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This paper aims to derive a compatible Shariah opinion on the permissibility of using cryptocurrencies by Muslims by reviewing the opinions expressed by Shariah scholars on the permissibility of cryptocurrencies.

This is a qualitative desk review research where the opinions expressed by the Shariah scholars on the permissibility of cryptocurrencies and the issues related to it have been analyzed using the literature. All the Shariah parameters checked pertaining to currencies have been studied and assessed to derive the Shariah opinion.

The research findings suggest that cryptocurrencies do not fully meet the characteristics of money according to Shariah principles. Scholars debate their classification as a medium of exchange due to concerns about volatility, intrinsic value and governance. The treatment of cryptocurrencies varies, and their decentralized nature prevents monopolization. Governance and resistance to manipulation are facilitated by blockchain technology. Classifying cryptocurrencies as hard money and their recognition as the primary unit of account face challenges. While they can be a store of value, price volatility and regulations must be considered. The network effect is crucial for their success, and their supply is controlled through complex protocols. These findings have implications for policymakers in Islamic finance.

The differences in Shariah opinions on using cryptocurrencies have been a major debate in the Islamic financial industry. A clear and comprehensive study is not found on the differences in the Shariah opinions on their reasonings, which is important for researchers and professionals in the field. Therefore, this research provides valuable insights for policymakers, scholars and practitioners in Islamic finance, contributing to the understanding of applying Islamic principles to cryptocurrencies.

This study aims to investigate the relationship between Islamic governance and the social performance of Islamic banks, pioneering a new aspect in terms of the impact of the National Shariah Board (NSB) on the social performance of Islamic banks. The essential body in the Islamic banks in charge of Islamic governance is the Shariah Supervisory Board (SSB). Therefore, in this study, the authors explore how the characteristics of the Shariah board and Islamic governance mechanisms influence the social performance of Islamic banks.

Panel data methods are applied to the annual data of 43 banks from 14 countries over the period 2012–2018 to explore the impact of Islamic governance on Islamic banks’ social performance. The authors have used all available bank annual reports in the given period. Social performance is measured by Maqasid al-Shariah (in terms of the goals of the Islamic moral economy) index using a comprehensive evaluation framework. Islamic governance is represented by the improved Islamic Governance Score (IG-Score) index, which measures the quality of Islamic governance in Islamic banks. In the research, the authors also introduce the frequency of SSB meetings in IG-Score.

The findings suggest a strong link between Islamic governance and the social performance of Islamic banks, illustrating the importance of the Shariah board in achieving maqasid. On the other hand, the research discovered that NSBs are inefficient and the existence of NSB can jeopardize the social performance of Islamic banks. The results of this research imply valuable recommendations for Islamic banks that are keen to improve their social performance.

Besides investigating the impact of SSB governance on the social performance of Islamic banks by using an improved IG score index, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that investigates the impact of NSBs on the social performance of Islamic banks.

From 1979 to 2023, the takaful structure has been adopted in many jurisdictions, making the documenting of its early days of establishment relatively difficult and somewhat unreliable. This is unlike conventional insurance, where the history and legislation are well documented and archived in various research (Hellwege, 2016; Marano and Siri, 2017). The purpose of this paper is to provide a chronology for the establishment and development of takaful via the takaful establishment in each jurisdiction, documenting its first takaful operator and first takaful regulation.

This paper has used a qualitative method in the form of reviewing literature and available data such as journals, books and official resources. The data is thoroughly analysed in order to build the chronology for takaful. It adopted an exploratory research design, which is deemed suitable in situations where few works of literature have examined the subject (Neuman, 2014). The paper explores the establishment and non-establishment of takaful in 57 countries. The paper categorises the countries into seven regions starting with the GCC, Levant, Asia, Central Asia, Africa, Europe and Others.

The takaful chronology presented in this paper shows that takaful operations exist in 47 jurisdictions, starting from Sudan and the UAE in 1979, with the most recent adopters being Morocco and Iran in December 2021. It is found that 22 jurisdictions do not have takaful regulations, and the Takaful Act 1984, issued in Malaysia, is considered the first takaful regulation that sets the basis for other regulations that follow.

The paper contributes to the literature by providing a comprehensive chronology of takaful, especially as the few existing timelines have been found to be incomplete and consist of contradictory information.

This study aims to conduct a review and analysis of the literature on Shariah audit compliance by examining the difference between internal and external auditors, the scope of internal Shariah audits and the qualification of Shariah auditors.

The current study used content analysis and the descriptive approach to achieve the main objective of the study. To ensure that Islamic Financial Institutions’ (IFIs) practices preserve Shariah principles and values when providing Shariah-compliant products and services, this audit will be used to supervise and monitor the operations of IFIs. The main goal of Shariah compliance auditing is to protect the interests of IFIs stakeholders, including account holders, shareholders, creditors, management and employees, as well as the general public while ensuring that the mechanisms of checks and balances in place are appropriate and tailored to the goals and missions of its establishment following the Maqasid Al-Shariah.

