Islamic Finance Glossary
Clear, plain-language definitions of 46+ key Islamic finance and halal banking terms, written for Turkey. From Mudarabah pool profit-sharing and TMSF deposit protection to faraid inheritance and the TKBB screening standard, this glossary explains the terminology you'll encounter when comparing Islamic financial products.
Banking
- Mudarabah Pool
- The investment pool an Islamic bank forms from Mudarabah deposits. The bank, as Mudarib, deploys the pool into Shariah-compliant financing; the actual income is calculated periodically and shared between the bank and depositors per the disclosed profit-sharing ratio. Ask any Islamic bank how its pool results and depositor shares are published before opening a savings account.
- Wadiah
- Safekeeping or custody. A deposit arrangement where a financial institution holds funds as a custodian. The institution may use the funds (with permission) but guarantees the return of the full deposit amount. Used as the basis for some Islamic current and savings accounts.
Charitable
- Waqf
- An Islamic endowment: a charitable trust where assets are donated permanently for a specific purpose (education, healthcare, community benefit). The assets cannot be sold or transferred; only the income they generate is used for the designated purpose.
Contracts
- Arbun
- A down payment or earnest money in an Islamic contract. The buyer pays a non-refundable deposit to secure the right to purchase an asset at a later date.
- Istisna'a
- A manufacturing or construction contract where a buyer commissions the creation of an asset to be delivered at a future date. The price, specifications, and delivery timeline are agreed upon in advance. Used in construction and project financing.
- Salam
- A forward sale contract where the buyer pays the full price in advance for goods to be delivered at a future date. The quality, quantity, and delivery date must be specified. Historically used for agricultural commodities.
- Tawarruq
- A monetization arrangement where a buyer purchases a commodity on deferred payment terms, then immediately sells it to a third party for cash. Controversial among scholars: some permit it as a liquidity tool while others consider it a circumvention of riba.
- Wakalah
- An agency contract where one party (the principal) appoints another (the agent) to conduct transactions or manage investments on their behalf. The agent earns a fee or a share of profit. Used in investment management and some banking products.
Estate Planning
- Faraid
- Islamic inheritance law. A system of fixed shares that dictates how a deceased Muslim's estate is distributed among heirs. Designated shares go to the spouse, children, parents, and siblings according to Quranic guidelines. In Turkey, the Civil Code governs estates by default, so families implement faraid through notarial wills within the disposable portion and heirs' estate division agreements; the Diyanet calculates the shares free of charge.
- Hiba
- A lifetime gift under Islamic law. Because faraid shares apply only to what remains at death, a hiba made and delivered during your lifetime is a valid way to transfer specific assets to chosen recipients. Turkish law recognizes lifetime gifts; real estate transfers still require registration at the tapu (land registry) office, and gifts that invade reserved shares can face reduction claims.
- Veraset Ilami (Certificate of Inheritance)
- The document Turkish heirs need to administer a deceased person's estate and claim assets such as bank balances, shares, and real estate. Also called mirascilik belgesi, it is issued by a notary in routine cases or by a civil court in contested ones. Heirs also file inheritance and transfer tax declarations, and real estate passes through the tapu registry.
- Wasiyya
- An Islamic bequest. A Muslim may direct up to one third of their estate to beneficiaries who are not fixed-share heirs (such as charities or individuals outside the faraid shares). Anything beyond one third, or to an existing heir, requires the other heirs' consent. In Turkey, a bequest is implemented through a civil-law will (vasiyetname), which controls the disposable portion after the Civil Code's reserved shares.
Financing Structures
- Diminishing Partnership
- See Musharakah Mutanaqisah. A co-ownership arrangement where one partner gradually buys out the other's share over time. Common in some Islamic mortgage markets; in Turkey, home financing runs on murabaha (cost-plus sale) instead.
- Ijara
- A lease or rental agreement used in Islamic finance. The financier purchases the asset and leases it to the customer, with ownership transferring at the end of the term (Ijarah wa Iqtina). In Turkey, the ijara structure underpins kira sertifikalari (lease certificates or sukuk), the sovereign and corporate Islamic securities that participation funds hold.
- Mudarabah
- A profit-sharing partnership where one party (Rab al-Maal) provides capital and the other (Mudarib) provides expertise and management. Profits are shared according to a pre-agreed ratio. Financial losses are borne by the capital provider unless caused by the manager's negligence.
