Methodology

At the Cambridge Islamic Funds Awards, we utilise a rigorous and transparent evaluation process to recognise and celebrate the leading global Islamic funds. Our comprehensive criteria focus on:

  • Shari’a Compliance Assurance: Ensuring that all nominated funds adhere to the principles of Shari’a in their operations and investments.
  • Consistent Fund Performance: Evaluating the stability and reliability of a fund's returns over time.
  • Innovation in Islamic Asset Management: Recognising groundbreaking approaches, tools, or strategies that have been applied successfully within the Islamic Asset Management industry.
  • Risk Management Practices: Assessing the fund's approach to mitigating risk and protecting investor capital.
  • Ethical Investment and Governance Strategies: Evaluating the fund's commitment to ethical investment practices and its adherence to the highest governance standards.

At the core of the Cambridge Methodology lies the principle of unbiased performance measurement. We consider two funds to have performed equally well if the returns generated by them are identical within a given time frame, irrespective of the volatility or risk associated with those returns. Our assessment is grounded in the belief that a fund’s performance is fundamentally measured by the return it delivers to investors. Other indicators, such as risk, are relevant primarily for forward-looking evaluations. Risk-adjusted returns, while valuable, introduce a level of subjectivity, as quantification of risk remains an inherently incomplete phenomenon.

The Cambridge Islamic Funds Awards serve as a testament to the excellence and innovation demonstrated by Islamic funds worldwide. The Cambridge Methodology helps us identify and celebrate those funds that have shown consistent performance, maintained compliance with Shari’a principles, demonstrated innovation in asset management, upheld ethical standards, and implemented robust risk management practices.