scholarly journals Moratorium in Islamic Hire Purchase Financing: A Shariah Perspective

Author(s):  
Azmuddin Razali ◽  
Mohammad Amir Wan Harun

This study examined the implementation of moratorium in the Islamic hire purchase financing based on Al-Ijarah Thumma Al-Bay’ (AITAB) from the Shariah perspective. The implementation of moratorium by Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) is a new practice in the banking and finance industry in Malaysia. Implementing the moratorium causes several changes to the AITAB contract such as the extension in contract tenure and the increase in the total payment obligation due to the profit charged on the outstanding principal. This study analysed these changes from the Shariah perspective by using the al-takyif al-fiqhi methodology. The results of the analysis confirm the practice of moratorium by IFIs is in line with the Shariah requirements as long as it is agreed by the parties to the contract - which are the bank and the customer. Needless to say, both Ijarah Policy Document and Hire Purchase Act 1967 allow any forms of amendments including profit compounding when the AITAB contract is restructured, provided that such amendments are agreed between the contracting parties. Despite this permissibility, IFIs are still required to comply with the new ruling issued by SAC BNM that prohibits the practice of profit compounding during the COVID-19 crisis. Although, in principle, the ruling is based on the concept of ihsan (beneficence) which is not compulsory (wajib) but rather recommendation (istihbab) from the Shariah perspective; however, from the regulatory perspective the ruling is compulsory for IFIs to comply pursuant to section 28(1) and 28(2) of Islamic Financial Services Act 2013 (IFSA) that stated compliance with Shariah means compliance with any ruling of the Shariah Advisory Council. The moratorium is seen as a manifestation of the concept of ihsan (beneficence) towards the customers affected financially due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This commendable effort should be encouraged and continued by the Islamic financial institutions in upholding the Shariah principle of maslahah and lifting of difficulties (raf al-haraj), particularly in the current outbreak of COVID-19 and the impact of MCO.

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-58
Author(s):  
Abdulazeem Abozaid

Since its inception a few decades ago, the industry of Islamic banking and finance has been regulating itself in terms of Sharia governance. Although some regulatory authorities from within the industry, such as Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI) and Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB), the Islamic banking and finance industry remains to a great extent self-regulated. This is because none of the resolutions or the regulatory authorities' standards are binding on the Islamic financial institution except when the institution itself willingly chooses to bind itself by them. Few countries have enforced some Sharia-governance-related regulations on their Islamic banks. However, in most cases, these regulations do not go beyond the requirement to formulate some Sharia controlling bodies, which are practically left to the same operating banks. Furthermore, some of the few existing regulatory authorities' standards and resolutions are conflicted with other resolutions issued by Fiqh academies. The paper addresses those issues by highlighting the shortcomings and then proposing the necessary reforms to help reach effective Shariah governance that would protect the industry from within and help it achieve its goals. The paper concludes by proposing a Shariah governance model that should overcome the challenges addressed in the study.Pada awal berdiri, Lembaga Keuangan Syariah merupakan lembaga keuangan yang menerapkan Hukum Syariah secara mandiri dalam sistem operasionalnya. Ia tidak tunduk pada peraturan lembaga keuangan konvensional, sehingga dapat terus berkomiten dalam menerapkan Hukum Syariah secara benar. Selanjutnya, muncullah beberapa otoritas peraturan yang berasal dari pengembangan Lembaga Keuangan Syariah. Diantaranya adalah Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB) dan Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI). Hal ini tidak menyimpang dari kerangka peraturan Hukum Syariah, sebab standar peraturan dan keputusan yang dikeluarkan ditujukan khusus untuk Lembaga Keuangan Syariah saja. Beberapa Negara telah menerapkan peraturan tata kelola Hukum Syariah pada Bank Syariah mereka. Namun dalam banyak kasus, peraturan yang diterapkan tidak mampu mengontrol Lembaga Keuangan Syariah tersebut secara penuh. Sehingga, secara praktis proses pengawasan diserahkan kepada lembaga keuangan yang beroperasi. Akan tetapi, beberapa standar dan keputusan yang dikeluarkan oleh sebagian pemangku kebijakan bertentangan dengan keputusan yang dikeluarkan oleh beberapa akademi Fiqh. Artikel ini ditulis untuk menyoroti permasalahan yang timbul pada tata kelola Lembaga Keuangan Syariah, khususnya kekurangan yang tampak pada sistem tata kelola. Kemudian, penulis akan mengajukan usulan tentang efektifitas tata kelola Lembaga Keuangan Syariah yang bebas dari permasalahan.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Iqmal Hisham Kamaruddin ◽  
Mustafa Mohd Hanefah ◽  
Zurina Shafii ◽  
Supiah Salleh ◽  
Nurazalia Zakaria

