Islamic banking refers to a system of
banking or banking activity that is consistent with the principles of
Islamic law (
Sharia) and its practical application through the development of
Islamic economics. Sharia prohibits the payment or acceptance of interest fees for the lending and accepting of money respectively, (
Riba,
usury) for specific terms, as well as investing in businesses that provide goods or services considered contrary to its principles (
Haraam, forbidden). While these
principles were used as the basis for a flourishing economy in earlier times, it is only in the late 20th century that a number of Islamic banks were formed to apply these principles to
private or semi-private
commercial institutions within the Muslim community.
[edit] History of Islamic banking
[edit] Classical Islamic banking
During the
Islamic Golden Age, early forms of proto-
capitalism and
free markets were present in the
Caliphate,
[1] where an early
market economy and an early form of
mercantilism were developed between the 8th-12th centuries, which some refer to as "Islamic capitalism".
[2] A vigorous
monetary economy was created on the basis of the expanding levels of
circulation of a
stable high-value
currency (the
dinar) and the integration of
monetary areas that were previously independent.
A number of innovative concepts and techniques were introduced in early Islamic banking, including
bills of exchange, the first forms of
partnership (
mufawada) such as
limited partnerships (
mudaraba), and the earliest forms of
capital (
al-mal),
capital accumulation (
nama al-mal),
[3] cheques,
promissory notes,
[4] trusts (see
Waqf),
startup companies,
[5],
transactional accounts,
loaning,
ledgers and
assignments.
[6] Organizational enterprises similar to
corporations independent from the
state also existed in the medieval Islamic world, while the
agency institution was also introduced during that time.
[7][8] Many of these early capitalist concepts were adopted and further advanced in
medieval Europe from the 13th century onwards.
[3]
The word "Riba" means excess, increase or addition, which correctly interpreted according to Shariah terminology, implies any excess compensation without due consideration (consideration does not include time value of money). The definition of
riba in classical
Islamic jurisprudence was "
surplus value without counterpart." or "to ensure equivalency in real value" and that "numerical value was
immaterial." During this period,
gold and
silver currencies were the benchmark metals that defined the value of all other materials being traded. Applying
interest to the benchmark itself (
ex natura sua) made no logical sense as its value remained constant relative to all other materials: these metals could be added to but not created (from nothing).
Applying interest was acceptable under some circumstances. Currencies that were based on guarantees by a government to honor the stated value (i.e.
fiat currency) or based on other
materials such as
paper or
base metals were allowed to have interest applied to them.
[9] When base metal currencies were first introduced in the Islamic world, no jurist ever thought that "paying a debt in a higher number of units of this
fiat money was
riba" as they were concerned with the
real value of money (determined by weight only)
rather than the numerical
value. For example, it was acceptable for a loan of 1000 gold
dinars to be paid back as 1050 dinars of equal aggregate weight (i.e., the value in terms of weight had to be same because all makes of coins did not carry exactly similar weight).
[edit] Modern Islamic banking
The first modern experiment with Islamic banking was undertaken in
Egypt under cover without projecting an Islamic image—for fear of being seen as a manifestation of Islamic fundamentalism that was anathema to the political regime. The pioneering effort, led by Ahmad Elnaggar, took the form of a savings bank based on profit-sharing in the Egyptian town of
Mit Ghamr in 1963. This experiment lasted until 1967 (Ready 1981), by which time there were nine such banks in the country.
[10]
In 1972, the Mit Ghamr Savings project became part of Nasr Social Bank which, till date, is still in business in Egypt. In 1975, the
Islamic Development Bank was set-up with the mission to provide funding to projects in the member countries. The first modern commercial Islamic bank,
Dubai Islamic Bank, opened its doors in 1975. In the early years, the products offered were basic and strongly founded on conventional banking products, but in the last few years the industry is starting to see strong development in new products and services.
Islamic Banking is growing at a rate of 10-15% per year and with signs of consistent future growth
[11]. Islamic banks have more than 300 institutions spread over 51 countries, including the United States through companies such as the
Michigan-based
University Bank, as well as an additional 250 mutual funds that
comply with Islamic principles. It is estimated that over
US$822 billion worldwide sharia-compliant assets are managed according to
The Economist.
