THE ROLE OF ISLAMIC BANKING AND CHALLENGES IN GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS: IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Islamic banking or interest free banking as it is alternatively called is a banking system based on the principles of profit and loss sharing by all the stake holders. Islamic banking concept owes its origin to the Islamic concept of money. In Islam money does not in itself produce interest or profit, and is viewed as a medium of exchange and not as a commodity. Already Ribah (interest) is prohibited in Islam. The status of Islamic bank in relations to its clients is that of partner – investor and trader. Whereas, in conventional banks of the West the relationship is that of creditor or debtor. Islamic banking will be based on the universally recognized principles of Shirakah (partnership). That is, the whole system of banking in which the holders, the depositors, the investors and the borrowers will participate on a partnership basis i.e through the application of the external principle of Mudarabah – labour and capital combine as partner for work.