Les trois monothéismes conçoivent un Dieu créateur et ordonnateur du monde, révélé dans l’histoire, garant de toute justice et de tout équilibre, et déterminant l’autorité et les systèmes d’autorités. La théologie a informé le droit et les lois, l’économie et l’éthique des personnes et des États. L’islam, loin d’être homogénéisé dans ses approches économiques, financières et réglementaires, révèle par le biais d’un exemple concret, par l’industrie des services financiers islamiques, les différentes facettes de ce qu’est l’autorité dans un contexte musulman, international et en pleine évolution. Prenant en compte la dynamique des questions sectaires, géographiques et interprétatives, la thèse analyse cette force déterminante que sont les « autorités » en finance islamique. Ces dernières semblent déterminer la finance islamique dans ses formes les plus tangibles, en structurant des produits financiers islamiques. L’analyse comporte d’abord une approche théorique, ensuite une étude comparée des facteurs qui déterminent les décisions prises lors de la structuration de produits financiers islamiques. Ces structures sont en effet fondées sur des contrats financiers conformes aux principes de la sharia. Leur approbation par des membres de conseils de la sharia est-elle déterminée par une autorité régionale, par des autorités internationales ou par des autorités de régulation ? Ces autorités sont-elles conventionnelles ou religieuses ? Afin de bien évaluer la problématique non seulement de l’autorité en tant que telle mais aussi de l’équilibre complexe entre les différentes autorités, nous développons une analyse comparée du système de structuration des produits financiers islamiques par les autorités concernées, en fonction des zones géographiques, au moyen d’un échantillon de 121 membres de conseils de la sharia couvrant l’approbation de produits financiers islamiques au sein de 243 institutions financières islamiques sur 35 pays. / The three monotheistic religions refer to a God who is the all-powerful creator of all that exists, revealed throughout history, guarantor of justice and fairness, who is the ultimate moral authority. Theology advises some of the laws, economics and ethics of individuals and of states. Islam is not homogeneous in its economic, financial and regulatory approaches. However, through the financial services industry, it reveals in a tangible manner various facets of authority across Muslim contexts. These include contexts that are international and highly dynamic. Taking into account the delicate balance between sectarian, geographic and interpretive facets, the thesis analyses the determining forces that we refer to as authorities in Islamic finance. These contribute to the Islamic finance industry in its most tangible form in the structuring of Islamic financial products. Analysis is carried out initially theoretically. It is followed by a comparative study of factors affecting decisions pertaining to the structuring of Islamic financial products. These structures are based on financial contracts that conform to the principles of the Sharia. Is approval by Sharia board members fashioned by a regional authority, by international authorities, or by regulatory authorities? Are these authorities conventional or religious? We address the question as it pertains to the dynamics between various types of authority. We develop a comparative analysis of the approach taken in structuring Islamic financial products, according to geographical areas related to a sample of 121 Sharia board members covering Islamic financial products for 243 Islamic financial institutions in 35 countries.

With the rapid development of the Islamic banking and finance in South Africa, the legal regime of South Africa, must be able to progress at the same rate of development. The recognition of a foreign legal system such as Islamic law in South Africa is challenging and difficult. South Africa, has an interest based insurance legislative framework and this is not aligned with the principles of the Islamic financial system. As a result of this, regulators have taken various measures to develop and promote the Islamic Industry. The amendment to the South African Tax legislation has created an equitable and level playing field for Islamic law. The South African government also has a further obligation which is to develop a legislative framework to govern Islamic law, as well as to enhance the regulatory and supervisory framework. The study of the development of the Islamic legal regime is an important area that aids legal practitioners in identifying and resolving legal disputes. The purpose of this paper is to examine the accommodation of the Islamic law of Takaful under the South African Insurance legal framework. / Public, Constitutional and International Law / LL. M. (Public, Constitutional and International Law)

Islamic banking in the United States of America, became recognized as an alternative to expand into the market of traditional Muslim consumers, living in the United States. Because of strict regulatory guidelines, no Islamic banks exist in the United States. Instead, conventional banks, Islāmic banking windows (IBW) and other financial institutions offer Shari‘ah compliant products by modifying classical Islamic contracts or attaching a rider to define contract verbiage. This study reviewed techniques of adapting contracts used for Shari‘ah compliant products in the United States to determine if the contracts maintain the true characteristics of the original classical Islamic contracts. Contracts in Islamic sacred law provide protections by ensuring wealth is not wasted, and no injustice is performed by either of the contracting parties. Wealth protection and justice are the inherit characteristics of contracts in the Islāmic law. Any changes or modifications may void or decrease the protections provided in Islamic law. This research reviewed the theoretical aspects of contract modifications, by analyzing the procedures used for the derivative Shari‘ah compliant product contracts used in the Islamic finance industry in the United States. Data was evaluated and compared with the requirements of classical Islamic contract equivalents, to determine the effects of these changes. / Religious Studies and Arabic / D. Phil. (Religious Studies)

L’analyse de la taxation des produits islamiques dans le monde musulman révèle que celle-ci oscille entre contradiction et convergence. En effet, d’une part, les pays du monde musulman ont institué un système fiscal « moderne » similaire à celui des pays occidentaux. Aussi ont-ils œuvré pour assurer la neutralité fiscale des produits islamiques par rapport aux produits conventionnels qui satisfont le même objectif économique. Cependant, l’examen de la manière avec laquelle le système fiscal est appliqué révèle une dominance en la matière du droit positif sur le droit islamique dans lesdits pays. D’autre part, les divergences des écoles de pensées islamiques dans leur définition de certains produits peuvent créer des opportunités d’arbitrage fiscal pouvant impacter les recettes des pays. Des initiatives et des actions sont entreprises, par les pays musulmans et organisations internationales, pour renouer avec le droit islamique. Toutefois, ces initiatives et actions restent limitées. De surcroît, l’intégration de la taxation des produits islamiques dans la nouvelle tendance internationale de lutte contre l’évasion fiscale et le transfert de bénéfices (BEPS) semble être, à moyen terme, la tendance en matière fiscale dans les pays musulmans. Cependant, une réflexion profonde sur l’apport des principes du droit islamique au droit fiscal mérite d’être conduite, notamment, du fait que les principaux enjeux de la fiscalité moderne représentent la pierre angulaire de la finance islamique. / The analysis of the taxation of Islamic products in the Muslim world reveals that it oscillates between contradiction and convergence. In fact, on one hand, countries of the Muslim world have adopted a "modern" tax system similar to the one applied by the Western countries. Thus, they have worked to ensure a tax neutrality of Islamic products compared to the conventional products that fulfill the same economic objective. However, a deeper examination of the manner in which the tax system ensures the tax neutrality in Muslim countries reveals a dominance of the positive Law over the Islamic Law. On the other hand, divergences of Islamic schools of thought regarding the definition of some products can create opportunities of tax arbitrage that may impact the tax revenues of countries. Initiatives and actions are being undertaken by Muslim countries and international organizations to revive the Islamic Law. However, these initiatives and actions remain limited. Moreover, the integration of taxation of Islamic products into the new international trend against base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) appears to be, in the medium term, the tendency in taxation in Muslim countries. However, a profound reflection on the contribution of the principles of Islamic Law to tax Law deserves to be conducted, in particular, because the main issues facing the modern tax system represent the cornerstone of Islamic finance.