Riba: Usury or Interest

This profound book is a powerful yet balanced critique of mainstream economics that makes a forceful plea for taking economics out of its secular and occident-centered cocoon. It presents an innovative and formidable case to re-link economics with moral and egalitarian concerns so as to harness the discipline in the service of humanity

This book is an English rendering of a popular Arabic book entitled Mushkala al-Faqr wa Kaifa ‘Aljiha al-Islam by the renowned Muslim Scholar ‘Yusuf al-Qaradawi. The author depicts the basic principles of the Islamic Economic System in the light of the Holy Qur’an and the Sunnah.

Sukuk are an important asset class which has captured the attention of a wide range of issuers and investors, regulators and sovereigns, and academics and market players. The sukuk industry has made remarkable leaps since its modern inception in the 1990s. It has grown in size and volume, evolved in structural possibilities, and successfully expanded the boundaries of the Islamic capital market to far-flung jurisdictions worldwide. Its promising future has led the International Shari’ah Research Academy for Islamic Finance (ISRA) and Securities Commission Malaysia (SC Malaysia) to collaborate to provide essential and comprehensive knowledge on this key instrument of the Islamic capital market.

The history of Islamic thought is marked by a continuous tradition of internal revitalisation and reform embedded in the principles of islah, and tajdid. The ultimate purpose has been to bring existing realities and social change in line with the transcendent and universal standard of the Qur’an and Sunnah through a process of restoration and reform. The tradition of islah-tajdid has thus consistently challenged the Muslim status quo and prompted fresh interpretation of the Qur an and Sunnah, understood and implemented through the methodologies of interpretation and ijtihad, as well as the rejection of unwarranted accretions to the original messages of Islam. The basic theme of the paper is that civilisational renewal is an integral part of Islamic thought. The paper looks into the meaning, definition and origins of tajdid and islah and their relationship with ijtihad, and how these have been manifested in the writings and contributions of the thought leaders of Islam throughout its history. It also develops tajdid-related formulas and guidelines that should lead the efforts of contemporary Muslims in forging the objectives of inter-civilisational harmony and their cooperation for the common good.

KEY FEATURES OF THE BOOK

* It elucidates the principles and practices of the Islamic capital market with academic rigours.

*  It sheds light on the cutting-edge practical issues faced by the industry.

*  Every chapter contains relevant case studies and supportive illustrations.

*  Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) and discussion questions are provided at the end each chapter.

KEY SUBJECTS

Shari’ah framework, Regulatory framework, Corporate and Shari’ah governance, Risk management, Accounting and taxation, Sukuk Islamic equity market, Islamic unit trust, REITs and ETFs, Islamic private equity and venture capital, Islamic derivatives and hedging and Islamic structured investment products.