[12]. This represents approximately 0.5% of total world estimated assets as of 2005
[13].
The
World Islamic Banking Conference, held annually in
Bahrain since 1994, is internationally recognized as the largest and most significant gathering of Islamic banking and finance leaders in the world.
The Vatican has put forward the idea that "the principles of Islamic finance may represent a possible cure for ailing markets."
[14]
[edit] Principles
Islamic banking has the same purpose as conventional banking except that it operates in
accordance with the rules of
Shariah, known as
Fiqh al-Muamalat (Islamic rules on transactions). The basic principle of Islamic banking is the sharing of profit and loss and the prohibition of
riba (
usury). Common terms used in Islamic banking include
profit sharing (
Mudharabah), safekeeping (
Wadiah),
joint venture (
Musharakah), cost plus (
Murabahah), and
leasing (
Ijarah).
In an Islamic
mortgage transaction, instead of loaning the buyer money to purchase the item, a bank might buy the item itself from the seller, and re-sell it to the buyer at a profit, while allowing the buyer to pay the bank in installments. However, the bank's profit cannot be made explicit and therefore there are no additional penalties for late payment. In order to protect itself against default, the bank asks for strict collateral. The goods or land is registered to the name of the buyer from the start of the transaction. This arrangement is called
Murabaha. Another approach is
EIjara wa EIqtina, which is similar to real estate leasing. Islamic banks handle loans for vehicles in a similar way (selling the vehicle at a higher-than-market price to the debtor and then retaining ownership of the vehicle until the loan is paid).
An innovative approach applied by some banks for home loans, called
Musharaka al-Mutanaqisa, allows for a floating rate in the form of rental. The bank and borrower form a partnership entity, both providing capital at an agreed percentage to purchase the property. The partnership entity then rents out the property to the borrower and charges rent. The bank and the borrower will then share the proceeds from this rent based on the current equity share of the partnership. At the same time, the borrower in the partnership entity also buys the bank's share of the property at agreed installments until the full equity is transferred to the borrower and the partnership is ended. If default occurs, both the bank and the borrower receive a proportion of the proceeds from the sale of the property based on each party's current equity. This method allows for floating rates according to the current market rate such as the BLR (base lending rate), especially in a dual-banking system like in Malaysia.
There are several other approaches used in business transactions. Islamic banks lend their money to companies by issuing floating rate interest loans. The floating rate of interest is pegged to the company's individual rate of return. Thus the bank's profit on the loan is equal to a certain percentage of the company's profits. Once the principal amount of the loan is repaid, the profit-sharing arrangement is concluded. This practice is called
Musharaka. Further,
Mudaraba is
venture capital funding of an entrepreneur who provides labor while financing is provided by the bank so that both profit and risk are shared. Such participatory arrangements between
capital and
labor reflect the Islamic view that the borrower must not bear all the risk/cost of a failure, resulting in a balanced distribution of income and not allowing lender to monopolize the economy.
Islamic banking is restricted to Islamically acceptable transactions, which exclude those involving alcohol, pork, gambling, etc. The aim of this is to engage in only
ethical investing, and
moral purchasing.
In theory, Islamic banking is an example of
full-reserve banking, with banks achieving a 100%
reserve ratio.
[15] However, in practice, this is not the case, and no examples of 100 per cent reserve banking are observed.
[16]
Islamic banks have grown recently in the Muslim world but are a very small share of the global banking system.
Micro-lending institutions founded by
Muslims, notably
Grameen Bank, use conventional lending practices and are popular in some Muslim nations, especially
Bangladesh, but some do not consider them true Islamic banking. However,
Muhammad Yunus, the founder of Grameen Bank and microfinance banking, and other supporters of microfinance, argue that the lack of
collateral and lack of excessive
interest in micro-lending is consistent with the Islamic prohibition of
usury (
riba).