The findings of this study attempt to contribute to the body of knowledge surrounding Shariah audit compliance by advising IFIs on the value of Shariah compliance auditing in addressing the needs of its stakeholders. As a result, the benefits of Shariah compliance audits will be maximized, and future legislative changes will be implemented to reduce or completely remove the risk of Shariah’s failure to comply.

This research advises IFIs on the usefulness of Shariah compliance auditing in addressing the demands of its stakeholders to add to the body of knowledge on Shariah audit compliance. Moreover, all parties involved to take action to reduce the gap that will significantly affect stakeholders’ confidence, particularly concerning the Shariah compliance of the IFIs’ products and services on their operations and activities.

The advantages of Shariah compliance audits will thus be maximized, and future regulatory improvements will be made to lessen or eliminate the danger of Shariah noncompliance.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of Shariah Advisory Board (SAB), Audit committee (AC) and board of directors (BD) characteristics on the performance of Islamic banks (IBs) in the MENA region.

The paper employs a quantitative approach, utilizing both ordinary least squares (OLS) regression and panel data analysis (random effects models) to examine the relationship between corporate governance variables and the performance of IBs. The sample consists of 50 IBs from 10 countries, spanning a seven-year period (2010–2016), with the exclusion of the Covid-19 pandemic period. To ensure the robustness of the results, various sensitivity tests were conducted, including pooled regression OLS and subsample analysis based on adhering to the Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI) standards.

The study's findings suggest that the size of the SAB and the membership of at least one member of the SAB on the AAOIFI have a notable adverse effect on the performance of IBs. On the other hand, the AC independence has a positive influence on bank performance. However, there was no significant impact observed for AC size, meeting frequency and BD characteristics on bank performance. The research also revealed nuanced relationships between governance variables and bank performance when analyzing the sample based on AAOIFI adoption. Among banks not adhering to AAOIFI standards, SAB size and CEO duality negatively affected return on assets, while AC independence positively impacted it. For AAOIFI-compliant banks, AC independence significantly improved bank performance, whereas AC meetings exhibited a negative effect. Furthermore, there were no significant relationships observed for return on equity among banks not adhering to AAOIFI standards, whereas AAOIFI-compliant banks experienced positive impacts from AC independence. These results offer valuable insights into the intricate connection between governance attributes and bank performance, particularly in the context of AAOIFI standards adoption.

The study's findings have important practical implications for various stakeholders in the Islamic banking industry. For bank practitioners and management, the study highlights the significance of enhancing the independence of AC to improve decision-making and risk management, leading to better bank performance. Moreover, careful selection of SAB members can mitigate potential negative effects on performance. Policymakers may consider promoting AAOIFI standards to shape the relationship between governance and bank performance. Investors can use the insights to make informed decisions, and banks with stronger governance may attract more investments.

Through quantitative analysis and AAOIFI-based sample division, this study adds to the growing literature on corporate governance and the performance of IBs by examining the impact of multiple corporate governance variables on the performance of IBs in the MENA region. To provide a theoretical basis for this relationship, three theories, namely agency, stewardship and stakeholder theories, are employed and discussed.

The perception of Islamic finance by its various stakeholders is not always reconcilable. Its foundations and attributes are subject to a plurality of perceptions making it almost impossible to reach a consensus about them. This paper aims to understand the perception of Islamic finance by bank employees in Cameroon.

This research follows the interpretativist paradigm and is qualitative and exploratory in nature. The data are collected through semi-structured face-to-face interviews with bank employees, mainly branch managers. These interview data are analysed using the thematic analysis method.

Bank employees in Cameroon perceive Islamic finance as a finance that: targets everyone, regardless of religion, but Muslims first (Islamic finance is both inclusive and exclusive); offers original products and services; has a religious anchor that may hinder non-Muslim economic agents; has many advantages, mainly for financial institutions, and some limitations for financial institutions and their customers; is full of opportunities for its stakeholders; and is not yet fully practiced in Cameroon.

This study mobilises a qualitative approach, provides new insights into the research on the perception of Islamic finance and reaches a consensus on the perception of certain aspects and attributes of Islamic finance, namely, for the perception of the target and the Shariah compliance of Islamic finance. Furthermore, this study is a pioneering effort to understand bank employees’ perception of Islamic finance in non-Islamic and developing countries where Islamic finance is underdeveloped.

This study comprehensively aims to review the key influential and intellectual aspects of spillovers between Islamic and conventional financial markets.

The study uses the bibliometric and content analysis methods using the VOSviewer software to analyse 52 academic documents derived from the Web of Sciences (WoS) between 2015 and June 2022.

The results demonstrate the influential aspects of spillovers between Islamic and conventional financial markets, including the leading authors, journals, countries and institutions and the intellectual aspects of literature. These aspects are synthesised into four main streams: research between stock indexes; studies between stock indexes, oil and precious metal; works between Sukuk, bond and indexes; and empirical studies review. The authors also propose future research directions in spillovers between Islamic and conventional financial markets.

