Islamic Wealth Research Source Evaluation Checklist

Islamic wealth reports often mix market estimates, opinion, product promotion and scholarly claims. A useful reader must identify what was measured, who produced the work, which period it covers and whether the conclusion applies to a South African household.

Educational information only: This checklist is not investment, tax or Shariah advice. It helps organise source review before a qualified professional uses research in a decision.

1. Record the publication details

Capture the full title, author, institution, publication date, edition and stable link. Save the document because online versions may change.

2. Identify the purpose

Decide whether the work is academic research, market sizing, an industry survey, a policy paper, a product report or marketing material. The purpose affects what evidence to expect.

3. Check the sponsor and conflicts

Record who funded, commissioned or distributed the report. Note commercial interests, product relationships and disclosures rather than assuming sponsorship invalidates or proves the findings.

4. Define the population

Write down the countries, institutions, households, funds or transactions studied. A global or Gulf-region sample may not describe South African consumers.

5. Review the time period

Capture data cut-off dates and publication lag. Separate historical findings from forecasts and check whether material regulatory or market changes followed.

6. Inspect the methodology

Record sample selection, survey questions, estimation method and exclusions. Flag figures that cannot be traced to a method or primary source.

7. Distinguish measured facts from estimates

Label audited values, administrative data, survey responses, modelled estimates and author opinions separately. Preserve the confidence range where supplied.

8. Trace important numbers

For each figure used in planning or content, record the original table, page and source. Avoid repeating a rounded statistic that has travelled through several secondary articles.

9. Test definitions

Check how the report defines Islamic assets, wealth, investors, households, funds and regions. Different definitions can produce different totals without either calculation being fraudulent.

10. Review Shariah claims

Identify the standard, scholarly body or governance process behind religious conclusions. Do not convert a market label into a product-level Shariah approval.

11. Assess South African relevance

Compare the report’s legal, tax, currency, product and demographic assumptions with local conditions. Record which conclusions transfer and which require local evidence.

12. Look for missing perspectives

Note excluded households, informal activity, smaller institutions and survivorship bias. Absence from the data should not be presented as absence from the market.

13. Compare independent sources

Use official statistics, regulator publications and primary reports to test material claims. Explain differences in scope and dates rather than averaging incompatible numbers.

14. Control quotations and charts

Paraphrase fairly, respect copyright and keep chart labels, units and caveats. Link to the primary source where readers can inspect the context.

15. Maintain a research register

• Source, date and purpose

• Method, population and definitions

• Key findings and evidence strength

• South African applicability

• Conflicts, limitations and review date

Useful official comparison sources include Statistics South Africa, the South African Reserve Bank, FSCA and SARS. Use each source only for the questions within its scope.

The result should be a transparent evidence note that lets another reader reproduce the claim, understand its limitations and decide whether it is relevant to the household’s actual decision.