Is blockchain sharia compliant?

Written by Ruby Hinchliffe on 5th August 2020

The UK is now home to a growing 27 Islamic fintechs, ahead of Malaysia, Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).As of July 2020, IFN FinTech – a global network representing fintech’s Islamic segment – says it’s recorded 142 Islamic fintechs around the world.

Malaysia has 19 fintech start-ups, followed by the UAE with 15, Indonesia with 13, and Saudi Arabia and the US with nine.

The UK's Islamic fintech scene

The UK’s fintech start-up scene has seen some significant traction from Islamic-friendly – as well as focused – firms.My Ahmed, a sharia-compliant e-money platform, was accepted onto the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) regulatory sandbox in July.

In the same month, Islamic peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platform Qardus launched its services in the UK. So did sharia-complaint gold trading platform Minted, which plans to launch a digital bank in 2021. As did Kestrl, a sharia-compliant ethical banking alternative.
Since January, Islamic banking app Niyah and sharia-complaint digital bank Rizq have also launched in the UK.

Capital at Risk. Returns are not guaranteed

August 5 2020, read the full article at Fintech Futures: https://www.fintechfutures.com/2020/08/uk-leads-the-way-in-islamic-fintech-ahead-of-malaysia-and-uae...

Debt or Equity in Islam?Non-interest debt financing and equity financing have both been permitted in Islam. It is no surprise that there is no explicit or implicit text giving one form of financing preference over the other. Financing is part of business activity which is highly contextual and variable depending where the business is in its lifecycle. Whilst equity financing might be the only reasonable method for a start-up, an established business would generally seek debt-based financing.
It is from the beauty and comprehensive nature of Islam that no such stipulation to adopt a particular form of financing is found. If we were bound to get one type of financing only, it would put businesses into difficulty. Shariah has given us some principles with which we need to adhere to. Debt is discouraged when there is no strategy to service it. Likewise, taking on debt when it is unmanageable and beyond one's capacity to repay is also discouraged. Beyond that, it is an economic and business decision which the business can make considering what is in its best interest.Business ConsiderationsDebt vs Equity Financing – which is best for your business and why? The simple answer is that it depends. The equity versus debt decision relies on a large number of factors such as the current economic climate, the business’ existing capital structure, and the business’ life cycle stage. Some of the key factors to consider are[1]:

• The cost of finance: Debt finance is usually cheaper than equity finance. This is because debt finance is safer from a lender’s point of view. From a conventional perspective, interest has to be paid before dividend. From a Shariah perspective, debt and profit in Shariah compliant debt-based products is paid off first. In the event of liquidation, debt finance is paid off before equity. This makes debt a safer investment than equity and hence debt investors demand a lower rate of return than equity investors. Interest debt is also corporation tax deductible (unlike equity dividends) making it even cheaper to a taxpaying company. Arrangement costs are usually lower on debt finance than equity finance and once again, unlike equity arrangement costs, they are also tax deductible.
• The current capital gearing of the business: Although debt is attractive due to its cheap cost, its disadvantage is that an additional return has to be paid. If too much is borrowed, then the company may not be able to meet interest and principal payments and liquidation may follow. The level of a company’s borrowings is usually measured by the capital gearing ratio (the ratio of debt finance to equity finance) and companies must ensure this does not become too high. Comparisons with other companies in the industry or with the company’s recent history are useful here.
• Security available: Many lenders will require assets to be pledged as security against loans. Good quality assets such as land and buildings provide security for borrowing - intangible assets such as capitalised research and development expenditure usually do not. In the absence of good asset security, further borrowing may not be an option.It is also possible to offer unsecured financing. Unsecured financing is Shariah compliant as long as the other principles of financing are met. To mitigate the credit risk in unsecured financing, a director can give a personal guarantee.
• Business risk: Business risk refers to the volatility of operating profit. Companies with highly volatile operating profit should avoid high levels of borrowing as they may find themselves in a position where operating profit falls and they cannot meet the interest bill. High-risk ventures are normally financed by equity finance, as there is no legal obligation to pay equity dividend.
• Operating gearing: Operating gearing refers to the proportion of a company’s operating costs that are fixed as opposed to variable. The higher the proportion of fixed costs, the higher the operating gearing. Companies with high operating gearing tend to have volatile operating profits. This is because fixed costs remain the same, no matter the volume of sales. Thus, if sales increase, operating profit increases by a larger percentage. But if sales volume falls, operating profit falls by a larger percentage. Generally, it is a high-risk policy to combine high financial gearing with high operating gearing. High operating gearing is common in many service industries where many operating costs are fixed.
• Dilution of earnings per share (EPS): Large issues of equity could lead to the dilution of EPS if profits from new investments are not immediate. This may upset shareholders and lead to falling share prices.
• Voting control: A large issue of shares to new investors could alter the voting control of a business. If the founding owners hold over 50% of the equity, they may be reluctant to sell new shares to outside investors as their voting control at the AGM may be lost. This would make equity financing disliked for the current shareholders and debt would be preferred.
• The current state of equity markets: In a period of falling share prices many companies will be reluctant to sell new shares. They feel the price received will be too low. This will dilute the wealth of the existing owners. Note this does not apply to rights issues where shares are sold to the existing owners of the company.

