Waqf - What is it and how does it work?

WHAT IS LIFE INSURANCE?
Life insurance is essentially a contract between a person and a life insurance company. In exchange for you making regular premium payments, the insurance company agrees to pay out a lump sum to your beneficiaries upon your death. Choosing life insurance policies can be a difficult task as there is a lot of information to plough through online. For Muslims, comparing and choosing a life insurance plan means that additional consideration needs to be given to insurance plans on the market that are compliant with Islam and Sharia laws and principles. Life insurance is about protecting those you love, and ensuring that when you die your estate is and interests are kept safe. Life insurance pay outs provide an essential benefit to dependants and family members. The life insurance policy does not insure the life of the insured, instead, it is more of a financial transaction that protects families of the deceased from unexpected financial risk in the future.

Whilst Islam does not expressly prohibit life insurance, there are some considerations that need to be borne in mind by those looking for Islam centred insurance products.

Life Insurance Plans In Islam

In Islam, life insurance is not seen as contradictory to any Islamic laws or principles. The last few decades have witnessed a monumental rise in the availability and popularity of Islamic banks and finance products in mainstream markets, offering Sharia and Islam compliant products such as Islamic mortgages, life insurance policies and Sharia compliant finance options. Mortgage loans in particular have become increasingly popular amongst people looking for banks that offer financial services that do not contravene any principles of Islam. Conventional mortgage loans were always deemed to be unlawful in Islam due to the interest (riba) elements.

Whilst most life insurance plans do not include interest payments, there have been some questions raised relating to the permissibility of life insurance, particularly when there is an element of risk involved.

Whether the life insurance policy is deemed to be halal in Islam is dependent on the type of life insurance policy you are dealing with.

What Are The Types Of Life Insurance

There are various types of life insurance policies available on the market. However, we will focus on two of the most common types of life insurance policy.

WHAT IS WHOLE LIFE INSURANCE?
This type of life insurance policy is one that ends on the date the insured passes away. Whole life insurance policies guarantee the family a pay out when the insured person dies. These types of policies continue to provide lifelong protection by the operators of the insurance policy. Whole life insurance is also known as life assurance. It essentially operates to ensure that whenever you die your family is protected financially when you die. There is no uncertainty about the monies being paid out, but you do have to maintain premium payments on an ongoing basis.

Whole life insurance is far more expensive than term life insurance when it is compared to term insurance (see below).

WHAT IS TERM INSURANCE?
Term insurance policies are considered to be protective insurance policies. These policies cover lost income when the insured dies and cover things like mortgage costs and the coverage protects you for a limited term.

One example of a term insurance policy is where a person is aged 30 and buys a term insurance policy that costs £20 a month. The terms of the policy guarantee a pay out to your beneficiaries of £100,000 if you die before you turn 50. If you do not die before you turn 50 then the policy comes to an end and the insurer is not required to make any payments. There is no guaranteed pay out to beneficiaries (unless of course the insured dies before they turn 50).

Although used interchangeably, the two terms - life insurance and life assurance - are very different. Both are forms of protection designed to pay out sums when a policyholder passes away. When you compare the two, however, it is clear that life insurance relates to a specific term and life assurance covers the whole life of the insured.

Islam And Life Insurance Plans

When it comes to Islamic life insurance policies, many scholars agree that when the principles of takaful are applied to insurance then it is deemed as permissible Islamically. Takaful is a form of insurance system that is compliant with Sharia law principles, and it basically involves the pooling and investment of funds.

Takaful is a form is Islamic insurance and is based on principles of cooperation, mutuality, joint interests and indemnity/ debt, solidarity, and common interests.

Policyholders of takaful policies are considered joint investors with the insurance operators. The vendors and the policyholders share in the pooled monies and they also share any losses. There is no guarantee of a positive return on investment, and there is no element of definite and fixed profits.

Muslims looking for Islam and Sharia compliant life insurance policies and products that contain terms that do not contravene Islamic laws need to ensure that they choose policies that do not include the following:

• any element of interest
• uncertainty
• high-risk
• ambiguous terms
• gambling

These are all prohibited in Islam.

The basic concept of takaful is that a group of people pool their funds together in a way that does not generate profit, but acts as a mutual benefit to those within the group.

