The connection between Islamic finance and social infrastructure is important, but hard to articulate precisely. Islamic investors can be assumed to be at least to some extent value-driven, and Sharia’ forbids certain classes of investment. However, what it allows is very broad, and most financing by Islamic banks, for example, has nothing to do with social infrastructure. In addition to banks, there is the possibility of financing through Islamic capital markets, and it is arguable that Sukuk offer instruments well suited to infrastructure financing, including the possibility of...

We are close to the end of the topics we planned to blog about. All of you have a better sense of how we see the world and how important it is for everyone to follow a Duty of Care. Relevance, Trust, and Impact (and the hashtag #RTI) is our shorthand for the intended result when each of us exercise a Duty of Care.The response to our posts is clear confirmation that we have been relevant. The posts are widely read. There are comments from readers, and the comments are supportive.We have talked about the common goals that exist around the world and across religions. Along the way, we encou...

You are now reading the eighth post in our blog. We are very grateful for the positive feedback on the prior posts.We have addressed a wide range of issues related to sustainability, yet the actual word has hardly been used. We take this commonly-used word for granted, so it generally goes undefined. A good definition is in Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (both of us are old enough to have printed dictionaries). Sustainability is derived from the word “sustain”. Sustain has many definitions, with healthy and enduring over time being common themes across the defini...

This is Part 2 of a podcast on Green Islamic Finance. Part 1 can be viewed here.The Asset's Daniel Yu speaks with Zainal Izlan Zainal Abidin of Securities Commission Malaysia about the country's strategy for socially responsible and sharia-compliant investing. In this podcast Zainal talks about the challenges in making Malaysia a global Islamic finance centre. He sees great potential for Malaysia as it rolls out new products, such as a sukuk ETF. Zainal believes the gradual harmonizing of Sharia definitions will fuel more cross-border transactions between Malaysia and the Midd...

Panel of UAE experts air views in latest AB Roundtable Podcast on how blockchain technology will soon transform business operations Blockchain technology will soon transform business operations in several sectors, while initial coin offerings (ICOs) are currently “nothing more than unregulated IPOs”. These are just two of the forthright opinions shared by regional experts in the latest Arabian Business Roundtable podcast. Recorded live at the recent Start Up Academy, Hicham El Khaoudy, Head of Global Transaction Banking Sales & Services at Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, Jan...

TRANSACTIONS pertinent to bank lending are typically conducted based on Bank to Customer or B2C lending from the bank to the customer. In Islamic banking context, however, the term that can be used is B2C financing to capture Shariah principles. The term B2C lending used in conventional banks generates interest income that is prohibited out of injustice and unscrupulous means of obtaining other wealth unlawfully. In contrast, however, B2C financing is based on trade and commerce to assist the customer in obtaining cash for these purposes, marriage, umrah, and house constructio...

Both of us have had careers in finance for much of our adult lives, and that's why we want these blog posts to help you connect ethics with finance and investing; especially Islamic finance.The attractiveness of an investment can be evaluated by looking at the prospects for return and the degree of risk. An attractive investment is one where the likely returns are high, and the perceived risks are low. When two investments have comparable prospects, but one has less risk, the less risky option is the better choice.IslamicMarkets.com is about Islamic finance, which has guidance on risk an...

Epitome of Islamic Finance in Western World Islam, Islamic banking

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMINNEAPOLIS, MN, June 14, 2018 – Magni Global Asset Management and IslamicMarkets Limited today announced that the Magni Islamic Stewardship Index data will be available on IslamicMarkets.com. Magni launched the index at the end of February of this year.IslamicMarkets.com is the world's first platform for the global Islamic economy, providing learning, financial intelligence and investments. IslamicMarkets.com was launched in April 2018 by the team behind IslamicBanker, a reference point for the Islamic banking industry.Magni Islamic Stewardship Index combines...