Of Religion and Redemption: Evidence from Default on Islamic Loans

CentER Discussion Paper Series No. 2012-014

European Banking Center Discussion Paper No. 2012-008

66 Pages Posted: 17 Jan 2011 Last revised: 19 Feb 2014

See all articles by Lieven Baele

Lieven Baele

Tilburg University - Department of Finance

Moazzam Farooq

Central Bank of Oman; Tilburg University - CentER, European Banking Center (EBC); IQRA University

Steven Ongena

University of Zurich - Department Finance; Swiss Finance Institute; KU Leuven; NTNU Business School; Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: February 19, 2014

Abstract

We compare default rates on conventional and Islamic loans using a comprehensive monthly dataset from Pakistan that follows more than 150,000 loans over the period 2006:04 to 2008:12. We find robust evidence that the default rate on Islamic loans is less than half the default rate on conventional loans. Islamic loans are less likely to default during Ramadan and in big cities if the share of votes to religious-political parties increases, suggesting that religion – either through individual piousness or network effects – may play a role in determining loan default.

Keywords: Loan Default, Islamic Loans, Religion, Duration Analysis

JEL Classification: A13, G21, G32, G33, Z12

Suggested Citation

Baele, Lieven and Farooq, Moazzam and Ongena, Steven R. G., Of Religion and Redemption: Evidence from Default on Islamic Loans (February 19, 2014). CentER Discussion Paper Series No. 2012-014, European Banking Center Discussion Paper No. 2012-008, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1740452 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1740452

Lieven Baele

Tilburg University - Department of Finance ( email )

P.O. Box 90153
Tilburg, 5000 LE
Netherlands
+31 13 466 3257 (Phone)
+31 13 466 2875 (Fax)

Moazzam Farooq

Central Bank of Oman ( email )

P.O. Box 1161
Postal Code 112,Ruwi
Oman

Tilburg University - CentER, European Banking Center (EBC) ( email )

PO Box 90153
Tilburg, 5000 LE
Netherlands

IQRA University ( email )

Defence View
Shaheed-e-Millat Road (Ext.)
Karachi, Sindh 75500
Pakistan

Steven R. G. Ongena (Contact Author)

University of Zurich - Department Finance ( email )

Schönberggasse 1
Zürich, 8001
Switzerland

Swiss Finance Institute

c/o University of Geneva
40, Bd du Pont-d'Arve
CH-1211 Geneva 4
Switzerland

KU Leuven ( email )

Oude Markt 13
Leuven, Vlaams-Brabant 3000
Belgium

NTNU Business School ( email )

Norway

Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

London
United Kingdom

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