Islamic economics and finance has recently enjoyed a spike in interest and a rise in status from theology-tinged discussion fodder for Muslim intellectuals to a fully fledged academic discipline knocking on the doors of university social science departments. The Handbook of Empirical Research on Islam and Economic Life provides a solid background and overview of current empirical research, evaluating how well Islamic institutions have performed in pursuing their objectives. With contributions from leading scholars, this unique Handbook provides chapters examining a range of phenomena in Islamic finance, focusing on five main research areas: religion and growth, Islamic social finance, Islamic banking and finance, Islamic capital market and Sukuk (Islamic bonds). This selection of research literature provides: - a socio-economic profile of Muslim countries - an outline of Islamic systems of accounting and governance - an analysis of the religion-development link - a consideration of the role of the state under Islam. Scholars of finance and Islam in Muslim and in Western universities, students in graduate and post-graduate courses in Islamic studies, and Islamic research institutes and libraries in Western, Middle Eastern and Asian universities will all find great value in this vital resource and its exploration of a compelling approach to finance. Contributors include: A.U.F. Ahmad, M.S. Akhtar, E. Aksak, M.A.M. Al JanabiIhsan Isik, N. Alam, F. Alqahtani, S.O. Alhabshi, C. Aloui, S.B. Anceaur, D. Ashraf, M. Asutay, A.F. Aysan, O. Bacha, A. Barajas, M. Bekri, C. De Anca, G. Dewandaru, M. Disli, A.O. El Aloui, M. Farooq, K. Gazdar, R. Grassa, H.B. Hamida, M.K. Hassan, R. Hayat, C.M. Henry, J. Howe, M.H. Ibrahim, M. Jahrom, K. Jouaber-Snoussi, F. Kamarudin, M. Khawaja, H. Khan, K. Khan, O. Krasicka, M.T. Majeed, N.A.K. Malim, M. Masih, A. Massara, D.G. Mayes, A.K.M. Meera, M. Mehri, C. Mertzanis, H.S. Min, M.A. Mobin, Y.A. Nainggolan, M. Naseri, A.M. Nassir, A. Ng, S. Nowak, M.S. Nurzaman, M. Omran, H. Ozturk, M. Rashid, M.E.S.M. Rashid, R.M. Shafi, A. Shah, N.S. Shirazi, F. Sufian, G.M.W. Ullah, P. Verhoeven, L. Weill, S. Zaheer, S.R.S.M. Zain, A. Zarka

Spiritual masters through the ages have devised methods different than those of science for investigating the great mystery of nature by, for example, immersing themselves in it, making use of silence, stillness, and solitude. The scientific and spiritual quests have been the two great quests of humanity, but somehow a feeling has developed that science is antagonistic to spirituality. Since the whole of reality is built up of both matter and consciousness, why should the quest for the understanding of order in the external world be antagonistic to the quest for the understanding of order in the inner world of our consciousness? Science and Spirituality for a Sustainable World brings together theories, methodologies, new ideas, experiences, and applications emphasizing the importance of both spirituality and skill for leadership and sustainable management, sensitizing leaders and management practitioners toward the spirituality-skill paradigm, skill-based leadership, and highlighting the role of spiritual values for environmental sustainability. Featuring a wide range of topics that focus on the relationship between spirituality and science such as spiritual education, management practices, and traditional wisdom, this book is essential for researchers, academicians, administrators, managers, professionals, policymakers, and students.