Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions

CSE introduction

What is CSE?

CSE is a fellowship program whose primary objective is to equip candidates with the technical knowledge and professional skills required to advise on how contracts, products, transactions, investments, as well as, profit and loss distribution mechanisms between Islamic Financial Institutions and investment account holders, including other related matters, should be in compliance with Shari’ah principles and rules as defined by AAOIFI standards. The program emphasizes practical knowledge and real-world applications to enhance and optimize the learning experience.

Objectives of CSE

CSE fellows shall be competent in, inter alia:

understanding and applying (and where necessary appropriately interpreting) the Shari’ah principles and rules (particularly the AAOIFI Shari’ah standards) applicable to the Islamic finance industry in general;
reviewing, analysing, evaluating and concluding on Shari’ah-related matters and related documentation while assuring compliance with Shari’ah principles and rules;
contributing towards the structuring and development of products and services;
understanding and applying AAOIFI’s other relevant standards including the issues relating to financial accounting, ethics and governance, particularly, where Shari’ah principles and rules apply;
providing support for internal Shari’ah audit, external Shari’ah audit and Shari’ah compliance functions; and
performing support functions to assist the SSB including conducting research on various Shari’ah related issues and assisting in SSB’s review.

Reasons for pursuing the CSE fellowship

CSE not only offers powerful learning content but also offers strong career prospects.


Powerful learning content	Excellent career opportunities
The program is based on AAOIFI standards which are the result of the industry’s founders’ and practitioners’ knowledge, experience and wisdom	Regulatory and supervisory authorities are increasingly adopting AAOIFI standards, creating a demand for personnel who can correctly interpret and implement the standards.
In addition to Shari’ah, the program covers product development, accounting, risk management and governance topics promoting multidisciplinary learning.	CSE is backed by AAOIFI – an institution which is widely regarded as one of the most influential standard-setting institutions in the global Islamic finance industry.
By fulfilling the practical experience requirement (PER), CSE candidates will gain invaluable experience in contributing to activities of Shari’ah supervisory boards, Shari’ah compliance and product development.	Globally, regulators, Islamic financial institutions, professional accounting organisations, and training centers are expected to recognise CSE as benchmark qualification in Shari’ah.

After successfully passing all CSE module exams and fulfilling the practical experience requirement (PER), the candidate will become a CSE fellow.

The CSE fellowship provides the following benefits:

prestige by appending the letters “CSE” to one’s name;
publication of the fellow’s name on the AAOIFI website;
recognition by IFIs and regulators;
career advancement;
complimentary seats and highly discounted rates for AAOIFI online workshops;
free online access to AAOIFI standards.