In Islamic jurisprudence, a comprehensive ethic has been formulated governing how business and commerce should be run, how accountability to God and the community is to be achieved, and how banking and finance is to be arranged. This Handbook examines how well these values are translated into actual performance. It explores whether those holding true to the system are hindered and put at a disadvantage or whether the Islamic institutions have been able to demonstrate that faith-based activities can be rewarding, both economically and spiritually.
øHandbook on Islam and Economic Life is a unique study, one of the first of its kind to consider Islam within a broader economic sphere. Covering a wide breadth of topics and research, it explores how Islam impinges upon and seeks to shape major aspect
This handbook offers a unique and original collection of analytical studies in Islamic economics and finance, and constitutes a humble addition to the literature on new economic thinking and global finance. The growing risks stemming from higher debt, slower growth, and limited room for policy maneuver raise concerns about the ability and propensity of modern economies to find effective solutions to chronic problems. It is important to understand the structural roots of inherent imbalance, persistence-in-error patterns, policy and governance failures, as well as moral and ethical failures. Admittedly, finance and economics have their own failures, with abstract theory bearing little relation with the real economy, uncertainties and vicissitudes of economic life. Economic research has certainly become more empirical despite, or perhaps because of, the lack of guidance from theory. The analytics of Islamic economics and finance may not differ from standard frameworks, methods, and techniques used in conventional economics, but may offer new perspectives on the making of financial crises, nature of credit cycles, roots of financial system instability, and determinants of income disparities. The focus is placed on the logical coherence of Islamic economics and finance, properties of Islamic capital markets, workings of Islamic banking, pricing of Islamic financial instruments, and limits of debt financing, fiscal stimulus and conventional monetary policies, inter alia. Readers with investment, regulatory, and academic interests will find the body of analytical evidence to span many areas of economic inquiry, refuting thereby the false argument that given its religious tenets, Islamic economics is intrinsically narrative, descriptive and not amenable to testable implications. Thus, the handbook may contribute toward a redefinition of a dismal science in search for an elusive balance between rationality, ethics and morality, and toward a remodeling of economies based on risk sharing and prosperity for all humanity
Studies conducted in the field of Islamic economics lose their relevance over time. Works examining Islamic economics since the 1970s have been co-opted by the existing economic system and have become limited to a large extent, as they are now only concerned with financial transactions. In fact, ""Islamic economics"" as a concept should actually be conceptualized as an alternative economic system. However, because of the financial and commercial transactions implemented in daily economic life ...
"This book provides ideas to its readers about the approaches pertaining to Islamic social finance tools such as "zakat, sadaqah, waqf, Qardh al-hasan, green Sukuk, Financial literacy, kafala and Takaful", practical implementations, challenges and issues", change management and other related aspects required for community development and poverty alleviation"--
This original book examines how investment theory and regulatory constraints are linked to the professional processes of portfolio investments, and how the principles of Islam as defined by sharia fit into these processes. It also explores the measures required to create and grow a global Islamic asset management industry.
This book explores contemporary empirical issues in Islamic economics. It begins by outlining current trends in Islamic economics and before identifying gaps in the empirical research. It then goes on to discuss the role of institutions in economic growth for Islamic countries, and the fiscal aspects of Islamic economics. It explores issues in debt and growth, as well as the instruments of monetary management in Islamic economics. It analyses the trade-off between growth and stability and concludes with discussion of Zakat and Waqf in driving growth.
ÔI read with great interest the current state of Islamic economics and finance as examined by Muhammad Akram Khan, who has given a fresh outlook for the readers to find out its limitations and to search for its solutions. Khan has read widely in the subject matter, and presented his views with reference to literature and thoughtful and logical arguments. While many may not agree with his arguments or will have a better explanation, I find his arguments at least worthy of examination to strengthen the arguments of those who might oppose him. Although Khan is critical of the subject matter, he is very sympathetic to the greater objectives of Islamic economics and provides his own prescriptions to achieve those objectives.Õ Ð M. Kabir Hassan, University of New Orleans, US ÔThis is a very thought provoking book coming at a crucial stage in the development of Islamic economics and finance. Although the reader may not agree with some of the conclusions reached, it is clearly a scholarly and extensively researched piece of work; it should be read by all serious students of the subject area. Amongst other things, it throws light on the reasons why the practical implementation of Islamic economics and finance, particularly in relation to the financial system and financial institutions, has not always conformed to the true theoretical foundations laid down by Islamic scholars.Õ Ð John Presley, Loughborough University, UK and recipient of Islamic Development Bank Prize in Islamic Finance, 2001Ð2002 ÔÒIslamic economic system is a type of capitalism with a spiritual dimensionÓ is a major conclusion of this book. I applaud this insight of Muhammad Akram Khan. The same can be perhaps said of Islamic finance, which, in its hurry to build viable and efficient financial institutions, has ignored the very same need to start with profits-and-risk-sharing principle and no-riba principles to build pricing models to anchor the new sub-discpline. The good news is that, in the course of time to come, AkramÕs advocacy may be realised since such serious works have already begun.Õ Ð Mohamed Ariff, University Putra Malaysia and Bond University, Australia ÔAlthough there are many books on Islamic economics, this critical, but sympathetic, account by Muhammad Akram Khan is worthy of attention. The author has clearly read widely on the subject and appreciates the limitations of much that he has read. Islamic economics is a work in progress and by focusing on its shortcomings, Khan challenges the assumptions of many working in the field. His discussion of methodology is insightful, and even the prohibition of riba, for many the defining characteristic of Islamic finance, is examined from a fresh perspective. While many will not agree with the analysis and the conclusions, even critics should be able to appreciate the strengths of the arguments made. In summary this is a worthwhile, and in many respects an innovative, survey of the state of Islamic economics and finance. It deserves to be widely read.Õ Ð Rodney Wilson, Durham University, UK What is Wrong with Islamic Economics? takes an objective look at the state of the art in Islamic economics and finance. It analyses reasons for perceived stagnation and also suggests a way forward. As well as probing various myths, the book presents several innovative ideas and a methodology for developing the subject on new foundations. It also highlights weaknesses in the conventional position on prohibition of interest, which has led Islamic banks devise a series of legal tricks. The author notes how the original aim of devising a new brand of banking has become less prominent whilst Islamic banks now position themselves more closely to conventional banks. The book also offers insights into how certain traditional thinking has seemingly ignored the egalitarian spirit of the law of zakah and created a scenario where zakah is not able to help the billions of poor people around the globe. This detailed book will appeal to students, professors, researchers, Islamic banks and finance houses, consulting companies, accounting firms, and regulatory bodies. Professional economists, libraries in research and training organizations, as well as anyone with a general interest in the topic will find much to interest them.
The past decade has been characterized by a burgeoning interest in new concepts of individual and social well-being. The impetus for this new research has stemmed from increased demand from policy makers and civil society for measures of progress that go beyond the traditional measures of GDP, as well as improved datasets allowing individuals and households to be tracked over their life course. The aim of this Handbook is to chart these developments and provide extensive surveys of many of the recent themes that have emerged in the research literature. Some of the topics addressed include poverty. relative deprivation and satisfaction, economic insecurity, social exclusion and inequality, income and social polarization, and social fractionalization and diversity. Each topic is first analyzed from a theoretical perspective, followed by detailed empirical discussion.
