Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Ismail Yurdakok
ismailyurdakok@yahoo.com
Abstract:
Davison’s study “The accounting lecturer’s role in integrating Biblical values with le
arning”; O. Teckle’s, “Conveying Christian ethics in accounting and financial manageme
nt courses”, E. M. Tebbs’s, “Managing the Financial Resources of a Family: An Adventis
t Perspective”, H. Foster’s, “The Integration of Values and Learning: An application t
o accounting”, Thomas-Nathan and Dechun’s, “Do Local Religious Norms Affect Auditor’s Go
ing Concern Decisions?” and others put that a lot of studies in the West are inte
rested in harmony of Western values and accounting. Quran describes itself: “We ha
ve sent down to you the Book as an exposition of all things, a guidance, a mercy
and glad tidings to the Muslims” (16:89); and it has got examples of all (social,
economic, cultural) events (17:89, 18:54) that we can follow the traces of the
duties of an accountant in the verses. The longest verse of Quran (2: 282) is th
e foundation of Islamic accounting that that’s why the history of the ‘recording of
all accounts’ dates back to the first century of Islam. ‘Not to hide the real number
s’ that ‘kitman (to hide)’ is prohibited (2:284) in different verses. Muslim accountan
ts have to insist lunar calendar for accounts (10:5); and think “Are predictions a
lways true ?” (10:36); thinking also on “clothing of taqwa (Godfearing) is the best” (
7:26) Accountant should be thrifty, and s/he should prepare lectures about the h
arms of prodigality (6:141) for the staff and workers. Accountant must say the t
ruth (33:70) when CEO, patron, owner or shareholders of the firm sell the compan
y (or their lots.) Accountants (should) encourage the CEOs (or shareholders) to
give more charity to the poor and to the workers of the company especially in th
e years of much profits is seen in the balance sheets. An account for qarz-i has
an (lending without interest) (5:12; 57:11,18; 64:17; 2:245; 73:20) in the balan
ce sheet should be put, and this account should be used for individuals or trust
worthy companies and the accountant should give struggle for qarz-i hasan to be
institutionalized. Muslim accountant must avoid interest operations (2:275-79),
and s/he must not permit paying bribery to State or judicial organs or other per
son/institutions (2:188.) S/he also should control/follow marketing-advertising-
accounting operations that are they compatible to Islamic rules or not?. An acco
untant also should think probable and extraordinary events like flood, quake and
different calamities and put necessary spare money (reserves) into the balance
sheets remembering “We shall surely test you with fear and hunger, and loss of pro
perty and lives and crops..” (2:155.) Quran makes remembered an accountant differ
ent aspects of his/her (daily) duty and and in the paper they will be studied.
Muslim accountants should propagate that the accounting year should be designed
according to Hagira (lunar) calender: “They question you (O Muhammad) about the (
phases of) the moon. Say: “They are seasons fixed for mankind and for the pilgrima
ge.” (2:189) Accountant does not permit/ connive giving a part of the capital (of
the company) as a bribe: “Do not eat up one another’s property among yourselves by u
njust means, nor bribe with it the judges in order that you may knowingly and wr
ongfully deprive others of their possessions.” (2: 188) The (new) product of the c
ompany may be very good but the society/customers may not buy it or a best selle
r product of the company may not been sold in this year: “And when you said, “O Mose
s! We can not endure only one kind of food, so call on your God to give us some
of the varied produce of the earth, gren herbs, cucumbers, garlic, lentils and o
nions! He (Moses) said: “Would you Exchange that which is higher for that which is
lower?” (2: 61) Although Allah used to send manna (meat of the bird of quail) and
salwa (a kind of sweet) every day but they did not them some times later that’s w
hy a prudent accountant must think probable damages/loss and put deposit money i
nto the accounts of the company. Besides marketing faults and mistakes, a natura
l disaster is possible every time: “We (God) shall surely test you with fear and h
unger, and loss of property and lives and crops; but give glad tidings to the st
eadfast. Who say, when a misfortune comes to them: “We belong to Allah, and to Him
we shall return. “(2: 155-156) Peace is encouraged in Quran (4:128) and although
God emphasizes that He does not want war: “…As often as they light a fire for war, A
llah extinguishes it..” (5: 64) but war(s) is also a reality in long history of th
e humanity that’s why a cautious accountant thinks necessary precautions in his/he
r balance sheets/reports. The longest verse of Quran (2: 282) is the foundation
of Islamic accounting that that’s why the history of the ‘recording of all accounts’ d
ates back to the first century of Islam. ‘Not to hide the real numbers’ that ‘kitman (
to hide)’ is prohibited (2:284) in different verses. Accountant must say the truth
(33:70) when CEO, patron, owner or shareholders of the firm sell the company (o
r their lots.) Accountants (should) encourage the CEOs (or shareholders) to give
more charity to the poor and to the workers of the company especially in the ye
ars of much profits is seen in the balance sheets. An account for qarz-i hasan (
lending without interest) (5:12; 57:11,18; 64:17; 2:245; 73:20) in the balance s
heet should be put, and this account should be used for individuals or trustwort
hy companies and the accountant should give struggle for qarz-i hasan to be inst
itutionalized. Muslim accountant must avoid interest operations (2:275-79); s/he
also should control/follow marketing-advertising-accounting operations that are
they compatible to Islamic rules or not?. A Muslim accountant always encourage
s low(er) profit and high(er) production and productivity.
Conlusion. Although there are a lot of studies according to different Christian
sects on accounting in the Western world, but Quranic viewpoint on the duties of
accountant is more detailed. Especially in the today’s ongoing economic crisis, p
owerful ethical principles of Quran on accounting should be much studied.
Abdulbaqi, Muhammad Faud (no date). Mujam’al-Mufahras li-Alfaz al-Qur’an al-Kariym. Çağrı
Yayınları: Istanbul
Bloom Robert, Solotko John(2010). The Foundation of Confucianism in Chinese and
Japanese Accounting (trs. Cengiz Güney-A.Vecdi Can) article in Akademik Bakış Dergisi
(Journal of Academic Viewpoint), issue, 20 (April-May-June) 2010. Jalalabad, Kir
gizistan: www.akademikbakis.org
Shawkani(1971/1391). Nayl al-Awtar, VIII/89. Mustafa al-Babi al-Halabi wa Awlada
h, Qahira
http://www.belhaven.edu/Belhaven/faculty/GeoffreyGoldsmith.pdf
http://www.cbfa.org/Goldsmith.pdf
www.papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm