Manuscript Type

Manuscript Types

AL-ARBAH: Journal of Islamic Finance and Banking (p-ISSN 2716-3946; e-ISSN 2716-2575) publishes original, peer-reviewed manuscripts within its Focus and Scope:

  • Islamic banking management and Islamic finance
  • Islamic banking accounting
  • Islamic banking and finance jurisprudence
  • Islamic fiscal and monetary economics

All manuscripts must be written in English, prepared with the journal’s Article Template, and referenced in APA style (6th edition). All manuscripts should be between 6,000 and 9,000 words, including the abstract, tables, figures, and references. Every submission goes through a plagiarism check and a double-blind peer review. The journal accepts the following manuscript types.

1. Research Article

A full-length report of original empirical or field research. It may use a quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods approach. The study must show a clear research gap, a rigorous method, and a meaningful contribution to the theory or practice of Islamic finance and banking.

  • Length: 6,000–9,000 words, including abstract, tables, figures, and references.
  • Abstract: no more than 200 words. It must cover the purpose, design/methodology/approach, findings, research limitations/implications, and originality/value.
  • Keywords: at least three, in alphabetical order.
  • Structure: Introduction, Literature Review (with hypothesis development where relevant), Research Method, Results and Discussion, Conclusion, and References.
  • Data: authors should describe the data source, sample, and analysis techniques in enough detail for the study to be replicated.

2. Conceptual Paper

A paper that builds or reframes theory, models, or frameworks on Islamic finance and banking issues. Its argument must rest on a thorough, critical synthesis of the literature, fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) sources, or regulatory documents, and it must offer clear propositions or implications for future research and practice.

  • Length: 6,000–9,000 words, including abstract and references.
  • Abstract: no more than 200 words. It must cover the purpose, approach, main arguments/propositions, implications, and originality.
  • Keywords: at least three, in alphabetical order.
  • Structure: Introduction, Theoretical/Conceptual Development, Discussion and Propositions, Implications, Conclusion, and References.

3. Review Article

A systematic literature review, bibliometric analysis, or meta-analysis that maps the state of knowledge on a topic within the journal’s scope. It must follow a transparent and replicable protocol (for example, PRISMA or a comparable approach). The authors must state the database(s) searched, the search strings, the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and the analysis tools used, and must identify research gaps and a future research agenda.

  • Length: 6,000–9,000 words, including abstract, tables, figures, and references.
  • Abstract: no more than 200 words, structured as for Research Articles.
  • Keywords: at least three, in alphabetical order.

Manuscripts not considered

The journal does not consider:

  • opinion pieces, essays without a clear methodological or theoretical basis, book reviews, or news reports;
  • manuscripts outside the journal’s Focus and Scope;
  • manuscripts that have been published, or are under review, elsewhere;
  • manuscripts that do not follow the journal’s template, publication ethics, or AI Usage Policy.

Indicating the manuscript type

During online submission, authors must state the manuscript type in the Comments for the Editor field (for example, “Manuscript type: Research Article”). The editors may suggest reclassifying a manuscript if its content better fits another type.