Zakat, being the third pillar of Islam, is an act of worship fulfilled by Muslims. As an obligatory means of alms giving expected of Muslims, it also helps to alleviate poverty in society by assisting such individuals to achieve a state of financial independence. It is maintained by Muslims that the principles of zakat derived from the Sharia is expected to remain unchanged with passing time. However, in order to achieve efficiency in the administration of zakat, innovation and technology can be used even within the parameters of Sharia. For students and researchers studying Islamic economics and zakat, it is hard to obtain the contemporary application of zakat from one single textbook as the books available in the market focus on elaborating the fiqh or jurisprudence of zakat. As such, the objective of this textbook is to provide the opportunity to learn the basics of zakat and its contemporary application by highlighting the innovative practices of zakat with issues and challenges.

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

This book focuses on forward lease sukuk, which is one of the most viable and dynamic Shari'ah-compliant instruments in the Islamic capital market. The idea of forward lease sukuk is to raise funds from non-existent assets whose subject matter does not exist at the time of the sukuk issuance. This book discusses the significant features of forward lease sukuk and demonstrates its vital contribution to project construction and manufacturing within the expanding field of Islamic finance.

The book is a collection of chapters discussing the Sustainable Development Goals in the broader context of Islamic finance along with mapping the SDGs with Maqasid Al-Shariah. It provides a framework for both Muslim and non-Muslim countries to develop a sustainable economy which encompasses not only the concept of the welfare state but also supports development-related activities, ensures financial inclusion through equal distribution of wealth and alleviation of poverty, and protects the overall environmental and ecological system. More specifically, this book explores various aspects of Islamic finance in relation to parameters of SDGs; restructuring of Islamic finance and connecting its dots in the light of SDGs; Islamic perspective on ESG and ecological quality; interest-free tools and modernization of Islamic financial institutions for sustainable development and economic stability; and the role of Islamic finance in infrastructure-related development activities. Consistent with the view that SDGs are embedded within the theme of Islamic finance, this book is specifically designed to meet the needs of key regulatory institutions, academic scholars, and industry practitioners both in the field of Islamic finance and sustainable finance.

This book discusses the idea that there is a specific Islamic form of entrepreneurship. Based on extensive original research amongst small and medium sized enterprises in Saudi Arabia, it shows how businesses are started and how they grow in the context of an Islamic economy and society. It argues that as specific Islamic approaches to a wide range of economic activities are being formulated and implemented, there is indeed a particular Islamic approach to entrepreneurship.

Examining the relationship between Islamic values and entrepreneurial activity, the book considers whether such values can be more effectively used in order to raise the profile of Islamic entrepreneurship, and also to promote alternatives to development in the contemporary business environment. The book analyses the nature of entrepreneurship, and the special qualities of Islamic entrepreneurship, and discusses how the Islamic approach to entrepreneurship can be encouraged and developed further still

The Handbook of Islamic Banking comprises 25 studies by leading international experts on Islamic banking and finance specially commissioned to analyse the various debates and the current state of play in the field.From its origins thirty years ago, Islamic banking has expanded rapidly to become a distinctive and fast growing segment of the international banking and capital markets. Despite this expansion, Islamic banking still remains poorly understood in many parts of the Muslim world and continues to be a mystery in much of the West. This comprehensive Handbook provides a succinct analysis of the workings of Islamic banking and finance, accessible to a wide range of readers. At the same time, it seeks to bring the current research agenda and the main issues on Islamic banking before a wider audience. Islamic banking offers, as an alternative to conventional interest-based financing methods, a wide variety of financial instruments and investment vehicles based on profit-and-loss sharing arrangements. These are all explored in detail along with other subjects such as governance and risk management, securities and investment, structured financing, accounting and regulation, economic development and globalization. M. Kabir Hassan, Mervyn Lewis and the other contributors have created an authoritative and original reference work, which will contribute to a wider understanding of Islamic banking as well as provoking further discussion and research. It will be invaluable to all scholars, researchers and policymakers with an interest in this subject.

