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.

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.

This book investigates the integration of emerging technologies within Islamic finance, reconciling Islamic values with contemporary financial innovations and ensuring ethical integrity in the face of rapid digital transformation. It delves into the challenges and opportunities posed by 21st-century technological advancements, including decentralized finance and AI.

This book presents a groundbreaking exploration into the dynamic synergy between artificial intelligence and business development. Titled "AI Integration for Business Development: Navigating Opportunities, Unleashing Potential, Managing Risks," it serves as an indispensable guide for leaders and visionaries aiming to harness the transformative power of AI. The book introduces a comprehensive journey that unveils the strategic integration of AI into business development strategies. This book shows how to navigate a myriad of opportunities, strategically unleash untapped potential, and adeptly manage risks in the ever-evolving landscape of artificial intelligence. Through meticulous insights, real-world examples, and actionable strategies, readers gain the knowledge to make informed decisions and drive competitive advantage. This book presents not only a roadmap for identifying lucrative opportunities but also a blueprint for unlocking the full potential of AI technologies. Whether you are a seasoned executive, entrepreneur, or decision-maker, this book empowers you to proactively manage risks inherent in AI adoption, ensuring resilience and adaptability in your business model. Discover how to stay ahead in the rapidly changing business landscape, shaping the future of your business development initiatives. This book is your indispensable companion, offering profound insights into AI integration and empowering you to seize the transformative potential of AI. This book is your key to charting a course toward sustained success and innovation in the dynamic world of modern business.

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.

Financial Technology (Fintech) has revolutionized the financial world as one of the fastest-growing segments in both the technology and financial sectors. With the usage of underlying principles of Blockchain technology, Fintech is bringing the financial community together and making financial services accessible to everyone. Fintech has far-reaching implications for Islamic finance such as banking, investment, insurance (takaful) and wealth management, which are benefitting from this usage. This book provides a comprehensive review of how Fintech is shaping the Islamic finance industry through three key aspects: Digitalization, Development and Disruption. The book will provide insight on the Shariahtech (Fintech in line with Shariah principle) and its application in the Islamic finance industry. The book also gives an overview of Blockchain and Fintech evolution and how they act as the building blocks of the digital financial landscape. Readers of the book will also get a detailed discernment on the Islamic viewpoint on cryptocurrency as well as the application of the smart contract in different Islamic financial services. The book provides students, academics and researchers with a detailed description of the Blockchain and Fintech application in Islamic finance.

"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.

Social financial reporting as an economic tool presents the firm as a socio-economic unit with empowered social capital to enable a sustainable economic solution, particularly in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Islamic social finance (ISF) is a corporate social responsibility initiative in the form of humanitarian and socio-development programs by Islamic financial institutions and Shariah-compliant corporations. ISF is applied through various methods and tools that structure based on Islamic Sharia Law. For example, Islamic social finance tools would either be philanthropic, involving activities such as zakat (obligatory alms-giving), Sadaqah (voluntary alms-giving/charity), and waqf (endowment) or ta’awun (cooperation-based activities), which include Qardh al-hasan (benevolent loan) and kafala (guarantee). Thus, Islamic social finance instruments play a vital role in alleviating poverty and addressing socio-economic issues such as illiteracy, unemployment, malnutrition, and health issues. As such, integrated ISF reporting can empower sustainable economic development and lead to recovery. The Handbook of Research on Islamic Social Finance and Economic Recovery After a Global Health Crisis provides insights on the role of Islamic social finance in supporting and facilitating economic recovery in the post-COVID-19 era as well as reducing poverty and addressing the challenges of socio-economic problems such as education, unemployment, malnutrition, and health issues. This book is ideally intended for practitioners, stakeholders, researchers, academicians, and students who are interested in improving their understanding on the role of Islamic social finance theoretically and empirically in solving the issue of poverty and developing excellent funds management to achieve economic empowerment with better environmental sustainability.

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.