[17][18]
[edit] Shariah Advisory Council/Consultant
Islamic banks and banking institutions that offer Islamic banking products and services (IBS banks) are required to establish a Shariah Supervisory Board (SSB) to advise them and to ensure that the operations and activities of the bank comply with Shariah principles. On the other hand, there are also those who believe that no form of banking can ever comply with the Shariah.
[19]
In Malaysia, the National Shariah Advisory Council, which additionally set up at
Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), advises BNM on the Shariah aspects of the operations of these institutions and on their products and services. (See:
Islamic banking in Malaysia). In Indonesia the Ulama Council serves a similar purpose.
A number of Shariah advisory firms (either standalone or subsidiaries of larger financial groups) have now emerged to offer Shariah advisory services to the institutions offering Islamic financial services. Issue of independence, impartiality and conflicts of interest have also been recently voiced.
[edit] Islamic financial transaction terminology
[edit] Bai' al-inah (sale and buy-back agreement)
The financier sells an asset to the customer on a deferred-payment basis, and then the asset is immediately repurchased by the financier for cash at a discount. The buying back agreement allows the bank to assume ownership over the asset in order to protect against default without explicitly charging interest in the event of late payments or insolvency. Some scholars believe that this is not compliant with Shariah principles.
[20][21] There is an another definition of this bai as per the Imam ibn-e-Hijam if three persons are involved in this Sale (buy back finance) than, this bai Inah change into bai Tawarruq. He defines this bai as ; suppose Zhaid is in need of 2000 Rs, and he(Zhaid)goes to Jamshed for 2000Rs,In answer to this Jamshed says I will not give u qard (Loan)instead u can buy this item for Rs 2500 from me,so Zhaid buys this item from Jamshed for Rs 2500,immediately Aslam (3rd)person buys the same item from Zhaid for Rs 2000 and take the possession of the item and handover the item to Seller i.e (Jamshed) the amount which is due to be paid to Zhaid by Aslam is now referred to seller no 1 i.e Jamshed , Jamshed after receiving back the same item from Aslam(which was sold to Zhaid for 2500)pays Zhaid Rs 2000 and writes Rs 2500 in his book against Zhaid.In this way Jamshed earns a interest of Rs 500 This is termed as bai Tawarruq .
[edit] Bai' bithaman ajil (deferred payment sale)
This concept refers to the sale of goods on a deferred payment basis at a price, which includes a profit margin agreed to by both parties. This is similar to Murabahah, except that the debtor makes only a single installment on the maturity date of the loan. By the application of a
discount rate, an Islamic bank can collect the market rate of interest
[edit] Bai muajjal (credit sale)
Literally
bai muajjal means a credit sale. Technically, it is a financing technique adopted by Islamic banks that takes the form of murabaha muajjal. It is a contract in which the bank earns a profit margin on the purchase price and allows the buyer to pay the price of the commodity at a future date in a lump sum or in installments. It has to expressly mention cost of the commodity and the margin of profit is mutually agreed. The price fixed for the commodity in such a transaction can be the same as the spot price or higher or lower than the spot price. (Deferred-payment sale)
[edit] Musharakah
Musharakah is an arrangement or agreement between the bank, or a capital provider, and an entrepreneur, whereby the entrepreneur can mobilize the funds of the former for its business activity. The entrepreneur provides expertise, labor and management. Profits made are shared between the bank and the entrepreneur according to predetermined ratio. In case of loss, the bank loses the capital, while the entrepreneur loses his provision of labor. It is this financial risk, according to the Shariah, that justifies the bank's claim to part of the profit.
[22] The profit-sharing continues until the loan is repaid. The bank is compensated for the time value of its money in the form of a floating rate that is pegged to the debtor's profits.
[citation needed]
[edit] Mudarabah
"Mudarabah" is a special kind of partnership where one partner gives money to another for investing it in a commercial enterprise. The investment comes from the first partner who is called "rabb-ul-mal", while the management and work is an exclusive responsibility of the other, who is called "mudarib".
