Islamic Sustainable Finance, Law and Innovation

Islamic Sustainable Finance, Law and Innovation
Author: Nadia Mansour
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 549
Release: 2023-07-26
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 3031278607

This volume discusses the role and characteristics of Islamic finance and how it can contribute to a sustainable financial system. Islamic finance is not only for the 1.5 billion Muslims. Several countries are interested in it because it has interesting characteristics in terms of transparency and banking regulation. Although the origins of Islamic finance date back several centuries, its resurgence is relatively recent. From its modern beginnings in Egypt and Malaysia, Islamic finance is now a growing sector and its recent performance contrasts with that of conventional banks. Rapid growth and innovation are transforming the sector, driving economic development in an increasing number of jurisdictions, while also increasing the number of new opportunities and challenges. Today, with the problem of climate change and its adverse effects on the whole world, the flexibility of Islamic finance concerning the operations available to those who wish to finance the development of infrastructure, makes this area crucial for sustainable finance.

Islamic Finance

Islamic Finance
Author: Mahmoud A. El-Gamal
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 239
Release: 2006-07-03
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1139457160

This book provides an overview of the practice of Islamic finance and the historical roots that define its modes of operation. The focus of the book is analytical and forward-looking. It shows that Islamic finance exists mainly as a form of rent-seeking legal-arbitrage. In every aspect of finance - from personal loans to investment banking, and from market structure to corporate governance - Islamic finance aims to replicate in Islamic forms the substantive functions of contemporary financial instruments, markets, and institutions. By attempting to replicate the substance of contemporary financial practice using pre-modern contract forms, Islamic finance has arguably failed to serve the objectives of Islamic law. This book proposes refocusing Islamic finance on substance rather than form. This approach would entail abandoning the paradigm of 'Islamization' of every financial practice. It would also entail reorienting the brand-name of Islamic finance to emphasize issues of community banking, micro-finance, and socially responsible investment.

Islamic Green Finance

Islamic Green Finance
Author: Mohd Ma'Sum Billah
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 265
Release: 2024-09-16
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1040121063

This book argues that focusing on the green economy and green finance is essential to counteract the catastrophic, socio-economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, while numerous research initiatives in the context of the green economy and/or finance have been observed in different parts of the world, to date, no comprehensive work has been published on the topic of green finance in relation to the discipline of Shari’ah. This timely book provides a comprehensive guide and offers practical solutions to the core issues of green finance within the principles of Maqasid al-Shari’ah. It contends that Islamic green finance serves to promote global financial stability and mitigate the financial risks associated with climate change and environmental degradation: by integrating Islamic finance principles with sustainable and environmentally friendly practices; by encouraging ethical investments and prioritising long-term social and environmental benefits; and by redirecting capital towards sustainable projects and fostering a more sustainable and inclusive financial system. Islamic green finance’s emphasis on transparency, governance, risk-sharing, and responsible investing helps lessen systemic risks and supports the transition towards a more stable and sustainable global financial landscape. The book’s holistic approach to green finance in Maqasid al-Shari’ah aims to ensure that financial actions align with Islamic principles and help create a more sustainable and responsible economic system. The book is a detailed reference, which sheds light on the pressing issues of our time. It encompasses various aspects of Islamic economics and serves as a guide to implementing green financing in accordance with Islamic principles and ethics, and as such, it will appeal to academics, researchers, students and policymakers alike.

Islamic Fintech

Islamic Fintech
Author: Sara Sánchez Fernández
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 132
Release: 2021-03-29
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1000367789

The implementation of new technologies is expected to boost the development of Islamic Finance by increasing accessibility to banking and other financial services in Islamic communities and democratizing access to investment opportunities. At the same time, new technologies will increase financing opportunities and facilitate asset management for Sharia-compliant businesses. This collection of essays from selected experts in the field comprise some of the most topical issues on Islamic Fintech, combining a business focus with legal insights. The book takes as a point of departure the role that Islamic Fintech can play in promoting sustainability. The social vision of welfare improvement and justice is already embedded in Sharia’s economic rules, which makes Islamic Finance particularly well suited to bridge the gap between sustainability and funding. Although it is not without challenges for the industry, technology will help unleash its potential. With a holistic approach to Islamic Fintech, the contributing authors address the application of new technologies to Islamic Finance, including robo-advisory, crowdfunding and digital ledger technology (both in the issuance of bitcoin and the registration of securities in tokenized form) and in certain sectors such as takaful (takaful-tech) and health (e-health). Finally, they explore the challenges posed by anti-money laundering (‘AML’) in the specific realm of Islamic Fintech. The book combines theoretical analysis with a practical focus, both through case studies and directly through the experiences of leading entrepreneurs. In addition, it provides insights on legal and regulatory aspects, which are key in a field that is still in its infancy and needs support from lawmakers and regulators. It is, thus, a reference for academics, legal practitioners, policymakers, entrepreneurs and the Islamic Finance community.

