Why Sharia complaint finance is the smart choice for ethical investors

WHAT IS ISLAMIC FINANCE?

Islamic finance is a financial system based on Sharia principles - the religious law enshrined within Islam. Islamic finance offers an alternative financial system to the conventional systems, and is based on fairness, transparency, and social justice.

WHO USES ISLAMIC FINANCE?

Islamic finance is a growing industry and is used extensively by Muslims throughout the world. However, more and more non Muslims are also looking at Islamic finance services as they want to operate in a more ethical way.

DO MUSLIMS PAY INTEREST IN THE UK?

Whilst Muslims are discouraged from paying or earning interest in any form under Islamic finance rules, many Muslims in the West do pay interest. However, more and more Muslims are becoming aware of alternative financial systems and products that enable them to access loans and financial services that are compliant with Sharia law.

CAN MUSLIMS TAKE LOANS?

Yes, of course. Taking a loan is not prohibited in Islam. However, it is important to ensure that the loan terms are compliant with Sharia rules.

HOW DO ISLAMIC LOANS WORK?

Islamic loans are structured and developed to ensure they are halal - that is they do not contravene any rules in Islam relating to finances. For example, an Islamic loan will not have any element of interest attached to it.

WHY CAN'T MUSLIMS EARN INTEREST?

In Islam, interest is seen as exploitative as it leads to the lender making a profit at the expense of the borrower. Islam views interest as the unfair accumulation of the wealthy and this can lead to financial distress for those who need to borrow money. Interest is viewed as being against the promotion of social justice and economic fairness which are key concepts underpinning Islamic finance.

WHAT IS HARAM IN ISLAMIC FINANCE?

The following are deemed haram in Islam: riba/interest, gambling, excessive uncertainty, investment in haram industries or practices.

WHAT IS ETHICAL FINANCE?

While there is no universally accepted definition of ethical finance, the Ethical Finance Hub describes it as "A system of financial management or investment that seeks qualitative outcomes other than purely the management of returns. Outcomes sought may reflect ideas from faith, social, environmental and governance theories."

IS ISLAMIC OR SHARIA-COMPLIANT FINANCE ETHICAL?

The World Bank mentions that Islamic finance is ethical, sustainable, environmentally and socially responsible finance. It promotes risk sharing, connects the financial sector with the real economy, and emphasizes financial inclusion and social welfare.

While there is no universally accepted definition of ethical finance, the Ethical Finance Hub describes it as "A system of financial management or investment that seeks qualitative outcomes other than purely the management of returns. Outcomes sought may reflect ideas from faith, social, environmental and governance theories."

When it comes to investment strategies, ethical investing (also known as impact investing) is gaining traction. Some commentators have credited the likes of Greta Thunberg for the increase in demand for impact investment products, but this type of investing has been around for centuries in religious communities and societies.

Impact and ethical investments concentrate on approaches and strategies that facilitate inclusion and integration. As a result, the transaction has a positive impact on the social and economic environment. The investment itself is deemed to be one which benefits the investor and the wider community.

For investors looking to align their ethics and values with their financial output, they want to be sure that their portfolio grows in a sustainable way that supports their role as an ethical consumer and investor. Many mainstream funds do not offer ethical products and services, but the tide is changing fast and there are more companies offering bespoke ethical funds for discerningly ethical investors.The main benefits of ethical/ impact investing include the following:

• The values of companies and investors can be aligned
• Companies committed to social causes can be supported
• There is a feel good factor associated with ethical investments
• For religious communities, ethical investments are compliant with religious rules relating to investing (Sharia rules for Muslims)
• Ethical funds are a real catalyst for change
• The financial outlay does what it says on the label - ethical investment

Socially Responsible Investments

Socially responsible investing is a term associated closely with ethical investing. Socially responsible investment has a social conscience and does not negatively impact society. There are many companies on the market that offer investors the opportunity to invest in funds that provide positive social change and impact.

Of course, for Muslim investors socially responsible ventures have always been on the agenda, even when the opportunities to invest responsibly were not widely available on various platforms. Islamic finance dictates that Muslims should not invest in any project that could be detrimental to individuals or society as a whole. This is part of a much broader Islamic value-based social system. Muslims are instructed to safeguard society, the environment and make ethical choices that do not negatively impact society.

Ethical Investments

The definition of ethical investing is centered on the core concept that it is possible to align your financial goals with your moral and ethical values. Ethical ventures are focused on ensuring that the primary filter when selecting opportunities relating to money is based on ethical principles and considerations. There is a demand for increased transparency when it comes to shares, trusts, stocks, bonds and returns.