[edit] Murabaha
This concept refers to the sale of goods at a price, which includes a profit margin agreed to by both parties. The purchase and selling price, other costs, and the profit margin must be clearly stated at the time of the sale agreement. The bank is compensated for the time value of its money in the form of the profit margin. This is a fixed-income loan for the purchase of a real asset (such as real estate or a vehicle), with a fixed rate of profit determined by the profit margin. The bank is not compensated for the time value of money outside of the contracted term (i.e., the bank cannot charge additional profit on late payments); however, the asset remains as a mortgage with the bank until the default is settled.
This type of transaction is similar to
rent-to-own arrangements for furniture or appliances that are very common in
North American stores.
[edit] Musawamah
Musawamah is the negotiation of a selling price between two parties without reference by the seller to either costs or asking price. While the seller may or may not have full knowledge of the cost of the item being negotiated, they are under no obligation to reveal these costs as part of the negotiation process. This difference in obligation by the seller is the key distinction between Murabaha and Musawamah with all other rules as described in Murabaha remaining the same. Musawamah is the most common type of trading negotiation seen in Islamic commerce.
[edit] Bai salam
Bai salam means a contract in which advance payment is made for goods to be delivered later on. The seller undertakes to supply some specific goods to the buyer at a future date in exchange of an advance price fully paid at the time of contract. It is necessary that the quality of the commodity intended to be purchased is fully specified leaving no ambiguity leading to dispute. The objects of this sale are goods and cannot be gold, silver, or currencies based on these metals. Barring this, Bai Salam covers almost everything that is capable of being definitely described as to quantity, quality, and workmanship.
[edit] Basic features and conditions of Salam
- The transaction is considered Salam if the buyer has paid the purchase price to the seller in full at the time of sale. This is necessary so that the buyer can show that they are not entering into debt with a second party in order to eliminate the debt with the first party, an act prohibited under Sharia. The idea of Salam is to provide a mechanism that ensures that the seller has the liquidity they expected from entering into the transaction in the first place. If the price were not paid in full, the basic purpose of the transaction would have been defeated. Muslim jurists are unanimous in their opinion that full payment of the purchase price is key for Salam to exist. Imam Malik is also of the opinion that the seller may defer accepting the funds from the buyer for two or three days, but this delay should not form part of the agreement.
- Salam can be effected in those commodities only the quality and quantity of which can be specified exactly. The things whose quality or quantity is not determined by specification cannot be sold through the contract of salam. For example, precious stones cannot be sold on the basis of salam, because every piece of precious stones is normally different from the other either in its quality or in its size or weight and their exact specification is not generally possible.
- Salam cannot be effected on a particular commodity or on a product of a particular field or farm. For example, if the seller undertakes to supply the wheat of a particular field, or the fruit of a particular tree, the salam will not be valid, because there is a possibility that the crop of that particular field or the fruit of that tree is destroyed before delivery, and, given such possibility, the delivery remains uncertain. The same rule is applicable to every commodity the supply of which is not certain.
- It is necessary that the quality of the commodity (intended to be purchased through salam) is fully specified leaving no ambiguity which may lead to a dispute. All the possible details in this respect must be expressly mentioned.
- It is also necessary that the quantity of the commodity is agreed upon in unequivocal terms. If the commodity is quantified in weights according to the usage of its traders, its weight must be determined, and if it is quantified through measures, its exact measure should be known. What is normally weighed cannot be quantified in measures and vice versa.
- The exact date and place of delivery must be specified in the contract.
- Salam cannot be effected in respect of things which must be delivered at spot. For example, if gold is purchased in exchange of silver, it is necessary, according to Shari'ah, that the delivery of both be simultaneous. Here, salam cannot work. Similarly, if wheat is bartered for barley, the simultaneous delivery of both is necessary for the validity of sale. Therefore the contract of salam in this case is not allowed.
[edit] Hibah (gift)
This is a token given voluntarily by a debtor to a creditor in return for a loan. Hibah usually arises in practice when Islamic banks voluntarily pay their customers a 'gift' on savings account balances, representing a portion of the profit made by using those savings account balances in other activities.