It is said that the COVID-19 pandemic has turned back the poverty clock. As such, there is a need to have social mechanisms put in place to provide relief to those who are affected in this regard. Islamic social finance consists of tools and institutions that could be used to alleviate poverty. This book explores the impact of COVID-19 on Islamic finance to better understand the effectiveness of Islamic social finance in helping those who have been affected by poverty overnight due to the halt in all major economic activities in the context of the pandemic. Since the struggle against poverty in each country will be different, the book attempts to shed light on the experiences of different countries by presenting successful models of Islamic social finance. The book first looks at poverty and COVID-19 before delving into the role of Islamic social financial institutions and how they have risen against COVID-19. The book concludes by examining the impact of COVID-19 on Islamic microfinance. This book is the first of its kind on the subject of COVID-19, and it intends to bridge the gap in the literature.

This book provides a comprehensive analysis of Waqf management and its impact on socio-economic development, specifically financial inclusion and sustainable development as well as of the legal issues in Waqf management in IsDB member countries and jurisdictions. It explores various aspects of Waqf management in IsDB member countries/jurisdictions as well as in non-Muslim majority countries such as Waqf regulation, its modernization, and relationship to Maqasid Al-Shari'ah; performance of Waqf activities; time and activity-wise distribution of Waqf resource management; the antecedents and consequences of Waqf assets (both physical and cash); the strategies and models to promote Waqf related activities for greater socio-economic development; good governance practices through the formulation of informed policies for Waqf projects, among others. Comprising different issues and perspectives adopted by various researchers, the work is specifically designed to meet the needs of academics and industry practitioners in the field of Islamic finance.

This book explores the various aspects of Waqf management in IsDB member countries/jurisdictions as well as in non-Muslim majority countries. Topics covered include Waqf regulation, its modernization and relationship to Maqasid Al-Shari'ah; performance of Waqf activities; time and activity-wise distribution of Waqf resource management; the antecedents and consequences of Waqf assets (both physical and cash); the strategies and models to promote Waqf-related activities for greater socio-economic development; good governance practices through the formulation of informed policies for Waqf projects; the confluence of Waqf, zakah, charity, and Islamic microfinance impacting socio-economic development and so on. Comprising different issues and perspectives adopted by various authors/researchers, the book is specifically designed to meet the needs of academics and industry practitioners in the field of Islamic finance to provide general and Shari'ah guidelines on the emerging issues within the subject.

* A useful guide to financial product modeling and to minimizing business risk and uncertainty * Looks at wide range of financial assets and markets and correlates them with enterprises' profitability * Introduces advanced and novel machine learning techniques in finance such as Support Vector Machine, Neural Networks, Random Forest, K-Nearest Neighbors, Extreme Learning Machine, Deep Learning Approaches and applies them to analyze finance data sets * Real world applicable examples to further understanding

It is said that the COVID-19 pandemic has turned back the poverty clock. As such, there is a need to have social mechanisms put in place to provide relief to those who are affected in this regard. Islamic social finance consists of tools and institutions that could be used to alleviate poverty. This book explores the impact of COVID-19 on Islamic finance to better understand the effectiveness of Islamic social finance in helping those who have been affected by poverty overnight due to the halt in all major economic activities in the context of the pandemic. Since the struggle against poverty in each country will be different, the book attempts to shed light on the experiences of different countries by presenting successful models of Islamic social finance. The book first looks at poverty and COVID-19 before delving into the role of Islamic social financial institutions and how they have risen against COVID-19. The book concludes by examining the impact of COVID-19 on Islamic microfinance. This book is the first of its kind on the subject of COVID-19, and it intends to bridge the gap in the literature.

