Moving from shariah compliant investments to conscientious investments.

The things you say or do is an extension of you as a person. Your investment portfolio can become an extension of your values as an individual.

As Muslims, the most important of these values are those directly espoused by Islam. In order to ensure investments are in line with the shariah (Islamic ethics), ulama (scholars) have developed a set of standards which consider religious texts as well as the practical realities on the ground. For example, when investing in shares/stocks, there is a simplified screening process that has been developed to ensure shariah compliance. However, as individuals, we can go over and beyond that and invest much more conscientiously. Our investments can become more than merely staying away from haram, but also actively encouraging good. I call this conscientious investment.

If you feel that renewable energy generation needs to be urgently developed, a conscientious investor will invest in shariah compliant renewable energy companies as opposed to investing in fossil fuel companies. If you feel that more needs to be done by private developers to make affordable housing available, you could look for those projects to invest in instead. This concept can be applied across the board. With conscientious investing we have one more strategy to develop a better world.

Allah knows best