Shariah Governance in Islamic Banking: A Study on the Challenges and Best Practices in Indonesia

Chak Sothy (1), Ravi Dara (2), Livia Alves (3)
(1) Dai Viet University, Cambodia,
(2) South East University, Cambodia,
(3) Pontifícia Universidade Católica Rio, Brazil

Abstract

Shariah governance is a cornerstone of Islamic banking, ensuring compliance with Islamic principles and maintaining stakeholder trust. Indonesia, as a leading player in the global Islamic finance industry, faces unique challenges in implementing effective Shariah governance frameworks. This study examines the challenges and best practices in Shariah governance within Indonesia’s Islamic banking sector. The research aims to identify the key challenges in Shariah governance, analyze best practices, and provide recommendations for enhancing the effectiveness of Shariah governance frameworks in Indonesia’s Islamic banking sector. A mixed-methods approach is employed, combining document analysis of regulatory frameworks, case studies of leading Islamic banks, and in-depth interviews with Shariah scholars, regulators, and banking professionals. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis for qualitative insights and comparative analysis for quantitative data. The findings reveal that Indonesia’s Islamic banking sector faces challenges such as regulatory inconsistencies, limited expertise in Shariah governance, and weak enforcement mechanisms. However, best practices such as centralized Shariah boards, transparent reporting, and stakeholder engagement have been identified as effective strategies for enhancing Shariah governance. This study highlights the importance of addressing regulatory gaps, building capacity in Shariah governance, and adopting best practices to strengthen Indonesia’s Islamic banking sector. By improving

Full text article

Generated from XML file

References

Ab Ghani, N. L., Mohd Ariffin, N., & Abdul Rahman, A. R. (2024). The extent of mandatory and voluntary Shariah compliance disclosure: Evidence from Malaysian Islamic financial institutions. Journal of Islamic Accounting and Business Research, 15(3), 443–465. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIABR-10-2021-0282

Abdul Rahim, M., Shaharuddin, N. ’. S., & Mohd Suki, N. (2024). Shariah governance disclosure and its effect on Islamic banks’ financial performance: Evidence from Malaysia and GCC countries. Journal of Islamic Accounting and Business Research, 15(4), 619–642. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIABR-08-2021-0235

Abdullah, N. A. I. N., Hamid, N. A., & Haron, R. (2024). Issues and Challenges ofSustainable Finance: An Experience From the Islamic Banking Industry. Dalam Islamic Finance and Sustainable Development: A Global Framew. For Achieving Sustainable Impact Finance (hlm. 187–194). Taylor and Francis; Scopus. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003468653-21

Abdulrahman, Z., Ebrahimi, T., & Al-Najjar, B. (2024). Exploring the nexus between Islamic financial institutions Shariah compliance disclosure and corporate governance: New insights from a cross-country analysis. International Journal of Finance and Economics, 29(4), 4590–4612. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijfe.2891

Abedeen, Z. A., & Salman, S. A. (2024). Factors affecting Islamic banking sustainability: An empirical analysis. Dalam New Pract. For Entrep. Innov. (hlm. 137–156). IGI Global; Scopus. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-5426-1.ch007

Al Thnaibat, M., Al-Hajaya, K., & Alshhadat, M. Q. (2024). Do the characteristics of the Sharia Supervisory Board affect the Islamic banks’ performance? Evidence from Arab countries. Journal of Financial Reporting and Accounting. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFRA-05-2024-0271

Alatassi, B., & Pillai, R. (2024). Corporate governance and risk management: An evaluation of board responsibilities in western and Islamic banks. Economics and Business Review, 10(1), 125–152. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.18559/ebr.2024.1.1004

Aljughaiman, A., Salama, A., & Verousis, T. (2024). Corporate governance, Shari’ah governance and financial flexibility: Evidence from the MENA region. International Journal of Finance and Economics, 29(4), 4319–4338. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijfe.2878

Ardianto, A., Cahyono, S., Noman, A. H., & Sulaiman, N. A. (2024). Sharia-supervisory board’s characteristics and green banking disclosure: Exploring from Islamic banking in MENA countries. International Journal of Ethics and Systems. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOES-06-2024-0171

Aslam, E., Ur Rehman, A., & Iqbal, A. (2024). The mediating role of intellectual capital in corporate governance and financial efficiency of Islamic banks. Corporate Governance (Bingley), 24(1), 19–40. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1108/CG-06-2022-0276

Athief, F. H. N., Zaky, R. A., Virgiawan, R., Fathoni, M. A., & Rofiqo, A. (2024). CAPTURING ISLAMIC BANK PERFORMANCE IN INDONESIA DURING THE COVID-19 CRISIS: RGEC AND SCNP APPROACHES. Banks and Bank Systems, 19(2), 15–29. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.21511/BBS.19(2).2024.02

Awais, M., Öztürk, A. O., Bhatti, O. K., & Ellahi, N. (2024). The Islamic Economic System: Cultural Context in a Global Economy. Dalam The Islamic Economic System: Cultural Context in a Global Economy (hlm. 176). Taylor and Francis; Scopus. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003484349

Ayub, M., Hassan, M. K., & Saba, I. (2024). Revisiting the paradigm of Shar??ah governance of Islamic financial institutions. Journal of Islamic Accounting and Business Research, 15(8), 1245–1265. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIABR-04-2022-0110

Elnahass, M., Tahir, M., Abdul Rahman Ahmed, N., & Salama, A. (2024). Internal governance mechanisms and information value of banks’ earnings. Journal of Accounting in Emerging Economies, 14(2), 450–488. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1108/JAEE-09-2020-0247