It is important to note that while it appears similar to interest, and may, in effect, have the same outcome, Hibah is a voluntary payment made (or not made) at the bank's discretion, and cannot be 'guaranteed.' However, the opportunity of receiving high Hibah will draw in customers' savings, providing the bank with capital necessary to create its profits; if the ventures are profitable, then some of those profits may be gifted back to its customers as Hibah.
[23]
[edit] Ijarah
Ijarah means lease, rent or wage. Generally, Ijarah concept means selling the benefit of use or service for a fixed price or wage. Under this concept, the Bank makes available to the customer the use of service of assets / equipments such as plant, office automation, motor vehicle for a fixed period and price.
[edit] Advantages of Ijarah
Ijarah provides the following advantages to the Lessee:
Ijarah conserves the Lessee' capital since it allows up to 100% financing.
Ijarah gives the Lessee the right to access the equipment on payment of the first installment. This is important as it is the access and use (and not ownership) of equipment that generates income.
Ijarah arrangements aid corporate planning and budgeting by allowing the negotiation of flexible terms
Ijarah is not considered Debt Financing so it does not appear on the Lessee' Balance Sheet as a Liability. This method of "off-balance-sheet" financing means that it is not included in the Debt Ratios used by bankers to determine financing limits. This allows the Lessee to enter into other lease financing arrangements without impacting his overall debt rating.
All payments towards Ijarah contracts are treated as operating expenses and are therefore fully tax-deductible. Leasing thus offers tax-advantages to for-profit operations.
Many types of equipment (i.e computers) become obsolete before the end of their actual economic life. Ijarah contracts allow the transfer of risk from the Lesse to the Lessor in exchange for a higher lease rate. This higher rate can be viewed as insurance against obsolescence.
If the equipment is used for a relatively short period of time, it may be more profitable to lease than to buy.
If the equipment is used for a short period but has a very poor resale value, leasing avoids having to account for and depreciate the equipment under normal accounting principles.
[edit] Ijarah thumma al bai' (hire purchase)
Parties enter into contracts that come into effect serially, to form a complete lease/ buyback transaction. The first contract is an
Ijarah that outlines the terms for leasing or renting over a fixed period, and the second contract is a
Bai that triggers a sale or purchase once the term of the Ijarah is complete. For example, in a car financing facility, a customer enters into the first contract and leases the car from the owner (bank) at an agreed amount over a specific period. When the lease period expires, the second contract comes into effect, which enables the customer to purchase the car at an agreed to price.
The bank generates a profit by determining in advance the cost of the item, its residual value at the end of the term and the time value or profit margin for the money being invested in purchasing the product to be leased for the intended term. The combining of these three figures becomes the basis for the contract between the Bank and the client for the initial lease contract.
This type of transaction is similar to the
contractum trinius, a legal maneuver used by European bankers and merchants during the Middle Ages to sidestep the Church's prohibition on interest bearing loans. In a contractum, two parties would enter into three concurrent and interrelated legal contracts, the net effect being the paying of a fee for the use of money for the term of the loan. The use of concurrent interrelated contracts is also prohibited under Shariah Law.
[edit] Ijarah-wal-iqtina
A contract under which an
Islamic bank provides equipment, building, or other assets to the client against an agreed rental together with a unilateral undertaking by the bank or the client that at the end of the lease period, the ownership in the asset would be transferred to the lessee. The undertaking or the promise does not become an integral part of the lease contract to make it conditional. The rentals as well as the purchase price are fixed in such manner that the bank gets back its principal sum along with profit over the period of lease.
[edit] Musharakah (joint venture)
Musharakah is a relationship between two parties or more, of whom contribute capital to a business, and divide the net profit and loss pro rata. This is often used in investment projects, letters of credit, and the purchase or real estate or property. In the case of real estate or property, the bank assess an
imputed rent and will share it as agreed in advance.
[22] All providers of capital are entitled to participate in management, but not necessarily required to do so. The profit is distributed among the partners in pre-agreed ratios, while the loss is borne by each partner strictly in proportion to respective capital contributions. This concept is distinct from fixed-income investing (i.e. issuance of loans).