Beyond Debt

Beyond Debt
Author: Daromir Rudnyckyj
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Total Pages: 272
Release: 2018-11-22
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 022655208X

Recent economic crises have made the centrality of debt, and the instability it creates, increasingly apparent. This realization has led to cries for change—yet there is little popular awareness of possible alternatives. Beyond Debt describes efforts to create a transnational economy free of debt. Based on ethnographic fieldwork in Malaysia, Daromir Rudnyckyj illustrates how the state, led by the central bank, seeks to make the country’s capital Kuala Lumpur “the New York of the Muslim world”—the central node of global financial activity conducted in accordance with Islam. Rudnyckyj shows how Islamic financial experts have undertaken ambitious experiments to create more stable economies and stronger social solidarities by facilitating risk- and profit-sharing, enhanced entrepreneurial skills, and more collaborative economic action. Building on scholarship that reveals the impact of financial devices on human activity, he illustrates how Islamic finance is deployed to fashion subjects who are at once more pious Muslims and more ambitious entrepreneurs. In so doing, Rudnyckyj shows how experts seek to create a new “geoeconomics”—a global Islamic alternative to the conventional financial network centered on New York, London, and Tokyo. A groundbreaking analysis of a timely subject, Beyond Debt tells the captivating story of efforts to re-center international finance in an emergent Islamic global city and, ultimately, to challenge the very foundations of conventional finance.

Beyond Fintech: Technology Applications For The Islamic Economy

Beyond Fintech: Technology Applications For The Islamic Economy
Author: Hazik Mohamed
Publisher: World Scientific
Total Pages: 265
Release: 2020-11-25
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9811222320

Beyond Fintech: Technology Applications for the Islamic Economy is a follow-up to the first-ever Islamic Fintech book by the author (published in 2018) that provided linkages between Islamic Finance and disruptive technologies like the blockchain. In the wake of fintech as a new trend in financial markets, the ground-breaking book stressed the relevance of Islamic finance and its implications, when enabled by fintech, towards the development of the Islamic digital economy. While the earlier work discussed the crucial innovation, structural, and institutional development for financial technologies in Islamic Finance, this new research explores the multiple applications possible in the various sectors of the economy, within and beyond finance, that can be significantly transformed. These revolutionary applications involve the integration of AI, blockchain, data analytics, and Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices for a holistic solution to tackle the bottlenecks and other issues in existing processes of traditional systems. The principles of accountability, duty, justice, and transparency are the foundation of shaping the framework in achieving good governance in all institutions — public or private, Islamic or otherwise. Technologies like AI, blockchain, and IoT devices can operationalize the transparency and accountability that is required to eradicate poverty, distribute wealth, enhance micro-, small- and large-scale initiatives for social and economic development, and thus share prosperity for a moral system that enables a more secure and sustainable economy.

Microfinance Metaverse Intervention in Changing Context

Microfinance Metaverse Intervention in Changing Context
Author: Dr. M. Sanjoy Singh, Prof. S. K. Baral
Publisher: True Sign Publishing House
Total Pages: 207
Release:
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9359885509

"Microfinance Metaverse Intervention in Changing Context" delves into the transformative intersection of microfinance and the burgeoning metaverse. As the digital realm of the metaverse expands, the book explores its profound implications on microfinance, examining how virtual banking and digital currencies are revolutionizing grassroots financial services. Beyond traditional models, microfinance institutions are now tapping into virtual economies, leveraging immersive technologies to reach underserved populations with unparalleled efficiency. The narrative seamlessly intertwines the technological nuances of the metaverse with the core principles of microfinance, offering insights into the democratization of finance in this digital age. Yet, with innovation come challenges. The book doesn't shy away from addressing the regulatory hurdles, ethical dilemmas, and socio-economic considerations that this fusion introduces. A groundbreaking exploration, it lays the foundation for understanding the next frontier in financial inclusion in our ever-evolving digital landscape.

Digital Finance in Europe: Law, Regulation, and Governance

Digital Finance in Europe: Law, Regulation, and Governance
Author: Emilios Avgouleas
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
Total Pages: 299
Release: 2021-12-20
Genre: Law
ISBN: 3110749513

Global finance is in the middle of a radical transformation fueled by innovative financial technologies. The coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the digitization of retail financial services in Europe. Institutional interest and digital asset markets are also growing blurring the boundaries between the token economy and traditional finance. Blockchain, AI, quantum computing and decentralised finance (DeFI) are setting the stage for a global battle of business models and philosophies. The post-Brexit EU cannot afford to ignore the promise of digital finance. But the Union is struggling to keep pace with global innovation hubs, particularly when it comes to experimenting with new digital forms of capital raising. Calibrating the EU digital finance strategy is a balancing act that requires a deep understanding of the factors driving the transformation, be they legal, cultural, political or economic, as well as their many implications. The same FinTech inventions that use AI, machine learning and big data to facilitate access to credit may also establish invisible barriers that further social, racial and religious exclusion. The way digital finance actors source, use, and record information presents countless consumer protection concerns. The EU’s strategic response has been years in the making and, finally, in September 2020 the Commission released a Digital Finance Package. This special issue collects contributions from leading scholars who scrutinize the challenges digital finance presents for the EU internal market and financial market regulation from multiple public policy perspectives. Author contributions adopt a critical yet constructive and solutions-oriented approach. They aim to provide policy-relevant research and ideas shedding light on the complexities of the digital finance promise. They also offer solid proposals for reform of EU financial services law.