- Murabaha
- A cost-plus sale. The seller purchases an asset and resells it to the buyer at a disclosed, agreed-upon markup. The buyer pays the total amount in installments. The price and payment schedule are fixed and transparent at the time of the contract. Commonly used for home financing, auto financing, and business equipment purchases.
- Musharakah
- A joint partnership where all parties contribute capital and share profits and losses proportionally. Turkish participation banks apply partnership principles mainly on the deposit side through mudarabah pools; financing runs mostly on murabaha.
- Musharakah Mutanaqisah
- Diminishing partnership, also called Diminishing Musharaka. A form of Musharakah where one partner's share decreases over time as the other buys it out: buyer and financier co-own the property, the buyer pays rent on the financier's share, and each unit purchase increases the buyer's ownership until it reaches 100%. Dominant in some markets; Turkish participation banks finance homes through murabaha instead.
- Qard Hasan
- A benevolent or interest-free loan. The borrower repays only the principal amount with no additional charges. It is considered a charitable act and is the only type of loan fully permissible in Islam.
General
- Amana
- Trust or safety. In Islamic finance, refers to a trust arrangement where assets are held by one party on behalf of another. Turkish participation banks apply the concept in current accounts (cari hesap), where the bank safekeeps deposits without paying or charging any return.
- Halal
- Permissible under Islamic law. In finance, refers to products and transactions that comply with Shariah principles: avoiding interest, prohibited industries, and excessive uncertainty.
Governance
- AAOIFI
- Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions. The primary international body that sets Shariah accounting, auditing, governance, and ethical standards for Islamic finance. Based in Bahrain and followed by institutions in over 45 countries.
- Fatwa
- A religious ruling or opinion issued by a qualified Islamic scholar (mufti) on a specific matter. In finance, a fatwa may certify that a product or transaction complies with Shariah principles.
Insurance
- Retakaful
- Shariah-compliant reinsurance. Takaful operators spread large risks by participating in retakaful arrangements instead of conventional reinsurance. Ask an operator about its retakaful panel as part of assessing how seriously it treats Shariah compliance across the whole risk chain.
- Takaful
- Islamic cooperative insurance. Participants contribute to a shared pool (fund) that provides mutual financial protection against loss or damage. Based on principles of cooperation, shared responsibility, and mutual benefit, unlike conventional insurance's transfer-of-risk model.
- Wakalah Model
- A takaful management structure where participants donate contributions into a common pool, claims are paid from it, and the operator acts as Wakeel (agent) for a disclosed management fee rather than profiting from underwriting. Turkish participation insurers apply this principle through segregated risk funds under the SEDDK framework, with surplus policies stated in their participation compliance disclosures.
Investment
- Sukuk
- Islamic bonds or certificates. Unlike conventional bonds that represent debt and pay interest, sukuk represent proportional ownership in an underlying asset, project, or investment. Returns are tied to the asset's performance rather than a fixed interest rate.
Prohibitions
- Gharar
- Excessive uncertainty or ambiguity in a contract. Prohibited in Islamic finance because it can lead to exploitation or disputes. Contracts must have clearly defined terms, subject matter, and obligations.
- Haram
- Prohibited under Islamic law. In finance, includes interest-based products, investments in alcohol, gambling, pork, weapons, tobacco, and adult entertainment industries.
- Maysir
- Gambling or games of chance. Prohibited in Islam. Financial transactions that resemble gambling, with speculative, chance-based outcomes rather than genuine economic activity, are considered maysir.
- Riba
- Interest or usury. One of the most strictly prohibited practices in Islamic finance. Includes any guaranteed, predetermined return on a loan or deposit regardless of the underlying economic outcome. Conventional mortgages, personal loans, and savings account interest are all forms of riba.
Roles
- Rab al-Maal
- The capital provider in a Mudarabah partnership. This party provides the funds but does not actively manage the investment. They bear financial losses (unless due to the manager's negligence) and share in profits per the agreed ratio.
Turkey Market
- BDDK (Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency)
- Turkey's banking regulator. The BDDK licenses all banks, including the participation banks (katilim bankalari) that operate interest-free. Its 2019 Communique on Compliance with Interest-Free Banking Principles requires every participation bank to maintain an advisory committee, making Shariah governance a regulatory obligation rather than a voluntary practice.
