#Tawarruq - the 'new kid' in islamic banking

Islamic financial products have evolved from simple and straightforward structures to highly sophisticated instruments. Tawarruq, popularly known as commodity murabahah, has become a new phenomenon in the Malaysian Islamic banking system. This is particularly after the issuance of a 2012 Bank Negara Malaysia circular on bay’ inah (sale and buy-back), which substantially tightens the syariah requirements. Since then, the Malaysian Islamic banking system has started to actively use tawarruq as an alternative to bay’ inah. Nevertheless, its extensive use has raised several questions. The International Islamic Fiqh Academy held in the United Arab Emirates in 2009 resolved that the modern practice of tawarruq is impermissible. As such, the Malaysian regulators and syariah committees have to put certain parameters and limitations in the use of tawarruq.