Used interchangeably with socially responsible and impact investing, ethical investments require due diligence before the capital is actually spent. Assessing whether a fund is ethical is based on using certain environmental, social, and governance criteria which can help you decide whether your investment is, indeed, ethical and socially responsible.

What ethical investment facilitates is the ability for individuals to allocate their capital with companies and funds that align with their own personal beliefs. One example of this is investors who want to avoid industries deemed to be unethical such as gambling, porn, weapons, and alcohol.

For Muslims, ethical ventures go further and also seek to ensure that the investments are compliant with the principles of Islamic finance and Sharia law.

Islamic Finance And Ethical Investments

Whilst ethical transactions may appear to be a relatively new concept in the West, Islamically, ethical investments have been a central principal of Islamic finance for centuries.

Historically, religion and ethical investing have been aligned. Islamic finance prohibits any financing of industries deemed to be haram.

Socially responsible investing and Islamic finance have seen rapid growth in recent decades, and it is no coincidence that the two go hand in hand. Islamic finance centres on principles of social responsibility and impact. This is achieved through principles of sustainability, positive impact, and strong governance.

More and more investors are joining Muslim investors in looking for ethical funds, and funds that offer green funds, or those that support the environment positively.

In recent years, the growth of ethical investing has been fuelled by religion AND social views. Social trends that have begun to lean towards ethics, environmental impact, and transparency have meant that ethical investments have become more mainstream.

In the 90s there was a move away from funds and ventures in the fuel and coal industries, and industries using animal testing, as these were seen as being harmful to the environment and society as a whole. Moving away from environmentally damaging industries was seen as a way of problem-solving some of the damage caused by the operations of these industries.

Sharia Compliant Investments

Ethical halal investing focuses on socially responsible principles, prohibiting:

1. Riba (interest)
2. Gharar (speculation)
3. Financial transactions in industries deemed to be haram such as the tobacco, alcohol and gambling industries

Environmental, Social, And Governance Considerations

In order to assess whether your portfolio is indeed socially responsible and ethical ,there are certain criteria that you can use. The criteria can broadly be divided under three main categories - environmental, social, and governance.

Investors need to review a broad variety of behaviors to understand if the investment is indeed sustainable, responsible, and socially impactful.

ENVIRONMENTAL

Environmental factors to look out when investing include assessing the impact of the investment on the following:

• Climate
• Pollution
• Waste
• Water stress
• Energy use
• Renewable energy
• Conservation
• Carbon footprint and ecological footprint
• Local economic policies

Environmental criteria will assist investors and companies to ascertain the impact of their ventures on the wider environment. Ethical companies should be aware of the environmental impact of their investments by using the criteria above to ensure that the risks are being identified, assessed, mitigated, and managed.

For example, investing in land development may seem like an ethical project, but what if the development adversely impacts local populations, natural resources, and contamination?

GOVERNANCE

In similar vein, anyone investing with a company will want to ensure that the company they use has a very transparent and accurate governance structure in place. Without strong governance, there is less accountability when it comes to ensuring that the investments you make are socially responsible.

The financial reporting and accounting methods, shareholders involvement, accountability, and financial management must have clarity and be transparent. For Muslims, they will also want to ensure that the investment company does engage in any investment behaviours deemed to be haram under Sharia law and Islamic finance rules, and ensure that haram industries are avoided.

When examining the practices of companies and businesses claiming to have ethical investment services and products, the following criteria should be carefully examined:

• The ethical and moral stance and values of the company
• The diversity within the company, shareholders, and board members
• The voting rights of shareholders and profit sharing arrangements
• Previous governance records
• Tax treatment and financial transparency
• What anti-competition practices are in place
• How the company manages financial and ethical conflicts of interest
• Asset management strategies and choices
• How the company treats its customers and investors

SOCIAL

Social criteria focuses on the business relationships of the investment company/ investment and the social impact.

Socially responsible investing focuses on social values, the environment and good governance. Does the investment company you want to invest in hold similar values to you? How committed are they to ethical values? Do they uphold Islamic finance principles? Does the company donate to charities that align with your charitable focus?

