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This study aims to investigate the pragmatic issues on the radical call for the establishment of an external Shariah auditor (ESA) in the governance framework of Islamic banks (IBs).

From 11 well-established Malaysian IBs, 16 internal auditors were interviewed to provide an in-depth understanding on how ESA can provide greater assurance to stakeholders in Malaysian IBs.

This study reported mixed acceptance from internal auditors on the proposed additional governance layer to be undertaken by the ESA. Generally, internal auditors reluctantly agreed that Shariah auditing by the ESA would enhance the quality of Shariah assurance but maintain several practical concerns regarding lack of guidelines on Shariah auditing, the additional cost to be borne by IBs and the possible tensions between the ESA and Shariah board (SB) amid the diverse Shariah interpretations available for experts in the field.

The critical point on the manifestation of an ESA in the contemporary IB practice brought by this study highlights the need for regulation and policy promulgation that embrace a comprehensive approach to Shariah audit process within the religio-ethical dogma of Islamic banking and the pragmatic approach to banking.

This study provides evidence on the expected role and competency of an ESA and explores the implications produced by its implementation in Malaysian IBs. This study also clarifies how IBs should delineate the role of Shariah assurance from SB to ESA.

The main issue is whether customers prefer convenience over Shariah compliance or the opposite when they decide their Islamic banking needs. The purpose of this paper is to explore why customers adopt Islamic banking products and services: Shariah compliance or convenience?

Using convenience sampling, 310 respondents’ data were collected through online survey. For testing the fit and hypotheses of the proposed model, AMOS 25 software and Smart-PLS 4.0 software have been used.

Attitude, Islamic value and convenience have significant determinants of Islamic banking products and services. Shariah compliance has no direct or indirect influence on neither intention nor actual behaviour to adopt Islamic banking services. Furthermore, gender has no such differential effect on the adoption.

Managers and marketers of Islamic banks may benefit from the findings of this study, which demonstrate fresh insights regarding the factors which help in strategy formulations to promote Islamic banking services.

The growth of Islamic banks, branches and windows is remarkable in both Muslim-majority and Muslim-minority countries in the world. This paper postulates the behavioural finance studies in Islamic banking and finance research stream by extending the theory of planned behaviour of Ajzen (1985) as all the three new constructs (Islamic value, convenienc and Shariah compliance) are statistically fit for further studies. However, only Islamic value and convenience are the two significant factors which drive customers to take decision in the proposed model. This study gives insights to the bankers and authority about the consumer behaviour.

This study aims to address the noted gap in comprehensive overviews detailing the developmental trajectory of Islamic finance (IF) as an interdisciplinary academic field.

The study introduces a unique approach using the combined methodologies of co-word analysis and main path analysis (MPA) by examining a broad collection of IF research articles.

The investigation identifies dominant themes and foundational works that have influenced the IF discipline. The data reveals prominent areas such as Shariah governance, financial resilience, ethical dimensions and customer-centric frameworks. The MPA offers detailed insights, narrating a journey from the foundational principles of IF to its current challenges and opportunities. This journey covers harmonizing religious beliefs with contemporary financial models, changes in regulatory landscapes and the continuous effort to align with broader socioeconomic aspirations. Emerging areas of interest include using new technologies in IF, standardizing global Islamic banking and assessing its socioeconomic effects on broader populations.

This study represents a pioneering effort to map out and deepen the understanding of the IF field, highlighting its dynamic evolution and suggesting potential avenues for future academic exploration.

While the Noble Quran dictates the prohibition of interest, conventional banks promote Islamic banking by opening Islamic banking windows. Against this backdrop, this study aims to investigate the perceived gaps between managers and clients in Islamic marketing and banking, focusing on conventional banks’ Islamic banking windows.

Guided by a qualitative approach, semi-structured personal interviews and observations served as the data collection methods, involving 25 banks and 50 respondents in 3 different districts, namely, Shirajganj, Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj of Bangladesh from January to October 2023. The data were analysed using ATLAS.ti 2023 to explore codes and quotations derived from 14 interview questions. Further, ATLAS.ti 2023 facilitated synthesizing content, concepts, code occurrence, network analysis and thematic analysis.

Islamic and non-Islamic banks use Quranic verses, hadiths (prophetic traditions), images of mosques, the Kaaba and Arabic texts as Islamic marketing tools. These spiritual, divine and prescriptive tools are associated with Islamic banking. However, conventional banks receive criticism for having separate Islamic banking windows to serve religiously conscious clients, which generates tension among clients and bank managers.

