The Financial System and Monetary Policy in an Islamic Economy

Abstract

The main characteristics of an Islamic financial system are described relying on recent writings on the subject and on the actual practice of Islamic banking. A theoretical model of an Islamic economic system is developed by generalizing the standard IS-LM model in order to study the effects of monetary policy on the macro-economic variables of an Islamic economy. Whether the authorities attempt to influence monetary conditions through changing the money supply or use the flow of Mudarabah financing as an intermediate objective, there would be no fundamental change in the way monetary policy affects economic variables. An expansionary monetary policy would reduce rates of return and increase output.