Money management the Islamic finance way
Islamic Finance And Money Management
Islamic finance sets out principles for Muslims to follow when it comes to managing their money, investments, and assets. Managing money in a Sharia compliant way is not part of the ethical framework of Islam, but also serves as a guideline for Muslims to follow when transacting and managing finances.
The aim of Islamic finance is to ensure that financial dealings are not speculative, exploitative, or unfair. Instead, the focus is on creating an ethical financial economic system and markets that promote equality, social welfare, and justice within the economy and outside of it.
Every Muslim, business, and industry should follow Islamic finance principles when dealing with money. This is not only a religious requirement, but also an ethical one.
Traditional methods of money management focus on growing wealth and often this is based on interest and speculative investments. Islam is the opposite. It teaches people to manage their money in a reasonable and ethical way.
Islamic Finance - The Holistic Approach
Islam encourages a holistic approach to life. This includes having a wide lens when it comes to financial transactions and wellbeing. When it comes to money, Islam takes a holistic approach that goes far beyond focusing on the economy and markets.
Instead, the Sharia approach aims to emphasize socially responsible, ethical, and spiritual dimensions that align with the wider principles of the faith.
Let's have a look at the aspects of the holistic approach taken by Islamic finance:
- Social responsibility: this is key for Muslims in all aspects of their lives, but especially when it comes to money, payments, economic growth, and activity. The focus is placed on ensuring that people behave in such a manner so as to alleviate poverty and redistribute wealth.
- Ethics: like social responsibility, ethical conduct is a key component of the holistic approach of Islamic finance. Honesty, fairness, and transparency are widely encouraged when it comes to money management. Islam aims to ensure that people and societies as a whole benefit from money (hence the reason interest is strictly prohibited as it is seen as being rooted in the concept of unfairness).
- Intention: the niyyah (intention) behind money management decisions is important for Muslims. The aim is for transactions to be carried out with intentions that focus on ethical conduct and fairness. The idea behind this is that wealth comes from Allah so it should not be used to produce unfairness.
- Consumption and lifestyle: Islamic finance is not simply about how we manage money. Islam requires us to carefully consider our consumption, to avoid over consumption, understand the concept of wealth management, and to behave ethically. Muslims should make mindful and meaningful purchases and not spend frivolously.
- Wealth distribution: an important element of Islam is education and understanding in relation to the principle of sharing wealth. Through the obligations of zakat and charitable paying, Islam places great emphasis on ensuring that wealth passes from the rich to the poor.
- Real economic activity: investments in Islam cannot be speculative or ambiguous. Transactions must be based on a fair agreement with real asset backed and tangible items.
Trends In Islamic Finance
As the landscape of the globe changes with the introduction of digital banking and mobile banking, so too the Islamic finance landscape is changing. More and more people want to save, invest and store money in an ethical way and Islamic finance offers this ethical approach.
Sharia compliant money management offers people with a conscience the opportunity to manage their finances in a way that not only benefits themselves but also those around them.
There is currently an upward trend in the demand for ethical financial services, and Islamic finance is built on ethics and socially responsible finance.
In the UK, The Islamic finance industry is growing fast. This industry not only serves Muslims as individuals and business owners, but also serves Muslims from across the world including the Middle East and other Muslim territories. The Muslim fintech market is growing fast, and research indicates that this will be a key growth area in the coming decade with the fast rise of digital banking.
In addition, the green and sustainable industry is also seeing huge growth. Incorporating Islamic finance with green investment is the perfect alliance as both industries offer each other the perfect ethical partner.
Money Matters In Halal Business Ventures
When it comes to managing finances in business in a Sharia compliant way, it requires more than financial acumen. What is needed is a good understanding of Islamic finance principles. This includes knowing why interest is haram, and how to run your business so it is compliant with Sharia rules.
From opening your business bank account, to making deposits and withdrawals, there are many Islamic finance options available to people. Financial institutions understand the need to cater to those wanting to manage money in a Sharia compliant and ethical way.
Problem Solving Strategies In Islamic Money Management
The starting point is to always ensure that you live a Sharia compliant lifestyle. Whether you are a consumer, customer, business, corporation, or homeowner, there are principles set out to guide you.
Other strategies to help you include:
- Follow the Islamic finance principles when it comes to all and any financial dealings. When in doubt, seek guidance from scholars and financial advisors who are knowledgeable about Islam and Sharia rules.