The findings can theoretically assist academics in examining conventional banks’ Islamic marketing and banking practices, opening Islamic banking windows. Importantly, Shariah boards can play policy roles in safeguarding the function of Islamic marketing and banking. Managers can use the findings to anticipate client perceptions and enhance Islamic marketing and banking strategies. Likewise, the social implications include the explicit stance of Shariah to mitigate the mixture of halal and haram banking.

This pioneering study explores the perspectives of Islamic banking windows by non-Islamic banks. The combination of Islamic marketing and banking is a noteworthy novelty in this study and deserves recognition for its unique contribution to halal marketing and finance.

This study aims to develop a comprehensive framework for Islamic social entrepreneurship (ISE) by synthesizing Islamic principles and social entrepreneurship concepts, bridging the gap between theory and practice.

Using a systematic literature review, this study focuses on scholarly works published from 1992 to 2023, uses thematic analysis and engages with subject experts to craft a framework for ISE.

The study identified 39 sub-dimensions grouped into 13 core dimensions. These findings highlight the multifaceted impact on ISE, emphasizing its commitment to ethical, socially responsible practices and achieving lasting social impact through collaborative, innovative approaches guided by Islamic principles.

Limitations include regional focus, lack of longitudinal data and absence of quantitative testing for the framework. Future research should expand scope, use quantitative analysis and explore gender dynamics, policy implications and standardized impact metrics to enhance the framework’s robustness.

The study’s comprehensive framework aids ISE practitioners in aligning their ventures with Islamic ethics and social impact. As interest in ISE grows, particularly in Muslim-majority contexts, this research facilitates the integration of Islamic values into social entrepreneurship, addressing pressing societal challenges.

This study contributes to the field of ISE by proposing a meticulously crafted framework that synthesizes Islamic principles and social entrepreneurship concepts. It stands out as a unique endeavor that bridges the gap between theory and practice in ISE, offering practical guidance while enriching the scholarly discourse on the subject.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate a distinct set of characteristics that influence Muslim customers’ intentions to purchase Ar-Rahnu Islamic financing contract in Malaysia.

The study studied the impact of perceived value, perceived quality, perceived financial advantages, religious commitment and product knowledge on the purchase intention Ar-Rahnu Islamic financing contract using a quantitative research approach. A Google Form-based online survey was created and distributed through Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, among others. The survey data were analysed using structural equation modelling with a partial-least-square estimation property (PLS-SEM).

The study results suggested that Muslim customers in Malaysia had a greater propensity to buy Ar-Rahnu Islamic financing contract. Analysis of the data revealed that perceived value, perceived quality, perceived financial benefits and religious commitment had direct effects on the desire to buy Ar-Rahnu Islamic financing contract in Malaysia. In addition, the results reveal that religious commitment, perceived quality and perceived financial benefit are the top three important factors in explaining Ar-Rahnu Islamic financing contract buying intentions in this country.

Muslim customers may use Ar-Rahnu Islamic financing contract as a short-term credit alternative to enhance their financial standing. Ar-Rahnu Islamic financing contract generates a substantial quantity of credit demand and supply, which not only allows Muslim customers to adhere to Islamic standards but also contributes to the expansion of the economy. The result would aid and advise Ar-Rahnu finance resources and legislators in measuring the efficacy of the program in Malaysia, especially among Muslim customers.

Ar-Rahnu Islamic financing contract as a financing alternative has been explored extensively, but this study takes a whole new approach to the subject by looking at dimensions of perceived value, perceived quality and perceived financial benefit along with individual product knowledge and religious commitment. Consequently, this study will contribute to the understanding of how Muslim customers will respond to the Ar-Rahnu Islamic financing contract and will assist financial institutions in increasing the possibility that Muslim consumers would acquire Ar-Rahnu Islamic financing contract.

This study aims to determine the effect of bank ownership on the credit risk of Indonesian Islamic local banks (ILBs).

This study uses the system generalized method of moments (GMM) estimation technique with a sample of 155 Islamic local banks in Indonesia from 2012 to 2019.

The results show that commissioner board (D.COW) ownership has a negative effect on credit risk. This indicates that an increase in the number of shares of Islamic local banks owned by the commissioner board reduces credit risk. On the other hand, government ownership (D.GOW), the Sharia supervisory board (D.SOW) and the director board (D.DOW) do not affect credit risk.