When considering the social criteria, you need to look out for investment and financial impacts on the following:

• Supply chain labour
• Ethical sourcing
• Data and privacy
• Protocols relating to health and safety
• Impact and bonds with local communities and links with them
• Previous investment history and sectors invested in
• How the investment portfolio is socially responsible

Ethical Investing

In order to ensure that the investment you make is ethical, you need to ensure that you do your research and analyze the historical, present, and predicted performance and standards of the investment you are interested in. Of course, there are many companies that offer ethical investment products, but that does not mean investors are absolved of their own personal responsibility to undertake research and ask their own questions.

Investors should:

• Review the mission statement of the investment company
• Check their track record of investments
• Review their ethical values and see if they align with your own
• Check if the company complies with laws and statutes
• Understand how ethical investments and funds operate

Is Ethical Investing Profitable

Ethical investing does not guarantee a profit. However, when it comes to the performance of ethical funds as compared to traditional investment funds, there does not appear any significant difference. In fact, ethical investments can sometimes outperform traditional investment funds.

The whole point of ethical investing is that you can invest your money in a way that yields positive results on society and also makes a profit. According to an article in the Guardian (December, 2021), in the United Kingdom alone, the annual spending on ethical services and products has exceeded £100 billion [1]. With the onset of the global pandemic and climate change, people are looking for ethical investments and industries far more than ever before.

The Future Of Investing

We have entered an era when socially responsible investing is increasingly in demand. The increase does not only relate to ethics and morals, but is also centered on principles of sustainability, investor goal-setting, values, protection of the natural environment, whilst still making money.

Gone are the days when investing in the stock market was solely for the purpose of generating income, with no thought for the impact of the investment. Modern ethical investors are keen to ensure their investments are transparent, socially responsible and with solid governance structures in place. Sustainable long term results are seen as aligning with the much broader objectives and principles within Islamic finance and the wider society.

For too long, investments have focused on profit margins over values. Ethical investing means that profits can still be prioritized, but they ranked alongside ethics and values and do not lead to the social exclusion of marginalized groups or countries.

Tips To Invest Ethically

Investing ethically is about more than making sure your investment appears to be ethical. It is focused on investors learning about what it is they are investing in, the social and environmental impact, and holding investment companies to account.

The following tips will help you avoid investments that do not align with your personal values and goals:

• Assess and identify your values and principles
• Learn about ethical investments and how they operate
• Build your investment portfolio carefully with sustainability and social responsibility in mind
• If you have ISAs or pensions review where they are invested
• Check your investment strategy - do you want to focus on start-ups or existing ethical investment companies?
• Make sure you diversify your portfolio across regions and sectors
• Planning your investment in advance

Sources Used In This Report

[1] UK annual spending on ethical products surpasses £100bn for first time [The Guardian, Dec. 2021] [https://www.theguardian.com/money/2021/dec/31/uk-annual-spending-on-ethical-products-surpasses-100bn...]

In recent years Islamic Finance has firmly established itself as one of the most vibrant and yet often overlooked sectors within FinTech, as well as within the global financial services industry more broadly.

However, Islamic Finance is in fact a very broad term that encompasses a wide range of products, services and types of firms. What is true across this diverse segment of global financial services is that there is a lot of excitement for good reason. This is not at all surprising given the wave of innovation, growth and success of both the leading firms and the sector as a whole over recent years.Whether you are new to the world of Islamic Finance or a professional, our Insider’s Guide to Islamic Finance provides expert insights and latest data analysis on the sector - highlighting just how successful Islamic finance has become at a global level.


WHAT IS ISLAMIC FINANCE?

Islamic finance refers to financial services activities, most notably banking, insurance and financing (credit), that must adhere to Sharia law (Islamic Law). The term can also be used to refer to Sharia-compliant investments as well as broader capital and equity markets.

The common practices of Islamic finance and banking arose alongside the establishment of Islam. However, institutional Islamic finance did not emerge until the twentieth century. Currently, the Islamic finance sector is growing at a rate of 15% to 25% per year, with Islamic financial institutions managing assets worth over 2.7 trillion USD globally.

SIZE AND GROWTH OF ISLAMIC FINANCE

The global market for Islamic Finance continued positive momentum in 2020, recording a growth rate of 10.7% year-on-year, driven primarily by strong performance within Islamic Banking as well as the Equity and Capital markets:

• Islamic Banking: 4.3% year on year growth with a growth in total assets of 248 billion USD, particularly in the largest Islamic markets such as Saudi Arabia and Iran.
• Capital Markets: 26.9% year on year growth
• Islamic Insurance (Takaful): 10% annual growth rate and over 51 billion USD in total assets in 2019 prior to the global financial slowdown caused by COVID-19.