ConclusionThese are some of the many considerations which businesses need to consider before raising equity or debt financing. This shows that the decision of debt and equity is not something set in stone from a Shariah perspective; as long as the debt-financing and equity financing are Shariah compliant, the business is at liberty to choose what is most favourable for their purpose and objective. From an investor’s perspective, they should ensure that the business is Shariah compliant and that it has passed the Shariah screening criteria. This can be ascertained by the review from a Shariah advisor.
[1]https://www.accaglobal.com/ca/en/student/exam-support-resources/fundamentals-exams-study-resources/f...

Introduction

A pension fund is a pool of money that is managed by professional fund managers. The aim of the fund is to save money and invest money in preparation for retirement. A Sharia pension fund is a saving scheme for retirement that aligns with the rules of Islam. Sharia pension funds do not attach themselves to any form of interest or any haram industries.

Sharia pension funds are ethical investments, with funds invested in industries that offer social benefits such as healthcare, agriculture, and education.

With the rise of Islamic finance on a global level and the increased demand for Sharia-compliant financial services, the growth of Sharia pension funds has expanded significantly.

Sharia pension funds will typically have a screening process ensuring they comply with Islamic finance rules. It is important for these types of pension funds to have ongoing compliance monitoring, which means that a qualified Sharia scholar or expert reviews compliance regularly.

In 2024 Sharia pension funds saw significant growth. The Nest Sharia Fund increased its assets by a third to over £180 million.

Historically, Muslims have found it difficult to fund Sharia-compliant funds. The Office for National Statistics found in 2021 that 33% of Muslim employees did not have a workplace pension due to concerns about Sharia-compliance.

These statistics make it clear that there is a huge market for pension funds that comply with Islamic finance principles. Recently, the Financial Times has reported that Sharia pension funds are seeing a huge swell 'amid returns boost'.

WHAT MAKES A PENSION FUND SHARIA-COMPLIANT?

The key features of a Sharia-compliant pension fund are:

• Strictly no interest: the pension fund should have no involvement with interest in any way. This means that any interest-yielding activities, industries or products are not permissible.
• Ethical investing: the pension fund should be mindful of the industries the investments are involved in. Industries and sectors considered haram such as gambling and alcohol should be avoided.
• Compliance: compliance and ongoing monitoring are essential for a Sharia complaint pension fund.
• Sharia screening: financial and ethical screening must take place to ensure that organisations invested in have low levels of overall debt.
• Models of operation: profit-sharing and risk-sharing are the encouraged models of partnership working.

Some examples of Sharia-compliant funds include the following:

• sukuk/Islamic bonds
• investing in property without interest-based loans
• investing in ethical and sustainable industries such as healthcare

Comparing Top Sharia Pension Plans

If you are looking for Sharia-compliant pension funds to ensure you can save for retirement without breaching Islamic rules, then Penfold and Nest pension funds are a good place to start.

