Social Capital and Risk Sharing An Islamic Finance Paradigm

"Social Capital and Risk Sharing is a book in which Adam Ng, Abbas Mirakhor and Mansor H. Ibrahim articulate a new business model that brings social capital and risk sharing into renewed focus to create the demonstration effect and to have a global impact. As debates and discussions continue in the battle for the soul of capitalism, their work is a call for action for both Islamic financial institutions and conventional finance to come together and build a fairer, just and sustainable economic society." - Iqbal Khan, Chief Executive Officer, Fajr Capital, United Arab Emirates

"The standard economics curriculum has a gaping hole. The role of ethics in economic interactions is curiously missing, although it always lurks in the background with references to 'trust' and 'good' institutions, as if such social capital somehow evolves independently of human values. This book patches that hole by integrating moral guideposts based on Islamic principles of preferred economic behavior in exploring the sources of social capital. Such guideposts are analytically most meaningful in uncertainty, particularly in financial markets. It is time that we think about alternative risk sharing methods in order to create more stable and accessible financial markets. This book articulates the Islamic view of risk sharing that may curb speculative risk shifting and result in greater financial stability. It also provides a novel discussion of various Islamic financial arrangements to facilitate greater access to markets and induce more equitable economic growth. For both the beginning and the seasoned reader of Islamic finance, this book is a welcome addition and a treasure box of novel ideas to reckon with." - S. Nuri Erbas, Former Economist and Advisor to the International Monetary Fund's Board, United States