While the size and growth of the Islamic finance sector is heavily concentrated in those countries and regions where Islam is predominant, this is rapidly changing in recent years, due to an increase in global migration patterns as well as broader trends in society around ethical investments and sustainable development.

Currently the top 3 countries where Islamic Finance is most well established account for 66% of the global market size across a wide range of metrics:

• Saudi Arabia
• Iran
• Malaysia

However, the Islamic Finance sector is growing rapidly in terms of overall scale, diversity and reach around the globe and into new periphery markets. In 2020 there were over 1,526 islamic finance institutions in operation around the world, with over 46 countries now supporting the growth and development of Islamic Finance within their legal and regulatory frameworks.

This is particularly true within FinTech, where firms and growth has gravitated towards London, the global hub of innovation in financial services, despite the relatively small Islamic community in the United Kingdom.

THE FOUR MAIN AREAS OF ISLAMIC FINANCE

Our guide breaks the data and the sector down into four key areas that are currently driving innovation and global success:

• Islamic Banking
• Islamic Capital Markets (ICM)
• Islamic Insurance (Takaful)
• Islamic Fintech

This page provides an overview of each, including the latest data trends and key highlights, which are expanded on further in each of the individual sections to provide detailed analysis and insight on each area of Islamic Financial Services.

Section 1- Islamic Banking

In 2020 the total size of the Islamic Banking sector had a growth rate of 4.3% year on year and reached over 2.7 trillion USD in total assets. While Islamic banking is still largely regional in terms of market share and overall size, it now accounts for over 6% of the global banking market. Islamic Banking is also both the oldest and most important sub-sector within the global Islamic Financial Services industry, comprising 68.2% of the total market.
SIZE AND GROWTH

In the worldwide IFSI, the Islamic banking category maintained its dominance. Among the 36 jurisdictions included by the IFSI Stability Report 2021, the domestic market share of Islamic banking in relation to the total banking market segment has increased in at least 23 nations.

The performance of the Islamic banking category increased by 4.3 percent in 2020, compared to 12.4 percent in 2019. The Islamic banking segment now accounts for 68.2 percent of the global Islamic Financial Services Industry, down from 72.4 percent in 2019. This decrease is primarily due to the rising significance and strong performance within the Islamic Capital Markets during recent years, rather than indicating a drop in the performance within Islamic Banking.

Islamic Banking is still largely concentrated within geographic regions and markets, where it is the market leader within financial services. Taken together the 15 systemically important Islamic banking jurisdictions accounted for 92.4 percent of global Islamic banking assets, representing only a small increase from 91.4 percent in the previous year. These combined markets also now account for 82.7 percent of the total global assets linked to Sukūk that are currently outstanding, which indicates the availability of high-quality liquid assets (see SECTION 2 for more on Islamic Capital Markets).

DIVERSITY WITHIN ISLAMIC BANKING

As of 2020 there are now 526 Islamic Banking Institutions operating across 72 countries, with a systemically important market share in 15 of these jurisdictions. Within the Islamic Banking sector there is both innovation and diversity in terms of their operations and structures.Breakdown of Islamic banking institutions:

• 428 commercial
• 57 investment
• 22 wholesale
• 19 specialized

Regionally, GCC (the Gulf Cooperation Council countries) retained its position as the largest domicile for Islamic finance assets in 2020. The region accounted for 48.9% of global Islamic finance market share, increasing from 45.9% in 2019. The Middle East and South Asia (MESA) region constituted the second-largest share, accounting for 24.9% of global IFSI assets, remaining consistent with the previous year.

The South-East Asia (SEA) region's share shrank slightly to 20.3% in 2020 from 23.8% in 2019, while that of the Africa region remained small, with a share of 1.7%. The “Others” region, comprising Turkey, the UK and countries from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) region, accounted for 4.3% of total global IFSI assets.

Section 2 - Islamic Capital Markets (Icm)

SUKUK

Growth Rate: 26.9%
Share of IFSI: 30.9%

3,420 - Number of Sukuk issuances Outstanding (2019)
538 Billion USD - Total Value of Sukuk Outstanding (2019)

The sukuk market grew 30% in issuance value in 2019, increasing from 124.8 billion USD in 2018 to 162.1 billion USD. This is the 5th straight year where the sukuk sector has achieved double-digit growth in the sukuk industry, a leader within the overall strong performance in recent years across the Islamic Financial Services Industry.