Issa, S. O., Alabi, A. T., & Ubandawaki, A. T. (2025). Climate change governance, Shariah governance quality, and financed emission mitigation: Evidence from Islamic banks in Southeast and West Asia. Borsa Istanbul Review. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bir.2025.03.011

Jilani, W. (2024). Corporate governance and financial performance: Evidence from Islamic banks. Dalam Intersecting Corp. Gov., Financ. Perform., and Long-Term Value Creat. (hlm. 103–133). IGI Global; Scopus. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-8954-6.ch004

Khan, I., Khan, I. U., Uddin, M. J., Khan, S. U., & Marwat, J. (2024). Diversity of Shari’ah supervisory board and the performance of Islamic banks: Evidence from an emerging economy of Pakistan. Journal of Islamic Accounting and Business Research, 15(1), 1–31. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIABR-09-2021-0240

Khan, M. H., Bitar, M., Tarazi, A., Hassan, A., & Fraz, A. (2024). Corruption and Bank Risk-Taking in Dual Banking Systems. Corporate Governance: An International Review, 32(6), 984–1015. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1111/corg.12579

Kismawadi, E. R. (2025). Improving Islamic bank performance through agency cost and dual board governance. Journal of Islamic Accounting and Business Research, 16(3), 461–483. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIABR-01-2023-0035

Mbaidin, H. O., Sbaee, N. Q., Almubydeen, I. O., Chindo, U. M., & Alomari, K. M. (2024). The role of AI integration and governance standards: Enhancing financial reporting quality in Islamic banking. Decision Science Letters, 13(1), 83–98. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.5267/j.dsl.2023.12.001

Mohamed, H. (2024). Sustainable synergy: The ethical imperative of islamic banking in shaping a responsible financial future. Dalam The Future of Islamic Financ.: From Shari’ah Law to Fintech (hlm. 141–153). Emerald Publishing; Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83549-906-120241009

Mohd Haridan, N., Sheikh Hassan, A. F., & Mohammed Shah, S. (2024). External Shariah auditing in Islamic banks: What do internal auditors think? Journal of Islamic Accounting and Business Research. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIABR-08-2023-0275

Mukhibad, H., Setiawan, D., Aryani, Y. A., & Falikhatun, F. (2024a). Cognitive board diversity and profitability – evidence from Islamic banks in Southeast Asia. Asian Journal of Accounting Research, 9(3), 182–200. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1108/AJAR-02-2023-0034

Mukhibad, H., Setiawan, D., Aryani, Y. A., & Falikhatun, F. (2024b). Corporate governance and Islamic bank risk – do the directors’ and the Shariah board’s diversity attributes matter? Corporate Governance (Bingley), 24(5), 1213–1234. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1108/CG-08-2022-0348

Muneer, S., Singh, A., Choudhary, M. H., Alshammari, A. S., & Butt, N. A. (2025). Does Environmental Disclosure and Corporate Governance Ensure the Financial Sustainability of Islamic Banks? Administrative Sciences, 15(2). Scopus. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci15020054

Rahman, M. N. B. A. (2024). Exploring the Experimental Analysis of Deep Learning Based Risk Management and Corporate Governance in Islamic Finance. Proc. Int. Conf. Sci., Technol., Eng. Manag., ICSTEM. Proceedings of 2024 International Conference on Science, Technology, Engineering and Management, ICSTEM 2024. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICSTEM61137.2024.10560778

Ratnakaram, S., Manikeswari, D., Babu, M., & Paluri, S. (2025). Islamic banking and environmental, social, governance (ESG)—Ingredients for enhanced sustainability in banking sector. Dalam Digital Transformation and Sustainability of Bus. (hlm. 211–214). CRC Press; Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003606185-49

Rejeb, A., Rejeb, K., & Zailani, S. (2024). Tracing knowledge diffusion flows in Islamic finance research: A main path analysis. Journal of Islamic Accounting and Business Research. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIABR-10-2023-0344

Saleh, A. O. H., Alsirhani, S. M. M., & Muayyad, D. M. (2024). Shariah Governance and Audit in the Islamic Banks: A Literature Review. Dalam Stud. Syst. Decis. Control (Vol. 440, hlm. 823–831). Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH; Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-42085-6_71

Uddin, M. N., Hosen, M., Azad, M. A. K., Günerhan, H., Hoque, N., Uddin, M., & Mamun, A. (2024). Guidelines for developing the shari’ah-compliant products and shari’ah governance for sustainable banks in Bangladesh. Business Strategy and Development, 7(1). Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1002/bsd2.309

Zafar, M. B., & Jafar, A. (2024). Human capital and Islamic banking: A systematic literature review. Journal of Islamic Accounting and Business Research. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIABR-11-2023-0376

Zahari, S. A., Shahimi, S., Alma’amun, S., & Ismail, A. G. (2024). ETHICS IN FOCUS: A BIBLIOMETRIC AND CONTENT ANALYSIS OF ISLAMIC BANKING AND FINANCE RESEARCH. Journal of Islamic Monetary Economics and Finance, 10(2), 249–276. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.21098/jimf.v10i2.1992

Authors

Chak Sothy
chakksothy@gmail.com (Primary Contact)
Ravi Dara
Livia Alves
Sothy, C., Dara, R., & Alves, L. (2025). Shariah Governance in Islamic Banking: A Study on the Challenges and Best Practices in Indonesia. Sharia Oikonomia Law Journal, 3(1), 92–103. https://doi.org/10.70177/solj.v3i1.2078

Article Details

Murabaha Contract Dispute Resolution Procedure

Rezki Akbar Norrahman, Mariani Mariani
Abstract View : 191
Download :186