On Islamic Accounting

Abstract

Islamic accounthg is an emerging field of study. With the establishmentof several Islamic banks, interest in this area has increased. Thepresent booklet is a master’s thesis, submitted to the Intemational Universityof Japan, consisting of four chapters and five appendices. Chapterone reviews western accounting and its evolution. Its main argument isthat western accounting developed in response to the needs of evolvingcapitalism. Due to social assumptions of the primacy of self-interest andthe profit motive, accounting serves the needs of business and not thoseof society. Society makes only an indirect use of a business entity’s accountingstatements.In chapter two, the author introduces the basic concept of Islamic accounting.According to him, Islamic accounting is more responsive to asociety’s needs. The accounting statements prepared in an Islamic frameworkprovide essential information needed by the society. For example,they are useful for calculating zakat. Chapter three deals with the actualaccounting of zakat. The author examines the controversy of whetherzakat should be treated as a cost or as part of the appropriation accountin a mudiirubuh arrangement. He supports the contention that it shouldbe treated as a cost. The last chapter summaries the debate and concludesthat western accounting should make use of the Islamic accounting concept’sof responding to the needs of a society rather than a business.The book is a welcome addition to the meager literatw on the subject.The author has examined some primary sources in order to base hisargument, although he has also relied on secondary source. But the readerdoes not find what he expects for, with the exception of one major observationabout the scope of accounting in the Islamic and western frameworks,there is little on the differences between the two concepts. Forexample, he does not compare their assumptions, standards, procedures,and methods. Perhaps these questions were not part of the book‘s scope.However, I think such a discussion would be of interest to many readers ...