Nest Sharia Pension Fund

The Nest Sharia Fund invests in what are known as Islamic bonds (sukuks) that are fully Sharia-compliant. Nest ensures that Islamic scholars screen the investment products and services to ensure they adhere to Islamic rules.

In addition, Nest's Sharia Fund avoids haram industries and interest-bearing investments.

Nest's fee structure consists of a contribution charge (around 1.8%) and an annual management charge in the region of 0.3% based on the value of the fund.

With ethical investments at the core of its activities, the Nest Sharia Fund delivers growth whilst generating income. More recently, Nest has worked on diversifying its investment portfolio to include a 30% allocation to the sukuks it invests it.

Penfold Sharia Pension Fund

The Penfold Sharia Fund invests in a diverse portfolio of companies and funds that all operate in accordance with Sharia principles.

The Penfold fee structure charges an annual fee for savings up to £100k of 0.88%, and this fee drops to 0.53% on amounts over £100k. This transparent and easy to follow fee structure makes this pension fund attractive to investors.

Both these Sharia pension funds use rigorous screening processes that aim to ensure that all investments comply with Islamic finance rules.

If any company they invest in has a proportion of what is considered to be non-compliant income (ie income from interest), then they use purification processes such as donating money to charity.

Investment Risks And Rewards

Sharia pension funds are the same as all investment vehicles on the market. They come with their own unique set of risks and rewards. For Sharia pension funds, the risk management and mitigation strategies should be aligned with Islamic rules.

Sharia pension funds tend to avoid fixed income securities and conventional bonds as these vehicles rely on interest. Instead, Sharia pension funds prefer to invest in Islamic bonds.

Risk

The risk profile for Sharia pension funds can sometimes have a higher risk exposure due to the fact that they stay away from conventional interest-bearing bonds.

Return

In the long term, Sharia-compliant funds deliver comparable and competitive returns to conventional bonds.

Ethical Investments Vs Conventional Funds

It is important to note that Sharia pension funds maintain a balance between competitive financial returns and ethical investment strategies. This makes Sharia funds an attractive option for investors.

If you are looking for investments that focus on societal benefit whilst generating an income (or savings pot) then Sharia pension funds are a great alternative to conventional bonds.

Ethical sectors have seen a massive resurgence in recent years, with strong growth potential. Industries such as renewable energy and technology are prime for investment.

Investors are increasingly considering environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors when examining pension funds.

• Over 89% of investors consider ESG when investing.
• In the UK over 57% of investors now hold ESG investments
• Young Gen Z investors are increasingly interested in ethical investments
• Islamic funds continue to deliver results with nominal growth rates of 84% and 13% of annualised growth rates (Morningstar.CA)

How To Choose And Switch To A Sharia Pension Fund

In order for you to choose a Sharia pension fund you need to ensure you understand what a Sharia pension fund is and how it operates.

If you have a pension fund that you want to switch to a Sharia fund then you need to:

1. Review your current pension fund.
2. Find out if your pension fund provider is able to offer a Sharia-compliant fund.
3. If not, ask if you can switch your pension fund.
4. Check your pension fund information to see if there are any penalties or fees for switching to a Sharia-compliant provider.
5. Research what Sharia pension fund providers are available and make sure they are fully Sharia compliant.
6. Choose your new pension fund provider and open an account.
7. Ask your current pension provider to transfer your fund to the new Sharia-compliant provider.

If you want to transfer a workplace pension then speak to your HR team or your employer to find out if they accept transfers of the fund.

Switching to a Sharia pension fund should be straightforward.

Future Of Sharia Pension Funds

Sharia pension funds are becoming a popular investment vehicle and retirement savings plan for Muslims and non-Muslims. The ethical investment market continues to grow as investors across the world seek out sustainable and ethical investments.

Underpinned by social responsibility, the investments within Sharia pension funds appeal to a global audience of investors.

Sharia funds have become known in financial circles as promoting financial inclusion. They cater to investors who have not been able to fund ethical investments or investments that align with Islamic rules.

If you want to prepare for retirement in a Sharia-compliant way then Sharia pension funds provide the perfect vehicle for you. Providers like Penfold and Nest provide Sharia-compliant pension funds with competitive fees.