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The purpose of this paper is to find out the existing practices of the Islamic banks in providing financing to the customers who have a requirement to purchase a finished property and to examine the existing products used by the Islamic banks in this regard by providing an insight into the modus operandi of these products. In doing this, attempt is made to find out the most famous product offered by the Islamic banks in this regard and to find out whether in reality, Malaysian Islamic banking industry has moved away from Bai Bithaman Ajil (BBA) or not.

This is a qualitative research, largely library-based, and it will consist of secondary sources such as books, journals, articles and other sources related to the Islamic house financing in Malaysia for finished properties. Recent information of the practises of the banks in this regard is obtained from the official websites of the banks.

It is found from this study that majority of Islamic Banks in Malaysia prefer to use the Commodity Murabahah facility for finished property. This finding contradicts with the observations made by some scholars who state that in Malaysia, BBA was initially used, and nowadays, the use of Musharakah Mutanaqisah is more common. The reason why Commodity Murbahah has gained popularity is because of the fact that via the Bursa Suq Al Sila platform, it is easy, swift, reliable, profitable, cheaper, convenient and has zero risk to do this type of transaction at the comfort of the office. It is recommended in this paper to use Musharakah Mutanaqisah, as this contract is an innovative contract that is classified as an equity contract under shariah where risk is shared between the parties. There is need to conduct further research to implement Musharakah Mutanaqisah in Malaysia, specifically to reduce the risk that Islamic Banks will bear by practicing this contract.

The findings of this paper might create confusion among readers, as some may perceive that the finding of the paper is not new as BBA has been dominating Islamic house financing industry from the inception of Islamic banking in the country, and BBA and Murabahah are similar in nature, and as such, commodity Murabahah is also a Murabahah transaction. The reality that needs to be understood is that the way BBA was or is practised in Malaysia in relation to Islamic house financing is that in the name of BBA, the transaction actually followed the Bai’ ‘inah contract, which is a controversial contract among the shariah scholars. Likewise, commodity Murabahah is also a different contract than Murabahah, as it actually refers to tawarruq. As such, this research finding is important to the Islamic banking industry to understand that Malaysia has moved away from the Bai’ ‘inah contract practised in the name of BBA in Islamic house financing, and there are new products introduced by the Islamic banks in Malaysia to replace this practice which were criticised by Shariah scholars.

The main purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of mushārakah mutanāqisah (MM; diminishing partnership) technique and its potentials for Islamic financial institutions.

Based on an extensive literature review, this paper aims to highlight, explain and discuss the basic principles underlying implementation of MM and its distinctive features when compared to other modes of finance.

Islamic banks, throughout the years, developed several modes of finance which are more or less similar to their conventional counterparts. In fact, al‐Bay^c bithaman al‐ājil (BBA) and murābahah are the two instruments most commonly used by Islamic banks and financial institutions. Investment and financing through the profit and loss sharing instruments is almost nonexistent within the Islamic financial system. MM technique is an alternative financial instrument available for Islamic banks. It is a relatively new and very little used product available for Islamic banks. The paper claims that MM is more in line with Shari'ah teachings and as such should be used more by Islamic financial institutions. The study indicates that MM possibly has a comparative advantage for both financier and the customer when compared with conventional loans and BBA.

As a relatively new and untested mode of finance, the paper offers a theoretical overview only. Further studies should discuss more practical issues that keep banks away from utilizing MM more efficiently.

The comprehensive overview of the MM and underlying issue discussed in this paper is a very good foundation for further studies on the topic. It gives a clear theoretical base for practical implementation of MM.

This study aims to examine the disputable Shari’ah and the technical issues underlying the implementation of the Musharakah Mutanaqisah partnership (MMP) model in home financing by Islamic banks in Malaysia. It assesses whether this much-lauded facility is in line with Shari’ah rules and whether it diverges from or converges to the Bay’ Bithaman Ajil (BBA) and conventional loan models.

