Dr. Engku Rabiah Adawiah is currently a professor at IIUM Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance (IIiBF), International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). She obtained her LLB (first class honours) and LLB (Shariah) (first class honours) from the IIUM. Shortly thereafter, she successfully completed her Masters of Comparative Laws (MCL) from the same university. In 1998, she was conferred with Ph.D. in law from the University of Aberdeen, United Kingdom. She used to teach both Shariah and civil law; particularly on the subjects of company law, Islamic banking and finance, and Islamic capital market at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

She now teaches Islamic capital market, transactions in Islamic banking and finance, takaful and retakaful and contemporary issues in Islamic finance for post-graduate students at IIiBF. Her research interest is in Islamic capital market, Islamic banking and finance, Islamic insurance or takaful, Islamic law of transaction, company law and securities regulation. Her publications include books, articles in local and international journals and periodicals, as well as contributory chapters in books and proceedings. She has presented at various conferences, seminars, workshops and in-house training sessions on Islamic banking, finance and capital market.

Dr. Engku Rabiah Adawiah has also served as a member of Shariah committees to a number of financial institutions in the past. Currently, she is a member of the Shariah Advisory Council of Bank Negara Malaysia (Central Bank of Malaysia), Malaysian Securities Commision and Labuan Financial Services Authority (Labuan FSA), and is an independent Shariah advisor for Islamic securities (sukuk) issuance, approved by and registered with the Malaysian Securities Commission. In addition, she is also a member of the Shariah Board of Labuan Re and Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia, was the Shariah advisor for Danajamin (2009 – 2010), is a member of the Board of Directors of the Malaysian Institute of Islamic Understanding and a member of the Disciplinary Committee for the Malaysian Bar Council. She is also a member of the Shariah Board to Khazanah in relation to two of its exchangeable sukuk, issued by Rafflesia Capital Ltd and Cherating Capital Ltd.