Introduction
All forms of banking contain several risks that pose a challenge to banks and management authorities. Islamic banks, like other conventional banks, are financial institutions providing services to depositors and investors and financing companies, public sectors and individuals. Therefore, Islamic banks are subject to the risks similar to those confronted by conventional banks. While Islamic banking has been around for several decades, originating from groundbreaking efforts from the Bahrain, Malaysia, Iran, Sudan and Egypt. According to McKinsey & Co, a management consulting firm, the value of Islamic banking industry is around some $750bn with over 300 dedicated institutions and thousands of Shariah-compliant banking service windows operating in more than 75 countries. Islamic banking and financing has gained a strong grip both nationally in Muslim countries and internationally in the financial world. Regular degree programs are also being offered at the university level almost in all parts of the world.
Profitability Concepts
At the foundation of Shariah compliance there are two concepts of profitability in Islamic banking: profit and loss sharing and mark-up. Islamic banking is based on the totally Riba (interest) free and there is no transaction involving the interest. In the profit and loss sharing the rate of return on the financial assets is either not known or fixed before the undertaking; in case of mark-up the purchase-resale transaction is determined with reference of the benchmark rate of return. Profit share involves the bank’s ability to secure a high return arises from its own investment decision and input post-investment. By comparison, in conventional banking the borrower of the money become responsible for the entire risk. Poor investment decisions by the bank have a direct bearing on the returns gained by depositors, as the rate of return is determined by the profit-and-loss sharing ratio.
Shariah-compliant instruments differ from conventional banks’ offering in the legal contracts, governance and the liquidity structure. The various Islamic financial products practiced in different parts of the world are described below.
Mudarabah
Mudarabah is a kind of contract in which one partner provide money to another partner for investing it in any commercial enterprise. The investment comes from the first partner who is called "rabb-ul-mal", while the management and work is an exclusive responsibility of the other, who is called "mudarib". In this contract bank finance the customer and share the profit or loss.
Murabahah
Murabahah is actually a term of Islamic Fiqh and it refers to a particular kind of sale having nothing to do with financing in its original sense. If a seller agrees with his purchaser to provide him a specific commodity on a certain profit added to his cost, it is called a "murabahah" transaction.
Most of the Islamic banks and financial institutions are using "Murabahah" as an Islamic mode of financing, and most of their financing operations are based on "Murabahah". That is why this term has been taken in the economic circles today as an instrument of banking operations, while the original concept of "Murabahah" is different from this assumption.
Musharkah
'Musharakah' is a word of Arabic origin which literally means sharing. In the context of business and trade it means a joint enterprise in which all the partners share the profit or loss of the joint venture. It is an ideal alternative for the interest-based financing with far reaching effects on both production and distribution. In the modern capitalist economy, interest is the sole instrument indiscriminately used in financing of every type. Since Islam has prohibited interest, this instrument cannot be used for providing funds of any kind. Therefore, 'Musharakah' can play a vital role in an economy based on Islamic principles. The proportion of profit to be distributed between the partners must be agreed upon at the time of affecting the contract. If no such proportion has been determined, the contract is not valid in Shariah.
In spite of all the benefits, Musharakah is almost nonexistent in the Islamic banking and finance markets due to various complexities.
Salam
Salam is a sale whereby the seller undertakes to supply some specific goods to the buyer at a future date in exchange of an advanced price fully paid at spot.
This mode of financing can be used by the modern banks and financial institutions especially to finance the agricultural sector. In Salam, the seller undertakes to supply specific goods to the buyer at a future date in exchange of an advanced price fully paid at spot. The price is in cash but the supply of purchased goods is deferred.
The only problem in Salam which may agitate the modern banks and financial institutions is that they will receive certain commodities from their clients, and will not receive money. Being conversant with dealing in money only, it seems to be cumbersome for them to receive different commodities from different clients and to sell them in the market. They cannot sell those commodities before they are actually delivered to them, because it is prohibited in Shariah.
Istisna
Istisna is a sale transaction where a commodity is transacted before it comes into existence. It is an order to a manufacturer to manufacture a specific commodity for the purchaser. The manufacturer uses his own material to manufacture the required goods.
In Istisna, price must be fixed with consent of all parties involved. All other necessary specifications of the commodity must also be fully settled.
Istisna can be used for providing the facility of financing in certain transactions, especially in the house finance sector. If the client has his own land and he seeks financing for the construction of a house, the financier may undertake to construct the house at that open land, on the basis of Istisna, and if the client has no land and he wants to purchase the land also, the financier may undertake to provide him a constructed house on a specified piece of land.
Ijarah
"Ijarah" is a term of Islamic Fiqh. It means 'to give something on rent' or 'to lease'.
It is defined by jurists as: "Possessing of a usufruct for a consideration"
When interest-free financial institutions were established in the near past, they found that leasing is a recognized mode of finance throughout the world. On the other hand, they realized that leasing is a lawful transaction according to Shariah and it can be used as an interest-free mode of financing. Therefore, leasing has been adopted by the Islamic financial institutions, but very few of them paid attention to the fact that the 'financial lease has a number of characteristics more similar to interest than to the actual lease transaction.
All these financial tools are being used by Islamic banks and financial institutes along with some other instruments to earn profit. Interest is modified in different forms in these tools of Islamic banking for earning profit.
Future of Islamic Banking
Now Islamic banking industry faces issues of a different sort. That is, how to consolidate the gains made so far and sustain itself, ward against any meltdown and grow. But Islamic banks will become pure financial institutions that fill financial gaps standing in the way of real economic transactions at the grassroots level. Islamic banking will be ethical banking for, among others, the following reasons: Islamic banks will stay away from financing Shariah-proscribed activities like producing alcohol or financing speculative activities, for example. There will be transparency in their transactions with the clients, depositors as well as fund-seekers due to compliance with the Shariah.
While the number and operations of Islamic banks are fast expanding, this segment of the market is still small relative to the appetite for Islamic finance. Pakistan, in light of its past experience, is launching a gradual and steady approach to Islamic banking. Despite rapid expansion in industry, the share of Islamic banking in the total banking system is a modest 3.2%.
Findings
Islamic banks need to be integrated globally as global financial markets, encourage competition, and provide a proper climate for ongoing innovation. Islamic banks then can consolidate their position in a range of markets and provide products for more customers.
Islamic banks will need to grow at least by 40-50% annually with its promising prospects and potential to be able to raise its share from 3.5% to about 15% of the total banking system. Given that banking industry as a whole has been growing at a substantively fast pace, the level of effort required for Islamic banks would have to be steeper to claim this share. Given the success of some countries in achieving this share for Islamic banking, it is important that concerted efforts are put in to propel Islamic banking system further and deeper in Pakistan.