This study uses a qualitative methodology based on in-depth interviews to achieve these objectives.

With regard to the issue of convergence, it is obvious from the interviewees’ perceptions that the MMP model is converging with the BBA and conventional housing loans.

Many factors were mentioned as the reasons for this convergence, with the most important being that Islamic banks are not operating in a fully fledged Islamic financial system, reducing the risk weightage and regulatory restrictions. As for Shari’ah compliance, controversy may result from the enhanced features that structure this facility. Though these enhanced features are Shari’ah compliant, it transforms the MMP model into a debt rather than a partnership contract.

This paper aims to explore the practical role of maqasid al-Shari’ah in applying fiqh muamalat to the reality of modern banking practices. As the modern financial environment is complicated and not too conducive for Islamic banking operations, a special approach based on maqasid al-Shari’ah is needed to harmonize between revelation and reality.

The data of this study are obtained through literature and empirical data. As for the empirical, the exploratory qualitative approach is applied in which three members of the Shari’ah Advisory Council (SAC) of Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) as well as three Shari’ah committees (SC) of Islamic Finance Institutions are selected as interviewees. As a result, several themes are defined from the interview data before they are analyzed based on the concept of maqasid al-Shari’ah.

The findings reveal that several practices are prevalent in developing Islamic banking products, including replicating conventional products to be Islamic ones, imposing wa’ad (unilateral promise) to strengthen the combination of different contracts into one product, and adopting floating rate with ibra’ (rebate) for financing price, which are needed to sustain this industry in modern financial system. In this regard, maqasid al-Shari’ah is applied to reconcile between rulings in fiqh muamalat and banking environments, so that these rulings can be adopted pragmatically without compromising Shari’ah principles.

This study has its limitations, as it focuses on the extent of the role of the maqasid al-Shari’ah in Islamic banking operations, excluding other segments of Islamic finance such as Islamic capital markets and Islamic insurance. Moreover, as data are collected from only six interviewees from SAC and SC of Malaysia, the results cannot be represented for the whole Islamic banking practices of this country.

This study provides several policy recommendations regarding the practice of the maqasid al-Shari’ah in Islamic banking. These may be useful for all Islamic finance players, including regulators and bankers in introducing policies and products in this area.

This study has the potential to enhance the confidence of the Muslim community, particularly in Islamic banking to support its existence and practices. The impact of such optimism will lead to an increase in demand for Islamic banking products, hence encouraging Islamic banking to sustain and update its activities in line with maqasid al-Shari’ah.

This paper offers a practical approach as regards to how the maqasid al-Shari’ah can play a significant role in sustaining the Islamic banking industry, particularly in circumstances that are not favorable to its progress. It is indispensable to prevent the Islamic rulings from being diverted in the name of human well-being and to avoid basing them on a literal textual approach. Moreover, as it provides empirical studies on the issue of replication, wa’ad, floating rate and ibra’, the discussion on this subject becomes more practical.

This paper aims to propose a new pricing alternative called Rental Rate Index (RR-I) that captures the true value of property to be used by Islamic banks in Musharakah Mutanaqisah (MM) contract for home financing.

By formulating a profit rate based on Rental Index (RI) and House Price Index (HPI), the proposed rate eliminates conventional profit rate benchmarking, and, at the same time, suggests a fair, equitable and sustainable financing. This new RR-I (measured by RPI/HPI) enables computerization of the MM system in home financing to be easily implemented. A financial simulation is developed to demonstrate the feasibility of this newly proposed rate.

This newly proposed RR-I is found to be more stable, having less fluctuations, resilient to macroeconomic conditions and yet comparable to the conventional interest rates, without depending on them. It can also be regarded as a rate that is fair and sustainable to both the customer and the bank, as it measures the actual rate of return to both parties in MM contract.

The paper confines one contract, namely, MM, as it is claimed to be more Shariah-compliant than others.

