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The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Islamic Finance According to the Dinar Standard Report 2021/2022
Author : Dr. Safwan Odaybat
Date Added : 11-09-2022

The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Islamic Finance According to the Dinar Standard Report 2021/2022

 

COVID-19 pandemic had an evident impact on the economic, social, and political sectors of life. The Islamic finance sector is a key contributor to economic life worldwide, given its development and incremental aspects of growth in recent years.

Amongst the most important and precise technical studies indicating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Islamic finance (2021/2022) in numbers is the report prepared by Dinar Standard in partnership with Salam Gateway with the support of DIEDC. This report was published by the International Islamic Center for Reconciliation and Arbitration (IICRA) in Dubai, Edition No. (19), 4rth quarter, 1443 H/June 2022.

The key points of this report are:

First: The value of Islamic finance assets in 2019 has risen from 2.52 trillion US dollars to 2.88 trillion US dollars amounting to 13.9%. The report expected this sector to recover over the coming five years with an overall growth by 5%.

Second: The rapid growth of the Islamic Takaful insurance, especially in the Gulf countries and Indonesia.

Third: 2020 witnessed a large number of initiatives and measures that help enhance the growth of Islamic finance, particularly in the countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. In addition, it was decided to establish new Islamic banks in countries such as Tajikistan, Uganda and the Philippines, in addition to digital banks in Kazakhstan and Malaysia.

Fourth: The investment of Islamic Financial Technology as well as the combination Islamic financial institutions through out possession and combination that reached 4.93bn. in 2019 to 2020.

Fifth: The activity of the Islamic Sukuk decreased but didn`t stop where it was announced that new Sukuk were issued in south Africa, Nigeria, Britain, Gulf and south east Asia countries.

Sixth: Developing the sector of social finance through collective funding, fostering partnerships between the private and public sectors or supporting small and medium-sized finance institutions. 

Based on the above notes, the following can be noticed:

  1. Despite the fact that the report was prepared during the COVID-19 pandemic, Islamic finance has witnessed an evident growth and recovery is expected in the coming years. In the same year of preparing this report, the number of the Islamic finance institutions has reached 1462.
  2. Adopting social finance that rests on Takaful and cooperation between people to ease their problems, as is the case with Zakah (Alms giving) and Sadqah (Voluntary charity) and providing financial support to small and medium-sized financial institutions. Moreover, partnership between the private and public sectors is an example of this form of finance. New platforms have been established for collective funding between counterparts in Britain and Malaysia, and an initiative was launched to benefit from social Islamic finance in the UN in partnership with the Islamic Bank for Development in 2021 (news.UN.org).
  3. The COVID-19 pandemic encouraged Islamic finance to develop financial technology through modern electronic platforms, digital banks, and distinguished services of digital banking.
  4. Islami Sukuk have witnessed a remarkable growth within the recent years. As indicated by the report, this product hasn`t stopped despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic where their issuance was resumed in several countries. Here, it is worth pointing that later in the year 2021, the fourth issuance of the Sukuk for the Murabah to the purchase orderer were issued in favor of the Jordan National Electricity Company to fund the energy sector with a total value of 225 million JDs by an annual Murabaha percentage of 3.55% over five years.

Unequivocally, these notes indicate that the Islamic finance sector is replete with Sharia, technical, and legal competencies enabling it to face difficult situations, such as COVID-19 pandemic to create an opportunity to keep abreast with developments, innovate new products to address the needs of the people, and continue Islamic finance services.  

 

هذا المقال يعبر عن رأي كاتبه، ولا يعبر بالضرورة عن رأي دائرة الإفتاء العام

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Summarized Fatawaa

My mother inherited a share from my late father`s and brother`s property; however, the inheritance, a piece of land, wasn`t divided amongst the eligible heirs because it was hard to sell. While alive, she used say that she wanted these shares to be distributed amongst the poor and needy. What is the ruling of Sharia on this?

All perfect praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, and may His Peace and Blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all of his family and companions.
This is a will, so we have to consider the estate she had left behind. If the piece of land, which she had willed, equals one third and less of her estate, then the will must be executed. But, if it is more than one third, then one third must be executed and the rest of the estate, if the heirs agreed, is to be executed  as part of her will as well. However, if the heirs haven`t approved of that, then what remains, excluding that one third, must be divided amongst them according to the Islamic rules of inheritance. Moreover, we recommend that you pay a visit to the Iftaa` Department to make things clearer for you. And Allah The Almighty Knows Best.

 Is it permissible for a Muslim woman to uncover her hair in the presence of a Christian woman?

All perfect praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
According to the reliable opinion of the Shafie School of Thought, this isn`t permissible. However, some scholars stated that it is permissible for a woman to uncover what she usually uncovers while doing housework, but this differs from one place to another where some women uncover their hair while some don`t. However, this is provided that a woman doesn`t uncover her hair in the presence of non-Mahram men (Men permissible for a woman to marry). And Allah The Almighty Knows Best.

What are the benefits of slaughtering an Aqeeqah?

All Perfect Praise be to Allah, The Lord of The Worlds, and may His Peace and Blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all of his family and companions.

Extending thanks to Allah for His grace, expressing happiness for having a newborn, declaring lineage, and feeding the mother to compensate for the blood that she had lost during delivery.

What is the best charity to offer on behalf of the deceased? Is it giving food, reciting Quran, giving money or supplicating? What is the best charity to offer on behalf of dead father and dead husband? What is the best continuous charity to offer on behalf of the deceased?

Praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. The deceased benefits from every righteous deed offered on his/her behalf, be that continuous charity, reciting Quran or a pious son praying for him/her. However, the best righteous deed is performing Haj and Omrah on their behalf especially if he/she hadn`t performed that ritual for it remains a debt on them. The evidence on this is that Ibn 'Abbas (Allah be pleased with them) reported: A man came to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and said: "Messenger of Allah, my mother has died (in a state) that she had to observe fasts of a month (of Ramadan). Should I complete (them) on her behalf? Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Would you not pay the debt if your mother had died (without paying it)? He said: Yes. He (the Holy Prophet) said: The debt of Allah deserves more that it should be paid."{Related by Muslim}. And Allah the Almighty knows best.