Edinburgh Guides to Islamic Finance is a series of short guides to key areas in Islamic finance, offering an independent academic perspective and a critical treatment. `Essential reading for those interested in having in-depth knowledge of the nature of product innovation and development in Islamic banks... Habib Ahmed offers new ideas in addressing some of the current challenges in a systematic way in this timely book.' Roszaini Haniffa, Professor of Accounting, Hull University Business School, UK Islamic banking began in the 1970s with the aim of providing financial services compatible with Islamic law. Driven by market forces, it has grown rapidly in Muslim countries and in international financial sectors. It is projected to grow at an annual rate of 15-20% and a key factor determining this future growth is the availability of new products that will satisfy the needs of various segments of society. This book shows how the principles and contracts used in Islamic banking and finance can be used to develop financial products. Starting with the basic tenets of Shari'ah and the legal and regulatory environment under which Islamic banks operate, it then discusses the more intricate issues relating to product development processes.

This book systematically studies the process of developing Islamic financial products for banks.

Islamic finance has grown exponentially since 1963 and has reached more than 70 countries around the world with the asset size of about $2.5 trillion. The Islamic financial system today comprises a sizable asset base and there is evidence of sustained demand for Islamic financial products and services in the global market, with demand outstripping supply. This book provides a new source of understanding of the Islamic financial products in view of facilitating academia, industrialists, professionals, product designers, students and policymakers globally. There is a mass of literature on Islamic finance available to the market, but very little research is found in the form of book exclusively on Islamic financial products and their structures. Thus, this book is a timely contribution to the global market with Islamic financial product solutions.

Master's Thesis from the year 2010 in the subject Business economics - Investment and Finance, grade: 1,7, Maastricht University (School of Business and Economics), course: -, language: English, abstract: 1.1 General Introduction to the Topic Islamic finance is on the march. The underlying logic is simple: All investments and services are consistent with the principles of Islamic law, called Shari’ah, which literally means ‘a clear path to be followed and observed’ (Hourani, 2004a). This clear path is followed only if profit does not stem from interest (riba), speculation (gharrar) or sectors that are considered sinful according to the Qur’an (haraam), namely everything that involves alcohol, tobacco, entertainment, gambling or pork, just to name a few. The high potential of Islamic finance is clear for three reasons. The first reason relates to the emergence of a new consumer type, as there is increased demand for a Shari’ah-compliant way of investing that stems from increased globalization. The middle class from emerging markets rose from one third to 56 percent between the 1990s and 2006 (The Economist, 2009). Many Muslim countries can be found in the list of emerging markets, such as Egypt, Pakistan and Indonesia. With the Muslim population of the world exceeding 1.5 billion people (about 21 percent of the world population) and due to the fact that it is the fastest growing religion, it becomes clear why the general conditions for Islamic finance are so favourable (Central Intelligence Agency, 2009). The second reason relates to the global trend for sustainable investment; the fact that Islamic finance is an ethical way of investing which does not invest in harmful businesses and instead donates purified gains to charity is becoming more and more attractive among non-Muslim investors as well (Global Finance, 2007). The Shari’ah aspect makes Islamic financial products an alternative to socially responsible investments (Khan, 2009). The last reason is a matter of trust; in the face of the financial crisis that began shattering the world in 2007, many investors lost confidence in the traditional banks and their practices (Reuters, 2008; CNN, 2009). Today even the Holy See states that ‘the ethic principles on which Islamic finance is based may bring banks closer to their clients and to the spirit which should mark every financial service’ (Bloomberg, 2009). According to recent estimates, IFIs could increase their assets under management from roundabout $700 billion to over $1.6 trillion in 2012 (Reuters, 2009). WICHTIG: Sämtliche Recherchetätigkeiten wurden bei in den Vereinigten Arabischen Emiraten ansässigen islamischen Banken vor Ort durchgeführt.

Product development in Islamic banking is a continuous process to keep pace with the growth of the Islamic banking industry. But the question is: what are the challenges and opportunities of it? In this paper six challenges have been identified vis a vis the opportunities have been discussed. The challenges are: (i) ensuring the maximum utilization of the principles of Shari'ah; (ii) disparity between ideal and reality; (iii) realization of Maqasid Al-Shari'ah; (iv) different interpretations of Shari'ah; (v) the reluctance of market players; and (vi) weak plan and budgetary support for product development. The opportunities show light at the end of the tunnel for those shaping the future Islamic banking. Therefore three suggestions have been made here. Those are: first, external and internal constraints inhibiting the development of Shari'ah-based products need to be alleviated. This can be done by providing an enabling institutional environment under which Islamic banks can develop products. Second, there should be a new approach to Islamic banking product innovation; research and development. Finally, a mechanism has to be introduced that creates incentives for developing the appropriate Shari'ah-based products in Islamic banking. The types of Islamic banking products shape the perceptions of customers and the community and determine the level of trust and credibility that stakeholders have for the sector in the long run.

This book provides two important contributions to existing theories in the financial innovation literature. First, it extends the existing literature of innovation orientation to a completely new field and construct that is based on a religious imperative as a framework within which financial innovation is constrained. It explains how an innovation orientation in IFIs can be directed within religious rules, which indicates that innovation orientation in IFIs is a learning philosophy. Second, the book introduces and examines the plasticity of Shariah as a shared boundary object and its dynamic role in managing tension and conflicting values in the financial innovation process. Furthermore, building on the empirical results, the study illustrates the insights that each theoretical lens affords into practices of collaboration and develops a novel analytical framework for understanding religious orientation towards financial innovation. This practical contribution, of the developed framework, could form the basis for a standardised framework for the Islamic finance industry. The book concludes by noting the policy and managerial implications of its findings and provides directions for further research.

Most books on Islamic finance and development issues are written from an academic perspective. Although academic reflection is key for future direction, dissatisfaction with previous development efforts, as evidenced by their lack of sustainability, suggests the need for a different type of review. Development work is complex and requires a detailed and transparent approach in order to ensure a cogent resolution for potential long-term issues. Each intervention area requires specific elaboration for meaningful impact. The perfect solution for one sector might be detrimental for another. Islamic finance, with its strict Riba restrictions, rules, and other checks and balances, is a good fit for infrastructure development in pursuit of sustainable development. When it comes to sustainable development, this book argues, Islamic finance has the tools to intervene for maximum impact. However, the issue of sustainability is not only related to Islamic finance; more policy discourse is needed. This requires guidance from the principles of Islamic economics, as well. This book discusses infrastructure development vis-à-vis sustainable development, drawn from decades of real-life development banking experience, and proposes impactful intervention methods based on wisdom from Islamic economics and finance.