- Review and adjust accordingly: assess and review your investments and finances regularly and don't assume everything you do is compliant.
- Address debts quickly: it is very easy to take out a loan and fall into debt. Debt that is interest based should be avoided at all costs. Think about the need and value of the purchases you make and do not rely on security that is interest based.
- Zakat: plan and prepare for your zakat payments. This will ensure you are constantly reviewing your finances and preparing for your zakat payments through the year.
- Income: ensure any income generated is halal.
Balancing Money And Morality In Islam
Balancing money and morality in Islam is not difficult. The Islamic finance principles give you a great foundation from which to align your finances with Islam. Make sure you understand these rules and apply them.
The main thing you can do is to avoid interest. It is strictly forbidden. In addition to this, you should prioritise halal earnings and avoid engaging in activities that are deemed to be forbidden.
Fulfilling your zakat obligations is a means through which you can fulfil your rights as a Muslim and share your wealth ethically. Practice disciplined budgets to ensure that your finances do not run away with you and you have the financial security you need through the year.
Always avoid excessive risk and speculation. Be cautious when engaging in any financial dealings that include any element of speculation of gambling.
Instil and teach Islamic values to those around you and ensure that those in your life, whether on a personal or professional level, share your values.
Banking Solutions For Muslims
Look out for banking solutions, products, and services that offer Islamic finance options for Muslims. These days it is not hard to find Sharia compliant bank accounts, mortgage products, loans, and investment options.
There are even Islamic insurance services and wealth management services. So, there is no reason to not do your research and ensure that your money management aligns with the teachings of Islam.
Qardus Ltd do not provide financial or investment advice.
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LONDON _ A new UK-based Shariah-compliant crowdfunding platform which provides business financing to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) launched at the end of June.
Qardus Limited, which connects SMEs to investors, is an appointed representative of Share In Ltd, which is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Shariah-compliant crowdfunding is not a new concept in the UK, that already has platforms such as property-focused Yielders, but there are none already providing SME business financing.
“In terms of competition we would be the first to offer an Islamic business financing facility in the UK as the Islamic banks look at much larger ticket sizes,” Hassan Daher, Qardus founder and CEO told Salaam Gateway.
“In the UAE there is Beehive. Other fintechs in the UK such as Funding Circle and Iwoca only offer conventional financing facilities, not Islamic,” he added. In other regions, Kapital Boost, which was founded in 2015, was Asia’s first Islamic P2P crowdfunding platform for SMEs.
Capital at Risk. Returns are not guaranteed
July 13 2020, read the full article at Salaam Gateway: https://www.salaamgateway.com/story/uk-gets-its-first-islamic-p2p-crowdfunder-for-smes
Nothing good can be said about a global pandemic and to even look for a silver lining can at times just feel wrong. However, as humans we are programmed to look towards the future and to make the best of changing situations in our lives and in the world around us.
While the shift towards remote work is perhaps the most notable and obvious lasting social change brought on by COVID-19 the data clearly shows that there was also an equally seismic change in people’s spending habits over the past two years. For millions of people the forced reduction in travel, meals out and just about everything else we consider to be fun in life has lead to a substantial increase in their bank balance and household savings.
Research by the Institute for Fiscal studies shows that the household savings rate peaked at 23% during 2020.
Put simply, for every pound that people had leftover after bills, rent and other essentials, households have on average been saving almost a quarter of it. This has been an unexpected yet very pleasant surprise for anyone looking to buy a house, put money aside for their child’s future or even just to take a long overdue holiday in 2022.
What is perhaps even more surprising is that people haven’t been showing any signs of ‘blowing it’ now that pandemic restrictions are easing up and workplaces, entertainment venues and restaurants are opening their doors to the public.
There is a clear trend it seems to not let this once in a lifetime financial windfall go to waste, yet for many people who have for years struggled to save anything at all there is also uncertainty about what to do with their newfound ‘nest egg’ and how to best use it to help them achieve their financial goals.
3 Ways To Make The Most Of Your Pandemic Savings
1) PUT YOUR MONEY TO WORK
Having money stashed away under your mattress or in a savings account is nice and can give you peace of mind about your financial security, but it doesn’t actually help you to build a better, brighter future for you and your loved ones. The average savings account with a high street bank typically pays you an interest rate of less than 1% per year. That means for every £1 you hand over and let them use for loans to other customers, you earn 1 single penny each year. This is not great, especially when you stop and think about how much banks earn on those loans they make with your savings, as the interest rates they charge for overdrafts, credit cards and personal loans can often be as high as 10% or even 25% APR.