The government, Sharia supervisory board and director board need opportunities to easily own more Islamic local bank shares. Therefore, the provisions regarding the share ownership rights of the government, Sharia supervisory board and director board need to be improved to increase their role in reducing credit risk.

Previous researchers have not studied the effect of government ownership, the commissioner board, the Sharia supervisory board and the ownership of directors on credit risk at the ILB in Indonesia.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a waqf-based microfinance program on clients’ well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This study obtained primary data from a survey distributed to 282 respondents, consisting of 150 clients and 132 nonclients of the Bank Wakaf Mikro (BWM) Al Kausar in Indonesia. This study constructed a well-being index (WBI) and compared clients’ and nonclients’ WBI before and during the pandemic using the difference-in-differences (DID) method. DID measures the effect of a treatment in a “treatment group” versus a “control group” using data from two periods.

This study found that clients and nonclients alike experienced an increase in well-being throughout the pandemic, but the increase was greater for clients than for nonclients. This study argues that the waqf-based microfinance program run by Bank Waqf Mikro model can assist their clients – as more vulnerable groups in society – to maintain their well-being during the pandemic.

To ensure the effectiveness of waqf-based microfinance programs in diverse settings, this study should include more respondents from different institutions.

This research has several practical recommendations, particularly for integrating Islamic charity for microfinance. The findings of this study suggest that the BWM model, which combines three institutions – the government, zakat groups and Islamic boarding schools (pesantrens) – can play a substantial role in enhancing the welfare of its members during the pandemic.

This study contributes to the body of knowledge on Islamic microfinance by providing empirical evidence of the importance of waqf-based microfinance in reducing the pandemic’s impact on clients well-being.

This study aims to assess the impact of determinants on the effectiveness of internal audit (IA) within the banking industry of Bangladesh.

The data was obtained through 152 survey questionnaires from a total of 43 privately owned and six state-owned commercial banks in Bangladesh. The analysis was conducted using structural equation modeling.

The findings demonstrate that the independence of internal auditors and the quality of IA substantially impact enhancing the efficiency of IA. On the other hand, the competence of internal auditors and management support in IA functions do not significantly impact the effectiveness of IA.

The study’s findings may have significant policy implications for the government, regulators, internal auditors, management committees and other stakeholders in establishing programmes to enhance the efficacy of IA as a component of banking audit management reforms.

This study makes three distinct contributions to the existing literature. Firstly, previous literature focused on the determinants affecting the external audit efficiency of the public companies and banking sectors in Bangladesh (Hasan, 2018; M. M. U. Reza, 2021). In this study, the author enhances the research by presenting empirical findings on the IA effectiveness of banks. Secondly, the author expands the research by incorporating both private and state-owned commercial banks as samples. Thirdly, the study is unique given that it investigates the effectiveness of IA in response to the recent financial scandals in the banking industry of Bangladesh (The Daily Star, 2023).

This study aims to identify the dimensions of satisfaction in the halal tourism literature by analyzing the identified antecedents and outcomes. The study aims to synthesize the current empirical findings in halal tourism. Additionally, this study provides a comprehensive understanding of the factors that lead to halal traveller satisfaction.

Using a meta-analysis approach, this paper synthesizes the fragmented and conflicting findings of 56 quantitative studies focusing on satisfaction and its antecedents and consequences in the halal tourism context. Data from 145 relationships representing an aggregate sample size of 21,173 were used. Additionally, this study extends the analysis by incorporating contemporary factors such as the impact of COVID-19, sample size and gender as moderators.

The findings indicate that both physical characteristics and psychological aspects are positively related to satisfaction. Further, this study reported that endorsement and revisit intention are the significant consequences of satisfaction. Lastly, this study identifies the significant moderating effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, sample size and gender on the relationship between satisfaction and its antecedents/consequences.

Global halal tourism industry caters to Muslim and non-Muslim tourists across the globe; this article identifies the contributing factors of satisfaction in the halal tourism context. Policymakers can adapt according to their needs and preferences.

This study provides cumulative evidence to the literature regarding the relationship between satisfaction and its antecedents/consequences in halal tourism. This is the first meta-analysis study on the mentioned topic, making significant theoretical, managerial and methodological contributions to halal tourism research.