IslamicFinance.de

There are three possible explanations to the question why innovation might be slower in Islamic finance than in the conventional finance industry. These are the size of the industry, cultural factors and religious conservatism. First, the industry is tiny compared with conventional finance, Islamic finance assets are only 1.07% of total financial assets. Culturally, Muslim majority countries display much more respect for age and seniority than do locations like Silicon Valley or London. Finally, there is the question of religious conservatism. The rules of traditional Islamic law have always been derived from the original sources of Quran and hadith, and from past judicial rulings. Requiring all legal developments to be based on prior sources limits the scope for innovation. Mohammed Amin states that fintech can only transform Islamic finance if Shariah scholars are sufficiently agile in developing traditional Islamic law to accomodate innovation.