The study explores the existing Shariah audit practice of Islamic banks (IBs) in Bangladesh aiming at providing suggestions for improvements on the detected shortfalls in the relevant areas. This research applied a qualitative method, and data were collected through conducting semi-structured interviews in Bangladesh. A total of 17 interviews were conducted for accomplishing the research objectives. The study finds that there is no comprehensive Shariah audit manual in the current operation for IBs in Bangladesh, and as such, the requirements of their Shariah compliance remain a big question. Although the Shariah audit is conducted within IBs, and the Shariah audit officers or Shariah officers inspect necessary documents while conducting the Shariah audit, they only cover 10-20% of total investments and transactions. Based on the findings of this study, it is recommended that the Shariah auditing tasks should broadly cover at least 80% of the investment portfolios, documents and financial contracts and activities. The findings of this research are expected to significantly contribute to the regulatory authorities concerned in Bangladesh and beyond, which include the suggestions that IBs can adopt to strengthen their Shariah governance system. The study also pinpoints that in the current system, Shariah auditors' roles are somehow limited in examining and checking the investment sides with a minimal portion (10-20%), for which they are unable to perform their responsibilities in a befitting manner to provide assurance services and overall Shariah compliance of IBs activities. This study explores the current Shariah audit systems and provides recommendations to improve the existing systems which will be beneficial for Islamic banks of Bangladesh.

Prior studies have identified that not all "intangibles" are reported as "intangible assets" in the statement of financial position. This particularly concerns the Islamic finance industry where intangibles are often used as underlying assets in structuring products. Accordingly, this research examines the unique Shari'ah requirements and the dichotomous views on the validity and permissibility of intangibles to be recognized as assets. As a result of an apparent need to re-examine the sufficiency of international financial reporting standards (IFRS/IAS) and the views of Shari'ah scholars on financial assets, the research is designed to analyse the sufficiency of IAS 38 Intangible Assets with reference to the Conceptual Framework for Financial Reporting of International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). For this purpose, an in-depth interview, two focus group discussions and a survey of target respondents from both academia and industry directly involved in reporting of Islamic financial services are carried out. From the engagement session with the Shari'ah scholars, the research has identified an alternative view of concern with reference to appropriate Shari'ah rulings to determine the permissibility and validity of intangible assets and its reporting implications. Whereas, a mixed response is observed in the survey in terms of clarity on accounting policy, treatment and disclosures with reference to the technicality of the standards as well as the peculiarity of the context in Islamic finance industry.

Islamic banks provide similar trade finance facilities to those of conventional banks. They intermediate between buyers (i.e., importers) and sellers (i.e., exporters), act as a custodian of documents, and provide means to reduce payment risks via different payment terms (e.g., open account, documentary collection and letter of credit (LC)). They also provide financing - as need be - to help with working capital tied to the trade transactions. This research focuses only on financing by Islamic banks to importers that involve LCs. Different underlying Shari'ah contracts are used for import financing facilities under LC, the most common being the murabahah contract. At the time of sale, the existence of the subject matter and its ownership by the seller are the key requirements for the validity of a murabahah contract. In the absence of either of these requirements, the contract is considered null and void.

Sukuk in its contemporary form as a financial instrument has gained prominence only over the last one to two decades. Like a share, a sukuk is defined as an instrument representing undivided ownership over the underlying assets. Naturally, the question arises whether sukuk are subject to the same zakat rulings as shares. Accordingly, this research has identified the similarities between shares and Sukuk. The zakat rulings applicable to shares are also identified, and the research has made an attempt to apply those rulings in the context of sukuk. However, the research has identified the peculiarities of sukuk as it is currently practiced in the global market and provided fresh insights on how these may impact the applicability of zakat to sukuk. While the research includes theoretical Shari'ah analysis and discussion on various relevant zakat matters, it also reviews today's practices. Accordingly, relevant Shari'ah standards and requirements of various jurisdictions are identified, and several sukuk prospect uses are examined in relation to zakat calculation and disclosures. By this the research aims at enabling a coherent understanding of the theory and practice.

The Islamic banking industry in Malaysia is governed by the Islamic Financial Services Act 2013 (IFSA). This legislation marks another step in the evolution of the Islamic banking industry in Malaysia. Among its unique components, it re-classifies deposittaking products into two, namely Islamic deposits and investment accounts. The distinction has brought about a significant impact on the role that Islamic banks have traditionally been playing. The move from purely a credit intermediary to a mixed credit-and-investment intermediary is expected to promote real economic growth and development. In IFSA, investment account is defined as an account under which money is paid and accepted for the purposes of investment. This must be in accordance with the Shariah on terms that there is no expressed or implied obligation for the Islamic bank to repay the money in full or with any profit. This definition is instrumental as it explicitly distinguishes the character of an investment account from an Islamic deposit account as the latter guarantees return of the capital with or without a profit. This definition embeds statutorily the true spirit of Shariah-compliant investments, namely profit and loss sharing in musharakah, profit sharing and loss bearing in mudarabah and fee-based in wakalah bil istithmar.

