Yasalunaka an al-Muamalat al-Maliyya al-Muasira
- Author died
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- Editions
- al-Maktabah al-‘Ilmiyyah wa-Dār al-Ṭayyib lil-Ṭibā‘ah wal-Nashr
Yasalunaka an al-Muamalat al-Maliyya al-Muasira (يسألونك عن المعاملات المالية المعاصرة, "They Ask You About Contemporary Financial Transactions") is a contemporary Islamic jurisprudence work by the Palestinian scholar Husam al-Din Afana, dedicated to legal rulings (fatwas) and analyses concerning modern financial and banking transactions .
Background and Context
The book forms part of Afana's broader Yasalunaka ("They Ask You") series, which originated from a weekly religious inquiry column he authored in the Jerusalem-based newspaper al-Quds beginning in 1993 . While the general Yasalunaka volumes assemble questions across various domains of Islamic law, this specialized installment collects inquiries specifically focused on modern economic matters .
Afana, a professor of Islamic jurisprudence and its principles at the Faculty of Da'wah and Usul al-Din at Al-Quds University, completed the first volume of the work on Wednesday, 7 Sha'ban 1430 AH (29 July 2009 CE) in Abu Dis, Jerusalem . The first edition was published in 1430 AH / 2009 CE and distributed by al-Maktaba al-Ilmiyya and Dar al-Tayyib in Jerusalem .
Scope and Subject Matter
The work addresses a wide range of practical financial questions submitted by Muslim inquirers, applying classical jurisprudential principles to modern economic contracts and banking mechanisms . The subjects discussed in the first volume include:
- Contemporary applications and prohibitions of usury (riba) and interest-bearing loans .
- The operational rules of Islamic banks, including contracts such as cost-plus financing (murabaha for the purchase orderer), diminishing partnership (musharaka), and lease-to-own agreements (ijara muntahiya bi-al-tamlik) .
- Commercial paper and monetary instruments, including the validity of settling and exchanging checks as constructive receipt (qabd) of funds .
- Dealings in stocks, bonds, and securities on the financial stock exchange .
- Currency exchange rulings, credit cards, and cooperative insurance (al-tamin al-ta'awuni) .
In his introductory treatment, Afana emphasizes the foundational characteristics of Islamic financial institutions—namely the total elimination of interest, channelling investments strictly toward permissible (halal) goods and services, linking economic activity with social development, and mobilizing idle capital . He also highlights institutional recommendations for Islamic banking in Palestine and elsewhere, stressing the need for rigorous Sharia supervision boards, product diversification beyond standard murabaha, ongoing employee training, and public awareness campaigns .
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