Dear faithful readers,
It is our utmost pleasure to welcome you back to our IF Hub. There have been a lot of developments since our last issue in March 2021. Apart from the country’s political turmoil and health and economic crises due to the COVID-19 pandemic, INCEIF and ISRA have undergone a consolidation exercise. As a consolidated entity, the institution now offers a combined expertise in education and applied Shariah research in Islamic finance. The consolidation has entailed some changes to the organisational structure including rebranding of ISRA as ISRA Research Management Centre (RMC), replacing the INCEIF RMC. The IF Hub editorial team also comprises new members except the Managing Editor.
I would like to express my gratitude to the previous IF Hub editorial team, particularly Assoc. Prof Dr Baharom, who was instrumental in establishing the IF Hub and maintaining its presence until today. Rest assured; the legacy will continue insha Allah.
This issue features our President & Chief Executive Officer (PCEO) and Executive Director of ISRA RMC on the New Spirit of INCEIF. In line with the recent launch of the Value-based Intermediation for Takaful (VBIT) framework by the Malaysian Takaful Association (MTA) in June 2021, IFHub welcomed contributions from our esteemed faculty members and energetic students on various topics related to the framework.
Q4 2021 will be a busy period for INCEIF with various events taking place: International Shariah Scholars Forum (ISSF2021), Innofest2021, and Islamic Fintech Dialogue (IFD2021). We look forward to welcoming you to our prestigious events that bring various themes ranging from the fiqh of crisis management to sustainability to Islamic fintech.
More importantly, the Research Quality Assurance & Publications Department of ISRA RMC is proud to announce our upcoming two new books, which will be an addition to the current literary works in Shariah and Islamic finance: the translation of Mustafa al-Zarqa’s book An Introduction to the General Theory of Obligations in Islamic Jurisprudence, and Dr Tahiri-Jouti’s book The Fourth Market Theory and the Paths to Differentiation in the Islamic Finance Industry.
Until we meet, stay safe and enjoy reading!
Dr Marjan Muhammad
Editor-in-Chief
