The Stability of Islamic Finance main focus is on the question of the sources of financial instability which seems inherent in the conventional system. As a core component of this focus, the book will consider episodes of turbulence and instability in a historical context recalling the occurrence of such events from mid-19th century to the present. It will present various theoretical explanations along with solutions and alternative financial systems that avoid instability provided by various scholars dating back to mid-19th century to present. The book then will present and discuss the architecture of an Islamic financial system and show that at its core, this system shares many characteristics of an stable financial system proposed by Western scholars throughout history to avoid the inherent instability of the present dominant system. Particular emphasis will be placed on the present financial crisis and its causes as well the financial crisis of the 1997 in Southeast Asia, Russia, and Latin America relating these episodes to the fundamental features of the dominant system. The debt crisis of the low income countries will also be part of this discussion. It will then argue that these crises could be mitigated under an Islamic system or any other system with similar architecture.

The concept of risk-sharing in financial and social contracts is one of the unique features of Islamic finance. Many theoretical studies generally claim superiority of an Islamic financial system based on pure equity and participatory modes of financing, while empirical studies provide mixed results. Studies and discussions are needed to fully understand how Islamic finance could contribute to the ongoing discussion of financial stability. Against this background, this book addresses various aspects of Islamic finance and the risk-sharing mechanism contributions to the overall macroeconomic and financial stability. Undoubtedly, the findings and recommendation from this book should be of great interest not only to future academic researchers in the field of macroeconomic stability and Islamic finance, but also to policy makers and regulators who are keen on drawing lessons from Islamic finance experiences to prevent similar crisis in the future.

Islamic finance has started to grow in international finance across the globe, with some concentration in few countries. Nearly 20 percent annual growth of Islamic finance in recent years seems to point to its resilience and broad appeal, partly owing to principles that govern Islamic financial activities, including equity, participation, and ownership. In theory, Islamic finance is resilient to shocks because of its emphasis on risk sharing, limits on excessive risk taking, and strong link to real activities. Empirical evidence on the stability of Islamic banks, however, is so far mixed. While these banks face similar risks as conventional banks do, they are also exposed to idiosyncratic risks, necessitating a tailoring of current risk management practices. The macroeconomic policy implications of the rapid expansion of Islamic finance are far reaching and need careful considerations.

This paper presents country experiences with reforms to strengthen regulatory oversight of the Islamic banking sector. Based on the selected country experiences, a number of important lessons and policy options can be drawn that have implications for the stable and sound development of Islamic banking. An enabling regulatory and institutional framework and a level playing field for conventional and Islamic banks is critical for the sound and stable growth of the Islamic banking industry. The country experiences also underscore the importance of providing an enabling framework while letting market forces determine the size of the industry.

Examines the resilience of Islamic banking during the global financial crisis and lessons for risk management. Do Islamic financial institutions perform better than their conventional counterparts during periods of financial stress? To what extent do systems for managing risk have to be adapted for Islamic financial institutions, given the unique characteristics of their assets and liabilities and the need for shari'ah compliance? These issues have come to prominence since the global financial crisis of 2007-8 and the subsequent recession, and are addressed in this book. The challenges for Islamic financial institutions are explored in an international post Basel II system where banks are required to have more capital and liquidity. Governance issues are also examined, given their influence on client and investor perceptions and their ultimate implications for institutional stability and sustainability.Offers an in-depth assessment of how Islamic banks weathered the financial crisis and what lessons can be learnt. Asks whether Islamic banks are inherently more stable than conventional banks during periods of economic stress. Examines how Islamic banks manage risk, focusing on liquidity risk and the use of forward contracts to mitigate currency risk. Appraises the work of internal shari'ah audit units and the use of shari'ah reports to reduce non-compliance risks. Features case studies from the Gulf, Malaysia, the UK, Pakistan, Turkey and GCC countries.

This book focuses on current issues impacting the Islamic banking system globally. The contributions introduce readers to existing research and literature in the field and highlight areas of potential scholarly development within Islamic banking studies. The chapters are a variety of case studies, theoretical reviews, and empirical research within the world of Islamic banking. The contributions analyse new developments within Islamic banks from OIC member countries, Malaysia and the GCC. Particular attention is paid to the formative insolvency case of Arcapita Bank in chapter 6. Other chapters provide detailed discussion of the structures, marketing activities and products of Islamic banks, and contrast them with those of counterpart conventional banks. Through this edited collection, readers are given expert insight into contemporary, critical issues facing the growing sphere of Islamic banking.