Our study is subject to several limitations. Firstly, the authors only used the WoS database. Secondly, the study only includes papers and reviews written in English from the WoS. This study assists academic scholars, practitioners and regulatory bodies in further exploring the suggested issues in future studies and improving and predicting economic and financial stability.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no extant empirical studies have been conducted in this area of research interest.

This study examines the intersection of emerging Islamic economies and the digital economy in the context of the United Nations sustainable development goals (UN SDGs). This study aims to investigate the opportunities, challenges and barriers faced by emerging Islamic economies in the context of the digital economy. It specifically focuses on how these economies can contribute to the achievement of UN SDGs established in 2015. In addition, the study explores the prospects of Islamic digital finance and its potential to facilitate the adoption of the UN SDGs.

The following components outline the design, methods and approach of this study, identify and select specific UN SDGs that are relevant to the research aims. These selected goals serve as the basis for evaluating the impact of conventional and Islamic digital financial inclusion, gathered data from credible sources such as Bloomberg and Refinitiv Thomson Reuters to support the analysis. These sources provide comprehensive data on global indicators, progress and targets related to the UN SDGs, compare and evaluate the impact of both conventional and Islamic digital financial inclusion strategies on the selected UN SDGs; the study uses qualitative interpretation of the gathered data, which involves identifying patterns, themes and connections within the data to draw meaningful conclusions.

Results revealed that Islamic digital finance has the potential to contribute significantly to achieving the UN SDGs by promoting financial inclusion, encouraging ethical investments, supporting small and medium enterprises, promoting sustainable investments and leveraging technology to expand access to Islamic financial services and support sustainable investments.

While there are many potential benefits of Islamic digital finance in helping to achieve the UN SDGs, there are also several limitations that should be considered in research, such as limited access to digital infrastructure, regulatory challenges, product offerings, scale, awareness and adoption. Addressing these limitations will be critical to maximizing the potential of Islamic digital finance to contribute to achieving the UN SDGs.

This study points to an important gap in the literature; for practitioners, this study has significant managerial consequences for achieving the UN SDGs in emerging economies by facilitating social impact investments and promoting ethical and sustainable investments.

This study’s uniqueness lies in its exploration of the limited exploration of connecting the implementation of digital financial systems to promote UN SDGs within emerging Islamic economies.

This study aims to propose a model to elevate the financial empowerment of Muslim women by rejuvenating the practice of Mahr in society and facilitating the affordability of men to pay that Mahr amount.

The approach of this study is to offer a model through the interest-free savings-based finance concept. The model comprises four stages; each stage of the model is mathematically formulated and graphically explained to ensure clarity and coherence. To further investigate the issue, the authors use a convenient sampling method to ask a small sample size of respondents (women) from different countries about their financial contribution and empowerment in the family.

This model enables women to turn their exclusive financial right into a source of earning without borrowing from any source or paying interest on the principal amount. Besides, it encourages accelerating men’s obligation to pay the Mahr to the women immediately during the marriage ceremony by facilitating men’s affordability. Almost 45% of respondents state that a woman’s financial contribution exalts her decision-making power and strengthens her financial position in the family.

The authors attempt to revitalize Mahr practice in Muslim society to accelerate the process of receiving a woman’s exclusive financial right and empower a family as a whole through the Mahr model.

Considering the model’s uniqueness, the developed and proposed Mahr model in this research is novel; to the best of the authors’ knowledge, no other study has been conducted and developed such a model using the Mahr concept.

This paper aims to examine the determinants that influence acceptance towards e-wallet apps by extending the technology acceptance model (TAM) among (asnaf), a term used for charity or gift receivers from alms tax distribution institutions also known as donee.

The review of literature and structural equation modelling approach using judgemental sampling on extended TAM and determinants of e-wallet apps’ acceptance related to asnaf (donee) were conducted in a bid to contribute to the factors that are instrumental in determining acceptance of e-wallet services among asnaf.

The findings indicate that the e-wallet app’s service acceptance is determined not only by perceived usefulness, consumer maqasid index and consumer innovativeness but also by subjective norms. On the contrary, consumer maqasid index and perceived ease of use do not lend themselves to be the factor of asnafs’ e-wallet acceptance. The authors extend the TAM model to determine the factors that may be influential in predicting the e-wallet app acceptance by asnaf.

In assessing future outcomes when different sampling techniques are opted for and geographic coverage is expanded, this study should be considered in terms of the limited scope.

This study is intended to serve as a reference for making a significant contribution related to user acceptance factors related to alms tax-based e-wallet apps in asnafs’ context in Malaysia in terms of both theory and practice.

TAM is extended in the context of e-wallet app acceptance among asnafs’. A variable, namely, consumer innovativeness, is tested using the extended TAM model. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, consumer innovativeness in the context of asnafs’ acceptance of e-wallet apps is yet to be tested. Therefore, this paper will be a useful reference for policymakers, technologists, academicians and future researchers.