Shari’ah Principles for Investment Funds
Mudarabah Fund
In the Mudarabah fund the amount may be invested in a specific business activity on the basis of profit and loss sharing.
Equity Fund
In an equity fund the amounts are invested in the shares of joint stock companies. The profits are derived mainly through the capital gains by purchasing the shares and selling them when their prices are increased. Profits are also achieved by the dividends distributed by the relevant companies. Similarly the contemporary Shari’ah experts are almost unanimous on the point that if all the transactions of a company are in full conformity with Shari’ah, which includes that the company neither borrows money on interest nor keeps its surplus in an interest bearing account, its shares can be purchased, held and sold without any hindrance from the Shari’ah side. But evidently, such companies are very rare in the contemporary stock markets.
Murabaha Fund
This kind of sale has been adopted by the contemporary Islamic banks and financial institutions as a mode of financing. They purchase the commodity for the benefit of their clients, and then sell it to them on the basis of deferred payment at an agreed margin of profit added to the cost. If a fund is created to undertake this kind of sale, it should be a closed-end fund and its units can not be negotiable in a secondary market.
Ijarah Fund
The Ijarah Fund will involve in companies dealing in the leasing of assets according to Shari’ah principles. The ownership of these assets remains with the Fund and the rentals are charged from the users. These rentals are the source of income for the fund which is distributed pro rated to the investors.
Mixed Fund
Another type of Islamic Fund maybe of a nature where the subscription amounts are employed in different types of investments, like equities, leasing, commodities, etc. This may be called a Mixed Islamic Fund. In this case if the tangible assets of the Fund are more than 51% while the liquidity and debts are less than 50% the units of the fund may be negotiable. However, if the proportion of liquidity and debts exceeds 50%, its units cannot be traded in according to the majority of the contemporary scholars. In this case the Fund must be a closed-end Fund.
In the Mudarabah fund the amount may be invested in a specific business activity on the basis of profit and loss sharing.
Equity Fund
In an equity fund the amounts are invested in the shares of joint stock companies. The profits are derived mainly through the capital gains by purchasing the shares and selling them when their prices are increased. Profits are also achieved by the dividends distributed by the relevant companies. Similarly the contemporary Shari’ah experts are almost unanimous on the point that if all the transactions of a company are in full conformity with Shari’ah, which includes that the company neither borrows money on interest nor keeps its surplus in an interest bearing account, its shares can be purchased, held and sold without any hindrance from the Shari’ah side. But evidently, such companies are very rare in the contemporary stock markets.
Murabaha Fund
This kind of sale has been adopted by the contemporary Islamic banks and financial institutions as a mode of financing. They purchase the commodity for the benefit of their clients, and then sell it to them on the basis of deferred payment at an agreed margin of profit added to the cost. If a fund is created to undertake this kind of sale, it should be a closed-end fund and its units can not be negotiable in a secondary market.
Ijarah Fund
The Ijarah Fund will involve in companies dealing in the leasing of assets according to Shari’ah principles. The ownership of these assets remains with the Fund and the rentals are charged from the users. These rentals are the source of income for the fund which is distributed pro rated to the investors.
Mixed Fund
Another type of Islamic Fund maybe of a nature where the subscription amounts are employed in different types of investments, like equities, leasing, commodities, etc. This may be called a Mixed Islamic Fund. In this case if the tangible assets of the Fund are more than 51% while the liquidity and debts are less than 50% the units of the fund may be negotiable. However, if the proportion of liquidity and debts exceeds 50%, its units cannot be traded in according to the majority of the contemporary scholars. In this case the Fund must be a closed-end Fund.
