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Shariah Compliance Screens methodology

Mostafa Gamal avatar
Written by Mostafa Gamal
Updated over 6 months ago

There are five main methodologies for shariah screening: Dow Jones, FTSE, S&P, MSCI, and AAOIFI

At InvestSky in regards to our Shariah screener, we partnered with Musaffa, and we use the AAOIFI methodology.

All methodologies have two main screening methods: Sector-based screening (first) and accounting-based screening (second).

AAOIFI methodology goes by the following parameters:

1- Sector based screens:

  • Revenue generated by non-permissible activities should not exceed 5% of total revenue.

  • And the non-permissible activities here are:

    • Gambling or game of chance

    • Alcohol

    • Tobacco

    • Pork related activities

    • Advertising and entertainment

    • Pornography

2- Accounting based screen:

  • Debt generating interest should not exceed 30% of the company's market capitalization.

  • Financial securities including interests or equivalents should not exceed 30% of the company's market capitalization.

  • This methodology uses the 36-month average market capitalization for its computation.


For your reference, we are also providing how other methodologies calculator:

Dow Jones methodology goes by the following parameters:

1- Sector based screens:

  • Revenue generated by non-permissible activities should not exceed 5% of total revenue.

  • And the non-permissible activities here are:

    • liquor (alcohol)

    • Tobacco

    • Pork-related products (food products, food retailers & wholesalers, hotels, restaurants & bars)

    • Conventional financial services (banking, insurance, investment services, insurance brokers, mortgage finance, etc.)

    • Entertainment

    • Pornography

    • Manufacturing weapons and defense equipment and technology

2- Accounting based screen:

All the following must be less than 33% of market capitalization:

  • Total debt should not exceed 33% of the company's market capitalization.

  • Cash amount and financial securities involving interests should not exceed 33% of the company's market capitalization.

  • Liquidity level that refers to cash, cash equivalent, and accounts receivables should not exceed 33% of the company's market capitalization.

  • This methodology uses the 24-month average market capitalization for its computation.

S&P Shariah methodology goes by the following parameters:

1- Sector based screens:

  • Revenue generated by non-permissible activities should not exceed 5% of total revenue.

  • And the non-permissible activities are:

    • Gambling or game of chance

    • Alcohol

    • Tobacco

    • Pork related activities

    • Advertising and entertainment

    • Pornography

2- Accounting based screen:

  • Total debt should not exceed 33 % of company's market capitalization.

  • Cash amount and financial securities including interests should not exceed 33 % of company's market capitalization.

  • Liquidity level in this methodology refers to accounts receivables should not exceed 49% of company market capitalization.

  • This methodology uses the 36-month average market capitalization for its computation.

MSCI index Islamic methodology goes by the following parameters:

1- Sector based screens:

  • Revenue generated from non-permissible activities should not exceed 5% of the total revenue.

  • And the non-permissible activities are:

  • Alcohol

  • Tobacco

  • Pork-related products (food products, food retailers & wholesalers, hotels, restaurants & bars)

  • Conventional financial services (banking, insurance, investment services, insurance brokers, mortgage finance, etc.)

  • Gambling or game of chance

  • Entertainment

  • Pornography

  • Manufacturing weapons and defence equipment and technology

2- Accounting based screen:

  • Total debt should not exceed 33.33% of total assets (not market capitalization).

  • Cash amount and financial securities involving interest or equivalents should not exceed 33.33% of total assets (not market capitalization).

  • Liquidity level that refers to cash, cash equivalent, and accounts receivables generated from credit sales should not exceed 33.33% of total assets (not market capitalization).

FTSE Russell methodology goes by the following parameters:

1- Sector based screens:

  • Revenue generated by non-permissible activities should not exceed 5% of total revenue.

  • And the non-permissible activities are:

    • conventional finance

    • Alcohol

    • pork-related products

    • Tobacco

    • Weapons

    • Entertainment

2- Accounting based screen:

All the following must be less than 33%:

  • The total debt should not exceed 33% of total assets (not market capitalization).

  • Cash amount and financial securities involving interests should not exceed 33.33 % of the company’s total assets (not market capitalization).

  • Liquidity level that refers to cash, cash equivalent, and accounts receivables generated from credit sales should not exceed 50% of total assets (not market capitalization).

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