In the past it was simply not possible to do anything else than keep your money at the bank, but the rapid growth of new innovative FinTech platforms means that halal investing options are now more accessible than ever. Our investors have earned over £285,000 through their investments on our platform, through lending their money directly to verified, high growth UK businesses that are aligned with their ethics and values. By cutting out the middleman - your bank - and letting our smart technology do the hard work for you, it is truly possible not just to enjoy the security of the money you’ve saved up during the pandemic, but to actually make it work for you!
The compounding nature of rates mean your modest savings can turn into something that you can truly use to build a brighter future for you and your family.
2) HELP PEOPLE AND SOCIETY
Having money is good, having more money is even better, but the hardships endured by all during the recent pandemic have truly brought life to the phrase - ‘money can’t buy you happiness’.
The pandemic brought out the best in our society, as people worked together both on the frontline in hospital A&E departments, as well as on the ‘home front’, delivering food to elderly neighbours who could not leave their homes for months on end. This is another trend that looks set to continue, as people seek out different ways to make the world a better place one day at a time. Investing is no exception, as when you make values based, ethical investment choices you can not only grow your own future, but help others to build theirs at the same time.
Unlike your savings deposited in a low-yield high street bank’s vault, on platforms like Qardus you can choose where your money goes, who you invest in and for what purpose. We only allow verified, robust businesses to obtain funding on our platform, to mitigate the risk of your investments, and to increase the potential returns on your money. However, unlike other p2p lending platforms we actually allow you to choose which specific businesses you want to fund and invest in, so that you can be sure your money is being invested according to your beliefs and values.
Each investment opportunity on our platform provides you with not only the financial details about the business you are funding, but also their story so you can get to know the people behind the business and make investment choices that make the world a better place £1 at a time.
3) PROTECT YOUR FAMILY AND YOUR FUTURE
If the events of the past 24 months have taught us anything it is that we all need to do a better job of planning for the unexpected and ensure we have the financial resilience to live happily during the good times and the bad.
In fact over 8 million people have no savings at all to rely on in the event of illness, job loss or anything else life might throw at them.
While investing can seem risky and may not be something you have done before it doesn’t have to be. We have created the technology, investment screening processes and legal contractual structures to allow you to invest with confidence in a diverse portfolio of ethnical opportunities with high returns. By investing regularly and diversifying your investments you can grow your ‘rainy day savings’ into a solid financial future for you and your family.
As e-commerce businesses and platforms continue to increase and develop, one of the main challenges these businesses face is securing financial backing. E-commerce platforms and websites such as Shopify have grown exponentially in the last decade, and this is in part due to the change in consumer behaviour with increasing amounts of money being spent on online shopping. As consumers have flocked online to purchase what they need, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, the e-commerce market has grown quickly to meet the demand.
In addition to consumer demand, another reason for the growth in e-commerce ventures and transactions is the fact that e-commerce trading is accessible to all. Online businesses are democratised, enabling all entrepreneurs equal access to entry when it comes to selling products and services. However, like traditional businesses, e-commerce enterprises need funding in order to grow. Arguably, the financial world is still trying to catch up with the growth of e-commerce in terms of the funding options available. The finance world is continuing to evolve to ensure that it meets the needs of e-commerce retail businesses that operate via web pages and online sales.
Not having the capital funding and investment available is one of the main reasons that prohibit online ventures from succeeding. With consumers in the United Kingdom spending over £1 billion online every week, e-commerce funding has become a growing market. However, with less hard assets as traditional bricks-and-mortar businesses, e-commerce ventures may find it harder to find and secure the funding they need to expand and meet the needs of the economy.
When To Start Raising Funding
For any business venture, the best time to think about funding and finance is when the business idea is developed. Once you are clear about your business goals and aims, you should work out how much money you will need to achieve those goals. Securing funding not only enhances the chances of success, but also ensures you have the capital to build and execute your business strategy.
The type of funding you opt for depends on what type of business you have, your business needs, whether you want to ensure you keep full ownership, and what the funding is needed for.
Why E-Commerce Businesses Need Funding
You might be wondering whether a business venture that operates online requires funding? After all, many e-commerce businesses may not need the levels of inventory required by traditional businesses. Online ventures also do not have the extensive costs of property rental or asset management, but they do have the technology and software to function well on the internet and provide the best end user experience.
