Musharakah Mutanaqisahhome financing: issues in practice

Purpose - This paper aims to examine the practical issues in theMusharakah Mutanaqisah(MM) financing and subsequently, recommends possible solutions to mitigate these issues and improve the current practice. Design/methodology/approach - This paper analyses the theory and current practices of MM offered by Islamic banks. Findings - It is suggested that Islamic financial institutions consider revaluation of property’s value to its fair value, especially during termination of MM contract and annual or agreed periodic review of the market value of the assets to determine the “rental” payments by the customer. It is also recommended that Islamic financial institutions should share all associated costs in performing the contract. Research limitations/implications - Research findings reported in this paper contribute to the body of knowledge on MM in general and to the Islamic finance practices in Malaysia and abroad. Indeed, the Malaysia Central Bank (i.e. Bank Negara Malaysia) should form a special committee to look into the issues highlighted in this paper and recommend strict guidelines for Islamic financial institutions to improve their practices. Practical implications - Islamic banks should extend the use of MM contract in automobile and trade financing where rent or profit could be easily identified and value of the asset is more certain. The regulators and Islamic financial standard setting authorities need to oversee theShari’ahboard decisions on MM contracts and keep the gates in the interest of ensuring a more viable and authentic Islamic finance industry. Originality/value - This paper briefly views the current mode of MM contracts, specifically for home financing, and highlights the incompliance toShari’ahrequirements in exercising these contracts in practice.