The finding also sheds some light on the recommendation by Bank Negara Malaysia, which is to consider RR that is more indicative of the actual rental price while taking into account the competitiveness of the product. (BNM, 2007).

This paper wreaks customer patronage in selecting the contract of home financing.

This paper attempts to resolve the issue of benchmarking RR to the conventional interest rate in the MM contract. Studies conducted on this issue via simulation approach are meager.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the Malaysian homeowners’ intention to participate in the Cash Waqf-Financial Cooperative-Musharakah Mutanaqisah (CWFCMM) home financing model using rigorous scale validation procedures.

An adapted questionnaire with 26 items was administered to 382 academic and supporting staffs, postgraduate and undergraduate students in three states in Malaysia. The data were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis with SPSS 21 and AMOS 21, respectively.

The results further support the parsimonious nature theory of planned behavior (TPB) with its three original construct of attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control and an additional construct of perceived cost advantages of the CWFCMM Model. A validated TPB scale with 24 items measured can be proposed to be used as an evaluative tool to assess the level to which the homeowners are interested to participate in the CWFCMM Model.

The modified TPB scale would also facilitate the identifications of factors that influence homeowners’ intention to opt for Islamic home financing (IHF) by non-bank Islamic financial institutions such as financial cooperative.

The CWFCMM Model aims to harness the potential synergy between third-sector economy players such as waqf and financial cooperatives in offering affordable IHF solution to potential homeowners.

The CWFCMM Model may enable the Malaysian homeowners to enjoy a more affordable IHF solution, thereby, among others, reducing the purchase and monthly repayment affordability of Malaysians.

There is a dearth of Islamic financial services selection studies, especially within the non-banking, Islamic financial services milieu. The CWFCMM Model, which has been developed by the authors, enriches the limited literature on this subject matter. It will also add value to understand how the customers would react to an alternative IHF provider.

This study aims to validate a potential synergistic venture between cash waqf (Islamic endowment) institutions (CWIs) and financial cooperatives (FCs) in the provision of affordable Islamic home financing (IHF) in Malaysia.

The study adopted semi-structured interviews with ten experts to validate the cash waqf-financial-cooperative-mushārakah mutanāqiṣah (CWFCMM) model. Thematic analysis technique was used to analyse the verbatim texts.

The findings show that the majority of the informants have positive perceptions of the potential of the CWFCMM model to provide financially affordable IHF products in Malaysia. Nevertheless, this study sheds light on the varying degrees of latent issues and challenges that might arise in the implementation of this model. For example, FCs need to practice the correct business model, implement good governance structures and employ the right people. Meanwhile, CWIs need to work on their accountability issues by publishing their audited accounts in mainstream newspapers, much like what is being done by non-governmental organisations such as the widely recognised Malaysian Medical Relief Society (MERCY Malaysia).

This study interviewed a small, industry-specific number of informants in generating its findings. Time and budget constraints are some of the limiting factors in carrying out the study. Because of these factors, the generalisation of the study’s findings will be limited.

First, the CWFCMM model offers an alternative, financially affordable IHF instrument to low- and middle-income households in Malaysia. Second, the involvement of third-sector institutions such as FCs and CWIs in the provision of IHF will reduce the burden of the government in its spending on home financing solutions for civil servants. Third, this model will harness the potential of waqf-based financing beyond the contemporary limited applications to mosques, graveyards and taḥfīẓ (Qurʾan memorization) schools.

This study presents an alternative IHF model that transcends the current institutional framework that is heavily dominated by Islamic commercial banks and government-owned home financing institutions. The study does not focus on a single third-sector institution but on an integration of at least two of them, CWIs and FCs, in implementing the IHF model.

The purpose of this paper is to provide an insight of Islamic securitization based on sukuk structures.

Descriptive, analytical, and comparative analyses are used to discuss the risk‐sharing behaviour in Islamic securitization through different structures of mudharabah and musharakah sukuk derived from asset securitization.

