Heaven's Bankers
15,400 Followers
Inside the Hidden World of Islamic Finance
Islamic finance is redefining the global financial landscape. But is it really a transparent solution to ethical banking? Can it maintain its ideals of social justice, or is it guilty of the very dangers that it seeks to avoid? Harris Irfan's blog expands on the themes in his critically acclaimed book, Heaven's Bankers, the only insider's narrative about the Islamic finance industry.
By
Harris Irfan
5 years ago
Islamic finance goes mainstreamWhen David Cameron stepped onto the stage at the World Islamic Economic Forum in 2013 to announce the United Kingdom would be the first western sovereign state to issue an Islamic bond, the mainstream press scrambled to understand more about the mysterious world of Islamic finance. “Cameron unveils plan to make London a Mecca for Mid...
By
Harris Irfan
5 years ago
What an exciting time to be in the Islamic economy! From Islamic finance to halal food and pharmaceuticals, halal travel, modest fashion, Islamic fintech and Islamic education, they’re all picking up enormous pace, driven by the increase in economic development and private wealth of 1.8 billion Muslims.You may have been following recent developments at the UK Isla...
By
Harris Irfan
6 years ago
When in the early 19th century the Ottoman governor of Egypt, Mehmet Ali Pasha, introduced water faucets at the Mehmet Ali Mosque in Cairo, the Egyptian ‘ulema debated whether this new fangled contraption was permissible in performing one’s ablutions before the prayer. The only scholars who ruled this innocent fixture to be permissible were from the Hanafi s...
By
Harris Irfan
6 years ago
As a British Muslim, I am all too aware that Islam can be a scary word to many people in the UK and the US nowadays. But it need not be – in an age in which Islam and Islamic law, or Sharia, is increasingly demonised, I believe an economic model espoused by the principles of justice, equality and transparency has the power to unite people of divergent beliefs and...
By
Harris Irfan
6 years ago
So did I, 25 years ago. I still do. A few years after graduating, I was fortunate to find myself in a discipline where I genuinely could make a difference. Islamic finance – or more precisely the Islamic economic model - has the power to revolutionise the way people do business, to democratise capital in a way that can restructure society, and reduce the gap bet...
By
Harris Irfan
6 years ago
Salaam all. After falling into apathy on social media, I have resolved to try harder. Well, middle age is tough you know! I like leather-bound notebooks, manual gearsticks and broadsheet newspapers. A world made for millennials is a scary place for us dinosaurs!Anyway, in the spirit of re-engaging, let me tentatively put my foot back in the s...
By
Harris Irfan
7 years ago
Now that the markets have had a few days to react to the news of the UK referendum, perhaps we can take stock of what the future might hold for Islamic finance in Europe. It’s still way too early to call, of course, but I would certainly disagree with some commentators who are stating that Brexit is a blow for Islamic finance in the UK (or Europe for that matter). After...
By
Harris Irfan
8 years ago
Courtesy of the Islamic Finance and Ethics Society. The first student-led Islamic finance conference - a great job by the IFES!This video was recorded at the London School of Economics on 27 February 2016.