Takaful is about communal, charitable ventures.

The principles of takaful in Islam can be summarised as:

• co-operation between policy holders
• losses and liabilities shared
• uncertainty eliminated or minimised
• No advantage for one party over another

In Islam, the concept of insurance is takaful based - a form of social solidarity. The takaful is based on principles of co-operation and trustees that safeguard the position of each person who has pooled their funds. Muslims looking for life insurance policies should seek to find products that are based around the concept of takaful.

Life insurance with takaful is considered to be fully halal, and provides financial protection alongside long-term savings.

Gharar And Life Insurance

Life insurance is considered to be an important financial planning tool, aimed at providing protection for the family and children of the deceased. However, Muslims looking for Islamic insurance products and services have raised the question about whether some life insurance policies, in particular term insurance policies, contain elements of gharar that deem the policies non-Islamic.

Gharar basically refers to uncertainty, risk, and deception. In transactions where there is a speculative element or a degree of uncertainty.

As term life insurance policies tend to involve an element of uncertainty about whether the pay out will be made (for example, if the insured passes away during the term of the insurance), there have been questions about whether this level of uncertainty leads to gharar. the uncertainty of death, that is only in the hands of Allah (SWT) is deemed to add a nuance of gharar to term life insurance policies.

Whole life insurance policies (life assurance policies) are deemed to be compliant with Sharia laws as there is no element of risk or uncertainty as the pay out is made on death. The certainty lies in the fact that we all die, and there is a guaranteed pay out.

Islam prohibits transactions where there is gharar - uncertainty. Whilst it can be argued that term life insurance policies have an element of uncertainty as none of us really know when we will die, modern insurance policies are less speculative than we like to think. Insurance companies will undertake due diligence based on the health and history of the insured to make sure that the risks are measurable and contained.

Also, it is important to note that, historically, Islam has permitted some gharar is transactions that provide a great benefit and this argument can be applied here.

Maysir And Life Insurance

Conventional insurance policies, particularly term insurance policies, require that policyholder could lose all the sums they have paid in to the policy if they do not die within the term. Maysir refers to the gambling element within insurance policies. In term insurance policies, whilst there is no profit element, if the insured does not die within the term then the insurance vendor does profit from the premiums paid in.

Islam prohibits gambling, and transactions where there are elements of gambling.

There are some Muslims who may think that term life insurance policies and products contain elements of maysir due to the uncertainty relating to the timing of the death, benefits, and pay out. However, unless a policy contains huge elements of uncertainty and elements of taking a gamble, it is unlikely that maysir fully applies. Ultimately, the responsibility lies with the person looking for the insurance policy to ensure that it does not contravene any Islamic laws or rules. This is why it is always best to search out policies that are based on Islamic finance rules.

Riba And Life Insurance

We know that riba (interest) is not permissible in Islam, and this is why so many mortgage loans and bank products on the market are not Sharia compliant. Riba usually comes into play in endowment insurance policies that promise a payment that is guaranteed.

Often in endowment policies, the insurance funds are invested in financial products and businesses that may contain elements of riba.

Islamic Insurance Policies

Muslims looking for insurance policies that comply with Islam and Sharia laws relating to financial products and services need to ensure that elements of uncertainty, risk and interest are not present in the insurance products they invest in.

Those looking for insurance policies that do not contravene any Sharia and Islamic principles should make sure that they undertake due diligence on the contractual terms of the policies and compare and contrast them.

We know that takaful is deemed halal in Islam, so any insurance policy that complies with the principles of takaful should also be deemed to be permissible. If you have a policy with insurers who invest the monies and the investment is in areas deemed haram by Islam (ie industries related to alcohol, gambling, porn etc), then you should look to switch to a policy that is more Sharia compliant.

Conclusion

The key to ensuring you have a life insurance policy that is Sharia compliant is to question what type of policy you have. Is it an investment based policy? Is there an exchange of money? Does it feel speculative? Where are the funds invested? Is there an element of risk that may lead to a cause of action against the insurance company? These are all questions that need to be addressed when looking for a Sharia compliant insurance policy.