The paper reveals that although sukuk are structured in a similar way to conventional asset‐backed securities, they can have significantly different underlying structures, provisions and shariah‐compliant. In particular, it prohibits the receipt and payment of interest and stipulates that income must be derived from an underlying real business risk rather than as a guaranteed return from interest. With regards to sukuk securitization, an asset is one of the vital elements that should exist as an evidence to support the process and make it permissible in Islam. In terms of Islamic securitization mechanism, it can be divided into two principles, namely, debt based and partnership. This paper further emphasizes that sukuk structures based on partnership principle is regarded as risk sharing rather than risk shifting, where it works by combining risk‐exposures in such a way that they offset one another to some degree. Accordingly, overall risk will be less than total risks on individual basis.

This paper has important implication for the understanding of risk management practices particularly in structuring sukuk. Banks as originators and special purpose vehicles (SPV) as issuers, might consider more sukuk on partnership principles since it directed towards risk‐sharing concept that could lead to increase mobilization of savings and investment. As for the investors or sukuk holders, the partnership principle could generate the wealth creation, which to be shared between both investors (fund providers) and issuers (fund users), while both bear the risks involved and the resulting loss.

The paper will fill the gap in the existing literature of Islamic finance by showing that Islamic securitization via sukuk is a viable source of funds that could help stabilize the securities market, and as solution to the current subprime mortgages financial crisis.

This paper aims to contribute to formulating the methodological framework for a paradigm of Islamic economics, using the development of the conventional economics, theoretical and mathematical methods.

The study based on the inductive and mathematical methods to contribute to economic theory within the methodological framework for Islamic Economics, by using the return rate of Musharakah rather than the interest rate in influence the economic activity and monetary policy.

Via replacement, the concept of the interest rate by the return rates of Musharakah. It concludes that the central bank can control the monetary policy, economic activity and the efficient allocation of resources by using the return rates of Musharakah through the framework of Islamic economy.

The study is a contribution to formulate the methodological framework for a paradigm of Islamic economics, where it investigates the impact of return rates of Musharakah on the money market and monetary policy, by the mathematical methods used in the conventional economy. Also, the study illustrates the importance of further studies that examine the methodological framework for Islamic Economics.

The study aims to contribute to formulating the Islamic economic theory, through the return rate of Musharakah financing instead of the interest rate, and its effectiveness of the monetary policy. As well as reformulating the concepts of the investment function, the present value and the marginal efficiency rate of investment according to the Islamic economy approach.

This study aims to merge the world’s proven ways of housing finance, including musharakah mutanaqisah, housing cooperatives and real estate crowdfunding, to present an alternative housing unaffordability solution based on the Islamic finance principle. It is intended to reduce the burden of funding for both sides (consumers and developers) and create win–win chances for all stakeholders, including intermediaries. By moving away from debt financing and merging the features of crowdfunding and cooperative, it is hopeful that the burden of home ownership will no longer be the case.

This paper presents the opinions of potential Chinese homebuyers (minority Muslims and most non-Muslims) and a few industry experts toward the proposed model via a mixed research method.

According to the findings, the majority of respondents agreed with the proposed paradigm. Just concerned that China’s lack of community culture and trust could pose a major threat to implementation. However, this paper argues that Chinese local governments may perform pilot testing in places where Islamic culture is prevalent. Their unique community culture and fundamental understanding of Shariah law may affect the viability of the proposed model.

The proposed model would increase the applicability of Islamic finance as a way of protecting the social order of communities in the spirit of upholding justice and fairness. A new type of housing loan based on musharakah mutanaqisah may squeeze out the real estate bubble and provide stakeholders with a multidimensional investment channel. In particular, the study identifies the impact of Chinese Islamic financing on government and cultural needs. It presents possible challenges for implementing the proposed model in reality and helps bridge the gap between theory and practice.