The main focus of shariah governance for an organization is to ensure that it is comply with shariah laws and regulations. Under Islamic finance industry, shariah governance is being given attention due to rapid growth of this industry in the world. For Malaysia, the authority through Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) have taken a proactive role by introducing shariah governance guidelines including the Shariah Governance Framework (SGF) 2010, the Islamic Financial Services Act (IFSA) 2013 and the latest is the Shariah Governance Policy Document (SGPD) 2019. These shariah governance guidelines are supposed to support the development of shariah governance practices especially by Islamic Financial Institutions (IFIs) in Malaysia. However, there is limited to none study conducted to compare these guidelines. These shariah governance guidelines is necessary to be compared in order to find out whether these guidelines are complemented each other and to identify any differences among these guidelines. Therefore, the aim of this study is to compare between these shariah governance guidelines. Based on the analysis, it has been found that SGPD 2019 is the most comprehensive covers on shariah governance as compared to IFSA 2013 and SGF 2010. However, these three guidelines still not become comprehensive enough, as there is still limited to none discussion on the definition and objectives of shariah governance itself.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-34
Author(s):  
Abdulazeem Abozaid

Since its inception a few decades ago, the Islamic banking and finance industry has been self-regulated with regards to Shariah governance. Despite the existence of certain regulatory authorities from within the industry, such as Accounting and Auditing for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI) and Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB), none of their resolutions or standards are effectively binding. Few countries have enforced some rules related to Shariah-governance. Still, in most cases, these rules did not go beyond the requirement of formulating Shariah controlling bodies, which is practically left to the banks themselves. Islamic banks are almost left to choose or dismiss their Shariah controllers, and no clear criteria are set by any authority to ascertain the proper qualifications of the Shariah controllers. Moreover, some of the Shariah standards and fatwas are found to conflict with the established resolutions issued by Fiqh academies. These matter point to the deficiencies in the existing Shariah governance and hence the need to address them.


Author(s):  
Marta Vidal ◽  
Javier Vidal-García

In recent years, online banking has become an alternative channel for most traditional entities. The increase in the number of users and rapid expansion has resulted in a successful strategy among financial institutions. This chapter discusses the use of technology in the finance industry and the various factors associated with it, as well as introducing the reader to the basic characteristics of online financial services. We review the current literature identifying the relevant research questions for our purpose.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 94-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamad Akram Laldin ◽  
Hafas Furqani

Purpose This paper aims to observe the development of the Sharīʿah governance framework (SGF) and practice in Islamic financial institutions (IFIs) in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach The study is a qualitative-based research. It uses various documents and content analysis approach to understand and analyze the structure, process and practice of SGF in IFIs in Malaysia. Findings It is found that the Central Bank of Malaysia, Bank Negara Malaysia, has attempted to develop a comprehensive framework of Sharīʿah governance for IFIs in Malaysia. The framework governs the practice of the industry, covers stakeholders’ scope of duties and responsibilities and provides details on processes and procedures in the operations of IFIs to achieve the objective of Sharīʿah compliance. To maintain the relevance of the SGF to the needs of the industry, the framework has also been updated recently in 2017. The amendments aim to strengthen the effectiveness of Sharīʿah governance implementation within the Islamic finance industry. Originality/value This study attempts to comprehensively examine the evolution of the SGF Sharīʿah governance framework for IFIs in Malaysia. The Malaysian model of the SGF is unique and could be emulated by other countries in developing the Islamic finance industry in their respective jurisdictions.


2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 168-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Rizky Prima Sakti ◽  
Ahmad Syahid ◽  
Mohammad Ali Tareq ◽  
Akbariah Mohd Mahdzir

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate shari’ah scholars’ views and experiences pertaining the shari’ah issues, challenges and prospects in Islamic derivatives. Specifically, this paper critically examines the criticisms toward conventional derivative instruments and the controversies surrounding underlying contracts and current Islamic derivative products. Design/methodology/approach This study uses qualitative methods to form a deeper understanding of shari’ah scholars’ perception and experience on Islamic derivatives. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five shari’ah scholars who are currently working in Islamic financial institutions in Malaysia and Singapore. This study used phenomenological techniques for its data analysis. Findings This study has found that shari’ah scholars are aware of the shari’ah issues surrounding Islamic derivatives and have provided comprehensive insight on the solution to these issues. It was found that it is important to take into account the derivatives instruments in Islamic financial industry because of the need for hedging and risk mitigation within Islamic financial institutions. Nonetheless, the study has also found that the use of wa’ad contracts to structure Islamic profit rate swaps and foreign currency exchanges are problematic because of it having features of bay’ al-kali’ bil-kali (the sale of one debt for another). Originality/value This study is one of few studies that highlight the shari’ah issues of Islamic derivatives in Islamic banking and finance industry. This paper is of value in discussing risk management and Islamic derivatives in Islamic financial institutions and how there are many issues under the investigation process, particularly issues related to controversial underlying contracts and products.


