The Art of Islamic Banking and Finance: Tools and Techniques for Community-Based Banking

(Tina Meador) #1

RF Stock Market Investments


The next layer in the Investment Pyramid has to do with investing in the
stock market. This section will detail how the RF parameters for investing
in stocks were developed for the first time and which guidelines were used.
In addition, many of the principles of RF financing and investing will be
discussed in order to avoid participating in a bubble that would waste the
hard-earned wealth of the customers involved.
The following are the guidelines that were developed for investing in
the stock markets in an RF way.


Guidelines for RF Investing in the Stock Market


The spirit of investing according to Shari’aa is to participate in equity in-
vesting and not in debt-type investing. Equity investing means owning
equity in the company (companies). Debt investing means lending money to
the company using a riba-based instrument, such as a direct loan, an inter-
est-based (renting money) promissory note, or a predefined interest-based
bond.
Investing in equities is highly encouraged by Shari’aa. RF financing is
all about equity participation in business activities that need financing. The
author was part of a group of scholars and experts who started investing
according to Shari’aa in 1988 in a $250 million portfolio. The portfolio per-
formed better than the market averages. A number of guidelines were devel-
oped as early as 1988 to regulate investing in stocks based on Shari’aa. The
following is a list of these guidelines:


1.It is preferred to invest in companies that operate in local communities
to generate economic growth and prosperity that would create new job
opportunities, peace, and harmony in the community.
2.Investing should be in socially responsible companies with a manage-
ment dedicated to high ethical and moral standards.
3.Investing cannot be in companies which are involved directly or in-
directly in divinely prohibited (haram) businesses, such as:
a.Alcoholic beverages, intoxicants, bars, nightclubs and associated ac-
tivities, casinos, hotels that operate bars and casinos, airlines that
serve alcohol on their planes, or promiscuous activities. For example,
Walt Disney Company provides family entertainment and theme
parks, but it also owns movie divisions and trade names that may
violate the promiscuous activities rule. Coca-Cola, in addition to its
huge soft drinks business, has a thriving alcohol-related wine busi-
ness. We could not invest in either of these companies.

364 THE ART OF ISLAMIC BANKING AND FINANCE

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