Resilience and Stability A Socio-Economic Response in South East Asia (A M Venardos); Brunei: A Niche Money Market for Offshore Islamic Finance (K A Khairuddin); Legal and Regulatory Issues Concerning Islamic Finances Development in Malaysia (N N Thani & M M Hussain); Making Sense of the Fast-Growing Islamic Finance Market (T Maeda); Islamic Banks: Resilience & Stability Not Immune from Crisis (S Akhtar)); USA and Southeast Asia: Islamic Banking and Finance Development Opportunities (M Kuo); The Risk Profile of Mudaraba and Its Accounting Treatment (H S Latiff); Current Developments of Islamic Banking in Indonesia (H Hamzah); Islamic Trusts for Wealth Management (A Z Hj Abdul Rashid & K A Jamil); Islamic Capital Markets: A Growing Area for Investment (M Mahlknecht); Legal and Regulatory Changes to Promote the Development of Islamic Banking and Finance in Singapore (A Selvam); Lessons from the Pakistani Model (B Rasul); Islamic Structured Products: Issues and Challenges (A Bin Hasan); and other papers.

Consumer protection and financial literacy are essential pillars of a well functioning and stable financial system. As the global financial crisis demonstrated, inadequate attention to consumer protection and financial literacy can lead to financial instability. Though Shari’ah principles provide a strong foundation for consumer protection, the principles alone cannot provide adequate protection because not all providers are guided by ethical precepts and the practices have deviated from the principles. To safeguard the stability of the Islamic finance industry, consumer protection frameworks that cater to the specifics of Islamic financial products should be an integral part of regulatory frameworks.

This volume aims to discuss the current research, theory, methodology and applications of macropreudential regulation and policy for the Islamic financial industry. Published in cooperation with the Islamic Research and Training Institute (IRTI), this book features contributions from a workshop presented in collaboration with the University College of Bahrain (UCB) in Manama, Bahrain, aimed to bring together experts in Islamic banking and regulation and financial economics. This resulting book sheds light on how macroprudential policy may be implemented in the Islamic financial system, and indicates current challenges and their effects on economic growth, financial stability and monetary regulation. Macroprudential policy is increasingly seen as a way of dealing with the different dimensions of systemic risk. But many central banks, bank supervisors and regulators have limited experience with macroprudential tools, particularly in the Islamic financial industry. Given the complementarities between monetary policy and financial stability, it appears that central banks would always play an important role in macroprudential policy. But how should macroprudential policy best interact with monetary policy? It is becoming more pressing for the central banks to conduct monetary policy in which its conventional banking system operates side by side with Islamic banking system. This question has received increasing attention in the research literature but there is much we still need to learn. This is why new insights from research on macroprudential policy – which has gained important impetus in recent years – are so valuable. Featuring contributions on topics such as macroprudential regulation, policy, tools and instruments; governance, systematic risk, monetary policy, and bank leverage, the editors provide a collection of comprehensive research covering the most important issues on macroprudential policy and regulation for the Islamic financial industry. This volume is expected to be a significant contribution to the literature in the field of Islamic finance and evaluation of public policies to promote the development for Islamic financial industry. It is also served as a key text for students, academics, researchers, policy-makers in the field of Islamic finance.

The first book to offer comprehensive coverage of Islamic finance and banking and its applications to the rest of the world, now fully revised and updated The ongoing international financial crisis has reignited debate over the development of a risk-sharing financial system, such as that required in Shariah Law. An Introduction to Islamic Finance: Theory and Practice, Second Edition highlights the core principles of risk sharing in Islam, arguing that a risk-sharing financial system is exactly what we need to promote greater financial stability. Providing comprehensive coverage of the fundamental theory behind Islamic finance and banking, according to the core concepts of Shariah law, authors Zamir Iqbal and Abbas Mirakhor clearly explain the distinct features of an Islamic financial system and how it compares with traditional financial models. Addressing the myriad important developments that have taken place in recent years, this second edition looks to the future, addressing emerging issues sure to influence future developments in Islamic finance. Explores the unique features of an Islamic financial system, how they compare to more traditional financial systems, and how they could improve them Discusses all the most recent developments and emerging issues in Islamic finance Updated with the latest developments, trends, innovations, and statistics, this new edition features additional chapters on the financial crisis, globalization, non-bank financial institutions, and recent developments in Takaful (Islamic insurance) The first edition of An Introduction to Islamic Finance established the book as the market leader, and this newly revised and updated second edition incorporates the most recent developments in this booming financial sector, including financial stability, globalization, and non-banking financial institutions.