Most reasonably minded people would agree that getting your financial affairs in order and protecting your family from financial risks in the future is a responsible action to take. Some people have speculated that taking out life insurance could incentivise others to murder the insured, but this is rarely the case. Insurance policies act as a form of protection, particularly for those who do not have substantial have assets or real property. Life assurance/ whole life insurance policies are considered to be compliant with Islamic rules.

Before you take out any life insurance policy, check for elements of gharar, riba and maysir. These three concepts are not permissible in contracts according to Islamic law.

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]

When it comes to business practices and growth, the world is moving towards more ethics based industries. This shift towards ethical business reflects the growing recognition and awareness of the wider impact of business on our economy, our health and addressing inequalities in the world. When businesses link in with the principles of Islamic finance, there is a perfect synergy of value and values.

Ethical businesses and markets grew by almost 35% in 2021-2022. The ethical finance market grew by 50.1% during the pandemic.

There are many different reasons for the growth in ethical business and banking industries. One of the main drivers is consumer consciousness. Consumers are seeking services and products that align with their own personal values and are drawn to companies that can demonstrate their ethical standing. Research shows that 84% of consumers consider the ethics of a business before spending. 63% of customers want to see ethical business practices.

Other reasons include:

• Environmental concerns and climate change awareness
• Social media influence and the spread of information
• Employee and stakeholder expectation
• Regulatory pressures
• Investor preferences
• Global inter-connectedness
• Long-term sustainability

The question arises, does ethical business conduct, especially within an Islamic finance framework, lead to success and growth in business? The answer is a definite yes.

The International Federation of Accountants has found that the business landscape is continuing to see growth and change. The pandemic and global recession have led to changes in the ethics of businesses and how they operate. This is driven by the increase in Muslim spending, investing and operations, but also due to the demand for ethical business principles following a very unstable financial period.

Islamic finance is based on ethics, so the alignment of ethical business growth and Islamic finance goes hand in hand.

Reports by TheCityUK have identified that the global banking assets within the Islamic finance sector totalled $2.8 trillion in 2022. This figure increased by 50% in the years between 2026 and 2022. In addition, by 2021 the UK Islamic bank's assets were in the region of $77.5 billion. The global sukuk insurance industry was worth $196.5 billion by 2021 and continues to see growth despite the pandemic.

Within Europe, excluding Turkey, the UK made up 85% of the European Islamic banking assets. the UK has always been ahead of the game when it comes to using Islamic finance to promote research into sustainable development options and ethical finance options. London continues to be one of the leading financial centres in the world.

This blog will examine the pivotal role of ethical business growth and Islamic finance, and how Sharia principles play a pivotal role in steering businesses towards long-term success.

Ethical Business

Ethical business practices themselves can be a huge catalyst for sustainable development and business growth. When combined with an Islamic finance funding model of management, that growth can be long-term and successful.

Islamic finance is rooted in ethics and Sharia principles that focus on the greater good of society over exploitation.

Aligning business operations with ethics ensures that businesses are able to create an environment where long-term success can be achieved.

Ethics And Islamic Finance

Both Islamic finance and ethics are inextricably linked. The foundational principles of Sharia rules relating to financial transactions guide how deals should be conducted. The emphasis is firmly placed on social justice, ethics, fairness, and equity.

One of the main principles of Islamic finance is the absolute prohibition on interest. This is a fundamental principle of the Islamic finance market. For the traditional corporate world, a move away from interest based lending and transactions seems at odds with their profits based perspective. Actually, the opposite is true.

Charging interest is seen is Islam as creating an extremely exploitative market and cannot lead to stable economics and transactions. Recent fluctuations in global interest rates demonstrate how variable and unpredictable interest based lending can be. Islam considers the charging and payment of interest to be an unethical and prohibited practice.

According to the Fitch Ratings, in 2023 the assets within UK Islamic funds were approximately $280.6 million, a growth of 2.9% from the previous year.

Profits With Purpose

Islamic finance champions the idea that you can achieve profits with purpose. Ethical practices might be the driving force behind the stability, but they can also lead to sustainable practices that can weather turbulent markets and governmental changes.

S&P Global Ratings believes that the Islamic finance market will continue to grow by as much as 10%. This is based on evidence that despite the global pandemic, the market grew 10.6% despite the double blow of the oil prices drop and the pandemic.

