integration as a vision as well as to push the education of social finance more to the stakeholders.
Originality/value
This study is among the emerging studies that explore operational aspects of integration of social and commercial finance within the context of inclusive growth strategy.
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Fahru Azwa Mohd Zain, Siti Fariha Muhamad, Hamdy Abdullah, Sheikh Ahmad Faiz Sheikh Ahmad Tajuddin and Wan Amalina Wan Abdullah
This conceptual paper aims to delineate a comprehensive blueprint for the integration of environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles within the framework of Takaful…
Abstract
Purpose
This conceptual paper aims to delineate a comprehensive blueprint for the integration of environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles within the framework of Takaful operations, guided by the principles of Maqasid al-Shariah. The primary purpose is to establish a robust foundation for the sustainable transformation of Takaful, aligning it with ethical finance and Islamic values.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a theoretical research approach, this study delves into the multifaceted dimensions of ESG principles and the principles of Maqasid al-Shariah within the context of Takaful operations. The 17 SDGs/ESG principles and Maqasid al-Shariah are integrated to give a thorough framework for comprehending the disclosure index from western and Islamic ethical viewpoints. The research critically analyses current literature, scholarly works and authoritative sources, drawing inspiration from established approaches. Qualitative content analysis examines and compiles pertinent ideas, and the expert validates the disclosure index. It identifies key convergence, compatibility and divergence points between ESG principles and Maqasid al-Shariah to construct a comprehensive framework for Maqasid-driven ESG integration in Takaful.
Findings
The paper presents a well-defined blueprint for Maqasid-driven ESG integration in Takaful, revealing substantial areas of alignment between the two frameworks. This alignment is particularly pronounced in protecting life, religion, intellect, lineage and wealth. The blueprint underscores the potential of harmonising ESG principles with the principles of Maqasid al-Shariah, providing Takaful operators with a roadmap for enhancing their ethical credibility, societal impact and environmental stewardship.
Research limitations/implications
The blueprint outlined in this study opens new avenues for research at the intersection of Islamic ethics, responsible finance and sustainable development and signals the necessity of developing a standardised disclosure index. This index will serve as a vital tool for Takaful operators to transparently communicate their commitment to ethical and sustainable practices, facilitating a deeper understanding of Maqasid-driven ESG integration and bolstering transparency for all stakeholders. Further research into this disclosure index’s practical implementation, empirical validation and strategic implications is encouraged to advance responsible finance within the Takaful industry.
Practical implications
The proposed blueprint provides Takaful operators with a practical guide to align their operations with both ethical finance and Islamic principles. Embracing the principles of responsible governance, societal welfare and environmental sustainability, Takaful operators can enhance their product offerings, attract socially conscious stakeholders and contribute positively to both financial and ethical objectives.
Social implications
Integrating Maqasid-driven ESG principles in Takaful signifies a commitment to broader social well-being. Through initiatives aimed at safeguarding life, religion, intellect, lineage and wealth, Takaful operators can play a pivotal role in fostering social cohesion, empowering communities and actively contributing to sustainable development goals.
Originality/value
This conceptual paper contributes to the field by presenting a unique blueprint for integrating ESG principles within Takaful operations, guided by Maqasid al-Shariah. The novelty of this approach lies in its holistic perspective on ethical finance, aligning Islamic values with contemporary global ethical imperatives. The blueprint offered here represents an original framework for responsible Takaful practices that resonate with evolving ethical standards and the enduring principles of Islamic finance.
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This chapter uses Islamic finance to question the universality of contemporary finance leading principles. It establishes the existence of different financial paradigms and…
Abstract
Purpose
This chapter uses Islamic finance to question the universality of contemporary finance leading principles. It establishes the existence of different financial paradigms and attempts to determine the form that might take operations in a non-profit maximising context.
Methodology/approach
This chapter uses Thomas Kuhn’s notion of paradigm to demonstrate that Islamic finance has its own dominant logic and, hence, cannot be reduced to a subset of contemporary finance. It describes how the former has been infused by the leading principles of the latter following the adoption by the Islamic financial field of an accounting system using a conventional referential as a point of reference. Finally, the chapter elaborates on the form that might take financing if profit maximisation is not the operation’s main purpose.
Findings
If the condition of profit maximisation is relaxed, the utilisation of Islamic finance instruments might lead to the creation of economical microcycles able to enlarge the socio-economic reach of financing operation.
Originality/value
The notion of economic intermediation is introduced to describe the operations of Islamic banks using their instruments in a non-maximising context. This approach should not be restricted to Islamic finance but viewed as the result of a case study advocating for an alternative view of finance favouring socio-economic development.
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Muhammad Ayub, M. Kabir Hassan and Irum Saba
The purpose of this paper is to find out the possible gaps in the Sharīʿah governance, and suggest how to fill the same, in line with the principles of Islamic finance and the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to find out the possible gaps in the Sharīʿah governance, and suggest how to fill the same, in line with the principles of Islamic finance and the global developments regarding social and value-based financial intermediation.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper uses secondary data gathered through analysis of documents and regulations to portray the current Sharīʿah governance framework and to suggest a unique paradigm to be adopted by the regulators of Islamic financial institutions.
Findings
The paradigm encompassing value-oriented financial ecosystem would need a comprehensive set of discipline, accountability and governance for making the pursuit of sustainable development goals and corporate social responsibilities effective in a well-defined schedule prepared and implemented by the regulators.
Research limitations/implications
The scope of this research is limited to theory building in the light of emerging trends in responsible and social finance. It is not to empirically test the impact of the governance framework in terms of social justice, corporate responsibility and sustainability.
Practical implications
It would help the policy makers, regulators, researchers and the practitioners in finance to align banking and finance with social and environmental responsibility, and equity through governance and accountability for realizing the sustainable development goals.
Social implications
It links the regulatory approaches to the emerging paradigm and ecosystem comprising sustainability and value-based governance, awareness and corporate social responsibility.
Originality/value
The paper adds value to the current regulatory frameworks enabling the Islamic financial institutions to realize the economic, social and sustainability objectives, in addition to Shariah legitimacy and enhanced credibility.
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Muhammad Nouman, Muhammad Fahad Siddiqi, Karim Ullah and Shafiullah Jan
This paper aims to conceptualize the nexus between the participatory finance and the higher ethical objectives within the Islamic moral economy, also termed as Maqasid al Shari’ah.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to conceptualize the nexus between the participatory finance and the higher ethical objectives within the Islamic moral economy, also termed as Maqasid al Shari’ah.
Design/methodology/approach
Insights from the extant Islamic economics and finance literature are integrated through an interpretative systematic review using the principles from critical interpretative synthesis (CIS).
Findings
A coherent framework is synthesized comprising the typology of the Maqasid al Shari’ah, the axioms of participatory finance and their nexus which is formulated by theorizing the common thread of meaning through the axioms of participatory finance and Maqasid al Shari’ah at the interpretative level. This framework postulates that the participatory finance fits well in the ethos and the value system of Islam. Moreover, “social well-being” invariably provides the nexus between the Maqasid al Shari’ah and participatory finance.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the Islamic economics and finance literature by integrating the dissenting views from the divergent literature related to the basic philosophy of Shari’ah and participatory finance and provides grounds for policy implications, particularly, for designing the financial products. Moreover, it demonstrates an application of interpretative systematic review in Islamic banking and finance research.
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