This volume presents carefully selected research by reputed scholars on diverse topics dealing with the economic life of Muslims. The book provides a perspective not only on key aspects of the moral economy but also on the behaviour and expectations of economic agents. The distinguished editors have made a valuable contribution by expanding the scope of typical Islamic economics literature and by including topics dealing with the day-to-day life of Muslim society.' - Zamir Iqbal, The World Bank Global Center for Islamic Finance DevelopmentAccording to the most recent Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, nearly one in four people in the world are Muslim. In light of these numbers, Handbook on Islam and Economic Life is one of the first books to consider Islam within a broader economic sphere by focusing on the ways in which Islam shapes and interacts with the economy. With contributions from leading scholars, this unique Handbook explores how Islam impinges upon and seeks to condition major aspects of economic life including economic organization, business and management, finance and investment, charity, mutuality and self-help, and government. It concludes by analyzing the link between religion and development, the present economic circumstances in Arab countries and the vexed issue of the origins and causes of underdevelopment in Muslim countries. Covering a breadth of topics and research, this book will be essential reading for academics in both Muslim and western universities, graduates and postgraduates of Islamic studies as well as Islamic and other research institutes. Contributors include: B.A. Al-Foul, A.A. Adeyemi, H. Ahmed, T.A. Alias, M. Ariff, M. Chaudry, M. Cizakca, H. Furqani, I.H. Genc, R. Haniffa, M.K. Hassan, M. Hudaib, Z. Iqbal, A.A. Islahi, A.G. Ismail, A.A. Jobst, M. Kahf, M. Khan, S. Kostyshak, M.A. Laldin, M.K. Lewis, N.A. Muhamed, G. Naufal, V. Nienhaus, U.A. Oseni, B.T. Possumah, J.E. Rauch C.E. Regenstein, J.M. Regenstein, M.N. Riaz, J. Rubin, M. Safari, M.N. Siddiqi, S.A. Siddiqui, A. Subhani, R. Wilson, O. Yousfi, A. Zaman

* A useful guide to financial product modeling and to minimizing business risk and uncertainty * Looks at wide range of financial assets and markets and correlates them with enterprises' profitability * Introduces advanced and novel machine learning techniques in finance such as Support Vector Machine, Neural Networks, Random Forest, K-Nearest Neighbors, Extreme Learning Machine, Deep Learning Approaches and applies them to analyze finance data sets * Real world applicable examples to further understanding

Throughout the industry, financial institutions seek to eliminate cumbersome authentication methods, such as PINs, passwords, and security questions, as these antiquated tactics prove increasingly weak. Thus, many organizations now aim to implement emerging technologies in an effort to validate identities with greater certainty. The near instantaneous nature of online banking, purchases, transactions, and payments puts tremendous pressure on banks to secure their operations and procedures. In order to reduce the risk of human error in financial domains, expert systems are seen to offer a great advantage in big data environments. Besides their efficiency in quantitative analysis such as profitability, banking management, and strategic financial planning, expert systems have successfully treated qualitative issues including financial analysis, investment advisories, and knowledge-based decision support systems. Due to the increase in financial applications' size, complexity, and number of components, it is no longer practical to anticipate and model all possible interactions and data processing in these applications using the traditional data processing model. The emergence of new research areas is clear evidence of the rise of new demands and requirements of modern real-life applications to be more intelligent. This book provides an exhaustive review of the roles of expert systems within the financial sector, with particular reference to big data environments. In addition, it offers a collection of high-quality research that addresses broad challenges in both theoretical and application aspects of intelligent and expert systems in finance. The book serves to aid the continued efforts of the application of intelligent systems that respond to the problem of big data processing in a smart banking and financial environment.

Most existing texts covering topics in Islamic finance discuss the potential of Islamic banking; very few talk about other forms of financing and the investment activities of Islamic firms from the standpoint of owners and managers. This book fills this gap by looking at the traditional as well as non-traditional financing and investment activities of shariah-compliant companies. The chapters in this edited text offer a full range of topics on corporate finance for Islamic firms, including global comparisons of shariah screening, dividend policy and capital structure of Islamic firms, details of global Islamic equity markets, trends and performance of sukuk markets, and a brief account of derivative securities that can be used in Islamic finance. This is a useful reference for anyone who wishes to learn more about the performance of shariah-compliant companies vis-a-vis conventional firms. The book includes both technical and non-technical information that would be suitable for classroom teaching as well as a reference for postgraduate research students.