[citation needed]
[edit] Qard hassan/ Qardul hassan (good loan/benevolent loan)
This is a loan extended on a goodwill basis, and the debtor is only required to repay the amount borrowed. However, the debtor may, at his or her discretion, pay an extra amount beyond the principal amount of the loan (without promising it) as a token of appreciation to the creditor. In the case that the debtor does not pay an extra amount to the creditor, this transaction is a true interest-free loan. Some Muslims consider this to be the only type of loan that does not violate the prohibition on riba, since it is the one type of loan that truly does not compensate the creditor for the time value of money.
[24]
[edit] Sukuk (Islamic bonds)
Sukuk is the Arabic name for a financial certificate but can be seen as an Islamic equivalent of bond. However, fixed-income, interest-bearing bonds are not permissible in Islam. Hence, Sukuk are securities that comply with the Islamic law (
Shariah) and its investment principles, which prohibit the charging or paying of interest. Financial assets that comply with the Islamic law can be classified in accordance with their tradability and non-tradability in the secondary markets.
[edit] Takaful (Islamic insurance)
Takaful is an alternative form of cover that a Muslim can avail himself against the risk of loss due to misfortunes. Takaful is based on the idea that what is uncertain with respect to an individual may cease to be uncertain with respect to a very large number of similar individuals. Insurance by combining the risks of many people enables each individual to enjoy the advantage provided by the
law of large numbers. See Takaful for details.
[edit] Wadiah (safekeeping)
In
Wadiah, a bank is deemed as a keeper and trustee of funds. A person deposits funds in the bank and the bank guarantees refund of the entire amount of the deposit, or any part of the outstanding amount, when the depositor demands it. The depositor, at the bank's discretion, may be rewarded with
Hibah (see above) as a form of appreciation for the use of funds by the bank.
[edit] Wakalah (power of attorney)
This occurs when a person appoints a representative to undertake transactions on his/her behalf, similar to a
power of attorney.
[edit] Islamic equity funds
Islamic investment equity funds market is one of the fastest-growing sectors within the Islamic financial system. Currently, there are approximately 100 Islamic equity funds worldwide. The total assets managed through these funds currently exceed US$5 billion and is growing by 12–15% per annum. With the continuous interest in the Islamic financial system, there are positive signs that more funds will be launched. Some Western majors have just joined the fray or are thinking of launching similar Islamic equity products.
Despite these successes, this market has seen a record of poor marketing as emphasis is on products and not on addressing the needs of investors. Over the last few years, quite a number of funds have closed down. Most of the funds tend to target high net worth individuals and corporate institutions, with minimum investments ranging from US$50,000 to as high as US$1 million. Target markets for Islamic funds vary, some cater for their local markets, e.g., Malaysia and Gulf-based investment funds. Others clearly target the Middle East and Gulf regions, neglecting local markets and have been accused of failing to serve Muslim communities.
Since the launch of Islamic equity funds in the early 1990s, there has been the establishment of credible equity benchmarks by Dow Jones Islamic market index (
Dow Jones Indexes pioneered Islamic investment indexing in 1999) and the FTSE Global Islamic Index Series. The Web site failaka.com monitors the performance of Islamic equity funds and provide a comprehensive list of the Islamic funds worldwide.
[edit] Islamic laws on trading
The
Qur'an prohibits
gambling (games of chance involving money) and insuring ones' health or property (also considered a game of chance). The
hadith, in addition to prohibiting gambling (games of chance), also prohibits
bayu al-gharar (trading in risk, where the
Arabic word
gharar is taken to mean "risk" or excessive uncertainty).
The
Hanafi madhab (legal school) in Islam defines
gharar as "that whose consequences are hidden." The
Shafi legal school defined
gharar as "that whose nature and consequences are hidden" or "that which admits two possibilities, with the less desirable one being more likely." The
Hanbali school defined it as "that whose consequences are unknown" or "that which is undeliverable, whether it exists or not."
