Faculty Publications

Islamic Banking And Friedman’s Rule

Document Type

Article

Keywords

Interest-free banking, Islamic economics, Religion and economics

Journal/Book/Conference Title

Review of Social Economy

Volume

53

Issue

1

First Page

65

Last Page

87

Abstract

The recent resurgence of Islamic scholarship has revived the ancient controversy concerning the legitimacy of interest payments. It has also fueled a debate about whether a modern economy can exist without interest. In this paper, we review the arguments against interest presented both in Islam and in the West. It is then suggested that there are two ways to achieve a zero interest rate: Impose a zero price ceiling in the credit market and suffer the consequences of the resulting market distortions, or conduct monetary policy so as to reach a zero interest rate through the market itself. This latter approach, derived from Friedman’s Rule, suggests that Islamic banking if done properly, may allow Islamic societies to have the best of both worlds, i.e. they can follow their religious precepts without creating serious distortions in their economies. Finally, the recent performance of Islamic Banking in Iran and Pakistan is briefly reviewed. © 1995 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Department

Department of Economics

Original Publication Date

1-1-1995

DOI of published version

10.1080/00346769500000003

Link to Full Text

Comments?

Share

COinS