Author(s):  
Noraini Mohd Ariffin ◽  
Fatima Abdul Hamid ◽  
Nur Afiqah Md Amin

Islamic banks are required to ensure their operations and activities comply with the Shariah principles. According to Islamic Financial Services Act (2013) in Malaysia, all operations and activities of Islamic financial institutions including Islamic banks have to comply with decisions made by the Shariah Advisory Council (SAC) of Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) and the Shariah Committee (SC) of the Islamic financial institution to ensure Shariah compliance. In practice, Shariah compliance is considered a crucial factor by bank stakeholders, especially Muslim customers in their decision to use Islamic financial products. Thus, one of the ways for Islamic banks to convey their Shariah-compliance to their stakeholders is through annual reports. This study examines the level of compliance on Shariah disclosure in the annual reports of Malaysian Islamic banks. A Shariah disclosure index, comprising mandatory and voluntary items, was developed from Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) guidelines and Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI) standards. Shariah disclosure data were collected from the annual reports for the year 2016 of the 16 Islamic banks in Malaysia. Based on Institutional Theory, this study hypothesised high compliance, however the results revealed that none of the banks had full compliance to the mandatory items. Nevertheless, some of these banks disclosed voluntary items. The findings provide useful insights to the regulators and stakeholders on Islamic banks’ compliance on Shariah disclosure. The study also reveals the importance of disclosing additional items in the annual reports of Islamic banks.


The discussion on Shari`ah governance has gained significant attention and concerns in the Islamic finance industry. The Central Bank of Malaysia (BNM) introduced the Shari`ah Governance Framework for Islamic Financial Institutions (SGF) in 2010 for the purpose of promoting effective and good Shari`ah governance practices of Islamic Financial Institutions. The IFIs are expected to integrate necessary elements of good Shari’ah governance structure and processes in order to sustain their business in this complex environment as well as to ensure effective implementation of SGF through effective Human Resources Management (HRM). Many studies have been done on the Shariah governance aspects, processes and its effectiveness but not on the impact of HRM in SGF implementation. Therefore, the present study examines the SGF from HRM perspective particularly on the integration between SGF and HRM. It approached the topic from the perspective of job design and description through a literature review and a survey of professionals from the Shari`ah Division and HR Division of different types of IFIs in Malaysia. The data were collected from the literature review and survey responses from 78 respondents from different IFIs. The study found seven HRM scopes highlighted in the framework and found that the respondents’ general understanding of SGF implementation and HRM practices was satisfactory. Remarkably, it is also found that theIFIs have effectively used their HRM practices from the job design and description perspective as a tool to manage their key Shari`ah governance organs. Several limitations and recommendations were also presented to further enhance SGF implementation from this perspective.


2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (02) ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Kamaldeep Kaur Sarna

COVID-19 is aptly stated as a Black Swan event that has stifled the global economy. As coronavirus wreaked havoc, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) contracted globally, unemployment rate soared high, and economic recovery still seems a far-fetched dream. Most importantly, the pandemic has set up turbulence in the global financial markets and resulted in heightened risk elements (market risk, credit risk, bank runs etc.) across the globe. Such uncertainty and volatility has not been witnessed since the Global Financial Crisis of 2008. The spread of COVID-19 has largely eroded investors’ confidence as the stock markets neared lifetimes lows, bad loans spiked and investment values degraded. Due to this, many turned their backs on the risk-reward trade off and carted their money towards traditionally safer investments like gold. While the banking sector remains particularly vulnerable, central banks have provided extensive loan moratoriums and interest waivers. Overall, COVID-19 resulted in a short term negative impact on the financial markets in India, though it is making a way towards V-shaped recovery. In this context, the present paper attempts to identify and evaluate the impact of the pandemic on the financial markets in India. Relying on rich literature and live illustrations, the influence of COVID-19 is studied on the stock markets, banking and financial institutions, private equities, and debt funds. The paper covers several recommendations so as to bring stability in the financial markets. The suggestions include, but are not limited to, methods to regularly monitor results, establishing a robust mechanism for risk management, strategies to reduce Non-Performing Assets, continuous assessment of stress and crisis readiness of the financial institutions etc. The paper also emphasizes on enhancing the role of technology (Artificial Intelligence and Virtual/Augmented Reality) in the financial services sector to optimize the outcomes and set the path towards recovery.


WADIAH ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryski Pebriana, Rofik Efendi

The development of Islamic banking and Islamic financial institutions in Indonesia lately increasing. One reason is the strong belief in the Muslim community that banking and conventional financial institutions contain usury which is prohibited by Islam. The presence of Agritama Srengat Blitar BMT as Syari'ah savings and loans is intended to be a more innovative alternative in financial services, the financing process is also not complicated. The absence of an element of usury to Murabahah financing, and the ease of the process and conditions for financing, does not make more and more bad loans. The approach used in this research is a qualitative descriptive approach, while the type of research is field research, and the method of collecting data is observation, interview and documentation, which is using three steps, data reduction, file presentation and drawing conclusions.The results of this study indicate that: 1). Financing procedures at BMT Agritama Srengat Blitar use 5C analysis (character, capacity, capital, collateral, condition) and take into account a maximum radius of 10 km, but this does not apply to existing customers and customers who get recommendations from partners. 2). The implementation of Murabahah financing management has not been in accordance with the murabaha management function which includes planning, organizing, implementing, and controlling. Where the planning of murabahah financing is devoted to agriculture and animal husbandry, but in practice it is not appropriate, then in the implementation of murabahah financing using a wakalah contract it is signed together with murabahah. And the supervision conducted by BMT Agritama is not routinely visited to the place of business. Keywords : financing manajement, murabahah


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