The Handbook of Islamic Banking comprises 25 studies by leading international experts on Islamic banking and finance specially commissioned to analyse the various debates and the current state of play in the field.From its origins thirty years ago, Islamic banking has expanded rapidly to become a distinctive and fast growing segment of the international banking and capital markets. Despite this expansion, Islamic banking still remains poorly understood in many parts of the Muslim world and continues to be a mystery in much of the West. This comprehensive Handbook provides a succinct analysis of the workings of Islamic banking and finance, accessible to a wide range of readers. At the same time, it seeks to bring the current research agenda and the main issues on Islamic banking before a wider audience. Islamic banking offers, as an alternative to conventional interest-based financing methods, a wide variety of financial instruments and investment vehicles based on profit-and-loss sharing arrangements. These are all explored in detail along with other subjects such as governance and risk management, securities and investment, structured financing, accounting and regulation, economic development and globalization. M. Kabir Hassan, Mervyn Lewis and the other contributors have created an authoritative and original reference work, which will contribute to a wider understanding of Islamic banking as well as provoking further discussion and research. It will be invaluable to all scholars, researchers and policymakers with an interest in this subject.

There has been a rapid increase in the interest in the study of Islamic finance, resulting in a dramatic rise in financing since the beginning of the century. By the end of 2017 global industry assets had reached $2.4 trillion and were forecasted to reach $3.2 trillion by 2020, despite historic challenges to Islam itself at the same time. This collection of chapters provides key theoretical, empirical, and policy insights into Islamic finance from an overall complex financial and economic systems perspective. Within the complex financial and economic systems framework, this book addresses questions such as how to conceptualize Islamic financial institutions in a nonlinear general equilibrium system, how to promote Islamic Finance in Africa, how "Islamic" is Islamic finance, and how it affects price stability, among other topics. The book provides case studies in Africa and Asia, addresses the subject in a structural financial CGE model, demonstrates the development impact of Islamic finance, and presents an Islamic version of the Iceland Plan for Monetary Reform.

The impact of COVID-19 has exposed major cracks in the global financial system and has severely undermined global financial stability. Never have the shortcomings of universal financialization - the dominant principle of the global financial system for the past thirty-odd years - been more obvious or more painful. Islamic finance provides ways forward: based on commercial and social modes of risk-sharing and financing, it offers radical structural solutions to the health, human and financial crises faced in this unprecedented time. In Towards a Post-Covid Global Financial System: Lessons in Social Responsibility from Islamic Finance, an international team of experts explore how COVID-19 has affected the most vulnerable parts of the global economy; how it has been met by Islamic banking and finance specifically; and how the principles of Islamic social finance could be used to have a fairer, more resilient Islamic finance system for all.

The objective of this Element is to provide an overview of Islamic finance by highlighting the impact of the pandemic on it in a comprehensive manner by looking at two branches of Islamic finance: Islamic commercial finance; and Islamic social finance. The approach that is adopted in this Element is to first provide an overview of Islamic finance to the readers in a simple and easy manner followed by the impact of pandemic discussed separately for both types of Islamic finance. Last, but not least, the Element also recommends ways in which Islamic finance could be further improved in the light of the lessons learnt from the pandemic. It is anticipated that the recommendations made in this regard would assist policymakers, practitioners, researchers and other stakeholders of Islamic finance to understand the way to unlock the full potential of Islamic finance to reduce the wealth gap and achieve financial inclusion.

China registered double-digit GDP growth for more than three decades. Recently, the rate has slowed down considerably. The slow growth period, which Chinese policymakers refer to as the 'new-normal', has created enormous curiosity among scholars and policymakers. In particular, scholars often tend to project if China is destined to follow Japan's fate. Insufficient reforms in the banking sector in commensuration with the real economy in Japan resulted in an unprecedented financial catastrophe. Similarly, an asymmetric development between the Chinese banking sector and the real economy is observed. This leads to an interesting question: is China destined to meet Japan's legacy? This Element attempts to answer this question. In so doing, it delves deep into the banking sector reforms of China. The Element concludes that China is not on course to meet an immediate financial chaos, but the country needs further banking reforms to avoid a potential crisis.