Ibn Hazm of the
Zahiri school wrote "
Gharar is where the buyer does not know what he bought, or the seller does not know what he sold." The modern scholar of Islam, Professor Mustafa Al-Zarqa, wrote that "Gharar is the sale of probable items whose existence or characteristics are not certain, due to the risky nature that makes the trade similar to gambling." There are a number of
hadith that forbid trading in
gharar, often giving specific examples of
gharhar transactions (e.g., selling the birds in the sky or the fish in the water, the catch of the diver, an unborn calf in its mother's womb etc.). Jurists have sought many complete definitions of the term. They also came up with the concept of
yasir (minor risk); a financial transaction with a minor risk is deemed to be
halal (permissible) while trading in non-minor risk (
bayu al-ghasar) is deemed to be
haram.
[25]
What
gharar is, exactly, was never fully decided upon by the Muslim jurists. This was mainly due to the complication of having to decide what is and is not a minor risk. Derivatives instruments (such as stock options) have only become common relatively recently. Some Islamic banks do provide
brokerage services for stock trading.
[edit] Microfinance
Microfinance is a key concern for Muslims states and recently Islamic banks also. Islamic microfinance tools can enhance security of tenure and contribute to transformation of lives of the poor.
[26] Already, several microfinance institutions (MFIs) such as
FINCA Afghanistan have introduced Islamic-compliant financial instruments that accommodate sharia criteria.
[edit] Controversy
In
Islamabad,
Pakistan, on June 16, 2004: Members of leading
Islamist political party in Pakistan, the
Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) party, staged a protest walkout from the
National Assembly of Pakistan against what they termed derogatory remarks by a minority member on
interest banking:
Taking part in the budget debate, M.P. Bhindara, a minority MNA [Member of the National Assembly]...referred to a decree by an Al-Azhar University's scholar that bank interest was not un-Islamic. He said without interest the country could not get foreign loans and could not achieve the desired progress. A pandemonium broke out in the house over his remarks as a number of MMA members...rose from their seats in protest and tried to respond to Mr Bhindara's observations. However, they were not allowed to speak on a point of order that led to their walkout.... Later, the opposition members were persuaded by a team of ministers...to return to the house...the government team accepted the right of the MMA to respond to the minority member's remarks.... Sahibzada Fazal Karim said the Council of Islamic ideology had decreed that interest in all its forms was haram in an Islamic society. Hence, he said, no member had the right to negate this settled issue.[27]
Some Islamic banks charge for the
time value of money, the common economic definition of
Interest (
Riba). These institutions are criticized in some quarters of the Muslim community for their lack of strict adherence to Sharia.
The concept of Ijarah is used by some Islamic Banks (the Islami Bank in Bangladesh, for example) to apply to the use of money instead of the more accepted application of supplying goods or services using money as a vehicle. A fixed fee is added to the amount of the loan that must be paid to the bank regardless if the loan generates a return on investment or not. The reasoning is that if the amount owed does not change over time, it is profit and not interest and therefore acceptable under Sharia.
Islamic banks are also criticized by some for not applying the principle of Mudarabah in an acceptable manner. Where Mudarabah stresses the sharing of risk, critics point out that these banks are eager to take part in profit-sharing but they have little tolerance for risk. To some in the Muslim community, these banks may be conforming to the strict legal interpretations of Sharia but avoid recognizing the intent that made the law necessary in the first place.
[citation needed]
The majority of Islamic banking clients are found in the Gulf states and in developed countries. With 60% of muslims living in poverty, Islamic banking is of little benefit to the general population. The majority of financial institutions that offer Islamic banking services are majority owned by Non-Muslims. With Muslims working within these organizations being employed in the marketing of these services and having little input into the actual day to day management, the veracity of these institutions and their services are viewed with suspicion. One Malaysian Bank offering Islamic based investment funds was found to have the majority of these funds invested in the gaming industry; the managers administering these funds were non muslim.
[28] These types of stories contribute to the general impression within the muslim populance that islamic banking is simply another means for banks to increase profits through growth of deposits and that only the rich derive benefits from inplementation of Islamic Banking principles.
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