Certified Shari’ah Advisor and Auditor (CSAA)

“CSAA” stands for Certified Shari’ah Advisor and Auditor and it’s one of the two fellowship programs offered by the AAOIFI. It was launched in 2006 and currently undergoing a revamping exercise.

CSAA is a professional fellowship in Shari’ah Advisory and Shari’ah Auditing. It is designed to equip candidates with the requisite technical understanding and professional skills on Shari’ah compliance and review processes for international Islamic banks and financial institutions.

The fellowship places greater emphasis on practical knowledge and real-world applications (and exercises) to deliver an enhanced and optimized learning experience.


Objectives of CSAA

Through the CSAA program, candidates will gain advanced knowledge in:

  • the Shari’ah requirements for different contracts, products, and services used in Islamic finance;
  • roles and functions of various Shari’ah compliance and review processes in financial institutions;
  • collaboration between a financial institution’s Shari’ah Supervisory Board (SSB) and its internal Shari’ah compliance and review processes;
  • mechanism to ensure Shari’ah compliance in accordance to resolutions and fatwas (Scholars’ rulings) issued by SSB;
  • technical review of banking and financial operations to determine Shari’ah compliance; and
  • establishing the foundations to gain stakeholders’ trust and confidence in a financial institution’s adherence to Shari’ah.


Reasons for pursuing the CSAA fellowship

After successfully passing CSAA exam, you will become a CSAA fellow. You stand to gain the following benefits by joining a strong group of CSAA fellows worldwide:

  • prestige by using the title ‘CSAA’ after your name;
  • publication of your name and short profile on AAOIFI website;
  • recognition from IFIs and regulators;
  • boost in career opportunities;
  • preferential rates for AAOIFI workshop, publications, and events; and
  • free online access to AAOIFI standards


Course information

The CSAA curriculum comprise of the following:

  • Shari’ah standards from SS 1-48 (as listed below); and
  • Shari’ah governance standards GSIFI 1-4

The list of AAOIFI Shari’ah standards (1-48) included in the CSAA program are as follows:

Trading in Currencies المتاجرة في العملات
Debit Card, Charge Card and Credit Card بطاقة الحسم وبطاقة الائتمان
Default in Payment by a Debtor المدين المماطل
Settlement of Debt by Set-Off المقاصة
Guarantees الضمانات
Conversion of a Conventional Bank to an Islamic Bank تحول البنك التقليدي إلى مصرف إسلامي
Hawala الحوالة
Murabaha to the Purchase Orderer المرابحة للآمر بالشراء
Ijarah and Ijarah Muntahia Bittamleek الإجارة والإجارة المنتهية بالتمليك
Salam and Parallel Salam السلم والسلم الموازي
Istisna’a and Parallel Istisna’a الاستصناع والاستصناع الموازي
Sharika (Musharaka) and Modern Corporations الشركة (المشاركة) والشركات الحديثة
Mudaraba المضاربة
Documentary Credit الاعتمادات المستندية
Jua’la الجعالة
Commercial Papers الأوراق التجارية
Investment Sukuk صكوك الاستثمار
Possession(Qabd) القبض
Loan (Qard) القرض
Commodities in Organised Markets بيوع السِّلع في الأسواق المنظمة
Financial Papers (Shares and Bonds) الأوراق المالية (الأسهم والسندات)
Concession Contracts عقود الامتياز
Agency الوكالة وتصرف الفضولي
Syndicated Financing التمويل المصرفي المجمع
Combination of Contracts الجمع بين العقود
Islamic Insurance التأمين الإسلامي
Indices المؤشرات
Banking Services الخدمات المصرفية في المصارف الاسلامية
Stipulations and Ethics of Fatwa in the Institutional Framework ضوابط الفتوى وأخلاقياتها في إطار المؤسسات
Monetization (Tawarruq) التورق
Controls on Gharar in Financial Transactions ضابط الغرر المفسد للمعاملات المالية
Arbitration التحكيم
Waqf الوقف
Hiring of Persons إجارة الأشخاص
Zakah الزكاة
Impact of Contingent Incidents on Commitments العوارض الطارئة على الالتزامات
Credit Agreement الاتفاقية الائتمانية
Online Financial Dealings التعاملات المالية بالانترنت
Mortgage and its Contemporary Applications الرهن وتطبيقاته المعاصرة
Distribution of Profit in Mudarabah-based Investments Accounts الحسابات الاستثمارية وتوزيع الربح
Islamic Reinsurance إعادة التأمين
Disposal of Rights الحقوق المالية والتصرف فيها
Bankruptcy الإفلاس
Liquidity Management إدارة السيولة
Capital Protection (in Investment Products) حماية رأس المال والاستثمارات
Investment Agency الوكالة بالاستثمار
Stipulations on Income and Profit (in Financial Transactions) ضوابط حساب ربح المعاملات
Options in Legal Contracts خيارات الامانة

The list of AAOIFI governance standards (1-4) included in the CSAA program are as follows:

GS 1 - Shari’ah Supervisory Board- Appointment, Composition and Report تعيين هيئة الرقابة الشرعية وتكوينها وتقريرها
GS 2 - Shari’ah Review الرقابة الشرعية
GS 3 - Internal Shari’ah Review الرقابة الشرعية الداخلية
GS 4 - Audit and Governance Committee for Islamic Financial Institutions لجنة المراجعة والحوكمة للمؤسسات المالية الإسلامية

Click Here for more info

Exam language English and Arabic
Total no. of questions on final exam 100 questions
Type of questions Multiple-Choice-Questions (MCQs) and True/False Questions
Examination mode Computer-based examination (CBE). All exams will take place at an AAOIFI approved exam centre
Exam duration 3 hours
Mock Exam To be provided to registered candidates only
Passing Percentage 70%


Click Here for more info

Candidates based in GCC USD 1,200/-
Candidates outside of GCC USD 800 (discount of ~33%)

CSAA fee is inclusive of the: Registration fee, PDF of the study text, shipment and postal expenses, 1 mock exam, 1 Exam sitting, and CSAA certificate fee.

Additional fees include:

Exam re-sit fee USD 200
Exam re-check fee USD 100
Annual fellowship fee USD 100 (a 60% discount is applied on second membership fee if candidate is both CIPA and CSAA fellow at the same time)
Replacement of CSAA certificate USD 100 + postal expenses

Click Here for more info

1. Apply for CIPA Click Here
2. Apply for CSAA Click Here
2. Apply for FAS Click Here

Registration to the CSAA program is open to all. However, CSAA fellowship will be awarded to only those who have, at minimum, an undergraduate degree / professional qualification.

Please download and complete the application.

Click Here for more info


APPLICATION DEADLINE

Examination date DEADLINE
15 MARCH 2023 18 February 20233
21 June 2023 19 May 2023
20 September 2022 19 August 2023

NOTE

Registration dates, as well as examination dates, are subject to change due to unforeseen circumstance or event with prior notice.


Related Programmes

Certified Shari’ah Advisor and Auditor (CSAA)

Certified Islamic Professional Accountant (CIPA)

Financial Accounting Standards (FAS)

Financial Accounting Standards (FAS)