- BES (Individual Pension System)
- Turkey's voluntary private pension system, with a 20% state match on lira contributions up to an annual cap. Katilim BES plans invest exclusively in interest-free pension funds overseen by advisory committees; providers include Katilim Emeklilik, Bereket Emeklilik, and the katilim plans of larger pension companies. OKS is the workplace auto-enrolment variant.
- Participation Bank (Katilim Bankasi)
- A BDDK-licensed bank that operates entirely on interest-free principles: deposits are structured as mudarabah profit-loss sharing pools and financing as murabaha purchase-and-resale. Turkey has nine participation banks including Kuveyt Turk, Albaraka Turk, Turkiye Finans, and the state-owned Ziraat Katilim, Vakif Katilim, and Emlak Katilim.
- SEDDK (Insurance and Private Pension Regulation and Supervision Agency)
- Turkey's insurance and private pension regulator. The SEDDK supervises participation insurance (katilim sigortaciligi) under a dedicated framework requiring advisory committee oversight, and regulates the BES pension system's fee caps and fund rules. Operators like Neova Katilim Sigorta and Turkiye Katilim Sigorta write under its participation framework.
- SPK (Capital Markets Board)
- Turkey's capital markets regulator. The SPK licenses portfolio management companies and approves funds, including the katilim (participation) funds offered by managers such as KT Portfoy, Albaraka Portfoy, and Ziraat Portfoy, plus the equity crowdfunding platforms fonbulucu and Fonangels. Check a fund's SPK registration on KAP before investing.
- TKBB (Participation Banks Association of Turkey)
- The industry body for Turkey's participation banks. Its Central Advisory Board sets national interest-free banking standards, including the 33/33/5 equity screening thresholds used for BIST Katilim indices and katilim funds: interest-bearing debt and interest-yielding assets each below 33% of market value, and non-compliant income below 5% of revenue.
- TMSF (Savings Deposit Insurance Fund)
- Turkey's statutory deposit insurer. The TMSF protects participation funds and deposits up to 1.2 million TL per depositor per bank, and the cover applies to participation bank accounts, including current, participation, and precious-metal accounts, the same as conventional deposits.
Zakat
- Hawl
- One full lunar year (approximately 354 days). Zakat becomes obligatory when qualifying wealth above the Nisab threshold has been held for one complete Hawl.
- Nisab
- The minimum threshold of wealth that makes Zakat obligatory. Equivalent to the value of 85 grams of gold or 595 grams of silver (whichever is lower). A Muslim whose total qualifying wealth exceeds the Nisab for one full lunar year must pay Zakat.
- Ushr
- The Islamic levy on agricultural produce, charged at 10% of output from naturally irrigated land and 5% from artificially irrigated land. In Turkey it is self-assessed and paid directly by the farmer alongside personal Zakat; there is no state collection.
- Zakat
- One of the Five Pillars of Islam. An obligatory annual charitable contribution of 2.5% of qualifying wealth above the Nisab threshold. Applies to cash, gold, silver, investments, business assets, and other forms of wealth held for one full lunar year (Hawl).
- Zakat al-Fitr
- A special charitable contribution required at the end of Ramadan, before Eid al-Fitr prayers. Unlike regular Zakat (which is wealth-based), Zakat al-Fitr is a fixed amount per person in the household, paid to ensure the poor can celebrate Eid.
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Quick Answer
This glossary covers 45+ essential Islamic finance terms used in Shariah-compliant banking, investing, and financing in Turkey. Each term includes a plain-language definition and context for how it applies to real products, from Mudarabah participation pools and Murabaha financing to participation insurance and faraid inheritance.
Key Takeaways
- 45+ Islamic finance terms defined in plain language
- Turkey-specific terms: BDDK, TMSF, TKBB, SEDDK, SPK, BES, katilim bankasi, veraset ilami
- Covers banking, investing, financing, Takaful, Zakat, and estate planning
- Includes Murabaha, Musharakah, Ijarah, Riba, Nisab, Faraid, Sukuk, and more
- Cross-linked to relevant product comparison pages
Reviewed by: HalalWallet Editorial Team•Last reviewed: 2026-03-06•Disclosure: No provider pays for placement or ranking on this page. Editorial policy and full disclosures.
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HalalWallet. “Islamic Finance Glossary: 45+ Key Terms Explained.” HalalWallet, https://www.halalwallet.com.tr/glossary. Accessed 2026-08-07.
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This page is reviewed against HalalWallet editorial standards and source documentation.
Reviewed by: HalalWallet Editorial Team
Last reviewed: 2026-03-06