Maqasid al-Shariah (the objectives of Islamic law) are meant to guide and benefit mankind in this world and the Hereafter. The Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities focus on the welfare of the society at large and can also serve the objectives of the Shariah. This research focuses on the CSR activities of the leading Islamic bank in a developing country - Bangladesh. The study is based on the CSR activities of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited (IBBL) - the oldest and largest Islamic bank of Bangladesh. The analysis is done on the basis of the requirements of Maqasid al-Shariah. The study is based on secondary data. It conducted content analysis of eight year annual reports (2009 to 2016) of the bank. The main areas where the bank is performing its CSR activities are identified. Then an analysis is done according to the levels of Maqasid al-Shariah (necessities, complements and embellishments). It is found that most of the CSR activities and expenditures of the bank are dedicated to the necessities. And, activities representing embellishments received slightly more importance than the activities representing complements. The contribution of the study is unique in nature since there is no prior empirical study that assesses the CSR in light of Maqasid al-Shariah in the Bangladeshi context.

Ensuring socio-economic justice, eradication of poverty and equitable distribution of wealth are among the primary objectives of Islam. Even so, a significant number of Muslims around the world are deprived of their basic needs. The scenario only worsens in times of financial and political turbulence. There is a desperate need to find sources of funding to rescue people from their miseries and offer sustainable solutions. Zakat has great potential to meet the funding needs. This chapter argues that zakat contributions will be amplified if corporate entities pay zakat as legal persons or on behalf of their Muslim shareholders. This chapter proposes development of a zakat calculation software to facilitate corporate entities and Islamic financial institutions calculating their zakat obligations reliably. Development of such software requires Islamic finance research entities to team up with information technology experts. Prominent Shariah scholars will play the essential role of validating and endorsing the Shariah compliance of the software.

Preference shares have their own characteristics that make them different from ordinary shares. Moreover, they can be divided into various types based on unique features embedded in each type. This paper aims to scrutinise the different types of preference shares to identify related Shariah issues and subsequently propose solutions for the identified issues that would help in structuring Islamic preference shares. This paper employs a qualitative method by analysing relevant documents and literature to understand the subject-matter and Shariah-related issues. This paper finds that several features of conventional preference shares make the instrument as Shariah non-compliant. These are; (i) capital guarantee; (ii) loss sharing disproportionate to capital contribution; (iii) fixed profit; (iv) profit guarantee; and (v) waiving of right prior to realisation of profit. It is noted that there are a few articles discussed on preference shares. Nevertheless, this paper is significantly different from the others in term of in-depth analysis for each type of preference shares and the proposed Shariah-compliant solutions.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the accounting treatment and reporting of a murabaha contract and its implication to the financial statements of Islamic banks. In addition, the paper also explains the implication of time value of money on the measurement of a murabaha contract and the concept of substance over form in recognising financial transactions. This study reviews the accounting treatment and reporting for a murabaha contract as stated in the Financial Accounting Standards (FAS) of the Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI) and the application of a murabaha contract as a financial instrument based on International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). The paper finds that, while IFRS-based financial reporting primarily focuses on economic consequences of financial instruments, AAOIFI further takes into consideration the legal structure of the instruments, which are based on Shari'ah precepts. The paper also finds that IFRS-based financial reporting cannot always capture the distinctive structure of the murabaha and, hence, may lack representational financial reporting. However, the IFRS recognizes the substance of a murabaha contract as financing, and the majority of Islamic banks in Malaysia report it as one of financing and not as a trading contract. For measurement, IFRS adopted the concept of time value of money where the profit allocation is based on amortized cost, which is similar to the measurement of conventional loan transactions that apply the concept of effective interest rate. Meanwhile, AAOIFI uses a straight-line basis to allocate the profit of a murabaha contract. The forthright discussion and the observations of the paper are expected to assist regulators and standard setters in developing accounting standards that are in convergence but also cater to the unique characteristics of Islamic financial transactions.

This paper aims to address the financial reporting dimensions of intangible assets with specific reference to International Accounting Standards (IAS) 38 as well as relevant International Financial Reporting Standards (IAS 38 exclusion) that are embedded within intangible assets. These have implications for Islamic financial assets with identifiable and measurable intangible components. The study uses the qualitative research method by way of interviews followed by focus group discussions with professional accountants/accounting academics and Shar??ah scholars/advisors from academia, the industry and regulatory bodies. Analysis of relevant literature is made to understand the subject matter and Shar??ah-related issues. The study observes that the accounting dimensions of tangible assets are generally consistent with Shar??ah requirements. However, significant variation arises when the dimensions of intangible assets are represented in financial assets.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the different features of preference shares from accounting and Shari'ah perspectives. It also aims to study Shari'ah issues arising from preference shares and to subsequently propose solutions for identified issues that will help in structuring Islamic preference shares. The paper uses a qualitative method by analyzing relevant documents and literature to understand the subject matter and Shariah-related issues. The paper finds that several features of conventional preference shares, such as capital guarantee, loss sharing disproportionate to capital contribution, fixed profit, profit guarantee and waiver of rights before realization of profit, make them a Shari'ah non-compliant instrument.