E-commerce funding is essential because it facilitates growth. Capital funding means the business can cover its expenses that can include marketing costs, operational expenses, and costs of operating via online platforms. E-commerce businesses have similar expenses and outlays to other businesses.
Many traditional funding options such as bank loans simply do not meet the needs of digital e-commerce business models and ventures. Online sales mean the logistics of e-commerce businesses are totally different from the needs of more traditional shopping and retail enterprises. E-commerce presents a different type of business opportunity that many people want to capitalise on using their sales skills and the newer forms of funding support e-commerce in a better way than bank loans.
The good news is that modern forms of e-commerce funding are becoming more prevalent. The most successful e-commerce ventures are those that appreciate what kind of funding they need, the financial rules and laws relating to their enterprise, and how best to leverage the funding to scale their business.
Below we will look at 6 of the most popular ways to fund e-commerce businesses.
Crowdfunding
The reason why crowdfunding is a great option for e-commerce businesses is that it follows a modern formula for financing a business. Crowdfunding works by essentially obtaining funding from a crowd. This entails raising awareness of the business, then seeking contributions from various funders (often individuals and members of the public). Crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter and Gofundme facilitate the receipt and payment of the funding.
In essence, crowdfunding flips the conventional funding model over. Instead of starting with capital funding or a loan from a bank, and then taking the idea to the public. Crowdfunding starts with marketing the idea directly to the public and then raising the capital. For e-commerce enterprises this is especially useful as anyone with a good idea can gain traction on social media and acquire capital from investors.
Bootstrapping
Bootstrappers build their business with very little outside capital and investment. Instead, they self-fund their business idea and retain control of the business. Bootstrapping is a simple and flexible strategy but can lead to financial strains and high levels of stress. Normally, ventures that rely on bootstrapping will rely on personal funds and cash flow from the company to scale the business. A famous example of a successful bootstrapping business is Spanx. However, this funding option is not an option for all e-commerce businesses as it requires owners to have a large capital sum to invest in the business from the outset. Remember, not having enough working capital can be disastrous for sales and growth and can ultimately be detrimental to the health of the business.
Equity Finance
Equity financing is exactly what it says: finance in return for equity in the business. This is a very traditional form of financial investment and is utilised by many startup businesses. Equity financing can be difficult to secure as new businesses do not have the evidential documentation a successful business will have. For online businesses, they may often find that trade is variable and there are no fixed assets or real estate property to secure any financing against. For anyone considering equity finance it is important to evaluate the level of funding that you can raise, and the extent of equity you will be handing over.
Grants
Grants are a great way to fund an e-commerce business, as they are usually non-returnable and act as a great investment into the business without losing control. However, if you want to apply for grants successfully you need to make sure you meet all the relevant criteria for the grant. As expected, grants are fiercely competitive and depend on what kind of business you have. You might find there are more grants available for those types of businesses that support socio-political issues, such as sustainability, green initiatives and charity functions.
The main benefit of grant funding is that you do not need to pay it back, it is capital that is free from interest and costs. Applying for grants is a lengthy and complex process and there is no guarantee of success. It is always best to research fully any grant opportunities and fine tune your business model and documentation before any application. Bear in mind that some grant funding also requires match funding from the business.
Revenue Sharing
Revenue sharing is a fairly new funding model that is particularly popular with e-commerce businesses that operate via websites across different territories (ie United Kingdom, United States, China etc). The way revenue sharing works is that funding is provided, and in return the business offers the financier a share of future revenues. Repayments are tied to the level of revenue to be generated. So, if revenue increases so too the repayments increase, and if the revenue falls the repayments also come down. The reason many e-commerce businesses like the revenue sharing model is that there is no requirement to give shares or equity to the investors and the business owners can retain full control of the venture.
Bank Loans
Bank loans are the traditional form of funding businesses have always used. They facilitate raising capital funding via borrowing. Usually, the loan is repaid via regular repayments that include interest and other fees. The difficulty with this model of funding is that it is prohibitive to those who adhere to Islamic finance and do not want to incur interest charges, and also bank loans are not always accessible for new e-commerce businesses. This means that the terms on offer are not always competitive. For anyone considering a bank loan, you need to make sure you research what the terms and conditions of the loan are and think about what level of debt you are comfortable with.
Whatever funding option you decide to pursue, you need to make sure that the capital raised meets the needs of the e-commerce business and that you do not fully lose control.
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