The global Islamic finance industry has witnessed exponential growth in recent decades, yet the Islamic pensions sector remains a glaring underperformer. Despite the demand for Shariah compliant retirement solutions, existing offerings fail to inspire confidence among Muslim investors. This lack of market penetration stems from critical deficiencies: questionable authenticity of Shariah compliance, poor investment performance, negligible community impact and a lack of transparency. MUZZAMMIL DHEDHY investigates.