Notably, although the volume of ṣukūk issuances dropped in 2020, ṣukūk issuances denominated in foreign currencies increased by 7% due to favourable liquidity and global market conditions created by a range of policy actions taken by central banks in Islamic majority markets in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic slowdown.

The yield buckets for outstanding ṣukūk have shifted higher, with almost 80% yielding 3–10%

As with other sectors of Islamic Finance, Sukuk market share is both concentrated and significant within several key countries, where it is the debt instrument of choice for governments and has been relied upon to finance budget deficits during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Key Sukuk Markets:

• Malaysia
• Indonesia
• Saudi Arabia
• Iran is the Fastest Growing Market for Sukuk within Islamic Finance

ISLAMIC FUNDS

Number of Funds: 140
Share of ISFI: 30.9% of total assets
Annual Growth Rate: 30% (2019)

In 2020 the ICM sector made up 30.9% of the total assets within the global Islamic Finance Industry, with growth and positive performance in key markets driven by sovereign and multilateral Sukuk issuances.

Islamic funds also recorded a noteworthy growth of 31.9% in terms of the total value of assets under management, while the Islamic equity markets also rebounded in the later part of 2020 after the initial shock and volatility in 1Q20 due to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.

The total assets under management (AuM) of Islamic funds grew by 31.9% in 2020 despite the pandemic . While total AuM grew significantly, the total number of funds increased at a slower rate, which is a positive indication of growth in the average size of funds. The increase in scale of funds may be an indication of the flow of funds into emerging markets' fixed-income funds as a result of the search for yield and increased global liquidity.

Contrasting with the previous year, about 47% of funds now hold AuM of 1 billion USD or more each, while only 1% of funds hold AuM of less than 10 million USD (2019: only 2% held AuM of more than 1 billion USD each).

Section 3 - Islamic Insurance (Takaful)

Growth Rate: -14.8 %
Share of ISFI: 0.9% (2019)
The share of global takaful industry in the global IFSI declined marginally to 0.9% with a -14.8% growth y-to the exchange rate used for some member jurisdictions.

Section 4 - Islamic Fintech

Islamic FinTechs: 241 active in 2020
Transaction Volumes: 49 billion USD
Market share: 0.7% of total FinTech Transaction Volumes
SIZE AND GROWTH

Islamic Fintech is relatively small and recent but has shown strong initial signs of high growth and levels of innovation on a par, or superior to the wider FinTech sector even in the most competitive markets, such as London.

In 2020 the total transaction volume for Islamic Fintechs reached 49 billion USD, which is around 0.7% of the total global FinTech transaction volume.

While this represents an initial period of rapid growth, overall Islamic FinTech remains a relatively small part of the global Islamic Financial Services Industry. However, it is misleading to quantify the results as ‘poor performance’ in comparison to the strong growth within the mature sectors of Islamic Banking and Islamic Capital Markets. Instead, the demonstrated levels of innovation and competitiveness of Islamic FinTech also represents a huge opportunity for future growth.

At present the sector has yet to be fully developed across many regions and also many areas within the diverse FinTech landscape of innovation. Collectively, firms in the top 5 markets for Islamic FinTech account for 75% of the total market size, indicating a high concentration of market activity and room for future growth.
Top 5 Markets for Islamic FinTech:

• Saudi Arabia
• UAE
• Malaysia
• Turkey
• Kuwait

PERFORMANCE AND INVESTMENTS

The performance of Islamic Fintechs is particularly impressive, with projected transaction volumes set to reach over 128 billion USD in total by 2025. This represents a 21% CAGR, compared to the projected CAGR of 15% for the non-Islamic FinTech sector over the same period.

Investors have recognized this strong performance during recent years, with 56% of Islamic Fintechs expecting to complete an equity funding round in 2021. The expected average deal size for these investments was 5 million USD, providing a further indication that investors have high expectations for the performance of Islamic FinTech in the coming years.

Sources Used In This Report

• IFSB - the Islamic Financial Services Industry (IFSI) Stability Report 2021 [https://www.ifsb.org/download.php?id=6106&lang=English&pg=/index.php]
• DinarStandard & Ellipses - The Global Islamic Fintech Report 2021 [https://www.salaamgateway.com/specialcoverage/islamic-fintech-2021]
• ICD-REFINITIV - Islamic Finance Development Report 2020 [https://icd-ps.org/uploads/files/ICD-Refinitiv%20IFDI%20Report%2020201607502893_2100.pdf]