The book is a collection of chapters discussing the Sustainable Development Goals in the broader context of Islamic finance along with mapping the SDGs with Maqasid Al-Shariah. It provides a framework for both Muslim and non-Muslim countries to develop a sustainable economy which encompasses not only the concept of the welfare state but also supports development-related activities, ensures financial inclusion through equal distribution of wealth and alleviation of poverty, and protects the overall environmental and ecological system. More specifically, this book explores various aspects of Islamic finance in relation to parameters of SDGs; restructuring of Islamic finance and connecting its dots in the light of SDGs; Islamic perspective on ESG and ecological quality; interest-free tools and modernization of Islamic financial institutions for sustainable development and economic stability; and the role of Islamic finance in infrastructure-related development activities. Consistent with the view that SDGs are embedded within the theme of Islamic finance, this book is specifically designed to meet the needs of key regulatory institutions, academic scholars, and industry practitioners both in the field of Islamic finance and sustainable finance.

This book presents a collection of high-quality contributions on the state-of-the-art in Artificial Intelligence and Big Data analysis as it relates to financial risk management applications. It brings together, in one place, the latest thinking on an emerging topic and includes principles, reviews, examples, and research directions. The book presents numerous specific use-cases throughout, showing practical applications of the concepts discussed. It looks at technologies such as eye movement analysis, data mining or mobile apps and examines how these technologies are applied by financial institutions, and how this affects both the institutions and the market. This work introduces students and aspiring practitioners to the subject of risk management in a structured manner. It is primarily aimed at researchers and students in finance and intelligent big data applications, such as intelligent information systems, smart economics and finance applications, and the internet of things in a marketing environment.

Law and regulation are becoming increasingly important in any discourse involving the Islamic financial services industry. This important aspect comprises both the legal and Shari'ah aspects from the pre-contract stage up to the post-execution phase, and even post-contract termination phase. Emerging Issues in Islamic Finance Law and Practice in Malaysia focuses on emerging legal, Shari'ah and regulatory issues in the Islamic finance industry in Malaysia. Through the lens of the Malaysian legal framework, financial experts Umar A. Oseni, M. Kabir Hassan, and Rusni Hassan and their expert contributors raise and discuss issues that cut across borders and, as such, can be transposed to other Islamic finance jurisdictions. With the different perspectives and approaches adopted by various chapters, Emerging Issues is specifically designed to meet the needs of academics and practitioners of Islamic finance law to provide general legal and Shari'ah guidance on the emerging issues identified. In Emerging Issues, Oseni, Hassan and Hassan provide rigorous research for curious minds who seek to ascertain the position of Islamic law on certain new issues, such as the application of Fintech in Islamic finance and the regulation of digital currencies. Readers will also benefit from the case studies included, which are based on the Malaysian legal and Shari'ah framework since Malaysia is generally considered a model for other Islamic finance jurisdictions.

This book focuses on forward lease sukuk, which is one of the most viable and dynamic Shari'ah-compliant instruments in the Islamic capital market. The idea of forward lease sukuk is to raise funds from non-existent assets whose subject matter does not exist at the time of the sukuk issuance. This book discusses the significant features of forward lease sukuk and demonstrates its vital contribution to project construction and manufacturing within the expanding field of Islamic finance.

This book discusses the idea that there is a specific Islamic form of entrepreneurship. Based on extensive original research amongst small and medium sized enterprises in Saudi Arabia, it shows how businesses are started and how they grow in the context of an Islamic economy and society. It argues that as specific Islamic approaches to a wide range of economic activities are being formulated and implemented, there is indeed a particular Islamic approach to entrepreneurship. Examining the relationship between Islamic values and entrepreneurial activity, the book considers whether such values can be more effectively used in order to raise the profile of Islamic entrepreneurship, and also to promote alternatives to development in the contemporary business environment. The book analyses the nature of entrepreneurship, and the special qualities of Islamic entrepreneurship, and discusses how the Islamic approach to entrepreneurship can be encouraged and developed further still