Navigating Ethical Business Practices

Navigating ethical business requires a considered approach. It is not enough to simply state that your business is ethical, but to be able to demonstrate that it practices what it preaches.

Taking a professional and intentional approach to ethics within business is fundamental. Businesses need to have an understanding of their impact objectives and sustainability.

Here are some steps businesses should take:

• Develop strong leadership
• Lead by example
• Understand ethics
• Curate your business practices
• Understand the environmental, societal, political and individual impacts your business has
• Review your investment strategy
• Train, teach and communicate with staff
• Embed ethics in decision making

Beyond Profit Margins

Islamic finance focuses on business potential beyond monetary profits. It places emphasis on social justice, sustainability, and community wellbeing. These demands are also now coming from consumers who want to see ethical business practices from the companies they spend with.

The perception amongst consumers is that companies should prove they are ethical and sustainable.

Remember, 40% of consumers now choose brands that have environmental sustainability within their practices and values (DigitallyAlex.com). Over 60% of consumers want an ethical service, and 34% will stop using a product or service if unethical practices within the business are uncovered.

The relationship between consumers and businesses has been evolving rapidly over the last few decades. The recent Marigold Report in 2023 found that 60% of consumers make less impulsive spending choices, and the ethics of a business feed into their decisions.

Conscious Capitalism

Younger generations including Millennials and Gen Z have increased spending power. As consumers, they are very conscious and globally aware of social justice issues. These groups are leading the demand from consumers for more ethical and conscious capitalism.

In 2022, 53% of young consumers said they were willing to spend more to pay for ethical products. Over 63% of consumers aged between 25-35 stated that they would like to have the ethical values of products listed on them.

50% of Gen Z and Millennials want to buy from more ethical brands, and over 54% will avoid brands they do not think are ethically minded.

These statistics all highlight the role of responsible and ethical business practices in driving success and retaining customers.

Ethical Funding And Islamic Finance

For businesses looking to operate within Islamic finance frameworks, they will find that these funding options are no longer exclusive to Muslim regions such as the Middle East and Saudi Arabia. The Islamic finance industry in the West continues to grow year on year.

In the UK alone, the Islamic finance FinTech industry was ranked the 5th in the world in the Global Islamic Fintech Index in 2021. The UK continues to invest in Islamic finance infrastructure and services in the UK continue to expand.

For businesses to truly see ethical growth and sustainability, they need to look beyond the traditional financial services on the market. More and more businesses are looking at Islamic finance lending and funding options to incentivise growth.

Whilst the Gulf region still accounts for the largest share of Islamic finance assets (over 45%, with the Middle East and South Asia at 25.9%), the Islamic finance industry in the West is growing at a fast pace.

As concepts relating to corporate social responsibility increase, and consumers move away from capitalist, wealth hoarding enterprises, it is clear that Islamic finance offerings will increase with the demand.

From Values To Value

Transitioning from business models that are not ethics based to those where ethics are at the forefront of operations may seem daunting.

However, as long as a considered and intentional approach is taken, businesses will find that ethical business practices not only lead to innovation but better results. Businesses can leverage ethical practices to enhance their own market standing and position.

Ethical businesses see better results overall according to an Institute of Business Ethics report. This includes ethical finance, ethical practices, and ethical business objectives.

Ethical businesses attract diverse clientele and foster prosperity which is long-term. Often, customers wanting a more ethical approach are also those with more money to spend. The partnership of business and ethics leads to growth and customer retention.

In 2022, Deloitte found that 48% of spending adults wanted to see more ethical and sustainable business practices. Over 76% of businesses in the UK now mark ethics as a high priority for their organisation. The business landscape is evaluating, navigating and changing as they understand customer choice and preference.

Ethics And Integrity

What Islamic finance aims to do is foster long term business growth in a sustainable and stable manner. The ethical framework is one which many businesses now rely on and promote.

In the dynamic and fast-paced world of Islamic finance, investing and operating ethically has been yielding great dividends for business. From 2017-2-21, assets under Islamic finance funds globally saw an average annual increase of 13%.

For any business, whether large or SME, the market currently offers dynamic and flexible Islamic finance options to scale growth.