Ar-Rahnu (Islamic Pawning Broking) Opportunities and Challenges in Malaysia
This paper aims to identify the key factors that have contributed to the existence and the growth of Ar-Rahnu (Islamic pawn broking scheme) in Malaysia. Based on the previous studies and cost of borrowing analysis, this paper found that the need for interest (riba) free, transparent transaction and low cost short-term cash borrowing scheme is much preferred by the pawning customers. Besides that the cost of borrowing in this scheme is the lowest compared to the conventional pawn broking scheme. However, the Ar-Rahnu scheme needs to address central issues such as the marketing, public awareness and the locations of this scheme.
A STUDY ON THE EFFICACY OF ISLAMIC PAWN BROKING SERVICES IN FULFILLING SOCIO –ECONOMIC NEEDS: A CASE OF TWO CITIES-KUANTAN AND KUALA TERENGGANU IN MALAYSIA
In this paper we aim to examine the effectiveness of Al-Rahnu (Islamic pawn broking) services in fulfilling and enhancing socio-economic needs of its users as an alternative source of managing short term cash flow problem. To achieve our objectives we conducted a survey in two cities of Malaysia: Kuantan and Kuala Terengganu in the states of Pahang and Terengganu respectively. A sample of 128 users of Ar-Rahnu services were used to collect data through distributing a semi-structured questionnaire. The results were analyzed via the cross tabulation using excel spreadsheets. The findings from this study revealed that the community, especially the Malay ethnicity found Al-Rahnu services effective in fulfilling their needs of getting access to small short term loans with fast and hassle freeway and hence making them loyal to Al-Rahnu services. This implies that the Ar-rahnu services are well accepted as a better mean to ease short term financial difficulties and hence able to empower socio-economic needs of the people. The fulfillment of needs are derived from two main components of Al-Rahnu survey questions i.e. the loan tenure and the loan sufficiency. Keywords: Al-Rahn, Islamic pawn broking, socio-economy, loan tenure, loan sufficiency, Malaysia
An Introduction to Property Theory: Utilitarian Property Theories
As a leading property law casebook puts it, “[u]tilitarian theory is, without doubt, the dominant view of property today, at least among lawyers.” This is certainly true, but the story is also significantly more complicated. Although utilitarian analysis provides tremendous insight into the institution of property, it raises a number of important questions when treated as a comprehensive theory of property. Moreover, the term utilitarian masks a great deal of intellectual and methodological diversity. Rather than a single utilitarian theory, it is more appropriate to speak of a number of utilitarian (or even utilitarian-influenced) property theories . For our purposes, these utilitarian-influenced theories include many contemporary theories that refer to themselves as economic or welfarist . In this chapter, we will explore the broad outlines of these theories, focusing on their points of overlap and also on key areas of disagreement. A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO UTILITARIANISM Utilitarianism is a consequentialist moral philosophy, that is, one that judges the rightness and wrongness of actions or rules or institutions by the goodness and badness of the consequences they bring about. Utilitarianism assesses the goodness or badness of consequences in terms of their tendency to maximize utility or welfare. Bernard Williams has observed that “[t]he fathers of utilitarianism thought of it principally as a system of social and political decision,” as opposed to “a system of personal morality.” As Williams correctly notes, it is sometimes hard to keep these two domains apart. Nevertheless, it is plainly as a theory of social choice that utilitarianism has been deployed in the context of property theory.